Fall For You (The Jane Austen Academy Series) [Kindle Edition]

Cecilia Gray (Author)

Book Description

To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He's a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She's a driven study-a-holic just barely keeping up with tuition. It's obvious that Dante thinks he's way too good for Lizzie.
And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pressing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie's quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets... Secrets Lizzie can't seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries...

* * *

The last thing that the girls at the elite Jane Austen Academy need is hot guys to flirt with. But over the summer the school has been sold, and like it or not, the guys are coming. And it's about to turn the Academy--and the lives of its students--totally upside down...

The Jane Austen Academy series are modern retellings of Jane Austen classics set at a beachside California boarding school. Don't miss the rest of the Jane Austen Academy series, where sassy girls, hot guys and Jane Austen collide!

Book 1: Fall For You (Lizzie - Pride and Prejudice)
Book 2: So Into You (Ellie - Sense and Sensibility)
Book 3: When I'm With You (Kat - Northanger Abbey)
Book 4: Suddenly You (Fanny - Mansfield Park)

* * *

Praise for The Jane Austen Academy Series

A unique twist on a classic... A compelling mix of action, drama and love. - Kirkus Reviews (starred review and Best of 2012 for Fall For You)

An incredibly charming novel - a heroine worth cheering for! - Growing Up YA

Whether you're a romantic or a Jane Austen fan, you can't help falling for this book.
-  EZ Read

I can visualize a cult following. Bravo! - Reader's Favorite

Its own story cleverly woven within the classic. ~ Book Haven Extraordinaire

Gray's characters are so full of life, hope and dreams, it's a pleasure to read about
them. - Schenni's Book Nook

* * *

About the Author

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco bay area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into
thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.

Cecilia has been praised for "instilling a warmth and weight into her characters"  (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been praised for being "well-written, original, realistic and witty" (Quills & Zebras Reviews).
 
Her latest series of young-adult contemporary Jane Austen retellings was named a What's Hot pick (RT Book Reviews magazine) and is a Best of 2012 pick (Kirkus Reviews) where
it was praised for being a "unique twist on a classic" and offering "a compelling mix of action, drama and love."

She's rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you'll oblige at [e-mail] or any of her social media sites:
ceciliagray.com
twitter.com/ceciliabooks
facebook.com/ceciliagray
youtube.com/ceciliagraybooks

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

 
Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.
 
Cecilia has been praised for "instilling a warmth and weight into her characters"  (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been praised for being "well-written, original, realistic and witty" (Quills & Zebras Reviews).
 
Her latest series of young-adult contemporary Jane Austen retellings was named a What's Hot pick (RT Book Reviews magazine) and is a Best of 2012 pick (Kirkus Reviews) where it was praised for being a "unique twist on a classic" and offering "a compelling mix of action, drama and love."
 
She's rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you'll oblige at [e-mail] or any of the following sites:
 
ceciliagray.com
twitter.com/ceciliabooks
facebook.com/ceciliagray
youtube.com/ceciliagraybooks
eepurl.com/fs4zk (newsletter)

Product Details

• File Size: 297 KB
• Print Length: 105 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Publisher: Gray Life, LLC (February 10, 2012)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00785ZFUK
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #109,977 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The following review is my opinion and not a paid review. I received this book free as part of the blog tour. July 17, 2012

By Books To Bury Yourself In

Format:Kindle Edition

Fall For You: A Modern Retailing of Pride and Prejudice
(Jane Austen Academy, Book #1)
by Cecilia Gray

Rating: 3.5
Review on behalf of AToMR Book Blog Tours

Genre:Young Adult | Contemporary Romance

To say Lizzie and Dante are polar opposites is the understatement of the century. He's a snooty Exeter transfer with more money than Google. She's a driven study-a-holic barely keeping up with tuition. It's obvious that Dante thinks he's way too good for Lizzie. And Lizzie knows Dante is a snob with a gift for pushing her buttons.

But things are changing fast this year at the Academy. And when Lizzie's quest to stop those changes blows up in her face, taking her oldest friendship with it, she has nowhere else to turn but to Dante, with his killer blue eyes, his crazy-sexy smile, and his secrets... Secrets Lizzie can't seem to leave alone, no matter how hard she tries...

