In general, I despise the term "chick lit", but I can't really think of a better description for this insipid little book. Austenland is the story of Jane, obsessed with the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice, who measures every man against Colin Firth's Mr. Darcy and finds them all lacking. When Jane's rich aunt leaves her a mysterious, expensive vacation as a final bequest, Jane is whisked off to Pembroke Park in England. There, she is immersed in a totally Austen-like experience for three weeks, in a play-acted country estate straight out of Regency England. 
 Jane's struggles to adjust to the mostly boring country life are fairly amusing. Many games of whist ensue. The three female guests at Pembroke are courted by actors playing familiar types out of Austen novels. Jane has to figure out what she wants and whether this play-acting is enough to let her finally move past her Darcy obsessions and approach love with an open mind. 
 I know that Shannon Hale is a good writer, and I definitely enjoyed her young adult fiction, which I found inventive and engaging. Austenland, however, was a disappointment.