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Jane Austen's Formidables #2
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart
Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone. She's been dating Neil -- a nice if a bit negligent -- sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy -- leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn't logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn't logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places.
263 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 430 reviews
February 17, 2010
The best thing that can be said about this book is that--for some reason--I kept turning the pages and didn't want to put it down, even though I wasn't necessarily enjoying it. It annoyed me more than it entertained me.
The characters were grossly underdeveloped...especially James (the Mr. Darcy wannabe). The (underdeveloped) characters then fall in love...without spending actual time together, without hardly speaking to each other??? And who did not see this coming: The New York City publisher who suddenly wants to date the girl with the secret manuscript in her purse, then at the end reveals he was never interested in her in the first place, it was all a ploy to get the book? Most of all, the author's attempts to pass off her own writing as Jane Austen's ruined the whole thing for me. The excerpts of "First Impressions" were painful to read.
Neil's appearance at the end almost redeemed the book. He was more interesting. However, the Realist in me couldn't help but believe that he's just going to go back home and pick up the remote and fall back into the same old habits until Claire is frustrated and lonely all over again. So, still I had a hard time buying the happily-ever-after ending.
The characters were grossly underdeveloped...especially James (the Mr. Darcy wannabe). The (underdeveloped) characters then fall in love...without spending actual time together, without hardly speaking to each other??? And who did not see this coming: The New York City publisher who suddenly wants to date the girl with the secret manuscript in her purse, then at the end reveals he was never interested in her in the first place, it was all a ploy to get the book? Most of all, the author's attempts to pass off her own writing as Jane Austen's ruined the whole thing for me. The excerpts of "First Impressions" were painful to read.
Neil's appearance at the end almost redeemed the book. He was more interesting. However, the Realist in me couldn't help but believe that he's just going to go back home and pick up the remote and fall back into the same old habits until Claire is frustrated and lonely all over again. So, still I had a hard time buying the happily-ever-after ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 10, 2010
It was like reading two books in one.
In the first one , set in our times, Claire Prescott needs a break from her ordinary disappointing routine in Kansas City.
“For more than thirty years, I’d always been exactly who people needed me to be. A dutiful daughter. An even more dutiful big sister. A hard worker … A devoted aunt to my twin nieces”. (p. 6)
She has got a boyfriend, Neil, who neglects her a bit being a sports fanatic; a married sister, Missy, and two twin nieces she tries to help as much as she can; a tragic shock in her past to overcome, since both her parents were killed when she was only 19. She has just lost her job as a Pediatrics Office Manager and is really depressed, so her sister decides to send her to Oxford University for a summer seminar about Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Claire will have to present Missy’s essay on sisterhood in the novel. Claire, though not a Janeite, accepts her sister’s invitation to substitute her. She has never understood Mr Darcy’s appeal. Not until she meets James Beaufort from New York City in Oxford at that seminar.
“Whoever he was, he was the handsomest man I’d ever seen in my life. …I lowered my gaze again. Just looking at him made my teeth hurt, he was so yummy. How unfair that such a beautiful man couldn’t be more pleasant…” (pp. 6-8)
In the second book, perfectly interwoven with the first one, Beth Pattillo imagines a completely different first draft for Pride and Prejudice. She has added to her Mr Darcy Broke My Heart, an imaginary version of First Impression with a very different but plausible story respect to the one we very well know. Claire, once in Oxford, finds herself holding a lost version of P&P, one scholars thought destroyed centuries ago by Jane’s sister Cassandra. Claire finds and reads the precious manuscript at old Mrs Dalrymple’s cottage. She will discover that Jane Austen didn’t always have Darcy in mind for Lizzie Bennet and…much, much more about herself.
“So that was it then. First Impressions. Not the equal to to Pride and Prejudice, but a small jewel in its own way, and perhaps a guide for how I might mend my own life. Perhaps the hero wasn’t born, but made. And perhaps a true heroine learned the diference only by having her heart broken along the way” (p.245)
I was completely caught in the story and read it with great pleasure and in very little time. There are so many gripping features: a woman in search for her real identity who has difficult choices to make, who experience a breathtaking summer romance in a romantic environment, who has to cope with a mysterious priceless manuscript, suspended between literature and real life. The story is told in a convincingly, amusing style with delightful moments of comedy and magic moments of romance. A great fun read. If you fancy something light and enjoyable and Austenesque, this is perfect for you. May I add a shallow note? What first attracted me to this book was …its beautiful cover! I love the elegant red-dressed lady thoughtfully walking in a meadow … though I can’t imagine Claire Prescott like that now I’ve read the book.
Beth Pattillo
In the first one , set in our times, Claire Prescott needs a break from her ordinary disappointing routine in Kansas City.
“For more than thirty years, I’d always been exactly who people needed me to be. A dutiful daughter. An even more dutiful big sister. A hard worker … A devoted aunt to my twin nieces”. (p. 6)
She has got a boyfriend, Neil, who neglects her a bit being a sports fanatic; a married sister, Missy, and two twin nieces she tries to help as much as she can; a tragic shock in her past to overcome, since both her parents were killed when she was only 19. She has just lost her job as a Pediatrics Office Manager and is really depressed, so her sister decides to send her to Oxford University for a summer seminar about Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Claire will have to present Missy’s essay on sisterhood in the novel. Claire, though not a Janeite, accepts her sister’s invitation to substitute her. She has never understood Mr Darcy’s appeal. Not until she meets James Beaufort from New York City in Oxford at that seminar.
“Whoever he was, he was the handsomest man I’d ever seen in my life. …I lowered my gaze again. Just looking at him made my teeth hurt, he was so yummy. How unfair that such a beautiful man couldn’t be more pleasant…” (pp. 6-8)
In the second book, perfectly interwoven with the first one, Beth Pattillo imagines a completely different first draft for Pride and Prejudice. She has added to her Mr Darcy Broke My Heart, an imaginary version of First Impression with a very different but plausible story respect to the one we very well know. Claire, once in Oxford, finds herself holding a lost version of P&P, one scholars thought destroyed centuries ago by Jane’s sister Cassandra. Claire finds and reads the precious manuscript at old Mrs Dalrymple’s cottage. She will discover that Jane Austen didn’t always have Darcy in mind for Lizzie Bennet and…much, much more about herself.
“So that was it then. First Impressions. Not the equal to to Pride and Prejudice, but a small jewel in its own way, and perhaps a guide for how I might mend my own life. Perhaps the hero wasn’t born, but made. And perhaps a true heroine learned the diference only by having her heart broken along the way” (p.245)
I was completely caught in the story and read it with great pleasure and in very little time. There are so many gripping features: a woman in search for her real identity who has difficult choices to make, who experience a breathtaking summer romance in a romantic environment, who has to cope with a mysterious priceless manuscript, suspended between literature and real life. The story is told in a convincingly, amusing style with delightful moments of comedy and magic moments of romance. A great fun read. If you fancy something light and enjoyable and Austenesque, this is perfect for you. May I add a shallow note? What first attracted me to this book was …its beautiful cover! I love the elegant red-dressed lady thoughtfully walking in a meadow … though I can’t imagine Claire Prescott like that now I’ve read the book.
Beth Pattillo
January 23, 2010
I loved Pride and Prejudice and the previous book from Pattillo, Jane Austen Ruined My Life, has been on my radar for ages so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I felt like it had a lot of potential but it just needed to be more fully developed. When I first started reading I did not understand why Claire immediately fell for her classmate and felt like he was a potential love interest. Yes he was good looking but they didn't exchange more than a few words and already she's off in a tizzy about possibly falling for him. It seems really out of the blue.
She also has these revelations through out the book about her relationship with her boyfriend, Neil, and her baby sister whom she has spent most of her life looking after. However, we don't get to find out much about these relationships except for a tidbit here and there so it's hard to figure out if her revelations are true or just a result of her emotional turmoil at the time. Due to this lack of back story the ending came as a total surprise to me and I'm not sure how satisfied I am with it.
The part I enjoyed the most was as Claire gets to read from this lost manuscript from Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice. I loved the changes and it made you wonder what would have the book been like if this version were published. All in all I would have preferred this to be the focus of the book rather than the convoluted relationships in Claire's life.
She also has these revelations through out the book about her relationship with her boyfriend, Neil, and her baby sister whom she has spent most of her life looking after. However, we don't get to find out much about these relationships except for a tidbit here and there so it's hard to figure out if her revelations are true or just a result of her emotional turmoil at the time. Due to this lack of back story the ending came as a total surprise to me and I'm not sure how satisfied I am with it.
The part I enjoyed the most was as Claire gets to read from this lost manuscript from Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice. I loved the changes and it made you wonder what would have the book been like if this version were published. All in all I would have preferred this to be the focus of the book rather than the convoluted relationships in Claire's life.
January 29, 2010
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo contains the same successful ingredients as her first book, Jane Austen Ruined My Life. A young woman, Claire Peterson, leaves a man (her boyfriend) and family behind in the U.S. and travels to Oxford to join a Jane Austen study group. She arrives at the last minute to present her sister’s paper on Pride and Prejudice, only to meet a gorgeous, drop dead handsome man in the mold of Mr. Darcy. The moment she meets James, Claire’s heart instantly goes pitter patter. Better yet, he expresses as much interest in her as she in him. But this is not the end of Claire’s good fortune. She also meets a ditzy older woman named Harriet Dalrymple, who inexplicably entrusts her with yellowing bits of paper containing the original version of Pride and Prejudice, titled First Impressions. Claire is in 7th heaven when she realizes what a treasure she’s been reading. She even shares a portion of the manuscript with Martin, a Jane Austen scholar, who confirms its authenticity. But Claire is puzzled. Why of all people was she chosen to read the book? Why is it being kept from the public? And who rifled her room, tearing it upside down? Did someone know about the manuscript, and if so, how did they know Claire had it? The Formidables, the secret group that guards Jane Austen’s literary reputation, much as her sister Cassandra had done, once again make an appearance. Like the ex-husband in Jane Austen Ruined My Life, the Claire's boyfriend travels to England, only he is kind and long-suffering, not diabolical, and his presence in Oxford forces Claire to choose between him and James.