Lizzie Egmont is determined to become the first Junior in Jane Austen Academy history to become the school's newspaper Managing Editor--even if it means reneging on a roommate promise with her best friend, Ellie Dvorak, as well as "[ruffling] some feathers" among the new school administration along the way. Yet, as promising as this year is for Lizzie's journalism career, the current enrollment of a male student body into a once all female academy and the new unpleasant/high-fashioned headmaster, Katherine Berg (a.k.a. Bergie) really makes Lizzie's blood boil. And, as much as she would like to admit that the impressive male population at Jane Auction Academy does not damper her spirits in achieving her Ivy League acceptance spot into Georgetown, a "mussy brown [haired]" boy, name Dante Braxton, does begin to cast a shadow on Lizzie's long-term goals.

Now, Lizzie is on a mission to expose the new proprietor in the first switch of ownership since 1873 and challenge their corrupt decision to change the school's name and tradition -- in Lizzie's term "the new administration's evil plans to destroy her beloved Academy." But, at what costs will her determination to closely follow the school's motto ("We Will Be Heard") by printing her findings as a feature in the Gazette effect her (and those close to her) future at Jane Austen Academy?

This series is a great hodgepodge of Jane Austen's beloved characters, for the reader is treated to a retelling of Austen's well-known characters as modern teenagers attending the same high school. Overall, it is quite enjoyable to witness how well their original tales become entangled in the current setting and to see all their blended interactions/struggles. I was most excited about the characters from my favorite Austen book Persuasion--the sweet-tempted Anne Escober, whose family just recently lost the Jane Austen Academy to new owners and Rick Wright, who has just transferred from the Naval academy and shares a secretive past with Anne. Then you have the chic, knows-everything-about-everybody Emma and nice, puppy-eyed Edward (from Emma). The blonde, Cali-girl Ellie Dvorak (from Sense & Sensibility) plays a prominent role as Lizzie's best bud. Lastly, if you are a fan of the Pride and Prejudice novel, you will recognize fellow characters like Josh Wickham and Georgiana throughout Fall For You--and some of their secrets might catch you by surprise!

All in all, be prepared for lots of teenage angst, sweet budding romance, and some self-centered (i.e. prideful) characteristics. But, if you enjoy modern classical stories, are an Austen enthusiast, and have a passion for the young-adult genre--you will find the Jane Austen Academy series to be a refreshing read!

Likes: Personally, I am a fan of classical remakes and found this book to have a very interesting and unique concept. I am even tempted to check out Anne and Rick's story in the series!

Dislikes: Lizzie could occasionally come off as fair or polite (ex. toward her newspaper staff) but mostly all her good traits were overshadowed by her dogmatic/unwavering actions and her dramatic egotistical mannerisms...almost annoyingly so! Sadly, she was not a very likable character for me and I did no find myself warming up to her tough outer shell throughout much of the book either. Basically, she was just too over the top for my taste!

Chapter One/Paragraph One: "Lizzie dragged her red suitcase behind her as she weaved through the crowded hallway searching for Ellie in the chaos that was the first day back in California at Jane Austen Academy. Or Jasta --rhymes with pasta-- as she and her friends affectionately called it, although affection had not been the sentiment of the day."

Favorite { Scene, Character or Setting }: Scene

"Want to play a game to make the ride go faster?" Edward asked.
"Yes!" Lizzie sat straight in her seat. "How about Truth or Dare?"
"Um, I was thinking more like Twenty Questions...or I Spy...."
"I'll go first," Lizzie said. "Dare."
"Um..." Edward's eyes darted around nervously. "I dare you to stick your head out the window?"
"No! I don't want to, which means we're back to truth, and I get to ask you a question."
"I don't think that's how--"
"Why is Rick avoiding Anne?"
Edward glanced around nervously. "Are you sure this is how the game works?"
"Don't be a sore loser, Edward," Lizzie pushed on. "I asked a question, now you have to answer it. Those are the rules. Why is Rick avoiding Anne? And don't pretend you don't know what I'm taking about."
"I wouldn't say he's avoiding her."
"Don't make me break out a thesaurus, Edward."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick read for the Darcy, Wentworth, and Knightly obsessed! May 29, 2012

By Jakki L.

