Compulsively Mr. Darcy

Jan 21, 2012 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, 2012-debuts

3.5 stars

Debut

William Darcy is in Vietnam with his friend Charles Bingley. They are accompanying Bingley's sister Louise and her husband who are adopting a Vietnamese orphan. Dr Elizabeth Bennett is an American infectious diseases expert working in the local hospital in Da Nang. When Bingley injures himself and sustains a cut to the leg Darcy brings him in to the local hospital.

This is certainly well written and there's plenty of humour, starting with Darcy and Bingley being mistaken for a gay c...more

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Nov 30, 2012 Cassy rated it 1 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 12, 2012 Moijojojo rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: gah

I don't usually read re-imaginings of classics. In fact, I find it puzzling that there are so many, and that there's obviously such a huge &/or rabid audience for them. There are many books and stories that I've enjoyed over the years, but I don't want them told over and over again in various ways. This isn't a continuation of a famous story, like Wide Sargasso Sea or Death Comes to Pemberley...just a straight-up retelling of Pride & Prejudice, in a modern setting with a foreign locale t...more

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Jul 21, 2012 cupcake rated it 4 of 5 stars

So on the long list of my obsessions, Pride & Prejudice might just take second place (behind Bruce Springsteen). I re-read that book at least once a year, and I became a high school English teacher just so I could teach it. I am nothing if not well versed in Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.

But when it comes to reading fan fiction based on Pride & Prejudice, I approach with caution. What will the author do to my beloved characters? The story? The passion? The humor? Will I want to pluck my...more

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Jun 08, 2012 Deb rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: chick-lit, fiction, jane-austen-ish

I don't know quite what to say about this modern re-telling of Pride and Prejudice. I love a good P&P variation or adaptation. I wanted to love this one, at times I liked it, most other times it annoyed me. It did have the potential to be great. In this version Darcy has OCD and depression (handled well) and Elizabeth is a doctor specializing in infectious diseases. They meet in Vietnam where Bingley (who has ADHD) gets in an accident and ends up at the hospital Elizabeth is volunteering at...more

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Jun 04, 2012 Sarah rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary-romance, other-romance

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May 22, 2012 Mylissa rated it 1 of 5 stars Recommends it for: no one

Shelves: 2012-books

This reads like bad fanfiction. Really, bad, fanfiction. In which the characterizations are basically thrown out the window and the author is using only the names, and the barest minimum of the plot to make the characters do what she wants with them. I couldn't, in good faith, recommend this to anyone, it's not even good vacation fluff fare. If you love Austen, run in the opposite direction.

It's not well written first off, and littered with terrible dialogue and inane ideas about women and roman...more This reads like bad fanfiction. Really, bad, fanfiction. In which the characterizations are basically thrown out the window and the author is using only the names, and the barest minimum of the plot to make the characters do what she wants with them. I couldn't, in good faith, recommend this to anyone, it's not even good vacation fluff fare. If you love Austen, run in the opposite direction.

It's not well written first off, and littered with terrible dialogue and inane ideas about women and romance. Gems like: "He flipped her over onto her back and, with a few thrusts, spilled his broth inside her." I mean, come on. That's not good writing, nor is is remotely sexy. If the entire purpose of your books is to get Darcy and Lizzy to have sex (which is what the purpose seems to be as there are as many sex scenes as a Harlequin book), it could be written in a way that isn't so ridiculously cheesy. The whole book reads like this! One can't even make the argument that it's how people talk. No, it's lazy writing. Which is only part of the reason it doesn't live up to it's inspiration

Elizabeth Bennett is one of the most interesting women in literature and what she shares with this woman, is nothing but name only. Lizzy Bennett, from the original, is spunky, intelligent, sassy. She says what she thinks, and is unconcerned with the fact her opinion is viewed as less worthy because she's female, and has no money. She's a modern woman for the Regency time she is set in. Which by all means, should make her easy to translate into modern times. The personality quirks that make up her character make up an excellent well rounded character in Pride and Prejudice, here, they come off as ridiculous, because it's all overdone. The cardinal rule of writing, show don't tell is broken over and over, leaving the reader with a shell of the girl she should be.

