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The Darcy Dilemma: An Austen Inspired Romantic Comedy
'A very enjoyable modern take on a classic. I LOVED IT.' Phoebe MacLeod, Author of An (Un)Romantic Comedy
'…unexpected twists & turns, which made it all the more captivating.' An Amazon Reader
One clever but lonely young woman. Four complicated suitors. Can she survive the pandemonium of a film set and find a perfect match?
The Honourable Eleanor Mortimer is strapped for cash. So when a production company requests the use of her stately home in their fresh take on Pride and Prejudice, the lucrative opportunity seems like a dream come true… until the mayhem triggers her epilepsy.
Now watched over by a driver (babysitter), Eleanor tries to go about her business. But as the stars start to arrive, she’s soon drowning in unreliable men who’d easily break her heart, including an old university crush, a self-assured charmer and a rather cute clergyman.
Before long, Eleanor is dodging her way through a perplexing tangle of eligible sweethearts. But with a dozen ventures to juggle and the chaos of four younger sisters spilling across the grounds, she fears her hopes of finding a man of sense and education are fading by the minute…
Can Austen’s masterpiece inspire another happy ever after?
The Darcy Dilemma is the delightful first book in The Sisters of Larkford Hall contemporary romance series. If you like endearing characters, witty dialogue and unexpected twists, then you’ll adore Hazel Hatman’s homage to Jane Austen.
Buy The Darcy Dilemma to see if the right man will come at last!
'…unexpected twists & turns, which made it all the more captivating.' An Amazon Reader
One clever but lonely young woman. Four complicated suitors. Can she survive the pandemonium of a film set and find a perfect match?
The Honourable Eleanor Mortimer is strapped for cash. So when a production company requests the use of her stately home in their fresh take on Pride and Prejudice, the lucrative opportunity seems like a dream come true… until the mayhem triggers her epilepsy.
Now watched over by a driver (babysitter), Eleanor tries to go about her business. But as the stars start to arrive, she’s soon drowning in unreliable men who’d easily break her heart, including an old university crush, a self-assured charmer and a rather cute clergyman.
Before long, Eleanor is dodging her way through a perplexing tangle of eligible sweethearts. But with a dozen ventures to juggle and the chaos of four younger sisters spilling across the grounds, she fears her hopes of finding a man of sense and education are fading by the minute…
Can Austen’s masterpiece inspire another happy ever after?
The Darcy Dilemma is the delightful first book in The Sisters of Larkford Hall contemporary romance series. If you like endearing characters, witty dialogue and unexpected twists, then you’ll adore Hazel Hatman’s homage to Jane Austen.
Buy The Darcy Dilemma to see if the right man will come at last!
258 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2023
77 people are currently reading
83 people want to read
About the author
Hazel Hatman
8 books7 followersA former construction project manager, Hazel Hatman swapped hard hats and rainswept scaffolding for central heating, cosy toes, and copious amounts of cake. She now spends her days writing her heroines into trouble and then trying to dig them out.
Hazel loves romance. All kinds of romance: some funny, some emotional, some steamy, some not. All Hazel’s romances feature strong heroines clawing their way through the world and finding a soulmate on the way. Her first novel was The Darcy Dilemma, the start of the Sisters of Larkford Hall series.
She lives in Devon, England, a short walk from a bakery. She is married with three amazing children.
Hazel loves romance. All kinds of romance: some funny, some emotional, some steamy, some not. All Hazel’s romances feature strong heroines clawing their way through the world and finding a soulmate on the way. Her first novel was The Darcy Dilemma, the start of the Sisters of Larkford Hall series.
She lives in Devon, England, a short walk from a bakery. She is married with three amazing children.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
June 22, 2024
A Single Woman Saddled with a Family Estate and a Ancient Legacy IS in Want of a Husband
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
TYPE OF NOVEL: Contemporary Austen-Inspired
THE PREMISE: Being the eldest of Baron of Lankford’s five daughters comes with its fair share of privileges, responsibilities, and struggles. With the burdens of the preserving her family’s legacy and the estate always being very cash poor, Eleanor jumps at the opportunity for it to be the film site for a new Pride and Prejudice adapted series. The question is, will the arrival of cast and crew create more chaos, drama, or romantic opportunities for Eleanor…or all of the above?