A recent review about Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart proclaimed, “These books will be loved by fans of Jane Austen and true romance fans alike.” Well, yes and no. My sense is that the reader who has only seen Jane Austen films (and not read her novels) and who is unfamiliar with Beth Pattillo’s first book, will like this book tremendously. Beth Patillo’s writing style is likable and breezy, and the plot of the book is just interesting enough to hold your attention.
But I think that many Jane Austen fans will be as put off as I was by the book’s main premise, which is that the original plot of Pride and Prejudice was drastically different from the final novel. In Ms Pattillo’s version, Mr. Bennet has died, leaving Mrs. Bennet in the horrific, nearly penniless situation she feared. Elizabeth Bennet must leave her family and make her way in the world as the companion of Anne de Bourgh. While living at Rosings, she meets Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy …
Ms. Pattillo made several decisions in writing this book that I found jarring. First, she makes the assumption that Jane Austen’s original plot of Pride and Prejudice was nothing like the final product. Throughout her book, Miss Pattillo included large portions of the so-called original manuscript to whet our appetites. While she can write well, she is no Jane Austen, and these excerpts make that fact painfully clear. The excerpts also did not pique my interest, for the story seemed tepid and without Jane's sparkling wit and biting humor. Perhaps this was Ms. Pattillo’s intention, for how else could she rationalize that Jane Austen would completely revamp her first novel? Oh, there was a hasty explanation at the end of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, but the comparison of Claire’s growth as a woman to Jane’s own growth as a woman and author seemed tenuous at best.
First Impressions was written in 1796-1797, probably in epistolary form. While no copy of that lengthy and bloated first draft remains, it was so popular within the Austen family, that the family repeatedly requested Jane to read it to them. They LOVED the story! A niece heard her Aunts Jane and Cassandra giggle as they went over its pages, and Jane Austen’s father thought so highly of the book that he tried to get it published in 1797, but he was unsuccessful. Perhaps the book was too long, for Jane did cut the book’s length and revise it in 1812 before its publication in 1813. Had Ms. Pattillo presented us with the edited out portions, let’s say (and provided us with more back story regarding Mr and Mrs Bennet or with more details about how Mr. Darcy contrived to arrange the marriage between Mr. Wickham and Lydia) I might have bought into her book’s premise.
Because the plot of Mr. Darcy Stole My Heart so closely follows the outline of Jane Austen Ruined My Life, this second novel has a formulaic feel to it. Despite my own reservations, I suspect that many readers will like this book, for it does provide several hours of light and frothy escape fiction. There is no violence, as so many books feel the need to include these days, and there are no weird or distasteful plot developments. I would hope that Ms. Pattillo, if she plans to write a third book that involves The Formidables and their guardianship of Jane Austen’s literary reputation, will deviate just a little from her now tried and true formula and dare to be different, just like the author she so ardently admires.
I give this book 1 ½ regency fans (out of 3)
A recent review about Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart proclaimed, “These books will be loved by fans of Jane Austen and true romance fans alike.” Well, yes and no. My sense is that the reader who has only seen Jane Austen films (and not read her novels) and who is unfamiliar with Beth Pattillo’s first book, will like this book tremendously. Beth Patillo’s writing style is likable and breezy, and the plot of the book is just interesting enough to hold your attention.
But I think that many Jane Austen fans will be as put off as I was by the book’s main premise, which is that the original plot of Pride and Prejudice was drastically different from the final novel. In Ms Pattillo’s version, Mr. Bennet has died, leaving Mrs. Bennet in the horrific, nearly penniless situation she feared. Elizabeth Bennet must leave her family and make her way in the world as the companion of Anne de Bourgh. While living at Rosings, she meets Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr. Darcy …
Ms. Pattillo made several decisions in writing this book that I found jarring. First, she makes the assumption that Jane Austen’s original plot of Pride and Prejudice was nothing like the final product. Throughout her book, Miss Pattillo included large portions of the so-called original manuscript to whet our appetites. While she can write well, she is no Jane Austen, and these excerpts make that fact painfully clear. The excerpts also did not pique my interest, for the story seemed tepid and without Jane's sparkling wit and biting humor. Perhaps this was Ms. Pattillo’s intention, for how else could she rationalize that Jane Austen would completely revamp her first novel? Oh, there was a hasty explanation at the end of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, but the comparison of Claire’s growth as a woman to Jane’s own growth as a woman and author seemed tenuous at best.
First Impressions was written in 1796-1797, probably in epistolary form. While no copy of that lengthy and bloated first draft remains, it was so popular within the Austen family, that the family repeatedly requested Jane to read it to them. They LOVED the story! A niece heard her Aunts Jane and Cassandra giggle as they went over its pages, and Jane Austen’s father thought so highly of the book that he tried to get it published in 1797, but he was unsuccessful. Perhaps the book was too long, for Jane did cut the book’s length and revise it in 1812 before its publication in 1813. Had Ms. Pattillo presented us with the edited out portions, let’s say (and provided us with more back story regarding Mr and Mrs Bennet or with more details about how Mr. Darcy contrived to arrange the marriage between Mr. Wickham and Lydia) I might have bought into her book’s premise.
Because the plot of Mr. Darcy Stole My Heart so closely follows the outline of Jane Austen Ruined My Life, this second novel has a formulaic feel to it. Despite my own reservations, I suspect that many readers will like this book, for it does provide several hours of light and frothy escape fiction. There is no violence, as so many books feel the need to include these days, and there are no weird or distasteful plot developments. I would hope that Ms. Pattillo, if she plans to write a third book that involves The Formidables and their guardianship of Jane Austen’s literary reputation, will deviate just a little from her now tried and true formula and dare to be different, just like the author she so ardently admires.
I give this book 1 ½ regency fans (out of 3)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2012
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo is one of the best books I've read in a long while, and I read A LOT. The setup is that Claire Prescott's sister Missy is unable to attend a Jane Austen seminar in Oxford, so she sends Claire to present her paper instead. Claire, knowing very little about Jane Austen initially, is transported into a a modern-day Pride and Prejudice of sorts. She meets a quirky old lady who lives in a cottage and has a secret--the first draft of Pride and Prejudice. And she also meets a handsome, rich man from Manhattan who she can't resist comparing to Mr. Darcy. But things heat up when her sports-obsessed boyfriend back at home makes a surprise visit, and even more surprising are the emotions that arise when Claire must make a decision between the two men.
I absolutely loved this book. It's written in first person, past tense, which was the perfect choice for this author's strong voice and tone, and really endears readers to Claire's character by allowing us to know her deeper thoughts. Claire is a bit quirky, clumsy, strong, adventurous, and confused. Who can't identify with that? I also really enjoyed the lighthearted voice in this book. I was not expecting to laugh out loud, but I did more than once, and the humor balanced out the more historical portions well. The characters were developed well in my opinion, especially Claire. We know her struggles and the hurt in her past right from the start. Some of the other reviewers stated that they would've liked to see the conflict between Claire and her sister more fleshed out, but I'm glad the author didn't go that route because it would've taken me out of the story, and would've put too much emphasis on a minor subplot.
At heart, this story is a romance. Along with that come certain expectations with regard to the genre, because a reader is not going to be happy, for instance, if the heroine just suddenly dies at the end, or if a man we've come to love turns out to be serving jail time. Some other reviewers felt aspects of the story, or particular characters such as James, were unbelievable, but I would respectfully have to disagree. I don't see how the author would've been able to portray James as Mr. Darcy WITHOUT making him a little cliche. In my opinion, isn't that really the point? When we read a story about a modern day Mr. Darcy, yes, we want him to be appealing and current, but he has to be enough like Mr. Darcy for us to make the connection in the first place. I found James very likable and found it easy to believe the heroine would develop a crush on him so quickly. Has no one else ever been to summer camp? :D
The strength, though, of the novel for me was the development of the heroine's inner journey. Too many romances skip out on that, and books suffer accordingly. But Pattillo takes her time not only to endear us to the heroine (making her struggles believable), but also to get the heroine in a healthy place in her life by the book's end. So, the focus of the book really shifts away from the romance, which becomes secondary to the inner strength of the heroine herself. And I liked that. A lot.
But the romance aspect of the book was also very strong. Pattillo sets up a great dynamic between the two leading men, and for a while, I really couldn't tell which man Claire was going to choose, or which one I even wanted her to. That is a RARE feat indeed, as most authors who attempt this same thing give themselves away too early on. Like Claire, I liked both guys, and was happy with the ending, although she left me on pins and needles for a little while.
I liked this book so much, I was literally eating my salad with one hand and holding the book up with the other hand. I can't remember the last time I've done that.
If you like Pattillo, Jane Austen, England, or a cup of tea, this book is WELL worth the money.
I absolutely loved this book. It's written in first person, past tense, which was the perfect choice for this author's strong voice and tone, and really endears readers to Claire's character by allowing us to know her deeper thoughts. Claire is a bit quirky, clumsy, strong, adventurous, and confused. Who can't identify with that? I also really enjoyed the lighthearted voice in this book. I was not expecting to laugh out loud, but I did more than once, and the humor balanced out the more historical portions well. The characters were developed well in my opinion, especially Claire. We know her struggles and the hurt in her past right from the start. Some of the other reviewers stated that they would've liked to see the conflict between Claire and her sister more fleshed out, but I'm glad the author didn't go that route because it would've taken me out of the story, and would've put too much emphasis on a minor subplot.
At heart, this story is a romance. Along with that come certain expectations with regard to the genre, because a reader is not going to be happy, for instance, if the heroine just suddenly dies at the end, or if a man we've come to love turns out to be serving jail time. Some other reviewers felt aspects of the story, or particular characters such as James, were unbelievable, but I would respectfully have to disagree. I don't see how the author would've been able to portray James as Mr. Darcy WITHOUT making him a little cliche. In my opinion, isn't that really the point? When we read a story about a modern day Mr. Darcy, yes, we want him to be appealing and current, but he has to be enough like Mr. Darcy for us to make the connection in the first place. I found James very likable and found it easy to believe the heroine would develop a crush on him so quickly. Has no one else ever been to summer camp? :D
The strength, though, of the novel for me was the development of the heroine's inner journey. Too many romances skip out on that, and books suffer accordingly. But Pattillo takes her time not only to endear us to the heroine (making her struggles believable), but also to get the heroine in a healthy place in her life by the book's end. So, the focus of the book really shifts away from the romance, which becomes secondary to the inner strength of the heroine herself. And I liked that. A lot.