Format:Kindle Edition

Raise your hand if you love Jane Austen and cannot get enough Darcy, Wentworth, and Knightley. Author, Cecilia Gray, recognizes this obsession and delivers readers an appetite-whetting medley in her first young adult novel, Fall for You. Here we see Austen's beloved heroes and heroines thrown together in the same high school.

Welcome to the Jane Austen Academy, better known as JASTA by its devoted students, a name that is meant to remind students that just like Jane Austen, they do not have to accept things the way they are, as change is on the horizon. From new owners, a new headmistress, male students in attendance, and now a possible name change, students are left wondering what other traditions will be changed.

Unwilling to let these changes slide without a fight, editor of the Gazette, junior Lizzie Egmont, is on a quest to stop some of the changes and uncover the mystery behind the new owners. Lizzie also struggles with personal changes. While she and her best friend Ellie drift further apart, Lizzie is forced to reconsider her resentment of the former owners' daughter, Anne Escobar, and wonders if she may have misjudged Dante as well. Along with unearthing secrets Dante may be hiding, Lizzie must come face to face with feelings she may not want to admit.

In addition to these changes, old friendships are being tested and new ones are being formed. Here, Gray has captured the essence of teenage friendships : drama, jealousy, and camaraderie. I felt I had been transported back to high school. All the things that are important to teenaged girls: school dances, friends, boys, college admittance, popularity, and did I mention boys? are well captured in Fall for You. The author creates relatable, real characters while at the same time maintaining some of Austen's main characteristics: Darcy/Dante is reserved and protective of Georgiana, Lizzie judges on first impressions, and Anne's parents are making her decisions.

My only complaint is the many plot points. Even those with Lizzie and Dante seemed unfinished or under-developed. I felt Lizzie and Dante resolved their issues too quickly. "Fall for You" covers the first month of our main characters' junior year. I am curious to know how much time each of the other five novels in the series will cover. While I enjoyed the story, I was left with many unanswered questions, leaving my head spinning. Even though this is my major beef with the novel, I will most likely be reading the rest of the series as my curious and hungry nature will not be satisfied until this story is neatly wrapped up.

Even though this is a young adult story, adults will find it an enjoyable, quick read, perfect for summer days.

(Reviewed on [...])

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Good stuff... March 27, 2013

By Mackenzie

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I decided to read this book for three reasons.

First reason: I like the occasional Austen retelling. It makes me feel connected to the characters but with a spin on the story. Post-read reaction: This story was a very loose adaption of Pride and Prejudice. I might have been disappointed by how much it strayed from Austen 's version but it was well done so I enjoyed the changes. Well, most of the changes. I found Lizzie a bit difficult to like. It took some effort. She was self-absorbed and judgemental but without the class and wit of Elizabeth Bennett. The rest though was pretty great.

Second reason: It had decent reviews on Amazon. Post-read reaction: It's about to have another decent review.

Third reason: The second ebook was free and the first and third were pretty inexpensive. Post-read reaction: They were totally worth the price and then some. I'll definitely be purchasing the rest of the series when they finally come out.

More About the Author

Cecilia Gray lives in the San Francisco Bay Area where she reads, writes and breaks for food. She also pens her biographies in the third person. Like this. As if to trick you into thinking someone else wrote it because she is important. Alas, this is not the case.

Cecilia has been praised for "instilling a warmth and weight into her characters" (Romancing The Book Reviews) and her books have been praised for being "well-written, original, realistic and witty" (Quills & Zebras Reviews).

Her latest series of young-adult contemporary Jane Austen retellings was named a What's Hot pick (RT Book Reviews magazine) and is a Best of 2012 pick (Kirkus Reviews) where it was praised for being a "unique twist on a classic" and offering "a compelling mix of action, drama and love."

She's rather enamored of being contacted by readers and hopes you'll oblige at [e-mail] or any of the following sites:

http://ceciliagray.com
http://twitter.com/ceciliabooks
http://facebook.com/ceciliagray
http://youtube.com/ceciliagraybooks
http://eepurl.com/fs4zk (newsletter)