What If Mr. Darcy Was All Wrong For You?

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

Source: Review Copy from Author

TYPE OF NOVEL: Contemporary Austen Inspired

THE PREMISE: Viviana’s life is comfortable and established – she works remotely as a free-lance editor, lives in the same building as her best friend, and spends her free time running and rewatching her favorite Austen movies. However, at the same time ,Viviana feels a little pressure about her perpetual single-ness with everyone else her life paired up and is eagerly waiting for romance to find her. So when Viviana meets the head of the publishing company she works for and his unfriendly and arrogant friend, she excitedly begins to wonder if this could be her Mr. Darcy?

WHAT I LOVED:

• Romantic Comedy Fun: I am all for some fun and charming Bridget Jones/Holiday-esque type of reads! I loved being introduced to Viviana’s world and witnessing all the new exciting developments taking place. It is a light and engaging tale, full of likable characters and entertaining situations.

• Austen Fan Relatable: I love that Viviana is a Janeite – that she reads Austenesque books for pleasure and Austen movies are her comfort go-tos after a rough day/week. She is definitely “like us.” Especially when she starts to recognize that her life might be playing out a little similarly to Pride and Prejudice, and she takes it as a sign from the universe that this is the big romance for which she has been waiting.

• Do We Really Want Mr. Darcy?: I know, that statement alone is so blasphemous – what could I be thinking?!  I know we all ardently admire and love him by the end of the novel, but what about the person he was in beginning? What if that condescending, arrogant energy was all he continued to give? And what if he was never properly humbled or recognized his insufficient pretensions? Would this man still hold the same attraction for us? At what point do we realize the fantasy is not what we want in reality…

• Relationship Relatable: When the dating situation is not adding up to all you want to be, but you purposefully ignore any red flags you see because they check off a lot of boxes. When you decide to give them the benefit of doubt, even though you have a long list of things you don’t agree with or like about them. When you talk yourself into staying in a relationship and tolerating poor treatment because you believe things will get better. Viviana, girl, we have all been there. And it was painfully easy to understand and relate to Viviana’s reasoning, delusions, and mistakes as she goes through it in this novel.

• Jack Normandy: Viviana, you are so lucky! To have such a compassionate and understanding friend is amazing. Jack is so sweet, patient, and considerate. I loved that he was a bit of an enigma and we didn’t know a lot of his private thoughts until the end. Not only are his qualities as a friend above and beyond, but he also displays all the green flags you want to find in a potential relationship as well.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER:

• Some Quibbles: I wouldn’t have minded some more complexity and depth to these characters. Especially Dr. Gregory Fitzgerald. His behavior really is a little baffling, especially because his intense literalness and difficulty with social cues almost point towards another cause rather than just being an arrogant jerk. Also, I wish we had another scene or two with him to address the surprising twist. In addition, I wish could love Viviana’s Pride and Prejudice fanfic more than I did. However, it is her first attempt and maybe it is supposed to come across a bit basic and stereotypical.

• Repetitive Telling: It felt like we were told some things in a redundant fashion sometimes, like Viviana not loving the colors in her apartment or every time Jack does something that is “so unlike him.” I know the author is trying to foreshadow about future developments, but maybe this could have been done with fewer repetitions or more subtle showing.

FINAL THOUGHTS:

🎩 When you are being pursued by the Mr. Darcy of your dreams but fall for another Austen hero instead.

💪🏼 I love a story where the heroine does some internal reflection, discovers her worth, and bravely forges a new path for herself.

📚  Good news! If you are like me and want to spend more time with these characters, it looks like this series will continue with Austen Persuaded! I can’t wait!

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