But the romance aspect of the book was also very strong. Pattillo sets up a great dynamic between the two leading men, and for a while, I really couldn't tell which man Claire was going to choose, or which one I even wanted her to. That is a RARE feat indeed, as most authors who attempt this same thing give themselves away too early on. Like Claire, I liked both guys, and was happy with the ending, although she left me on pins and needles for a little while.
I liked this book so much, I was literally eating my salad with one hand and holding the book up with the other hand. I can't remember the last time I've done that.
If you like Pattillo, Jane Austen, England, or a cup of tea, this book is WELL worth the money.
October 30, 2016
I don't even know where to begin...there was so much I disliked about this book. I'll start with First Impressions sprinkled throughout the book. As an IDEA...it's a great one. It is interesting to think what it might have been like and how different it probably was from Pride & Prejudice. But, I could NOT stomach this author's idea of it! Jane Austen (I don't care if she was 10 years younger) would NEVER have written in such a simplified way and she would NOT have had Darcy kiss Elizabeth and while the idea of Darcy having a genuine honorable rival for Elizabeth's attention is a clever one...it gave me actual anxiety that Darcy didn't end up with Elizabeth. THAT was just taking it too far. Plus, it doesn't even make sense. Jane Austen was extremely clever...she called her book First Impressions, in this author's "version" Elizabeth's first impression of Darcy was that he was rude and of Colonel Fitzwilliam, that he was nice. At the end of the book, it's confirmed that Darcy was rude and Fitzwilliam was nice. WHAT would be the point of calling the book First Impressions if those first impressions were actually correct? How pointless?
And then there's the actual modern day story in the book. I judge a book by how often I "come out" of the story while reading it...with this book I was constantly "out" of the story. I was thinking about how "that didn't make sense" and "this isn't logical" and "who talks like that" and I was constantly annoyed! Like, the woman is in Oxford and all that was relentlessly described was the walking across Christ Church. It just sounded like such a boring place and I happen to know it isn't! And why did have to be so hot? (this also goes for Jane Austen Ruined My Life) If I'm reading about England, I want it to "feel" like England, not Texas!
I have also have to address this Claire character. Do you know how much shorter this book would've been if she had just let someone finish a darn sentence? I'm sorry, but when someone's telling you that they have to explain something, one's natural tendency is NOT to run away, unless you're Claire. She must be the most uncurious woman ever.
And the whole romance with this Darcy-esque character just felt so fake. Like, I was so confused...in what way did they click? When did they ever really even talk? The author was trying to make it like Elizabeth & Darcy but THEY at least talked to each other and such. These two went out to eat and then it was like, "I'm in love with you"????
Oh, and the boyfriend coming ALL the way across the pond. It might be a TAD more original if something like that hadn't happened in the author's last book. Definitely a theme...an unusually hot England, half-finished sentences, suddenly jobless and a surprise male visitor from America.
And then Claire having to decide what to do with manuscript...I can't even comment on that. It was just SO unrealistic that some old woman randomly decides to trust her with making a decision she's been unable to make for years. Oh, AND the manuscript just stashed hodgepodge all over this woman's cottage??? THAT part was so cringe worthy and "wrong" feeling that I was convinced that was our hint that this was in no way a genuine Austen manuscript.
Also the course that Claire went for seemed like such a forgotten part...she had an amazing amount of free time it felt. Like the author wanted this to be the reason she went to England, but didn't want to actually flesh out what a Jane Austen course would be like.
Somehow this is the kind of book that keeps you reading, but I think it's because you're just hoping it's randomly going to make sense at the end. It didn't.
And then there's the actual modern day story in the book. I judge a book by how often I "come out" of the story while reading it...with this book I was constantly "out" of the story. I was thinking about how "that didn't make sense" and "this isn't logical" and "who talks like that" and I was constantly annoyed! Like, the woman is in Oxford and all that was relentlessly described was the walking across Christ Church. It just sounded like such a boring place and I happen to know it isn't! And why did have to be so hot? (this also goes for Jane Austen Ruined My Life) If I'm reading about England, I want it to "feel" like England, not Texas!
I have also have to address this Claire character. Do you know how much shorter this book would've been if she had just let someone finish a darn sentence? I'm sorry, but when someone's telling you that they have to explain something, one's natural tendency is NOT to run away, unless you're Claire. She must be the most uncurious woman ever.
And the whole romance with this Darcy-esque character just felt so fake. Like, I was so confused...in what way did they click? When did they ever really even talk? The author was trying to make it like Elizabeth & Darcy but THEY at least talked to each other and such. These two went out to eat and then it was like, "I'm in love with you"????
Oh, and the boyfriend coming ALL the way across the pond. It might be a TAD more original if something like that hadn't happened in the author's last book. Definitely a theme...an unusually hot England, half-finished sentences, suddenly jobless and a surprise male visitor from America.
And then Claire having to decide what to do with manuscript...I can't even comment on that. It was just SO unrealistic that some old woman randomly decides to trust her with making a decision she's been unable to make for years. Oh, AND the manuscript just stashed hodgepodge all over this woman's cottage??? THAT part was so cringe worthy and "wrong" feeling that I was convinced that was our hint that this was in no way a genuine Austen manuscript.
Also the course that Claire went for seemed like such a forgotten part...she had an amazing amount of free time it felt. Like the author wanted this to be the reason she went to England, but didn't want to actually flesh out what a Jane Austen course would be like.
Somehow this is the kind of book that keeps you reading, but I think it's because you're just hoping it's randomly going to make sense at the end. It didn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 22, 2014
Sparkling, engaging and subtly humorous, Janeites and romance readers will be enchanted!
I have read a few Austenesque books in my day. Am I jaded? Hope not. I usually know by the end of the third chapter if it has wings: a fresh concept skillfully rendered, Austen allusions or her characters reverently portrayed and humor in the form of wit and irony, please. I know. It’s a tall order. I’m fastidious. But occasionally, and more frequently as of late, “every feature works.” Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart was a welcome surprise. It charmed me right down to my be-ribboned dancing slippers. Let me extol upon its charms.
Pragmatic heroine Claire Prescott is not nearly as keen on Jane Austen as her romantic young sister Missy who has earned a grant to attend a week-long Jane Austen seminar at Oxford University in England. Even though she has read Pride and Prejudice, she can not understand her sister’s passion for Mr. Darcy, that romantic icon that has fluttered thousands of hearts for the last two centuries. When pregnancy complications prevent her sister from attending, Claire steps in to present Missy’s paper despite her immediate need to hunt for a new job and attend her negligent sports crazed boyfriend Neil.
The dreaming spires of Oxford are captivating, but James Beaufort, a fellow attendee is most certainly not. Even though his noble mien just might rival Mr. Darcy in the rich, handsome, and haughty department, he is not Claire’s type and personalities clash. Meanwhile, a chance meeting with Harriet Dalrymple, an eccentric elderly woman who casually presents her with what could be the Holy Grail of Austenalia, the manuscript of First Impressions, the lost first draft of Pride and Prejudice is not what she expected. Surprisingly, this manuscript’s plot is different from Austen’s published novel and Claire is wary of its authenticity and Harriet’s claim to be one of the ‘Formidables’, a secret sect of Janeites safekeeping Austen manuscripts and letters thought to have been destroyed years ago. When James Beaufort’s attentions change their tact, her room is ransacked, others interested in the manuscript begin to threaten her and Neil’s unannounced arrival in Oxford complicates her confusing relationship with James, Claire, like Austen’s heroine Elizabeth Bennet must reevaluate her first impressions.
Sparkling, engaging and subtly humorous, brava, brava, brava to Beth Pattillo for knowing her Austen lore and cleverly weaving it into a contemporary romance that will enchant Austen fans and romance readers alike. What true Janeite could not be enthralled reading the long lost First Impressions manuscript, having a romance with a Mr. Darcy doppelganger and spending a holiday among the dreaming spires of Oxford University? *swoon* It was such a heady rush that this Anglophile was reading until the wee hours. Pattillo has succeeded in surpassing the charm and creativity of her last novel Jane Austen Ruined My Life and supplied us with a much more satisfying ending. My one trifling quibble, which I deign to mention, is that Miss Austen spelled Mr. Collins’ home Hunsford Parsonage, and not Huntsford. Easily overlooked in comparison to the scope of one of the best contemporary Austenesque novels that I have ever had the pleasure to read. Oh, and where can I sign up to be a ‘Formidable’?
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
I have read a few Austenesque books in my day. Am I jaded? Hope not. I usually know by the end of the third chapter if it has wings: a fresh concept skillfully rendered, Austen allusions or her characters reverently portrayed and humor in the form of wit and irony, please. I know. It’s a tall order. I’m fastidious. But occasionally, and more frequently as of late, “every feature works.” Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart was a welcome surprise. It charmed me right down to my be-ribboned dancing slippers. Let me extol upon its charms.
Pragmatic heroine Claire Prescott is not nearly as keen on Jane Austen as her romantic young sister Missy who has earned a grant to attend a week-long Jane Austen seminar at Oxford University in England. Even though she has read Pride and Prejudice, she can not understand her sister’s passion for Mr. Darcy, that romantic icon that has fluttered thousands of hearts for the last two centuries. When pregnancy complications prevent her sister from attending, Claire steps in to present Missy’s paper despite her immediate need to hunt for a new job and attend her negligent sports crazed boyfriend Neil.
The dreaming spires of Oxford are captivating, but James Beaufort, a fellow attendee is most certainly not. Even though his noble mien just might rival Mr. Darcy in the rich, handsome, and haughty department, he is not Claire’s type and personalities clash. Meanwhile, a chance meeting with Harriet Dalrymple, an eccentric elderly woman who casually presents her with what could be the Holy Grail of Austenalia, the manuscript of First Impressions, the lost first draft of Pride and Prejudice is not what she expected. Surprisingly, this manuscript’s plot is different from Austen’s published novel and Claire is wary of its authenticity and Harriet’s claim to be one of the ‘Formidables’, a secret sect of Janeites safekeeping Austen manuscripts and letters thought to have been destroyed years ago. When James Beaufort’s attentions change their tact, her room is ransacked, others interested in the manuscript begin to threaten her and Neil’s unannounced arrival in Oxford complicates her confusing relationship with James, Claire, like Austen’s heroine Elizabeth Bennet must reevaluate her first impressions.