MY THOUGHTS:
I loved the idea of spending time on a modern-day English estate with an aristocratic (but poor) family of five daughters. Since there are only a few parallels with characters and one or two plot events, I would hesitate to label it a modern-day Pride and Prejudice. It is very much more its own original tale that has some ties and nods to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. In fact the heroine of this story made me think of Caroline Jane Knight – Jane Austen’s fifth great niece who grew up in Chawton House. It’s fascinating to see the privileges, responsibilities, and challenges of modern-day estate life.
The story was an interesting mixture of Eleanor’s work and life on the estate and the drama and diversion of a film crew taking up residence in her backyard. It was fun to see the cast interact with the family and see some of the different personalities at play. I enjoyed learning about Eleanor’s estate management responsibilities – she is very poised, competent, and pragmatic. Definitely an Elinor Dashwood/Charlotte Lucas type. In addition, I appreciated the uniqueness of her being a character living with epilepsy, and how that challenged and impacted her life.
Not only does Eleanor feel the pressure to preserve her family estate from crumbling into disrepair, she feels the pressure to secure its future. Marriage and children is a must. And for some reason, at the young age of 27, she is feeling she must succeed with theses goals in the next few years. Eleanor, like Elizabeth Bennet, wants to of course marry for love. And it appears Eleanor might be in luck, as there are some interested parties that she maybe would deem to be eligible.
Unfortunately, this is the part of the story that didn’t sit well with me – Eleanor’s relationships with various marital prospects felt inconsistent and unsupported. She had previous history with two of the men, but it never felt like we really understood the dynamics and feelings of their pasts. Eleanor in general often felt very detached when concerning the men in her life. It felt very analytical. I think it may have been the author’s intent to increase our interest by suspense and have Eleanor’s true feelings be revealed only at the very end, but I didn’t love how changeable and unclear Eleanor’s inclinations felt. She seriously laments the loss of man who she had only a few conversations with, yet seems unmoved when someone from her past confesses to loving her for nine years. It just felt too disconnected.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
🐑 I like seeing a woman in the role of estate manager – reminded me a bit of Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey.
🎩 Can you imagine the cast of Pride and Prejudice coming to your village and staying on your property – such a dream, right?
💞 It looks like this is to be a series – while Eleanor’s heart was a little hard to decipher, maybe the other sisters’ won’t be.
Austenesque Reviews
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Source: Review Copy from Author
TYPE OF NOVEL: Contemporary Austen-Inspired
THE PREMISE: Being the eldest of Baron of Lankford’s five daughters comes with its fair share of privileges, responsibilities, and struggles. With the burdens of the preserving her family’s legacy and the estate always being very cash poor, Eleanor jumps at the opportunity for it to be the film site for a new Pride and Prejudice adapted series. The question is, will the arrival of cast and crew create more chaos, drama, or romantic opportunities for Eleanor…or all of the above?
MY THOUGHTS:
I loved the idea of spending time on a modern-day English estate with an aristocratic (but poor) family of five daughters. Since there are only a few parallels with characters and one or two plot events, I would hesitate to label it a modern-day Pride and Prejudice. It is very much more its own original tale that has some ties and nods to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice. In fact the heroine of this story made me think of Caroline Jane Knight – Jane Austen’s fifth great niece who grew up in Chawton House. It’s fascinating to see the privileges, responsibilities, and challenges of modern-day estate life.
The story was an interesting mixture of Eleanor’s work and life on the estate and the drama and diversion of a film crew taking up residence in her backyard. It was fun to see the cast interact with the family and see some of the different personalities at play. I enjoyed learning about Eleanor’s estate management responsibilities – she is very poised, competent, and pragmatic. Definitely an Elinor Dashwood/Charlotte Lucas type. In addition, I appreciated the uniqueness of her being a character living with epilepsy, and how that challenged and impacted her life.
