Undressing Mr. Darcy

by Karen Doornebos

Taking it off in the name of history…

Thirty-five-year-old American social media master Vanessa Roberts lives her thoroughly modern life with aplomb. So when her elderly Jane Austen–centric aunt needs her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, a very private man from England who’s written a book called My Year as Mr. Darcy, Vanessa agrees. But she’s not “excessively diverted,” as Jane Austen would say.

Hardbound books, teacups, and quill pens fly in the face of her e-reader, coffee, and smartphone…

…Until she sees Julian take his tight breeches off for his Undressing Mr. Darcy show, an educational “striptease” down to his drawers to promote his book and help save his crumbling estate. The public relations expert suddenly realizes things have gotten…personal. But can this old-fashioned man claim her heart without so much as a GPS? It will take three festivals filled with Austen fans, a trip to England, an old frenemy, and a flirtatious pirate re-enactor to find out…

Genres: Romance, Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Beach Reads

368 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Karen Doornebos is a fiction author published with Penguin Random House and contributor to The New York Times with a Tiny Love Story about her Ukrainian grandmother.

Her new children's picture book THE PLUCKY UKRAINIAN SUNFLOWER received an "OUR VERDICT √ GET IT" award from Kirkus Reviews. 100% of the profits will be donated to Save Ukraine, a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to helping children affected by war. The book is illustrated by her 85 year old-artist mom Judie Anderson.

One of Doornebos' novels, DEFINITELY NOT MR. DARCY, garnered a Starred Review from Publisher's Weekly and was also published in Germany and Poland. Both of her novels were inspired by living and working in London in her early 20s. Her books have been featured on the BBC's The One Show, in The Chicago Tribune, The New York Journal of Books, and more.

She lives in Chicago with her Dutch husband and has two adult kids who live in cool cities to visit. She loves history, travel, and just like you: books!

Reviews

[meghann · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am raging so hard right now.



I bought this book on a whim while waiting in line at the bookstore. This is almost always a mistake. Why do I do this? Because one of my favorite books of all time was purchased on a whim, and I keep chasing that high.

I glimpsed this book on goodreads after buying it, but was still optimistic despite the low reviews. And I enjoyed the first half of it. Sure, it had some cheesy moments, but it made me laugh. And I liked Vanessa and Julian. Then the story shifted to England. I love England! What could possibly go wrong? Everything.

Vanessa experienced a complete personality change, and every attempt was made to make the reader shift from loving to loathing Julian. Hate Mr. Darcy?



And a romantic interest kept getting pushed that Vanessa (and I) really had no interest in, but the guy still followed her around eager to be the rebound.



This book tried to accomplish what Austen did in her amazing novels, but it failed. Miserably. I am completely unsatisfied with that ending. Time to stop reading disappointing knockoffs and have another read-through of the real thing.

[Holly in Bookland · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was more annoyed with this book than anything. Several times I just wanted to stop reading but I kept going in the hopes that it would get better. It started off ok but the characters just drove me crazy. The only character that was decent was Chase. Vanessa was raised by her aunt who loves Jane Austen. Vanessa hates all things Austen--never read the books, didn't watch the movies, etc. But upon doing PR work for an Englishman who's acting like Mr. Darcy to promote his book, she falls for him in a matter of a week and suddenly becomes a completely different person. She was social media obsessed--now she hardly looks at her phone, hated Austen--now she loves her. I found it to be pathetic actually. So then she goes to England for a Jane Austen festival in the hopes that she finds Julian again. While she's there for a week we learn all about how the English do and say things differently than Americans. "The English called a train car a "carriage" and their seats were in carriage c. How quaint, how cute--how English." This just drove me crazy after several times hearing about this kind of rubbish! Plus, I don't think I've ever seen so many exclamation points in a book before! Back to Julian, they had sex while in America but according to this supposedly smart businesswoman, they had "something". Apparently so much so that he didn't say goodbye and never phoned or got in touch with her but she constantly was looking everywhere for him in England. When they finally do meet up it's just a sad pathetic display of immaturity. These are just personal feelings about the characters. I just flat out didn't like them. Although, I'm sure a lot of people will. Needless to say I'm sorry I bought this book. I enjoyed Karen Doornebos first book. I just couldn't stop rolling my eyes reading this one.

[Amy]

16% and I loathe all the characters. Reviews are showing it doesn't get better.
Shoot.

[Elle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've always hated chick lit/romance novels, but, hey, I'll give just about any book a shot.