Sparkling, engaging and subtly humorous, brava, brava, brava to Beth Pattillo for knowing her Austen lore and cleverly weaving it into a contemporary romance that will enchant Austen fans and romance readers alike. What true Janeite could not be enthralled reading the long lost First Impressions manuscript, having a romance with a Mr. Darcy doppelganger and spending a holiday among the dreaming spires of Oxford University? *swoon* It was such a heady rush that this Anglophile was reading until the wee hours. Pattillo has succeeded in surpassing the charm and creativity of her last novel Jane Austen Ruined My Life and supplied us with a much more satisfying ending. My one trifling quibble, which I deign to mention, is that Miss Austen spelled Mr. Collins’ home Hunsford Parsonage, and not Huntsford. Easily overlooked in comparison to the scope of one of the best contemporary Austenesque novels that I have ever had the pleasure to read. Oh, and where can I sign up to be a ‘Formidable’?
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
June 18, 2013
Originally reviewed on my blog Reading the Best of the Best.
Right after the amazingness that is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ended, the feeling of no more Pride and Prejudice re-telling hit me hard. I was about to begin re-reaidng Pride and Prejudice for about the 1,000,000 time when I came across this book on my shelf. I immediately grabbed it and began reading, immersing myself into the world of Jane Austen once again. Sadly, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart was not the fun, light book I was expecting. While I knew that this was not a re-telling true to Pride and Prejudice, I knew there were going to be many similarities yet even this information didn't make it better.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a short book at only 263 pages but I felt like this needed to be much longer, possibly 100 or even 200 more pages to fully explain everything that was going on. For starters, the plot begins promising but quickly changes gears to where various things are happening all at once with no explanation what so ever. One minute, Claire would be walking down the road somewhere and the next, she's fantasizing about some guy she met a few seconds ago. The secret society dealing with Jane Austen's writings was fascinating but the idea was not developed at all. There is another book that is part of this "series" but this book is a standalone in itself so I didn't think it was necessary.
Claire Prescott, what to do with you. I had hoped that Claire would be a witty, snarky 26 (or 27) year old but instead, she honestly sounded much younger. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is supposed to be about Claire figuring out who she is but I didn't see that happening. Again, with only 263 pages, the amount of character development that can happen is slim and sadly, Claire's change from the whining woman to a more stronger woman wasn't really clear. She finds herself stuck between two men, one she just met a week before and the other, her long time boyfriend. I found this love triangle utterly annoying because it's not possible. I cared for none of the characters honesty because I didn't know them. Character backgrounds would have been a great help in understanding anything about the characters or the plot but really, I was unimpressed.
The writing was...interesting. If everyone doesn't know by now, Pride and Prejudice was initially titled First Impressions and much of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart deals with Claire finding the original copy of this book. The writing of First Impressions didn't even come close to sounding like Jane Austen and while no one will ever write like her, I had hoped that the author would have tried a little more. I also wished that Claire sounded like a 26 year old woman who didn't know what she wanted from life rather than a 16 year old pining over some hot guy she just met.
Overall, I wasn't as impressed with Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart as I had hoped to be. It has a promising plot and main character but I felt that the execution was poor. While it was a quick read, I was unsatisfied with almost every aspect of this book.
Right after the amazingness that is The Lizzie Bennet Diaries ended, the feeling of no more Pride and Prejudice re-telling hit me hard. I was about to begin re-reaidng Pride and Prejudice for about the 1,000,000 time when I came across this book on my shelf. I immediately grabbed it and began reading, immersing myself into the world of Jane Austen once again. Sadly, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart was not the fun, light book I was expecting. While I knew that this was not a re-telling true to Pride and Prejudice, I knew there were going to be many similarities yet even this information didn't make it better.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a short book at only 263 pages but I felt like this needed to be much longer, possibly 100 or even 200 more pages to fully explain everything that was going on. For starters, the plot begins promising but quickly changes gears to where various things are happening all at once with no explanation what so ever. One minute, Claire would be walking down the road somewhere and the next, she's fantasizing about some guy she met a few seconds ago. The secret society dealing with Jane Austen's writings was fascinating but the idea was not developed at all. There is another book that is part of this "series" but this book is a standalone in itself so I didn't think it was necessary.
Claire Prescott, what to do with you. I had hoped that Claire would be a witty, snarky 26 (or 27) year old but instead, she honestly sounded much younger. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is supposed to be about Claire figuring out who she is but I didn't see that happening. Again, with only 263 pages, the amount of character development that can happen is slim and sadly, Claire's change from the whining woman to a more stronger woman wasn't really clear. She finds herself stuck between two men, one she just met a week before and the other, her long time boyfriend. I found this love triangle utterly annoying because it's not possible. I cared for none of the characters honesty because I didn't know them. Character backgrounds would have been a great help in understanding anything about the characters or the plot but really, I was unimpressed.
The writing was...interesting. If everyone doesn't know by now, Pride and Prejudice was initially titled First Impressions and much of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart deals with Claire finding the original copy of this book. The writing of First Impressions didn't even come close to sounding like Jane Austen and while no one will ever write like her, I had hoped that the author would have tried a little more. I also wished that Claire sounded like a 26 year old woman who didn't know what she wanted from life rather than a 16 year old pining over some hot guy she just met.
Overall, I wasn't as impressed with Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart as I had hoped to be. It has a promising plot and main character but I felt that the execution was poor. While it was a quick read, I was unsatisfied with almost every aspect of this book.
July 24, 2018
Meh.
I liked the potential of this story but I started to dislike the main character after a while. She seemed so wishy washy and she didn't know what she wanted for half the story. It got a bit complicated when her boyfriend showed up out of nowhere and that just made things worse for her. The part I liked the most was reading the alternate version of Pride and Prejudice. The author's take on what First Impressions could have been was very different from the end result of P&P. Half the characters seemed ingenuine so I couldn't connect.
I think I'm done with Beth Patillo. Her writing is just so-so.
I liked the potential of this story but I started to dislike the main character after a while. She seemed so wishy washy and she didn't know what she wanted for half the story. It got a bit complicated when her boyfriend showed up out of nowhere and that just made things worse for her. The part I liked the most was reading the alternate version of Pride and Prejudice. The author's take on what First Impressions could have been was very different from the end result of P&P. Half the characters seemed ingenuine so I couldn't connect.
I think I'm done with Beth Patillo. Her writing is just so-so.
February 11, 2010
I liked this book more than I thought I would when I started it. I did have an issue with something though...it's minor but still annoying...the main character is supposed to be from Kansas City. It's never stated Missouri or Kansas. I know most non-mid-westerners don't know there are two. A certain character states (not naming names so I don't have to mark this as a spoiler) says they have decided to go to KU. First off KU is in Lawrence, Kansas...not Kansas City, Kansas. Also it's a pretty competitive school so you can't just decided to go they...it's almost like they pick you not vice-versa. A comment like that makes me think the author just picked the city off of a map. Plus she didn't take the time to realize KU isn't in the city she's talking about. I would have been a lot happier if she'd simply made this character go to UMKC (located in Kansas City, Missouri) or stated that the character would move to Lawrence to go to KU. Yeah yeah you probably don't need to make that move but the comment really did make me think the author doesn't know Kansas City. I'm putting way too much thought into this, I know.
January 15, 2016
Well considering it took me all of three hours to read this book I couldn't argue that it won't hold your interest. The book (like the previous) was packed with information and research. The only faults I found were that the main character (while complex) didn't interest me as much as the main character in the last book. Also the authors diction is very similar and slightly repetitive, but not so much that it's an issue. There are subtle hints to the last book without it becoming annoying. The characters were kind of underdeveloped and honestly a bit annoying. The plot itself seemed a bit cliche and cheesy and there were lots of times when characters randomly showed up even when there was no possible way that could have happened. It started off strong but ended just sort of eh. I'll still read the next one and I still enjoyed this one for the most part and would recommend it to Austen lovers.
March 12, 2013
I have and probably never will read a book by Jane Austen but I'll probably watch the latest movie based off it.
I had read things that referenced to Jane's books so I got the gist of the popular story which was helpful.
Anyway, this book wasn't fluffy, bunnies, shoes, and cookies. It was real and the love story was real. And the sentence about love being quiet but as strong a steel...
A really good love story.
I had read things that referenced to Jane's books so I got the gist of the popular story which was helpful.
Anyway, this book wasn't fluffy, bunnies, shoes, and cookies. It was real and the love story was real. And the sentence about love being quiet but as strong a steel...
A really good love story.
April 12, 2010
Ending: GAG. Let's have some standards, people.
November 17, 2020
This book was just fine. If you are a fellow Jane Austen lover, you might not like it as much as other people would. Clare is able to attend a week long seminar in Oxford, England. She left a boyfriend at home and meets a man in her class that she begins to like. While walking around, an elderly woman befriends her with tea and cookies and a lost version of Pride and Prejudice. Yep, thats whats the books is about. Which man will she end up with? What will she do once she reads the manuscript?
August 3, 2025
3.5 good book that was surprisingly easy to read but the ending and the characters were stupid.
April 13, 2025
Dala by som 3,5/5.
Strašne cringe a neviem či je to tým prekladom alebo niečim iným.
Strašne cringe a neviem či je to tým prekladom alebo niečim iným.
July 9, 2010
Claire Prescott, an unemployed pediatrics office manager, has spent her whole life suppressing her desires and sacrificing her needs in order to properly care for her younger sister. Our heroine and her sister have suffered the unfortunate tragedy of losing both mother and father in a car accident many years ago, and Claire has been selflessly living her life for others ever since. Because her pregnant sister, Missy, is unable to fly, Claire has obligingly agreed to take her place at a Jane Austen seminar in Oxford, England. While some Janeites would squeal with delight at such fortuity, Claire finds Mr. Darcy to be a bit overrated. Even though she is going on this trip as a favor to her sister, Claire ends up benefiting from this experience more than she ever anticipated...
Upon arrival in Oxford, Claire meets the exceptionally handsome, wealthy, and of course, arrogant James Beaufort, who is also attending the Jane Austen seminar. Claire's spine-tingling attraction for James and his undisguised interest in her fills Claire with confusion and excitement. Claire's recent frustration with her inattentive and self-absorbed boyfriend, Neil, seems to be forgotten as this real-live Mr. Darcy (James) intently pursues her. Is there an ulterior motive for James interest in Claire? Will Claire end her relationship with Neil for James?