Not only does Eleanor feel the pressure to preserve her family estate from crumbling into disrepair, she feels the pressure to secure its future. Marriage and children is a must. And for some reason, at the young age of 27, she is feeling she must succeed with theses goals in the next few years. Eleanor, like Elizabeth Bennet, wants to of course marry for love. And it appears Eleanor might be in luck, as there are some interested parties that she maybe would deem to be eligible.
Unfortunately, this is the part of the story that didn’t sit well with me – Eleanor’s relationships with various marital prospects felt inconsistent and unsupported. She had previous history with two of the men, but it never felt like we really understood the dynamics and feelings of their pasts. Eleanor in general often felt very detached when concerning the men in her life. It felt very analytical. I think it may have been the author’s intent to increase our interest by suspense and have Eleanor’s true feelings be revealed only at the very end, but I didn’t love how changeable and unclear Eleanor’s inclinations felt. She seriously laments the loss of man who she had only a few conversations with, yet seems unmoved when someone from her past confesses to loving her for nine years. It just felt too disconnected.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
🐑 I like seeing a woman in the role of estate manager – reminded me a bit of Lady Mary Crawley from Downton Abbey.
🎩 Can you imagine the cast of Pride and Prejudice coming to your village and staying on your property – such a dream, right?
💞 It looks like this is to be a series – while Eleanor’s heart was a little hard to decipher, maybe the other sisters’ won’t be.
Austenesque Reviews
April 28, 2023
Positives first. This was very well written by a talented author. I loved the premise of surrounding the story on filming a P&P adaptation rather than being based on the characters themselves. That was creative and left the story open to interpretation. I loved the male protagonist and hoped early on he would be "the one."
However, I really struggled to get into this. Eleanor *WAS* boring. She was as different from Elizabeth Bennet as is possible to be. As someone with a seizure disorder, I'd hoped to connect with her a little more, but that had so little to do with the storyline that I almost forgot about it.
I would hesitate to call this a romantic comedy as there was very little of either. The first half (plus some) was mostly just the main female dealing with estate issues. She made tenant visits and attended meetings, went to a few parties, there was a lot of talk about the history of the estate and what it needed. There was so much backstory, I almost abandoned this around halfway. And not just backstory on the mains or the setting, but every single character introduced, whether they had an impact on the story or not.
Meanwhile, every event of significance was kind of glossed over. Eleanor's date w/ Tolly? Just kind of described in vague language. They went horseback riding, ate, talked a little, rode back.
By 63% I was surprised that I still had no clue of who Eleanor would end up with becuz nothing of a truly romantic nature had taken place. A more accurate description would be a tale of a single young woman managing an out-of-date English estate in the 21st century. In fact, the final HEA seemed to come out of nowhere, and not until 92%. I felt less that they were madly in love and more like they were just good friends who shared a mutual respect for one another and figured, why not? And after all that, the ending was rushed. It was just, they snuck around a lot, had a lot of sex, then got engaged, in about that much detail. While I am glad with who Eleanor landed on, it was not full of the feels I want in a rom-com and I felt Tolly was dealt a dirty hand.
I would not discount this author at all; she's a creative and talented writer and I'm interested to see what she puts forth next. I just hope it focuses more on the romantic plotline and less on mundane happenings around the setting.
However, I really struggled to get into this. Eleanor *WAS* boring. She was as different from Elizabeth Bennet as is possible to be. As someone with a seizure disorder, I'd hoped to connect with her a little more, but that had so little to do with the storyline that I almost forgot about it.
I would hesitate to call this a romantic comedy as there was very little of either. The first half (plus some) was mostly just the main female dealing with estate issues. She made tenant visits and attended meetings, went to a few parties, there was a lot of talk about the history of the estate and what it needed. There was so much backstory, I almost abandoned this around halfway. And not just backstory on the mains or the setting, but every single character introduced, whether they had an impact on the story or not.
Meanwhile, every event of significance was kind of glossed over. Eleanor's date w/ Tolly? Just kind of described in vague language. They went horseback riding, ate, talked a little, rode back.
