::glares ominously at her email, waiting for the library to inform her that book 2 is ready for pick up:: 
 Oh? Don't mind me, I'm just IN DESPERATE NEED OF BOOK TWO OF THIS SERIES. COME ON, LIBRARY, SEND ME THE BOOK FASTER UGGGH. 
 I will have to admit that I have not read anything by Jane Austen. I've of course seen various adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, but I seemed to have missed the train to 19th century England in my adolescent years due to being immersed in the novels taking place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. Shades of Milk and Honey might have convinced me I finally need to take the plunge into Ms. Austen's esteemed works and fill up this glaring hole in my reading library. 
 So. What is Shades of Milk and Honey about? To put it simply, it's the plot and setting of a Jane Austen novel where one of the "womanly arts" accomplished young ladies learn is the art of glamour, or illusionary magic. Although changing one's appearance is possible with such magics, glamour is normally only used to enhance the ambiance of the home, or used in the creating of artwork. Our heroine is Jane (of course her name is Jane), who at the ripe age of 28 is resigned to a life of spinsterdom. Although her skills at glamour and painting are exceptional, these things do not negate her overly plain and not very appealing complexion and face. Her younger sister, on the other hand, has little skill in glamour but garners the attention of many a potential suitor due to her exceptional beauty. When a Mr. Dunkirk comes to call with his younger sister Beth and glamour tutor Mr. Vincent, Jane finds herself entrapped in drama and magic and potentially love of her own. 
 Even for someone who has not read any of Ms. Austen's works, I immediately felt like I knew the world we were in and the characters inhabiting it. I will not claim that this book is particularly groundbreaking in its plot, I will say, however, that it is a work that can be held up on its own, separate from it's literary influence (unlike, say, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which does not hold up on its own). Jane's relationships to Melody (the aforementioned younger sister) is particularly well written, showing an incredibly believable portrait of sisters who simultaneously love and care about the other while still being jealous for what the other has. That's not to say the characters don't cause moments of internal frustration. I often found myself wishing that Melody could just stop being such a brat but her behavior felt believable of how a jealous little sister would behave towards her more talented older sister. One downside I will mention is that the ending was pretty rushed, leaving lots of unanswered questions and required me to reread the final confrontation multiple times to understand what happened. I wish for more closure in regards to Jane's reputation and her relationship with other characters. Thank goodness this is a series because I would have just about flipped all the tables if I had to end the book where Shades of Milk and Honey ends. 
 If you at all are interested by the concept of this book, you should immediately add it to your to read list. As mentioned above, I am EAGERLY awaiting to get ahold of the 2nd book. There's so much more I want to know about the lives of these characters. I cannot attest to how large fans of Jane Austen will react to this book, but as someone only generally familiar with her works, I found Shades of Milk and Honey to be an EXCELLENT read. 
 ...seriously though, library. I need book two. Someone go make the on holds truck arrive here faster.