Verdict: I still loathe chick lit/romance novels. Sorry, Ms. Doornebos! :[ I'm sure it's an all right book for fans of the genre. I was tempted to add a star for the sort of unique set-up and the trip around Bath/London, but when there are paragraphs like this in there:

She slipped off her leopard-print thong, twirled it around on her index finger, and flung it across the room, where it landed on Colin's head.

"Woot, woot!" Lexi shouted.

"Strumpet is in the house," said Sherry.

I just can't.

[Vania Nunes · Rating 3 out of 5]

With so many books about Jane Austen in my kindle, and since this year is the bicentenary of the author's death, I decided to read some of the books that bring her famous characters.

Vanessa Roberts - Unlike Me - HATES Jane Austen. But her aunt loves her, and asks her to use her expertise to help an author who is releasing a book about the most famous character of the British author, Mr Darcy.

Behold, Vanessa and Julian Chancellor, the author himself, have a good connection. But he was British and walks away.
Determined to see him again, Vanessa heads to England, where it would have festivals, to try to find him.

I loved the blurb and the cover.
The reading was light and fun. It's always interesting to see a Jane Austen hater change her mind about the author's books.
Karen Doornebos's narrative (it's first book of her I read) has become tiring around the middle of the book.
I love London, but I didn't act like Vanessa, as an alien finding everything different and beautiful.

For JA lovers, the book is interesting.
For those who are not a fan of the author, reading will not be pleasurable.
3 stars

[Gigi Ann · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thirty-five-year-old American social media master Vanessa Roberts lives her thoroughly modern life with aplomb. So when her elderly Jane Austen eccentric aunt needs her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, a very private man from England who’s written a book called My Year as Mr. Darcy, Vanessa agrees. But she’s not excessively diverted,” as Jane Austen would say.

Hardbound books, teacups, and quill pens fly in the face of her e-reader, coffee, and smartphone….

…Until she sees Julian take his tight breeches off for his "Undressing Mr. Darcy show, an educational striptease” down to his drawers to promote his book and help save his crumbling estate. The public relations expert suddenly realizes things have gotten… personal. But can this old-fashioned man claim her heart without so much as a GPS? It will take three festivals filled with Austen fans, a trip to England, an old fr enemy, and a flirtatious pirate re-en actor to find out.

My Thoughts...

When I started to read this book it seemed like it was going to be a nice fun book to read. However, the longer I read, it started to become very annoying. About half way through the book, I questioned whether I wanted to continue reading or just throw the book on my "never to be finished pile." I struggled on hoping it would improve, but Vanessa and the other characters nearly drove me insane. They just droned on & on being very immature, (remember these were people 35 years old and older.) Not teen-agers for goodness sake!

It was a 357 page book and the longer I read it, it just got more and more annoying. I finally gave up on finishing the book on page 226.... SWOOSH.... it when flying to my "never to be finished pile". I really am so disappointed, because I really wanted to enjoy this book.

This book is a part of my Kindle library, and because I didn't finish reading it I awarded it 1* falling star.

[Chelsey Wolford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was just the taste of Jane Austen I needed to bring in the New Year! I wouldn’t consider myself a rabid Janeite, much like Vanessa’s aunt in this story, but I do love reading a good Jane Austen retelling every once in a while. Of course this is a modern retelling with a few added twists, and what I enjoyed most was the walk through Jane’s life as our heroine, Vanessa Roberts, visits London! Vanessa’s Jane Austen-centric aunt has asked her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, who has just written a book called, My Year as Mr. Darcy. Vanessa half-heartedly agrees. Little does she know where this new journey will take her and all the things that Jane Austen is waiting to teach her!

My favorite part of this book was learning all about the Jane Austen conventions that I am sure go on every year here and in London. As I mentioned earlier, I would not consider myself an avid Janeite, but I do have an interest in her books and her life. I learned many, many things just by reading this book. I got to witness the lives of people who really do love and admire Jane Austen to the utmost. This was a perfect inside look into a Janeite’s passion for someone like me. I developed a stronger understanding and more knowledge of what the term “Janeite” really means.