Not only does Claire find romance in Oxford, she finds Jane Austen! When Claire befriends the eccentric and elderly Harriet Dalrymple and escorts her home, Mrs. Dalrymple, in turn, allows Claire to see her collection of Jane Austen's papers. Claire strongly suspects that these so-called “papers” are fake and that the kind Mrs. Dalymple is loosing her mental capabilities until the yellowed and crumbling pages of a manuscript labeled First Impressions is placed in her hands. Could Mrs. Dalrymple be in possession of Jane Austen's original manuscript for Pride and Prejudice?
Those of you who have read Beth Pattillo's engaging novel, Jane Austen Ruined My Life, will be happy to see the return of The Formiddables (a secret society of select Austen scholars that safely guard and conserve a massive collection of letters and documents that belonged to Jane Austen). This time instead of exploring an “unknown” romance in Jane Austen's life, we are presented with chapters from First Impressions, Jane Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice that she wrote in 1797. I greatly enjoyed this story within a story part of the novel. This captivating Pride and Prejudice variation asked the question: what if Mrs. Bennet's greatest fear was realized and Mr. Bennet died before any of his daughters were married? Ms. Pattillo's imagined version illustrates how Jane Austen's disappointed love-affair with Tom Lefroy might have influenced her to pen a tale that is not so very “light, and bright, and sparkling.” These riveting little chapter fragments were peppered through out the novel, and while at times may seem a little far-fetched, they were well-written and thought-provoking.
Ms. Pattillo offers quite a lot in her novels: romance, self-discovery, adventure, mystery, and of course, a copious amount of Jane Austen lore that would satisfy anyone's Jane Austen fix! With so many elements integrated in these novels, they become not just frothy and fun, but multifaceted and dynamic. While I loved the combinations and complexities of this novel, I sometimes felt that some aspects were a little underdeveloped and rushed. In this case, I thought the relationships Claire had with her sister Missy, her boyfriend Neil, and her love interest James needed more development and page time. Perhaps a little more background information and history would have given these relationships a bit more depth and understanding. In addition, I would have appreciated more details about Harriet's connection with The Formiddables and Claire's Jane Austen seminar as they were only slightly featured. In all honesty I wish this story was a hundred pages longer!
This series is a must-read for Austen admirers! Beth Pattillo is quite adept in envisioning the “untold secrets” of Jane Austen! Rumor has it that Ms. Pattillo's next novel will be about Charlotte Brontë and not Jane Austen, however, and I greatly look forward to reading that one as well! I highly recommend this series to readers who are looking for a diverting and enthralling Austen-Inspired novel to delve into!
Austenesque Reviews
Upon arrival in Oxford, Claire meets the exceptionally handsome, wealthy, and of course, arrogant James Beaufort, who is also attending the Jane Austen seminar. Claire's spine-tingling attraction for James and his undisguised interest in her fills Claire with confusion and excitement. Claire's recent frustration with her inattentive and self-absorbed boyfriend, Neil, seems to be forgotten as this real-live Mr. Darcy (James) intently pursues her. Is there an ulterior motive for James interest in Claire? Will Claire end her relationship with Neil for James?
Not only does Claire find romance in Oxford, she finds Jane Austen! When Claire befriends the eccentric and elderly Harriet Dalrymple and escorts her home, Mrs. Dalrymple, in turn, allows Claire to see her collection of Jane Austen's papers. Claire strongly suspects that these so-called “papers” are fake and that the kind Mrs. Dalymple is loosing her mental capabilities until the yellowed and crumbling pages of a manuscript labeled First Impressions is placed in her hands. Could Mrs. Dalrymple be in possession of Jane Austen's original manuscript for Pride and Prejudice?
Those of you who have read Beth Pattillo's engaging novel, Jane Austen Ruined My Life, will be happy to see the return of The Formiddables (a secret society of select Austen scholars that safely guard and conserve a massive collection of letters and documents that belonged to Jane Austen). This time instead of exploring an “unknown” romance in Jane Austen's life, we are presented with chapters from First Impressions, Jane Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice that she wrote in 1797. I greatly enjoyed this story within a story part of the novel. This captivating Pride and Prejudice variation asked the question: what if Mrs. Bennet's greatest fear was realized and Mr. Bennet died before any of his daughters were married? Ms. Pattillo's imagined version illustrates how Jane Austen's disappointed love-affair with Tom Lefroy might have influenced her to pen a tale that is not so very “light, and bright, and sparkling.” These riveting little chapter fragments were peppered through out the novel, and while at times may seem a little far-fetched, they were well-written and thought-provoking.
Ms. Pattillo offers quite a lot in her novels: romance, self-discovery, adventure, mystery, and of course, a copious amount of Jane Austen lore that would satisfy anyone's Jane Austen fix! With so many elements integrated in these novels, they become not just frothy and fun, but multifaceted and dynamic. While I loved the combinations and complexities of this novel, I sometimes felt that some aspects were a little underdeveloped and rushed. In this case, I thought the relationships Claire had with her sister Missy, her boyfriend Neil, and her love interest James needed more development and page time. Perhaps a little more background information and history would have given these relationships a bit more depth and understanding. In addition, I would have appreciated more details about Harriet's connection with The Formiddables and Claire's Jane Austen seminar as they were only slightly featured. In all honesty I wish this story was a hundred pages longer!
This series is a must-read for Austen admirers! Beth Pattillo is quite adept in envisioning the “untold secrets” of Jane Austen! Rumor has it that Ms. Pattillo's next novel will be about Charlotte Brontë and not Jane Austen, however, and I greatly look forward to reading that one as well! I highly recommend this series to readers who are looking for a diverting and enthralling Austen-Inspired novel to delve into!
Austenesque Reviews
August 28, 2017
Good book. Nice ending. I like the way the stories intertwine. Makes me curious about the real story of lost Austen manuscripts.
January 13, 2017
Every time I re-read Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, one of my all-time favorite novels, Mr. Darcy’s arrogance for much of the book amuses me, probably because I know how it ends. I’ve often wondered why some of us are so infatuated with Mr. Darcy, given the insulting things he says to people for much of the book, but for me, I like the idea that love can change people for the better.
In Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, the latest novel from Beth Pattillo, Claire Prescott wonders the same thing about Mr. Darcy when she attends an Oxford seminar about Pride and Prejudice in place of her pregnant sister, Missy. Claire is in her early 30s and unemployed, and she feels out of place. When she meets James Beaufort, a Manhattan publisher, she’s taken aback by his good looks but a little put off by his Darcy-esque arrogance and mood swings. But she can’t deny her attraction to him, especially when she thinks about her long-time boyfriend, Neil, a sports fanatic who gets so caught up in watching games that she’s not even sure he realizes she’s gone to England.
Shortly after arriving at Oxford, Claire meets Harriet Dalrymple, an elderly woman in the early stages of dementia who claims to be related to Jane Austen’s family and possesses a secret copy of First Impressions, the manuscript Austen wrote in her early 20s that would later become Pride and Prejudice. Harriet’s character is a bright spot in Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I visualized her pulling 200-year-old manuscript pages out of various nooks and crannies in her cottage, including the gardening shed. Claire wonders why the story is so much different from the book that is viewed by many as one of the greatest works of literature, and what she reads and learns as she tries to help Harriet figure out what to do with the manuscript just might help her decipher her feelings for Neil and James, patch up her relationship with Missy, and deal with unresolved grief from losing her parents at a young age.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is predictable and not overly emotional or thought-provoking, but it’s a fun book that I found difficult to put down. I most enjoyed the storyline involving Harriet, and I loved the book-within-a-book aspect of the story. Reading First Impressions — a figment of Pattillo’s imagination — along with Claire was the highlight of the book. What happens to the Bennets within its few pages is very different from the Austen novel I know and love, and it made me wonder about the other books I’ve enjoyed over the years and how they began in the author’s mind and changed during the writing process.
However, while I liked Claire, I don’t think enough of her relationships with Neil and Missy is shown for me to really be affected by the evolution of her character. The book opens with Claire walking onto the Oxford campus, and readers only know Missy through a couple of quick phone calls and get a glimpse of Neil when he shows up in England to find Claire. Still, I could see what Pattillo wanted to accomplish in creating a character who lives for the people in her life and not for herself, and in some ways, I could even relate to Claire. You don’t have to be an Austen fan to enjoy Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, and although I think it helps to have read Pride and Prejudice to understand how First Impressions differs from it, it’s not necessary. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a quick read, perfect for when you need something light and amusing to read between more emotional, heavier books. It was just what I needed at the time.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
In Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, the latest novel from Beth Pattillo, Claire Prescott wonders the same thing about Mr. Darcy when she attends an Oxford seminar about Pride and Prejudice in place of her pregnant sister, Missy. Claire is in her early 30s and unemployed, and she feels out of place. When she meets James Beaufort, a Manhattan publisher, she’s taken aback by his good looks but a little put off by his Darcy-esque arrogance and mood swings. But she can’t deny her attraction to him, especially when she thinks about her long-time boyfriend, Neil, a sports fanatic who gets so caught up in watching games that she’s not even sure he realizes she’s gone to England.
Shortly after arriving at Oxford, Claire meets Harriet Dalrymple, an elderly woman in the early stages of dementia who claims to be related to Jane Austen’s family and possesses a secret copy of First Impressions, the manuscript Austen wrote in her early 20s that would later become Pride and Prejudice. Harriet’s character is a bright spot in Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. I couldn’t help but chuckle as I visualized her pulling 200-year-old manuscript pages out of various nooks and crannies in her cottage, including the gardening shed. Claire wonders why the story is so much different from the book that is viewed by many as one of the greatest works of literature, and what she reads and learns as she tries to help Harriet figure out what to do with the manuscript just might help her decipher her feelings for Neil and James, patch up her relationship with Missy, and deal with unresolved grief from losing her parents at a young age.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is predictable and not overly emotional or thought-provoking, but it’s a fun book that I found difficult to put down. I most enjoyed the storyline involving Harriet, and I loved the book-within-a-book aspect of the story. Reading First Impressions — a figment of Pattillo’s imagination — along with Claire was the highlight of the book. What happens to the Bennets within its few pages is very different from the Austen novel I know and love, and it made me wonder about the other books I’ve enjoyed over the years and how they began in the author’s mind and changed during the writing process.
