Let me be clear right up front here: Some of "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" takes place at Shakespeare and Company, the longtime independent bookstore on Paris' Left Bank, and most of the rest of it takes place in a beautifully crumbling old country house full of window seats and cozy fireplaces, so obviously this film has my number and I was more or less helpless in its wake. Writer/director Laura Piani (herself a former Shakespeare and Company employee), in her feature debut, has an eye for appealing places; you may find yourself wanting to live in every frame of this film and its lovely light.

As for the story: Well, this is a rom-com that you've seen before, but nonetheless it works just fine. Agathe (Camille Rutherford) is a bookstore employee and would-be writer who's not very good at love: "Your only relationship is with your sandwich," says her cute co-worker and "best friend" Felix (Pablo Pauly). Before you can say, "Hey, why doesn't she hook up with Felix?" Agathe finds herself at a Jane Austen writers retreat in England (Felix submitted her application) — and is immediately staring into the admittedly soulful eyes of Oliver (Charlie Anson), who is Jane's great-great-great-great-nephew and something of a mansplainer, but who has appealingly Hugh Grant-ish floppy hair and a sweet way of taking care of his aging father. Who will Agathe end up with? I guessed right; you probably will, too.

In the throes of the summer blockbuster season, it's a pleasure to see a film that begins with loving shots of bookcases and ends with the recital of a poem, and to spend time with characters who care about words and books. "Some books enter our most intimate selves," Agathe says, explaining why the works of Austen touch her deeply. And there's even a ball, involving costumes and dancing and some amusingly awkward partner-juggling for Agathe. I'm hoping Piani tries something a little more adventurous next time, but "Jane Austen Wrecked My Life" is a gentle treat, sure to leave any book-loving viewer happy.

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'JANE AUSTEN WRECKED MY LIFE'

(In French and English with English subtitles)

3 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for language, some sexual content and nudity)

Running time: 1:38

How to watch: Now in theaters

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