The revelation for me and the main character, Vanessa Roberts, came at the end of this book. Vanessa finds herself in England for the celebrated ten day Jane Austen festival. Vanessa is set about on a scavenger hunt through London when all of life’s woes begin to weigh heavy on her. She begins to questions all the things going on in her life. Vanessa realizes somewhere in the midst of all this what Jane Austen really means to her aunt and she begins to realize the lesson that Jane Austen was trying to teach her as well

[Lia Marcoux · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a shoddily constructed, hastily told non-story populated entirely by non-characters. Listing traits is not the same as building character (and changing your main character in the middle, entirely off-screen, doesn't help); lazily describing a sequence of events is not telling a story; and as always, sexual harassment is not romance. This is told so perfunctorily - you could lose any given 30 pages and replace them with one of Doornebos's poorly-considered single-sentence pieces of exposition and not notice the difference. In fact, I suspect that was the case in places. Doornebos only barely scratched out enough personality for these loose collections of habits and clothes to make them all unlikeable. And I can't help but feel that she'd agree! She shuffles the cardboard people out of the way whenever possible to share historical trivia, and the trivia is the only part that is interesting, to, as far as I can tell, either of us. I'd much rather read Doornebos's research material. Terrible.

[Cyndi · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I ardently admire and love Jane Austen’s books, I could never really call myself a Janeite. I’ve never been to an Austen conference and have no desire to dress up in Regency garb. That said, I really enjoyed Undressing Mr. Darcy and I imagine proper Janeites will positively adore it.

[Kathleen Crowell · Rating 1 out of 5]

couldn't finish. got to around page 145. tedious, not romantic, annoying costumes and boring setting. Julian was a drip and Chase dressed as a pirate did nothing for me. sorry.

[Elizabeth Bennet · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don’t think the title fits the book. The book has a light hearted vibe to it but grows more complex as the story moves along. I liked the history lesson on 19th century men’s apparel and I loved the aunt/ niece relationship. It was sweet. The biggest problem I had in the book is hard to properly word without giving away the whole plot. I guess the easiest way would be to say that I don’t agree the approach the author chose to execute her tale. I would never seek out the style had I known what lied ahead.

First off I hate love triangles and when I personally read a romance I want to feel the love,admiration from the couple. I want the focus to be centered on proving that power and passion that expands as the couple are discovered. The inner dialogue from both characters. Watching their character develop so you can identify with them and their emotions. It isn’t derived from an image or physical attraction alone.

Reading this I felt old. I felt old because the idea of the love described in this book, to me, was surface at best. The h (Vanessa) has never allowed herself to fall in love so she doesn’t understand how it works. Her parents divorced when she was 7 and she was raised by her aunt. Psychologically that would make you build walls to protect yourself I would guess and to boot her aunt is over the top with everything Austen. Vanessa finds it foolish until she agrees to be Mr. Darcy’s PR rep for his book and side show.

There is a hea and the closing paragraph was a powerful statement but for me the story ending was the biggest relief. I don’t like a lot of angst or weak h and it had both. Add to it one guy who is hiding behind a fictional character for profit and another who plays a doormat it was sheer torture. This is all my take based off the books particular lesson. I felt the book could have been 100 pages less had so much time not been spent on Vanessa being so clueless. Enjoy!

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm open minded to read anything but this... this was shoddy, poorly written, unrealistic and the use of hash tags in both social and real life moments of the main character was annoying.

I'm a fan of reading an author's interpretation of Austen's characters so I hoped to have liked this but after a few pages in, in which I couldn't get past the hastags I thought maybe there's more. I've read other books that started bad/ slow and were redeemed...but I got the end and was very clearly wrong.

First half of the book might have been the best part as the second half does a complete 180 and the smart and independent woman that is the heroine becomes a ninny after sleeping with the supposed main hero once before he leaves her only to find out that he's not everything he said he was and through it all the author is pushing another man into the fold which is also made this book unlikable.

another down for my ibook TBR list

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Vanessa is a workaholic, public relations genius with little time for love or leisure. If she can't tweet it, hastag it, or distill it into a succinct sound bite, it isn't worth her time or attention. The only exception is her beloved Aunt Ella, the grand dame of the local Jane Austen Society chapter and the one familial constant in Vanessa's life since childhood. But now, with Ella facing a diagnosis of dementia, her aunt has enlisted her niece's help to make this year's Jane Austen Society convention the best yet, a fitting swan song for a woman who has devoted her life to all things Jane. So what if Vanessa barely knows her Bennets from her Dashwoods? She's determined to bring the full force of her expertise to bear on the situation and make the convention shine, for work at least keeps her too busy to ponder a future without the only family she's ever known.

