Starring Alison Sweeney and Benjamin Ayres
***SPOILER ALERT***
Lilly (Sweeney) is a copywriter, aspiring novelist, and president of a Jane Austen book club. She meets a bookstore owner, Trevor (Ayres), who offends her by snatching away a book she wanted to purchase. She dumps her boyfriend, Martin (Matthew Kevin Anderson), after he’s promoted to a new position in Chicago and tries to persuade her to come with him. Frustrated, Lilly wishes she could talk to Jane Austen. When Jane (Kendra Anderson) appears before her very eyes, she doubts her sanity. Then Trevor becomes Lilly’s client, and she and her colleagues must create a plan to help his business. Meanwhile, Jane pops in and out of Lilly’s life. Lilly and Trevor realize they have something in common, but the course of true love doesn’t run smooth.
PROS
This second Loveuary movie was directed and written by David Weaver, director of Christmas Island (2023).
An appealing premise. I loved the idea of a Jane Austen fan being visited by the ghost of the writer herself. And I also liked the concept that Austen, a novelist known for being acutely perceptive about human nature, might have valuable insights to offer Lilly. I was hoping to see the two women develop a warm friendship.
The importance of books. Lilly’s book club meetings illustrated how books create community, bringing together those who share a love of a particular author or genre. This film also emphasized the pleasure books give us by immersing us in the worlds authors create. I liked the pro-reading message, and the idea that bricks-and-mortar bookstores are worth preserving.
CONS
Though Love & Jane initially showed promise, this movie quickly went off the rails, mostly because a weak script let the actors down.
Agitated, argumentative Lilly. Sweeney brought her best to this role, but I couldn’t root for Lilly. She was hung up on becoming a novelist without anyone’s help but did little to help herself. She remained harsh toward Trevor for too long. When she discovered he didn’t care for Pride and Prejudice, she argued with him over the merits of Austen’s work but considered him “difficult and insufferable.” Then she was furious to learn he had recommended her to the publisher he’d acquired. Maybe his approach was intrusive, but publishing being the fiercely competitive business it is, most authors—especially unknowns like Lilly—would have been thrilled to receive an offer to publish.
Enigmatic Trevor. Ayres had little presence in this movie, making his personality difficult to pin down. I only knew that he was easier to tolerate than nervous, angry Lilly. And I found his goals for his business unclear and couldn’t comprehend why he’d bought a bookstore when apps and online presence were his concern. Ayres, a good actor, had too little to work with.
A nonexistent romance. Sweeney and Ayres had little screen time together, so opportunities to develop a relationship between Lilly and Trevor were scant. It wasn’t until their walk to the market that it became clear they didn’t hate each other! Trevor’s declaration of love for Lilly during the final book club meeting was ludicrous—it came out of the blue, without any romantic sparks to make it believable. More focus on the couple and less on the marketing plan for Trevor’s business and the love life of Lilly’s colleague Alicia (Aadila Dosani) would have helped.
A mediocre Jane. Jane should have been crucial to setting Lilly on the right path, but her influence was minimal. She did suggest that Lilly pursue publication, but mostly she did things like teach Lilly how to pour tea and how to dance. She commented on the suitability of both Martin and Trevor for Lilly, and suggested that Alicia should faint if she disliked her date. Jane and Lilly also had a popcorn fight. Lilly thought that Jane appeared for her when she needed inspiration the most, but Jane’s appearances seemed random—she showed up for Alicia’s date, for example. Ultimately, Jane’s “wisdom” consisted of telling Lilly she’d arrived at a conclusion about Trevor and found inspiration, all without Jane’s help. How underwhelming. I expected deeper insights from the Jane character. Instead, Jane appeared trivial, and stuffy and cold. What a shallow depiction of a novelist whose works have been adored for two centuries. It was as if the writer-director didn’t understand or respect Austen. And more effort should have been made to create a warm connection between Lilly and Jane.
Huh? The nonsensical bits. Lilly woke up to an email requesting publication rights to her novel, but she hadn’t sent it to a publisher. How did the publisher get it? Had Jane somehow magically arranged this? Or had Trevor emailed it without Lilly’s consent? What happened wasn’t shown. In another scene, Alicia urged Lilly to show romantic interest in Brennan (William C. Vaughan), their colleague, but Alicia was attracted to him, so why would she encourage Lilly? And Brennan earnestly asked Lilly to get Alicia to fall in love with him, making him seem childish.
My grade for Love & Jane: F
Caroline Kaiser is a professional book editor who specializes in fiction and memoirs, and she’s been guiding writers toward publication since 2007. Caroline is also the author of two ghostly mystery novels, Virginia’s Ghost and The Spirits of South Drive. Before she embarked on an editing and writing career, she spent many years working in a Toronto auction house as an antiques appraiser. Apart from curling up on the couch and drinking tea as she watches Hallmark movies, Caroline enjoys baking and exploring London, Ontario, the picturesque city she now calls home. Her website is www.carolinekaisereditor.com.
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