By 63% I was surprised that I still had no clue of who Eleanor would end up with becuz nothing of a truly romantic nature had taken place. A more accurate description would be a tale of a single young woman managing an out-of-date English estate in the 21st century. In fact, the final HEA seemed to come out of nowhere, and not until 92%. I felt less that they were madly in love and more like they were just good friends who shared a mutual respect for one another and figured, why not? And after all that, the ending was rushed. It was just, they snuck around a lot, had a lot of sex, then got engaged, in about that much detail. While I am glad with who Eleanor landed on, it was not full of the feels I want in a rom-com and I felt Tolly was dealt a dirty hand.
I would not discount this author at all; she's a creative and talented writer and I'm interested to see what she puts forth next. I just hope it focuses more on the romantic plotline and less on mundane happenings around the setting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2023
This book, lightly based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, was a delight. I enjoyed the author's social commentary throughout. It was fresh and different.
June 22, 2025
I enjoyed this book, but I would, because I love anything Pride and Prejuduce related.
Eleanor is the daughter of aristocracy, but the heir of a floundering estate. In a bid to save it, the her father Lord Larkford has unbeknown to her, hired the land - the land, she is supposed to be managing - to a production company, for a new adaption of Pride and Prejudice. So she is surprised, more like shocked when they arrive at the family's door without prior knowledge.
She has no option but to let the filming go ahead, and in doing so becomes entangled with the lives of the actors, two of which playing are the male leads...but she is in for a complete surprise when she meets the actor who plays Mr Darcy, for it is non other than a old friend of hers from University...
There were many good things about this book. The characters were, mostly, likeable or you at least you were able to care about them, and the sisters all got on, another plus from me. However, the author gave Eleanor a trait that she really didn't need and it didn't fit the story. It was if the author though 'oooh, that would be good to include, because it's not viewed with such a negative attitude or stigma anymore.' Yet that was exactly how she wrote it, and how Eleanor having to be so careful. This was a GRRRR. point for me, mainly because I don't view it like that.
Also the author was trying to hard to be another Jane Austen. Unlike 'The Other Bennett Sister by Janet Hadlow - which was written in such a brilliant Austen style - this author did what is my worst bug bear, and added big complicated words which weren't necessary. When I looked them up, I found myself thinking 'well why couldn't just say that in the first place?'
So, an enjoyable book, with a great ending (not going to spoil it!) but only three stars for the reasons I've stated. I don't think I will waist my money on the series unless they come up on Bookbub
Eleanor is the daughter of aristocracy, but the heir of a floundering estate. In a bid to save it, the her father Lord Larkford has unbeknown to her, hired the land - the land, she is supposed to be managing - to a production company, for a new adaption of Pride and Prejudice. So she is surprised, more like shocked when they arrive at the family's door without prior knowledge.
She has no option but to let the filming go ahead, and in doing so becomes entangled with the lives of the actors, two of which playing are the male leads...but she is in for a complete surprise when she meets the actor who plays Mr Darcy, for it is non other than a old friend of hers from University...
There were many good things about this book. The characters were, mostly, likeable or you at least you were able to care about them, and the sisters all got on, another plus from me. However, the author gave Eleanor a trait that she really didn't need and it didn't fit the story. It was if the author though 'oooh, that would be good to include, because it's not viewed with such a negative attitude or stigma anymore.' Yet that was exactly how she wrote it, and how Eleanor having to be so careful. This was a GRRRR. point for me, mainly because I don't view it like that.
Also the author was trying to hard to be another Jane Austen. Unlike 'The Other Bennett Sister by Janet Hadlow - which was written in such a brilliant Austen style - this author did what is my worst bug bear, and added big complicated words which weren't necessary. When I looked them up, I found myself thinking 'well why couldn't just say that in the first place?'
So, an enjoyable book, with a great ending (not going to spoil it!) but only three stars for the reasons I've stated. I don't think I will waist my money on the series unless they come up on Bookbub
December 30, 2023
As the title suggests, the story has a nod to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Eleanor has the Estate and Is looking for someone to share it with. When a film production of Pride and Prejudice wants to use the Estate as a film set bringing much needed income, Eleanor jumps at the chance.