The scheduled highlight of the conference is guest speaker Julian Chancellor, author of the memoir My Year as Mr. Darcy. Within the book this real life Darcy details his quest to the live the life of a true Regency gentleman, bringing history to life in his accompanying promotional talk, provocatively -- and very literally -- titled "Undressing Mr. Darcy." Pure catnip for Austen aficiandos, the show sees Chancellor perform a "historical" striptease, all in the name of historical authenticity, and all for a good cause -- restoring Chancellor's crumbling family home. Vanessa never expected to find a man the very antithesis of everything modern that she embraces so attractive. As she finds herself succumbing to the romance and allure of the Austen mystique, Vanessa finds herself questioning everything she thought she wanted and the truths she held as fact -- but in her eagerness to embrace this new way of life, will she lose sight of what matters most?

I love a good chick lit novel, and it's a well-established fact that I adore all things Austen-related, so when I stumbled across Undressing Mr. Darcy I was sold. The cover alone is sheer perfection -- the little black dress, the pop of red, the provocative title -- I eagerly bought the package hook, line, and sinker. However, what I discovered within the pages of Doornebos's chick-lit flavored homage to Jane Austen was something several degrees less effervescent and sparkling than I'd hoped.

Doornebos knows the world of Austenites, and takes great delight in expounding on her knowledge on the page ad nauseum. As Vanessa, who has spent most of her life scorning anything Austen-related, throws herself into the conference, she finds herself intrigued by Julian Chancellor's apparent affinity for an old school, technologically free existence -- and his enticing, unorthodox presentation of a Regency gentleman's most intimate habits doesn't hurt, either. But as Vanessa immerses herself in the conference and begins to experience for herself the timeless allure of Austen's life and works, the narrative veers into pedantic territory. If I wanted a lecture about Austen's life and works, I'd attend a conference myself or read a non-fiction title. The more heavy-handed approach taken here grinds the narrative momentum to a halt.

Character-wise, I appreciate the fact that Vanessa was clearly a pro at her job, and I thought the social media "hashtags" sprinkled throughout the narrative were a fun, if slightly over-used, nod to the electronic realities of modern life. And I ADORED Vanessa's relationship with her delightfully eccentric Aunt Ella. Though she doesn't delve too deeply into the heartbreaking realities faced by families coping with a dementia diagnosis, Doornebos does touch on those struggles -- from living arrangements to memory loss -- which adds a welcome note of emotional gravitas to the storyline. Where the novel falters is in Vanessa's overall arc and romantic interests.

The novel is roughly divided into three sections: the stateside conference, Vanessa's visit to the UK, and back again. For the first portion of the novel, Vanessa remains relatively true to her introduction -- she's intrigued by Julian (who wouldn't be?), but at her core she's still a driven professional...just one with a few new, attractive "distractions" in her life. But Julian is a poorly-realized Darcy stand-in, as early on something seemed "off" in his interactions with Vanessa, so it was frustrating to see this supposedly smart, savvy businesswoman swallow is act wholesale. It's even more frustrating to witness when there is a PERFECTLY AMAZING SECOND OPTION waiting in the wings. Chase may moonlight as a pirate and lack a British accent, but he is SOLID GOLD and accredited by Vanessa's family and friends. As attractive a dream as Darcy coming to life is, there is no contest here -- which makes Vanessa's insistence on mistaking "proximity for intimacy" all the more frustrating.

Undressing Mr. Darcy is a study in missed opportunities. This is a novel that wants to be a fluffy, humorous chick lit but lacks the sparkle that one not only expects from such but that I would argue is an absolutely necessary component! The pieces are in place, and there are moments of golden humor (the reaction Julian's performance garners at the conference is hilarious), but I couldn't help but think that they needed to be culled by a good scriptwriter and transferred to a film. Clocking in at nearly 400 pages, Undressing Mr. Darcy has an unfortunate tendency to crawl when it should zing with energy, leading to a lot of skim-reading -- a frustrating reality given the cute concept and the appeal of Vanessa's American love interest. There's lots to like here, not the least being Doornebos's passion for Austen and Austenites, but unfortunately the resulting story left me cold. (For the record, I still ADORE the cover!)

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

With much of today's media so dominated by all things electronic and instant, it's sometimes interesting to think of the ever-growing differences in technology between Austen's era and today.  A clash between these two worlds is the subject of Karen Doornebos's latest work, Undressing Mr. Darcy.  I'm no stranger to Doornebos, having read Definitely Not Mr. Darcy previously and was eager to see how she tackled this interesting subject.

From Goodreads:

Thirty-five-year-old American social media master Vanessa Roberts lives her thoroughly modern life with aplomb. So when her elderly Jane Austencentric aunt needs her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, a very private man from England who’s written a book called My Year as Mr. Darcy, Vanessa agrees. But she’s not "excessively diverted,” as Jane Austen would say.

Hardbound books, teacups, and quill pens fly in the face of her e-reader, coffee, and smartphone…

…Until she sees Julian take his tight breeches off for his Undressing Mr. Darcy show, an educational "striptease” down to his drawers to promote his book and help save his crumbling estate. The public relations expert suddenly realizes things have gotten …personal. But can this old-fashioned man claim her heart without so much as a GPS? It will take three festivals filled with Austen fans, a trip to England, an old frenemy, and a flirtatious pirate re-enactor to find out….

As expected, Doornebos writes yet another fabulously witty and adorable novel. I'm always impressed with the extent of growth her heroines show, and Vanessa in Undressing Mr. Darcy didn't disappoint. Vanessa undergoes a total transformation in these pages, one that I believe was actually a long time coming. I've read many criticisms of the book claiming that Vanessa changes for a man, but I find that to be untrue. First: the facts.  1) Vanessa is not really a fan of Austen. When her parents got divorced she moved in with her aunt (the Austen-centric one) and found herself with a jealous sibling. Who was she jealous of you ask? Jane Austen. 2) She is GLUED to all things electronic/social media/etc. She cannot go anywhere without answering emails, tweeting, or texting. Her life has literally become all about her cell phone and laptop. There are other things too, but I really just want to discuss these two points, as they profoundly change over the course of the novel.

So, as to point 1 - the dislike of Austen. Vanessa's enjoyment of the novel comes from her spending time at the JASNA (Jane Austen society of North America) conference. While she's attending the event (both as a favor to her aunt and her pro-bono work on Julian's book) she discovers all of these little hidden oddities in Austen's works. She discovers the sexual attraction between the lines, the social restrictions of women, and the difficulties relationships faced back in the day. The sessions she sits in on help her discover all of the tongue-in-cheek writing Austen did. I don't think her new appreciation for Austen was because of a man. I think it happened because she started maturing and growing to appreciate Austen as an author and a woman, not as a jealous sibling.

The 2nd point - her inability to live in the now. When Vanessa encounters Julian, he's living practically like a Regency gentleman. He doesn't write email and he hand writes letters. He doesn't use a cell phone or text, he leaves handwritten notes. Through her dealings/budding friendship with Julian she begins to pay less attention to her tweeting and the like. She begins being present for conversations taking place around her. By the end of the book we discover Vanessa has taken a new approach to life: living. I don't think she does this BECAUSE of anyone specifically, but because she is maturing and realizing that life is fleeting. Again, it's due to maturity, not a man.

I truly enjoyed Vanessa's transformation from young, naive, immature (to a point) workaholic to a confident, successful, endearing, witty woman. The friendships she rekindles and discovers along her journey only help her grow up. For a woman to develop without parents it's not surprising that she's a late bloomer. It makes her story more realistic and more understandable.  Doornebos' writing is a definite stand-out from the crowd of other fiction writers out there. She's a breath of fresh air, with a story full of twists, turns, and Mr. Darcy. I can't wait to see what she does next!

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://wp.me/p18lIL-2kJ

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

From my review at Austenprose.com

With a title like "Undressing Mr. Darcy", author Karen Doornebos’ new release is sure to turn a few heads this holiday season. "Sex sells, even to smart, liberated women, and Mr. Darcy was the smart girl’s pinup boy." p.7 And like the novel’s master PR rep, who has turned tweeting into an #artform, Doornebos has carefully crafted another contemporary romance novel about an ambitious, highly energized, very modern woman who meets a charming Mr. Darcy re-enactor sure to draw the attention of Janeites and romance readers alike.
When Vanessa Roberts, PR extraordinaire with the perpetually-present smartphone and ever-ready clever social media tweet or posting, takes on a pro-bono job as a favor for her elderly Jane Austen loving aunt, little does she expect promoting the English author of "My Year as Mr. Darcy" to turn her organized world topsy-turvy. When she finally meets Julian Chancellor, who has capitalized on his good looks “as he gives a little historical background on his Regency-era clothing as he proceeds to take it off –down to his drawers” at his book signings, she finds she too, like the throngs of Darcy fans in the audience, is caught by his artful allurements.