However, while I liked Claire, I don’t think enough of her relationships with Neil and Missy is shown for me to really be affected by the evolution of her character. The book opens with Claire walking onto the Oxford campus, and readers only know Missy through a couple of quick phone calls and get a glimpse of Neil when he shows up in England to find Claire. Still, I could see what Pattillo wanted to accomplish in creating a character who lives for the people in her life and not for herself, and in some ways, I could even relate to Claire. You don’t have to be an Austen fan to enjoy Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, and although I think it helps to have read Pride and Prejudice to understand how First Impressions differs from it, it’s not necessary. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a quick read, perfect for when you need something light and amusing to read between more emotional, heavier books. It was just what I needed at the time.
Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric
January 19, 2013
Non siamo tutte Elizabeth Bennet
Vi spiego subito il titolo della mia recensione: Claire Prescott, fin dall'improvvisa morte dei genitori, si è presa cura della sorella minore, Missy, sacrificando quasi la sua vita al senso di responsabilità. Tutte le sue energie sono convogliate al supporto di ciò che resta della sua famiglia e del suo fidanzato Neil, il semplice americano medio. Avrete chiaramente capito che Claire è una novella Anne Elliot! L'istinto di protezione nei confronti di sua sorella e di tutta la sua famiglia, il grande senso di responsabilità l'hanno persuasa a fare delle scelte e a sacrificare la sua vita per il bene (o quel che lei crede sia il bene) degli altri. Non è dunque detto che Mr Darcy vada bene per lei, forse dovrebbe cercare il suo Captain Wentworth!
Quando Missy le chiede di partecipare a un seminario su Orgoglio e pregiudizio a Oxford, Claire si sacrifica, nonostante la sua scarsa preparazione in materia. E a Oxford...
La nostra Missy incontrerà James Beaufort, che sembra essere proprio Mr Darcy e che le farà mettere in discussione il suo rapporto con Neal.
Incontrerà inoltre una misteriosa vecchietta, Harriet Darlymple, che abita in un cottage quasi da fiaba. L'anziana donna le farà leggere un antico manoscritto... a quanto pare proprio il primo manoscritto di Firs Impressions!
C'è da dire che questa prima stesura di First Impressions non mi ha convinta: non mi sembrava assolutamente di leggere Jane Austen! Credo che l'impresa di creare un manoscritto che suonasse autentico fosse troppo al di sopra delle possibilità della Pattillo. Il risultato ― anche se si trattava di pochi capitoli, con diversi buchi e lacune ― sembrava equivalere a un romance di basso livello. La trama di First Impressions (della Pattillo), totalmente diversa da quella di Pride and Prejudice, mi ha fatto pensare, per alcune caratteristiche in comune, a Jane Eyre. Del resto rivela una passionalità e un romanticismo che proprio la Brontë rimproverava alla Austen di non possedere.
La Pattillo potrebbe giustificarsi dicendo che si trattava di uno scritto giovanile, di molto precedente alla stesura definitiva di Pride and Prejudice, se non fosse che la Austen in gioventù era ancora più ironica e poco propensa alle romanticherie che nella maturità, in cui aveva potuto affinare le sue doti e ricoprire di zucchero le sue staffilate. Infatti, in principio, non credevo che il manoscritto fosse un originale, ma che magari lo avesse scritto la stessa Harriet ― che non appariva affatto demente come voleva far credere sua figlia!
Questo manoscritto, comunque, è conteso ad Harriet da un gruppo di persone che si fanno chiamare The Formidables, come i fratelli Austen in gioventù. The Formidables danno a questo romanzo quella giusta aura di mistero quasi da loggia massonica , da società segreta che si tramanda documenti e lettere da occultare di generazione in generazione: mi hanno fatto pensare a una versione edulcorata de Il codice Da Vinci, con quel pizzico di ironia che non guasta mai quando si parla di Jane Austen.
Insomma, forse Claire a Oxford incontra Mr Darcy - ammesso che sia lui e non un Wickham (o meglio un Mr Elliot) camuffato - ma siamo sicuri che Mr Darcy sia proprio l'uomo giusto per tutte?
Forse Claire/Anne Elliot deve cercare il suo Captain Wentworth!
Potete leggere la recensione completa di tutte le Lizzies QUI:
http://oldfriendsnewfancies.blogspot....
Vi spiego subito il titolo della mia recensione: Claire Prescott, fin dall'improvvisa morte dei genitori, si è presa cura della sorella minore, Missy, sacrificando quasi la sua vita al senso di responsabilità. Tutte le sue energie sono convogliate al supporto di ciò che resta della sua famiglia e del suo fidanzato Neil, il semplice americano medio. Avrete chiaramente capito che Claire è una novella Anne Elliot! L'istinto di protezione nei confronti di sua sorella e di tutta la sua famiglia, il grande senso di responsabilità l'hanno persuasa a fare delle scelte e a sacrificare la sua vita per il bene (o quel che lei crede sia il bene) degli altri. Non è dunque detto che Mr Darcy vada bene per lei, forse dovrebbe cercare il suo Captain Wentworth!
Quando Missy le chiede di partecipare a un seminario su Orgoglio e pregiudizio a Oxford, Claire si sacrifica, nonostante la sua scarsa preparazione in materia. E a Oxford...
La nostra Missy incontrerà James Beaufort, che sembra essere proprio Mr Darcy e che le farà mettere in discussione il suo rapporto con Neal.
Incontrerà inoltre una misteriosa vecchietta, Harriet Darlymple, che abita in un cottage quasi da fiaba. L'anziana donna le farà leggere un antico manoscritto... a quanto pare proprio il primo manoscritto di Firs Impressions!
C'è da dire che questa prima stesura di First Impressions non mi ha convinta: non mi sembrava assolutamente di leggere Jane Austen! Credo che l'impresa di creare un manoscritto che suonasse autentico fosse troppo al di sopra delle possibilità della Pattillo. Il risultato ― anche se si trattava di pochi capitoli, con diversi buchi e lacune ― sembrava equivalere a un romance di basso livello. La trama di First Impressions (della Pattillo), totalmente diversa da quella di Pride and Prejudice, mi ha fatto pensare, per alcune caratteristiche in comune, a Jane Eyre. Del resto rivela una passionalità e un romanticismo che proprio la Brontë rimproverava alla Austen di non possedere.
La Pattillo potrebbe giustificarsi dicendo che si trattava di uno scritto giovanile, di molto precedente alla stesura definitiva di Pride and Prejudice, se non fosse che la Austen in gioventù era ancora più ironica e poco propensa alle romanticherie che nella maturità, in cui aveva potuto affinare le sue doti e ricoprire di zucchero le sue staffilate. Infatti, in principio, non credevo che il manoscritto fosse un originale, ma che magari lo avesse scritto la stessa Harriet ― che non appariva affatto demente come voleva far credere sua figlia!
Questo manoscritto, comunque, è conteso ad Harriet da un gruppo di persone che si fanno chiamare The Formidables, come i fratelli Austen in gioventù. The Formidables danno a questo romanzo quella giusta aura di mistero quasi da loggia massonica , da società segreta che si tramanda documenti e lettere da occultare di generazione in generazione: mi hanno fatto pensare a una versione edulcorata de Il codice Da Vinci, con quel pizzico di ironia che non guasta mai quando si parla di Jane Austen.
Insomma, forse Claire a Oxford incontra Mr Darcy - ammesso che sia lui e non un Wickham (o meglio un Mr Elliot) camuffato - ma siamo sicuri che Mr Darcy sia proprio l'uomo giusto per tutte?
Forse Claire/Anne Elliot deve cercare il suo Captain Wentworth!
Potete leggere la recensione completa di tutte le Lizzies QUI:
http://oldfriendsnewfancies.blogspot....
October 2, 2011
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is another fabulous book by Beth Pattillo. The story takes place in England at a symposium of Jane Austen. The main character of this novel is Claire Prescott. Claire is a hard working woman who has given up a lot to raise her sister after their parents death. Claire is practical, rational and devoted to her sister, Missy. In fact she's so devoted to Missy, Claire travels to Oxford in order to present a paper her sister had written to a Pride and Prejudice summer seminar. However Claire is not happy about this. She does not understand why everyone falls head over hills for Mr. Darcy. She's not excited to be at this conference until she meets James Beaufort. James is the embodiment of Mr. Darcy. He's debonairly handsome, not very friendly but has gentlemanly manners. James turns Claire's world upside down especially since she's been in a relationship with Neil for years. Neil is an okay guy who is a bit of a sports fanatic.Claire is not even sure that he knows she left for England. Claire does her best to try to fit in with the people of the seminar but she finds herself caught up in a lie and part of an evolving intrigue that once again involves no other than Jane Austen.
Claire is a martyr. I don't think she means to be but she is. She's given up her life and dreams to raise her sister. Claire only wants the best for her sister but it's at the cost of her relationships and life. Claire doesn't realize what she's doing and how the people in her life feel about it until she reads her sisters paper. Claire feels lost and unappreciated. She turns to an endearing woman she just met, Harriet Dalrymple. Harriet is a sweet elderly woman who seems to be on the cuff of dementia . She is a bit of an eccentric with an interesting filing system. Harriet is in possession of Jane Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice, First Impressions. Harriet allows Claire to read the manuscript and implores her to help make a decision that could disrupt the image of Jane Austen.
This book made me want to go and read Pride and Prejudice again. Claire and Elisabeth have a lot in common. They both have a preconceived notion about the people in their lives. I really enjoyed reading Beth Pattillo's version of First Impressions. This story within a story really helped set the tone and help the main character Claire realize that love is sometimes subtle and not what you'd expect and sometimes the answers are not the obvious ones. I really like that the Formidables make an appearance in this book as well. They add quirkiness to the book.
Overall I really liked this book. The characters are great and well written. This book was hard for me to put down once I started it. If you haven't checked out any books by this author yet, I encourage you to. Beth Pattillo has a great writing style. Her novels are fun and inspiring.
