Book Reviews
Schine gives her characters more than their fair share of luck, but she is also brave enough to let them wrestle with raw fear. Among its many gifts to the dearest sort of reader, a fully engaged one, The Three Weissmanns of Westport offers the chance for a mediation on that snake of Emily Dickinson's as it slithers through the grass—the snake that sometimes startles and frightens us, so undefended and unprepared are we, caught in our "tighter breathing, and zero at the bone."
Dominique Browning - New York Times Book Review
Schine sets the Austen machinery in perfect forward motion, and then works some lovely modern changes, keeping the pace going at a lively clip.... Spotting the similarities and differences between the early 19th century and early 21st century stories is good sport, but the greater pleasure comes from Schine’s own clever girls and their awkward attempts to find happiness.
Boston Globe
Schine has been favored in so many ways by the muse of comedy...The Three Weissmanns of Westport is full of invention, wit, and wisdom that can bear comparison to Austen’s own.
New York Review of Books
A geriatric stepfather falls in love with a scheming woman half his age in Schine's Sense and Sensibility...compulsively readable.... An Austen-esque mischief hovers over these romantic relationships as the three women figure out how to survive and thrive. It's a smart crowd pleaser with lovably flawed leads and the best tearjerker finale you're likely to read this year.
Publishers Weekly
[W]itty.... While beautifully preserving the essence of the plot, Schine skillfully manages to parallel the original novel in clever 21st-century ways—the trip to London becomes a holiday in Palm Springs; the scoundrel Willoughby becomes a wannabe actor. —Andrea Kempf, Johnson Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Overland Park, KS
Library Journal
The wide-ranging cast of characters—fools, scoundrels, poseurs, the good-hearted, and secret heroes—provides interesting interplay.Wild coincidences abound, so that Manhattan, Westport, and Palm Springs are but mere extensions of the classic drawing room. There is sadness but also love in this thoroughly enjoyable, finely crafted modern novel. —Danise Hoover
Booklist
Already recognized for her own witty romantic comedies of manners, Schine joins the onslaught of Austen imitators.... In true Austen fashion, love and money conquer all, although Schine adds some modern sorrow and a slightly off-putting disdain for her male characters.... Infectious fun, but the tweaked version never quite lives up to the original.
Kirkus Reviews