When she realizes his incentive for writing his book is to raise money to support the restoration of his ancestral home, coupled with his charm and gentlemen-like behavior, she can’t help herself but start to fantasize what a fling, nay relationship, with him might be like. As they all attend the Jane Austen Society North America (JASNA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Chicago, while surrounded by Austen lovers fully immersed in the hubbub, Vanessa is busy promoting her author, "Want to tie the knot with Mr. Darcy? He’s in Cravat Tying 101 right now.#JASNAagm #UndressingMrDarcy #OrDressingMrDarcy?" p.71 Surprisingly amongst all the bonnets and lace, she discovers she might be open to the possibilities of something more to life than constantly being plugged in. "It felt as if some of his Austen quotes were speaking directly to her at times, and it occurred to her that it might be time that she gave the author another chance. Perhaps her aunt had been on to something all these years. Was there something beyond the happily ever after stories and the demure portrait of a woman in a white ruffled cap that popped in Vanessa’s head every time 'Jane Austen' was mentioned?" p.36
As Julian’s clothes comes off, the heat turns up. But it’s not just his fine person that captivates her; his endearing friendship with her beloved aunt coupled with his affection and knowledge of all things Austen soon bewitch her body and soul. " 'The conversion has begun. It’s in your blood. Resistance is futile.' He looked into her eyes and took a step backward. 'You’re becoming an Austen fan.'" p.95
But like in life, ever dry spell has it’s flood. And for the lonesome, loveless Vanessa, soon after meeting Julian she meets a handsome, amiable pirate! Turns out HeroCon is happening simultaneously at the same Chicago hotel. Is Chase MacClane a rogue of the highest order or is he the hero in disguise?
Two Austen events later Vanessa finds herself in England for the celebrated ten day Jane Austen Festival in Bath. As soon as the plane lands, the consummate media maven posts, “ 'Here I am once more in this Scene of Dissipation & vice, and I begin already to find my Morals corrupted.’ Could a girl ask for more? All sorts of sordid things happen in London.” p.209 But all may not be how it appears. Later as she scampers about London and Bath on a wild, Austen-inspired scavenger hunt, she questions the authenticity of her relationship with Julian, her friendship with Chase, her aunt’s imminent Alzheimer’s diagnosis, and what she is going to do about any of it. "She laughed at her own folly. Folly? Had she ever used that word before? Why did she palpably feel Jane Austen’s presence across the room, near the trio, with folded arms and laughing at her?" p.214 Doornebos's storytelling had me biting my bottom lip until the very last, guessing who, if anyone, our fair heroine might choose!

Karen Doornebos, the author of Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, has certainly delivered me good tidings of comfort and joy with this latest offering. Because of her concise research of Austen, in concert with the believable dialogue and madcap romantic antics, I just may have to tweet: @xtnaboyd Undressing Mr. Darcy is the #perfectstockingstuffer for Austen & Darcy lovers everywhere- regardless who is naughty or nice!

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

With Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, author Karen Doornebos takes readers on a diverting and hilarious ride on the set of the fictitious reality dating show – How to Date Mr. Darcy. For her second Austen-Inspired novel, Karen Doornebos brings readers on a tour de force of Jane Austen conventions and festivals through Chicago, Louisville, Bath, and London! (Have your traveling bags and I <3 Mr. Darcy gear ready, friends!)

Leading us through these incredible celebrations of Janeites and their love for all things Austen are:
- Vanessa (a PR specialist who has been raised by her Austen-loving aunt ever since her parents separated)
- Aunt Ella (Vanessa's darling aunt who has lately shown signs of having dementia)
- Julian Chancellor a.k.a. Mr. Darcy (author of My Year as Mr. Darcy, keynote speaker at this year's JASNA Annual General Meeting, and owner of a crumbling historical estate in England)
- Paul (owner of antiques auction house and special friend of Aunt Ella)
- Chase MacClane (works for Paul when he is not impersonating Captain Jack Sparrow, claims to have gone to the same high school as Vanessa)
- Sherry Pajowski (a JASNA AGM attendee with the most enviable Darcy T-shirt collection imaginable ;) )
- Lexi Stone (former PR partner and friend of Vanessa's)

What a fantastic mixture of characters – die-hard Janeites, helpful friends, men in billowy shirts, a social-media maven/non-Janeite, and Jack Sparrow...*ahem* Captain Jack Sparrow. I fell in love with all of these well-drawn and intriguing characters, and took great pleasure in witnessing the conferences and festivals with them. I find that Karen Doornebos's characters are always believable and extremely likable (even the villains!) In addition, I was delighted to see a cameo of Chloe and Henry from Definitely Not Mr. Darcy during the conference! So great!

My favorite aspect of this novel was attending all the Jane Austen events, talks, workshops, and balls. Quilling Paper, Cravat Tying 101, Swordsmanship, Regency Dance, and we mustn't forget the Undressing Mr. Darcy lecture and...demonstration – how awesome it was to observe and “sit in” on some of these talks and workshops But perhaps my favorite event was the “Dash for Darcy Scavenger Hunt” that had everyone bounding across London and Bath! (I must know, can one really purchase a life-size replica of Colin Firth?!?)