Claire is a martyr. I don't think she means to be but she is. She's given up her life and dreams to raise her sister. Claire only wants the best for her sister but it's at the cost of her relationships and life. Claire doesn't realize what she's doing and how the people in her life feel about it until she reads her sisters paper. Claire feels lost and unappreciated. She turns to an endearing woman she just met, Harriet Dalrymple. Harriet is a sweet elderly woman who seems to be on the cuff of dementia . She is a bit of an eccentric with an interesting filing system. Harriet is in possession of Jane Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice, First Impressions. Harriet allows Claire to read the manuscript and implores her to help make a decision that could disrupt the image of Jane Austen.
This book made me want to go and read Pride and Prejudice again. Claire and Elisabeth have a lot in common. They both have a preconceived notion about the people in their lives. I really enjoyed reading Beth Pattillo's version of First Impressions. This story within a story really helped set the tone and help the main character Claire realize that love is sometimes subtle and not what you'd expect and sometimes the answers are not the obvious ones. I really like that the Formidables make an appearance in this book as well. They add quirkiness to the book.
Overall I really liked this book. The characters are great and well written. This book was hard for me to put down once I started it. If you haven't checked out any books by this author yet, I encourage you to. Beth Pattillo has a great writing style. Her novels are fun and inspiring.
May 20, 2010
Honestly, I have to admit up front, I am not a huge Jane Austen fan. I haven’t read any of her books and haven’t really felt a desire to. After I accepted this book, I wasn’t really sure I would enjoy it – my only exposure to Austen’s work was the Kiera Knightly Pride & Prejudice film. I am happy to admit that I really enjoyed this book and found myself interested in reading the actual Pride & Prejudice book.
One of the interesting aspects of this story was the premise that Claire finds a first draft of P & P that was nothing like what the published version was. Now of course I don’t know what the real writing was like, but I felt like Pattillo did a great job of creating her own version of what the first draft might have been like. The story was definitely different than the final version.
My only problem with the story was that I didn’t feel anything for the 2 men that Claire is forced to choose between. I really liked Claire and her felt for her, but the author didn’t seem to develop the male characters enough for me to really feel the struggle.
Interestingly I found some connections between this book and another book I read last year, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. The story was set in an academic setting with the main character searching for a book that had been passed down and hidden from someone who wants it.
This was a quick and enjoyable read. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the original work so that I could compare the “first draft” to the real book, but still very enjoyable. I am thinking of picking up Jane Austen Ruined My Life by the same author.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
One of the interesting aspects of this story was the premise that Claire finds a first draft of P & P that was nothing like what the published version was. Now of course I don’t know what the real writing was like, but I felt like Pattillo did a great job of creating her own version of what the first draft might have been like. The story was definitely different than the final version.
My only problem with the story was that I didn’t feel anything for the 2 men that Claire is forced to choose between. I really liked Claire and her felt for her, but the author didn’t seem to develop the male characters enough for me to really feel the struggle.
Interestingly I found some connections between this book and another book I read last year, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe. The story was set in an academic setting with the main character searching for a book that had been passed down and hidden from someone who wants it.
This was a quick and enjoyable read. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read the original work so that I could compare the “first draft” to the real book, but still very enjoyable. I am thinking of picking up Jane Austen Ruined My Life by the same author.
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
August 20, 2016
It seemed like the perfect time to read MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART since I am currently re-reading PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, perhaps for the fifteeth time, but this time for a class. I had recently just borrowed the film as well- the one starring Keira Knightley- and fell in love with this adaptation all over again. Although I haven't had a chance to read the other Jane Austen novels yet, I've been an avid fan since I first read a children's adaptation of the novel.
MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART is another one of those novels that show how much the classic still speaks to us, two hundred years later. Beth Patillo is not the first, and definitely not the last, to write a novel based on this classic romance from the Romantics period. This novel in particular is about the existence of the first draft of the classic, first named FIRST IMPRESSIONS, which is said to have been burned by Jane Austen's sister, Cassandra. Claire Prescott, the heroine in this novel, imagines herself to be Elizabeth Bennet, who comes across the first manuscript of the missing draft, and its basically her adventure and journey through love and its trials.
Being the Jane Austen fan that I am though, as much as I liked Pattillo's creativity with writing up what she imagines the first draft of FIRST IMPRESSIONS to be, I have to say that Claire Prescott is no Elizabeth Bennett. James and Neil are no Darcy and Fitzwilliam. There are aspects of the novel that drew me in (how cool would it be to really read the first manuscript of Jane Austen's work) but it failed to really do any justice as a novel itself. I have no objections to novels that adapts already-written classics and stories - in fact, I loved THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB and I plan to read other adaptations of this beloved classic- but MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART is still lacking. It was an enjoyable and short read, but didn't quite reach the expectations I had, though I suppose it is hard to live up to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART is another one of those novels that show how much the classic still speaks to us, two hundred years later. Beth Patillo is not the first, and definitely not the last, to write a novel based on this classic romance from the Romantics period. This novel in particular is about the existence of the first draft of the classic, first named FIRST IMPRESSIONS, which is said to have been burned by Jane Austen's sister, Cassandra. Claire Prescott, the heroine in this novel, imagines herself to be Elizabeth Bennet, who comes across the first manuscript of the missing draft, and its basically her adventure and journey through love and its trials.
Being the Jane Austen fan that I am though, as much as I liked Pattillo's creativity with writing up what she imagines the first draft of FIRST IMPRESSIONS to be, I have to say that Claire Prescott is no Elizabeth Bennett. James and Neil are no Darcy and Fitzwilliam. There are aspects of the novel that drew me in (how cool would it be to really read the first manuscript of Jane Austen's work) but it failed to really do any justice as a novel itself. I have no objections to novels that adapts already-written classics and stories - in fact, I loved THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB and I plan to read other adaptations of this beloved classic- but MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART is still lacking. It was an enjoyable and short read, but didn't quite reach the expectations I had, though I suppose it is hard to live up to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.
September 22, 2010
Adorable read. Very fast paced. I was 3/4 of the way through it without even noticing.
Due to her sisters pregnancy Claire Prescott agrees to take her place at an Oxford seminar on Pride and Prejudice. Having just lost her job she decides that she needs to go and figure out what she's going to do for the rest of her life. She's unsure of a lot of things since her layoff. Enter James; handsome, suave, and rich. With his introduction Claire begins questioning her relationship with her boyfriend at home Neil. While all of this is going on Claire meets an elderly woman who claims to be a descendent of Jane Austen's family. She claims to have the original manuscript of First Impressions (P&P). She lets Claire read it but tells her it must be kept secret. James begins taking Claire out on dates and kisses her one night. Neil pops into Oxford the next day and finds out about James. Claire doesn't understand why he's there when her leaving was of so little importance to him. He tells her how much he loves her and wants to marry her, but now that James is in her life he guesses she doesn't need/want him anymore.
I won't tell you who she winds up with, but the first draft of First Impressions plays a big role on how she makes her decision.
As I said earlier the book was incredibly fast paced. I would have enjoyed learning about each of the characters more. All the events happened one after the other after the other.
It was an adorable read and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I'd enjoy reading a sequel to find out what happened with Claire once she got back home. She was an endearing character and I do so hope she found herself and got her life back on track.
Due to her sisters pregnancy Claire Prescott agrees to take her place at an Oxford seminar on Pride and Prejudice. Having just lost her job she decides that she needs to go and figure out what she's going to do for the rest of her life. She's unsure of a lot of things since her layoff. Enter James; handsome, suave, and rich. With his introduction Claire begins questioning her relationship with her boyfriend at home Neil. While all of this is going on Claire meets an elderly woman who claims to be a descendent of Jane Austen's family. She claims to have the original manuscript of First Impressions (P&P). She lets Claire read it but tells her it must be kept secret. James begins taking Claire out on dates and kisses her one night. Neil pops into Oxford the next day and finds out about James. Claire doesn't understand why he's there when her leaving was of so little importance to him. He tells her how much he loves her and wants to marry her, but now that James is in her life he guesses she doesn't need/want him anymore.
I won't tell you who she winds up with, but the first draft of First Impressions plays a big role on how she makes her decision.
As I said earlier the book was incredibly fast paced. I would have enjoyed learning about each of the characters more. All the events happened one after the other after the other.
It was an adorable read and was pleasantly surprised with the outcome. I'd enjoy reading a sequel to find out what happened with Claire once she got back home. She was an endearing character and I do so hope she found herself and got her life back on track.
July 8, 2011
Claire Prescott is in Oxford, England filling in for her sister at a Jane Austen seminar. Claire has taken care of her sister Missy since she(Claire) was 18 years old. Claire has put her life on hold in order to please the people around her. Her week at the seminar studying Pride and Prejudice causes Claire to reflect on where her life is going.
Claire has left her boyfriend Neil at home in America. Their relationship is casual and she feels neglected as his life is consumed by sports. The first day of the seminar Claire meets James a publisher in New York. Thinking to reinvent herself while she is in England she introduces herself as a pediatrician. James is aloof yet there is an attraction between them.
Claire meets Harriet a decidedly eccentric elderly woman. While having tea in her cottage Harriet brings out pages of a manuscript that she proclaims is the first manuscript of Pride and Prejudice entitled First Impressions. As Claire begins to read she finds that First Impressions is totally different from Pride and Prejudice. Harriet's dilemma is knowing what to do with the manuscript. Her daughter would love it for the monetary value of it. Mrs. Parrot wants it so that The Formidables may continue to preserve Jane Austen's request of her sister to burn any correspondence or manuscript that has not been published.
Claire finds that she is not the only one being deceptive while at the seminar. The question is will she be able to discover her own heart before it is too late.
This was another fun Austen-read by Beth Pattillo. I loved her other book Jane Austen Ruined My Life. She has a way of making her characters delve into self-examination and discovery without being boring or preachy.
Claire has left her boyfriend Neil at home in America. Their relationship is casual and she feels neglected as his life is consumed by sports. The first day of the seminar Claire meets James a publisher in New York. Thinking to reinvent herself while she is in England she introduces herself as a pediatrician. James is aloof yet there is an attraction between them.
Claire meets Harriet a decidedly eccentric elderly woman. While having tea in her cottage Harriet brings out pages of a manuscript that she proclaims is the first manuscript of Pride and Prejudice entitled First Impressions. As Claire begins to read she finds that First Impressions is totally different from Pride and Prejudice. Harriet's dilemma is knowing what to do with the manuscript. Her daughter would love it for the monetary value of it. Mrs. Parrot wants it so that The Formidables may continue to preserve Jane Austen's request of her sister to burn any correspondence or manuscript that has not been published.
