“Did Jane Austen ruin lives by giving people false expectations about love? Were her heroes just too good to be true? Could a real man of flesh and blood ever hope to live up to such paragons? And were books with happy endings cruel? Did they give their readers a warped view of the world and what they could expect from it?”

“I wonder what it is about a certain novel that ticks the boxes for a reader. I mean, for me, a story can have the most fascinating plot in the world, but if the narrator's voice is dull, then the plot counts for nothing. For me, authorial charm is everything.”

“Novels can tell us so much about life. They have the power to enrich our own lives in so many different ways. They're not just for entertaining us, although that would be enough.”

“Why is life a constant disappointment?''Because we read fiction,' Mia said, and Shelley nodded, knowing it was true.”

“You’re looking for a man who can fix you?”“No! I don’t expect a man to fix me! I’m not an idiot. I just want a man I can hide behind.”Chase’s eyebrows flew high. His mouth twitched up, and Jane felt her mouth twitch, too.“Jane, I’m no Dr. Phil, but I’m pretty sure you’re certifiably fucked-up.”“Shut up!”“It’s true. Man, if I wasn’t already in love with you, I’d be out of here.”

“...it is how a person goes about quenching his desires or living with them unrequited that the readers get a glimpse of his true character.”

“Now I was more certain than ever of my decision. I could not love a man who did not love Jane Austen.”