Another aspect that I greatly enjoyed throughout this novel was witnessing Vanessa's transformation from feeling indifferent towards Jane Austen and being too attached to her smartphone, to devouring her books and chasing after love in England. She learns a lot about herself throughout these events and does some soul-searching – Mr. Darcy isn't the only one shedding some layers! She may be a little blind-to-the-obvious sometimes, but overall I found Vanessa's personal growth to be well-portrayed and gratifying to witness. My only complaint is that the same cannot be said for one of Vanessa's suitors (purposely not saying his name to avoid spoiler!) I kind of found one suitor's actions to be a little baffling and inconsistent, and I'm left with some unanswered questions.

Readers who like to “geek out” over Jane Austen will find much to admire and appreciate in this adventurous and humorous medley of Jane Austen festivals, conferences, and sites. With Karen Doornebos's vivid descriptions and first-hand experiences at these events, readers will truly feel like they were attendees themselves! I think it is only appropriate if I end my review like this: #MustRead #DefinitelyRecommend #EveryoneNeedsALittleMrDarcy

Note: A few scenes get pretty steamy! Recommended for Mature Audiences.

[CoMac · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book as part of the First Reads program, thanks to author Karen Doornebos for sending it to me! As a long-time Austen fan who re-reads parts of my favorite Austen books every year, and owns most of the movies on DVD, this book was right up my alley. I don't care for all the "Pride & Prejudice with Zombies" kind of books, but this one is more of a light romance, and it is fun (and doesn't involve any zombies, vampires, or any other supernatural additions! Hooray!).

I enjoyed the basic plot line of a woman who doesn't see what all the fuss (about Jane Austen) is about, being thrown into a conference full of Janeites. The author gently teases the Austen fanatics without making them seem too ridiculous--and the "Hero Con" next door, which is a stand-in for Comic Con, lets all the other "fanatics" reading have their share of the teasing, too. There is a classic love triangle, and I give the author points for making it difficult to figure out which man the protagonist (Vanessa) is going to pick until about 2/3 of the way in. One of the best parts of the book was the relationship between Vanessa and the ailing, elderly aunt who raised her. It was refreshing to read about someone who is dealing with all the complications of caring for a beloved "parent" in the midst of a busy, high-tech life. I also enjoyed reading about the old friend/current enemy (Lexi)who comes back into Vanessa's life.

I hate to pick on the author, but there were a few things that made me laugh out loud, and I don't think that was her intent. For instance, this little bit: "The only thing missing was--Julian. An emptiness came over her, like a spoon with nothing on it." And "She put her free hand on his leather butt." There are a couple of sex scenes in it, so I wouldn't want my young teenager reading it (even though she's the one who got the book for me).

The whole book is like a love letter to Chicago and London, and if you've ever traveled to those cities, you'll have fun revisiting them. This would be a great beach read. And, if you're an Austen fan like me, you'll be re-watching the 1995 version of P&P when you're done reading--definitely puts you in the mood for Jane!

[Dee · Rating 1 out of 5]

For me, this book was nothing but tedious. If you are into chick lit, which I'm not, you might really enjoy it. If you are a Jane Austen fan, you might like it. The setting - in and around Jane Austen festivals in the U.S. and England - is good and unique. Unfortunately, the book was recommended to me as literary fiction. But involving Jane Austen does not make it literary fiction.

I found the main character, Vanessa, extremely tiring and entirely self-involved. It took interest in a man for her to even watch or read any of the Jane Austen books that her beloved aunt's world revolved around. Somewhere in the more than ten years she had lived with or near her aunt, it seemed as though she could have taken the time to read a novel.

Her aunt was a charming character, but the whole Alzheimer's thing was just distracting. And Paul? Vanessa is unaware that Paul and her Aunt Ella were an item, and I, personally, couldn't get a bead on his age until it was explicitly said about 3/4 of the way in. So their engagement felt icky. I thought he was much younger and Ella, although thoroughly interesting, was entering into decline and yet no one was alarmed that they were engaged. I though there was going to be a subplot about Paul being a gold digger.

Again, if you like chick lit, this is probably a pretty entertainment book. Otherwise, pass.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first half of this book wasn't awful. But then I realized the inconsistencies of all of the characters. Especially the main character, she had the morality of a tramp but the the emotional maturity of a pubescent teenager. In the first half of the book, she was portrayed as a cut-throat PR exec, and in the second half, she was a whiny, insecure mess. Jane Austen wouldn't have that kind of an effect on someone.