Claire finds that she is not the only one being deceptive while at the seminar. The question is will she be able to discover her own heart before it is too late.
This was another fun Austen-read by Beth Pattillo. I loved her other book Jane Austen Ruined My Life. She has a way of making her characters delve into self-examination and discovery without being boring or preachy.
September 19, 2012
I read a review from someone who said that they couldn't put this book down, but didn't particularly like it either. I'd have to agree. Perhaps it is because the book is actually a bit short with wide margins and larger type and it is easy to read because I actually flew through it. Being a library book I started it initially and found myself bored and put it aside. Because I didn't want to keep renewing the book I decided to sit down and finish it, which I did in a couple of short hours.
The story is interesting, but other than the main character, Claire and the old woman, Harriet you really don't get to know the characters too much. Having read Beth Patillo's Jane Austen Ruined my Life, I instantly knew that James, the Darcy-type character was not what he seemed. I could see that plot twist coming almost from the moment Claire met him. But there was just something that kept me reading. Perhaps I just wanted to get through it quickly, so I could read something else.
What I disliked the most was the supposed manuscript, which is supposed to be an early version of Pride and Prejudice. The writing was so outrageous and unbelievable, I found myself stopping and saying, "Jane Austen would have never written that!"
For the most part this is a light book that was easy to read. The interaction between characters is a little unbelievable, especially when Claire was falling in love with a guy she barely spoke to more than a few times. They couldn't even seem to talk in more than tiny, uncomfortable sentences and suddenly she was debating whether she was more in love with him or her old boyfriend. The ending is typically "Happily Ever After" and it was somewhat satisfying, although not enough to compensate for all the flaws in this book.
The story is interesting, but other than the main character, Claire and the old woman, Harriet you really don't get to know the characters too much. Having read Beth Patillo's Jane Austen Ruined my Life, I instantly knew that James, the Darcy-type character was not what he seemed. I could see that plot twist coming almost from the moment Claire met him. But there was just something that kept me reading. Perhaps I just wanted to get through it quickly, so I could read something else.
What I disliked the most was the supposed manuscript, which is supposed to be an early version of Pride and Prejudice. The writing was so outrageous and unbelievable, I found myself stopping and saying, "Jane Austen would have never written that!"
For the most part this is a light book that was easy to read. The interaction between characters is a little unbelievable, especially when Claire was falling in love with a guy she barely spoke to more than a few times. They couldn't even seem to talk in more than tiny, uncomfortable sentences and suddenly she was debating whether she was more in love with him or her old boyfriend. The ending is typically "Happily Ever After" and it was somewhat satisfying, although not enough to compensate for all the flaws in this book.
September 20, 2014
Unlike her sister Claire Prescott has never really seen the importance and the fascination with Mr Darcy and anything Austen. She is umeployed and happy -well sort-of with her baseball sport loving boyfriend Neil. Claire and Austen do not mix , but when her sister is offered the chance to head over to England and attend an Austen seminar and then when family circumstances dictate that Claire's sister cannot go. She offers to go in place for her and take notes of the Pride and Prejudice seminar and also present on behalf of her sister the paper she has written on Pride and Prejudice. While at the conference , two things happen to Claire that will make her question her thoughts about Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy and make her wonder whether Mr. Darcy really does exist in reality or is it an expectation that should remain just in Austen's books between the pages ? The first is that Claire will meet fellow conference attendee James and it seems that he is her Mr. Darcy and is perfect in everyway , but will he break her heart and prove her theory that Darcy's do not really exist for the Happily ever afters ? The second thing is that while exploring around Claire comes across a copy of Jane Austen's original draft of Pride and Prejudice at that stage titled First Impressions and is suprised to discover that Austen was not going to originally pair Lizzie Bennett with Mr. Darcy. It seems though that others want that manuscript especially those part of the secret Austen Society whose goal it is to protect her Legacy for years to come.
This was a fun chick-lit novel and fans of Jane Austen Fiction will love and for those who aren't Darcy Fans will be sort-of once they have finished the pages.
This was a fun chick-lit novel and fans of Jane Austen Fiction will love and for those who aren't Darcy Fans will be sort-of once they have finished the pages.
January 20, 2012
Jane Austen's books in their pure unadulterated form aren't my cup of tea. I would like them to be. I have tried to read them. I have failed at reading them. But tucked away in those books are good stories but I tend to like them as adaptations, Austenlite, I suppose.
One recent addition to the Austen adaptation ring is Beth Pattillo. Last year I read and loved Jane Austen Ruined My Life. So when I was asked to review her second Jane Austen inspired novel, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, I jumped at the chance.
Now as you know from my review of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange, I don't swoon over Mr. Darcy and I can never remember what Colin Firth looks like. That said, by the title alone I probably would have skipped the book. I chose to read it because I had enjoyed the author's previous one.
From the first chapter I already liked the book better than the first. The main character in Jane Austen Ruined My Life is a diehard Austen fanatic and is gaga for Mr. Firth. This time the character isn't an Austen fan and is only going to England to present a paper as a favor to her sister (the Austen expert in the family).
Now of course Miss Bennett didn't like Mr. Darcy either for most of the book either. So as an adaptation the set up works too, especially when the one man at the conference begins to get under the main character's skin. Fortunately for me, modern day Darcy (aka Neil) is a little more likable than his counterpart, though his character development is flawed in places.
Ultimately though what sent me over the edge to full fledged squeedom was the return of Harriet and the other members of the secret Jane Austen society.
One recent addition to the Austen adaptation ring is Beth Pattillo. Last year I read and loved Jane Austen Ruined My Life. So when I was asked to review her second Jane Austen inspired novel, Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart, I jumped at the chance.
Now as you know from my review of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre by Amanda Grange, I don't swoon over Mr. Darcy and I can never remember what Colin Firth looks like. That said, by the title alone I probably would have skipped the book. I chose to read it because I had enjoyed the author's previous one.
From the first chapter I already liked the book better than the first. The main character in Jane Austen Ruined My Life is a diehard Austen fanatic and is gaga for Mr. Firth. This time the character isn't an Austen fan and is only going to England to present a paper as a favor to her sister (the Austen expert in the family).
Now of course Miss Bennett didn't like Mr. Darcy either for most of the book either. So as an adaptation the set up works too, especially when the one man at the conference begins to get under the main character's skin. Fortunately for me, modern day Darcy (aka Neil) is a little more likable than his counterpart, though his character development is flawed in places.
Ultimately though what sent me over the edge to full fledged squeedom was the return of Harriet and the other members of the secret Jane Austen society.
April 8, 2010
Although this story is mostly about Claire's life and her relationships (boyfriend, sister, etc.), I have to confess that what drew me in was the lure of the "lost" manuscript of a first draft of Austen's Pride and Prejudice. To explain a little better, there are basically two story lines in this story - one being Claire's life and second is more of a story within the story - the reading of First Impressions (a/k/a P&P).
There is a lot going on in this book, but I love a book that has various story lines that all combine to give you a sweet, romantic tale. Claire was a great heroine. She was engaging and humorous. I enjoyed reading of her choices when it dealt with her feelings towards her sister (who she raised from a very young age), her sports-addicted boyfriend, Neil, and her confusing, yet budding relationship with James (Mr. Darcy doppelganger).
I especially loved the reading of First Impressions and the surprising twists and plot changes rather then what the finished/published product is. The descriptions of Oxford and the classroom where Claire attends the seminar and even what we read of the seminar where very interesting.
I think Ms. Pattillo does a superb job of making Austen's work come alive for Claire as she uses it to compare the relationships in her own life. I found myself thoroughly entertained. This was a light, fast-paced, and enjoyable read that will definitely seduce lovers of Austen, but can also be enjoyed by those who haven't read her works as well.
This book was provided for review by Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists.
There is a lot going on in this book, but I love a book that has various story lines that all combine to give you a sweet, romantic tale. Claire was a great heroine. She was engaging and humorous. I enjoyed reading of her choices when it dealt with her feelings towards her sister (who she raised from a very young age), her sports-addicted boyfriend, Neil, and her confusing, yet budding relationship with James (Mr. Darcy doppelganger).
I especially loved the reading of First Impressions and the surprising twists and plot changes rather then what the finished/published product is. The descriptions of Oxford and the classroom where Claire attends the seminar and even what we read of the seminar where very interesting.
I think Ms. Pattillo does a superb job of making Austen's work come alive for Claire as she uses it to compare the relationships in her own life. I found myself thoroughly entertained. This was a light, fast-paced, and enjoyable read that will definitely seduce lovers of Austen, but can also be enjoyed by those who haven't read her works as well.
This book was provided for review by Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists.
April 12, 2010
Claire Prescott found herself at a crossroads. Ever since the death of her parents, she had been taking care of her little sister. Long after her sister finished her education, got married, and had children, Claire continued to give without thinking about her own life. Somewhere along the line, Claire had forgotten to live. Now out of work, no college education, and a relationship that was stuck, Claire didn’t really know what to do.
Doing yet another favor for her sister, Claire agrees to travel to England to present a paper on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Here she meets a man of means and looks and becomes smitten. She also meets a woman who claims to have a copy of First Impressions, Austen’s original version of Pride and Prejudice. This copy was a bit different than the one we’ve all read. In this story, the heroine has to choose between two good men- not unlike Claire’s situation.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the author’s second novel that touches on the work of Jane Austen. The first was titled Jane Austen Ruined my Life. In both books, the main character finds her own self while finding out the many secrets of Jane Austen. Both are brilliantly written with just the right touch of humor and realism. These books will be loved by fans of Jane Austen and true romance fans alike.
Doing yet another favor for her sister, Claire agrees to travel to England to present a paper on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Here she meets a man of means and looks and becomes smitten. She also meets a woman who claims to have a copy of First Impressions, Austen’s original version of Pride and Prejudice. This copy was a bit different than the one we’ve all read. In this story, the heroine has to choose between two good men- not unlike Claire’s situation.
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the author’s second novel that touches on the work of Jane Austen. The first was titled Jane Austen Ruined my Life. In both books, the main character finds her own self while finding out the many secrets of Jane Austen. Both are brilliantly written with just the right touch of humor and realism. These books will be loved by fans of Jane Austen and true romance fans alike.
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