A clever romance having a nod to Austen's style but a modern day twist. A bit slow to start but I found myself caring how it ended.
Looking forward to seeing more stories - after all, there are four more sisters.
A clever romance having a nod to Austen's style but a modern day twist. A bit slow to start but I found myself caring how it ended.
Looking forward to seeing more stories - after all, there are four more sisters.
June 1, 2025
2.5 stars.
Enjoyable but very confused. Paving seemed all over the place at times, while attachments were disconnected to what was expressed to the reader.
Over verbose at many times, making it harder to read in the modern setting.
I enjoyed the growing relationship of Jacob and Eleanor, but even then there was only one key event that really showed their deeper connection. Similarly, Jamie never really seemed like an option even though she made it seem like he could be. He just breezed through. Harry didn't even need to be there.
A great idea and good bones of a story.
Enjoyable but very confused. Paving seemed all over the place at times, while attachments were disconnected to what was expressed to the reader.
Over verbose at many times, making it harder to read in the modern setting.
I enjoyed the growing relationship of Jacob and Eleanor, but even then there was only one key event that really showed their deeper connection. Similarly, Jamie never really seemed like an option even though she made it seem like he could be. He just breezed through. Harry didn't even need to be there.
A great idea and good bones of a story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2023
I love the Mortimer family. Each with their own view of life and how it should be lived – and guess what? They don’t always agree on this. The Darcy Dilemma is Eleanor’s story (the eldest of 5 daughters) and how she juggles her responsibilities for the running of Larkford Estate with her search for love. A film crew arriving adds fun and complications to the mix and that’s before Eleanor’s youngest sisters seek their own adventures. Well written and captivating this is a novel worth reading.
June 10, 2025
Not very Austenish but extremely well written. Eleanor is the oldest of 5 sisters, the children of Lord and Lady Larkford, not as beautiful as her two youngest twin sisters, or her other sisters. A film company is given the right to use their mansion as background. Eleanor is running the mansion and meets a movie star, her high school colleague, Tooley, a neighbor, who admits he's been in love with her since then and Jacob Winter, an ex soldier who is appointed as her driver since Eleanor suffers from epilepsy. A beautiful book. I loved every word. Recommend highly.
June 11, 2025
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒑𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒆𝒅. 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 18 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇, 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓! 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒈𝒖𝒚𝒔. 😟😟😟😩
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 18 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒐𝒇, 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒃𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓! 𝑪𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏'𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑺𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒚 𝒈𝒖𝒚𝒔. 😟😟😟😩
July 13, 2025
2.5 ⭐️ This one was just okay for me, but still fun in its own way! I’ve been in my Pride and Prejudice era lately, so I couldn’t resist giving it a try. It had some cute moments but not a new favorite. It scratched the itch for a P&P-inspired story and made for a light, quick read on KU.
August 3, 2025
3.5
This was a fun fluff book. There were good references to several Jane Austen books (with respect to the characters, not just the show that is filming). I would have ranked it higher had it been a better written story - there were quite a few odd phrases and other grammar issues.
This was a fun fluff book. There were good references to several Jane Austen books (with respect to the characters, not just the show that is filming). I would have ranked it higher had it been a better written story - there were quite a few odd phrases and other grammar issues.
April 2, 2023
Delightful modern tale
I enjoyed this version. It was a like a lazy gentle float down a river in the middle of summer.
I enjoyed this version. It was a like a lazy gentle float down a river in the middle of summer.
April 5, 2023
A well written, fun book with a twist at the end!
April 17, 2025
3.75⭐
June 12, 2025
This was a fun little romance but it wasn't my favorite.
June 15, 2025
3.25 or 2.25
July 22, 2025
Was a little boring in the beginning, but I got hooked in the middle. Style of writing wasn’t exactly my favourite but I still enjoyed reading.
Overall, it was an interesting read.
Overall, it was an interesting read.
September 1, 2025
I wanted to like this but it was so underwhelming :/ I love an Austen adaptation but really could not get into this book.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews