I received an ARC of By the Book by Julia Sonneborn from BookishFirst in exchange for a review.

This book holds appeal for its college setting as well as its Jane Austen inspiration. However, it does not hold the same depth as you would wish a university experience or Austen reading to have. It does provide some light hearted fun though.
Overall, I enjoy Anne Corey as a character. I admire her devotion and her ambition to her career and to those in her inner circle. She has pushed herself through school to teach on a university campus, a long term and highly involved endeavor. Her background encourages me to push forward in my education as well, though the reminder of her school loans looming over her intimidated me. Anne also has the relatability of someone who yearns for love yet doesn’t quite know how to find it or maintain it. The love triangle makes her look like her intelligence isn’t balanced in terms of life and books.

The book flows quickly and serves as a light, fun read. Its surface stays shiny, but it doesn’t go much deeper than that.