Besides, the lack of developed, like-able characters, this book could also have used better editing. There were some parts where something was written in one paragraph and then completely ignored in the next. I was left wondering what the other was getting at. I finally decided to just ignore it and push through to the end of the book.

My only motivation to finish was to find out what Julian was truly hiding. And in the end, it was something much more mundane than the scenario I had imagined. (I was expecting some kind of deception regarding the house, how he was applying the funds raised, or his inheritance.)

[Kat · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I had read the one star reviews on here before purchasing this book on a whim, because I agree with all of them. First of all, I am an Austen fan, and I also read (and typically enjoy) all kinds of books, including "trashy" romance novels. So it's not as if this wasn't my kind of book. It was just that this book was so terrible that I felt cheated out of the time I wasted reading it.

The writing was choppy, there was no real flow to the story. The beginning of the book was lukewarm, but it quickly went downhill from there. I have never seen so many hashtags in a book, or a character that says "LOL" ... Yes. That actually happened, and it just kept getting worse and worse. The characters were awful. They were unrealistic, shallow, insipid, and had no believable growth. Oh, and what is with the obsession with thong underwear and speedos?
Ugh!

I love to read, but reading this was like pulling teeth. I made myself finish it hoping for something redeeming in the ending. There was nothing.

[Sonja · Rating 1 out of 5]

I thought I would like this book. I did hang on until the end hoping that it woe turn around and I would like it. It didn't. It was very rambling and far too long of a time frame to keep me engaged. The sex scenes, although short, were far to descriptive for my comfort, and I don't believe I am prudish. They did practice safe sex, to an extent, but that leads me to think, "Do single people really carry condoms around just in case they get a chance to have sex?" I did learn a lot about Jane Austen that I didn't know before, but that is probably the best thing about the book. There were just too many people, too much going on, and not a very good flow through the whole thing. (Plus, I think anyone drinking alcohol and taking cold medicine, like she was, could cause some serious problems to their health.)

[Laurie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun contemporary romp with and for Jane Austen fans. Just enough pop culture, social-media-PR-insider action, and steamy Darcy-driven romance to keep adult Anglophiles and hipsters alike entertained from cover to cover. Doornebos makes the most of Chicago, London, and Bath settings to appeal to armchair travelers too. This novel may bring many a subtle smile as readers familiar with Austen's work delight in the unfurling of a plot reminiscent of the revered author's own devices. Be warned, though: some steamy scenes might surprise you!

[Alix West · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this book zero stars. Completely unreadable. The protagonist is a complete monster, and there is a total absence of any cohesive narrative. The only thing more implausible than the romance in this novel is the fact that someone agreed to publish this trash in the first place.

I couldn't even finish, but I reviewed the first eleven chapters at Cut Rate Austen.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title sounds a bit tacky but surely is fitting for the content of this Pride and Prejudice inspired read. I did enjoy it. There were a few very nice passages and you will likely want to book a trip to Bath and try to find back all the places that are mentioned in this book. I guess that not all men dressed Regency style can stand the test of time.

[Lisanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Most fanfiction is better written than this and has a somewhat more believable and not entirely cliche plot. Seriously. Also, it is not really necessary to emphasize what kind of underwear this book's 'heroine' prefers. We get it after one time. No need to put it on plastic Colin Firth-Darcy's head either (I'm not making this up).

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars. One reason is because Vanessa seemed to go from hating Austen (because of an issue with her parents) and then overnight being a major Austen lover, it did not seem like it was a smooth change.

[Valerie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but....It didn't flow well, the writing was choppy, I never got invested in the character. I did finish the book to see how it played out. I do really like the cover. I do plan on reading her other book but not for awhile.

[Nicol Legakis · Rating 1 out of 5]

Easily the worst "Austenesque" book I've ever read (and I've read most). The protagonist was extremely annoying, immature, and generally unlikeable. I can't believe I wasted money and time on this. I couldn't stomach finishing it after the graphic sex scene.... Disappointed

[Sara Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

The first half of the book was interesting, but just before the trip across the pond, it began to deteriorate very rapidly. It was so bloody boring after that and was just an eyesore. If you're a Jane Austen fan, do NOT read this book.

[Ali · Rating 1 out of 5]

Where was the editor on this one? There were a few cute sections, but some completely random and cheesy parts that came way out of nowhere- especially towards the end. The continuity was all over the place and the characters were often caricatures.