We're told she is smart because she is a doctor, but apparently all she knows about is being a doctor, she's stunted in all other forms of knowledge. She's modern because she's a hippie from Berkeley, which is so cliche, I don't even want to touch on it. She's stubborn and impulsive, which ends up translating into being dominant in bed - sometimes, and constantly misunderstanding Darcy. The latter is partly due to the fact that in the original, Darcy and Elizabeth are constantly misunderstanding each other, but it comes off as idiotic in an age where there are cell phones and emails and pretty much instant communication on multiple levels.

Since the big picture plot (Darcy getting with Elizabeth) is summed up a fifth of the way into the book, there is a great deal of book in which the author gets to explore what happens after Darcy and Elizabeth fall in love. Frankly, I hope her mind isn't the end all of it, because I'm depressed for one of my favorite fictional ladies. Basically, Lizzy Bennett turns into some half crazy sex fiend, giving up her identity and personality for Darcy and becoming a shadow of her former self (not that there was much of her former self to begin with). Since the two of them fell in love almost right off the bat, there is a bunch of contrived misunderstanding nonsense that sends her away, back to her parents house - where lo and behold, we find out she is pregnant and she is a hormonal monster for the rest of the book. Every bad cliche about pregnant women is put in.

I'm not even sure if I want to touch on the butchery that is done to Darcy's character. At first glance (as in the first ten pages or so) he seems pretty spot on, he's brooding and moody, ocd would fit him quite well, and of course he's a billionaire. But it goes downhill quickly. He's obsessive and highly possessive, particularly over the women in his lives to the point where it gets super creepy. There were a lot of moments that made me flat out uncomfortable because it bordered on abuse. While Darcy is a man who is hard to get along with, he is supposed to be the romantic hero of the books, rather than the guy you ought to run away from. Like, withholding sex until she says she is his? That's pretty gross, and not a good example of a healthy relationship. I don't believe Pride and Prejudice is nessecarily the best representation of healthy relationships, but I'd like to believe that once they got together, they would communicate and not treat each other like property. I don't believe Lizzy Bennett would have stood for that.

And to top it all off, I don't think this writer has any logical understanding of the geographical layout of Manhattan. (less)

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Apr 30, 2012 Deborah rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: a-favorite-writer, available-on-kindle, classic-inspired, couldn-t-put-down, mash-up-fun, new-author-for-me, woman-writer

A thoroughly modern, magnificent re-rendering of a classic that would send Miss Austen into fits of laughter! This book sets Caroline

Bingley as a sort of Kardashianish bitch from NYC tabloid hell, and puts another spin entirely on the ever finicky Mr. Collins, for

instance.

Rife with social comedy and commentary in our age with all the famous Austen characters, but not all in predictable venues. There are

some surprises there. Great fun!There's sooo much to this book!

Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwi...more

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Mar 13, 2012 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: jane-austen-austenesque, contemporary-romance

What happens when you move Pride and Prejudice into the 21st Century, make Darcy a man with a boatload of issues including a compulsive disorder, and make Elizabeth an impulsive Berkley educated Doctor of Infectious disease?

Something utterly delightful and unexpected happens that's what!

The story begins with our main characters along with Jane and the other Bingleys arriving in S. Korea for the stated purpose of adopting a baby for the Hursts though Bingley brought Darcy to get him a much need...more What happens when you move Pride and Prejudice into the 21st Century, make Darcy a man with a boatload of issues including a compulsive disorder, and make Elizabeth an impulsive Berkley educated Doctor of Infectious disease?

Something utterly delightful and unexpected happens that's what!

The story begins with our main characters along with Jane and the other Bingleys arriving in S. Korea for the stated purpose of adopting a baby for the Hursts though Bingley brought Darcy to get him a much needed vacation away from his work. Bingley unfortunately is injured and happens to be treated by none other than Elizabeth. Darcy, in his controlling mode best, jumps all over Elizabeth for not putting Bingley first and this leads to Elizabeth jumping to conclusions and the beginning of a whirlwind relationship. Their relationship is parts sweet, passionate, humorous and irritating as they draw ever closer to one another.
The second third of the story moves to NYC and Elizabeth sees how the other half lives and must deal with Darcy in his true setting and more importantly his past.
The final part of the book is where the reader must buckle up for the fast and bumpy ride. There are foreshadows through the first parts of the book of villains up to trouble trying to break up Darcy and Elizabeth and trying to line their own pockets. It is not until this point that the villains really get active and everyone must pull together to foil them.

The characters are well written with that blend of flaw and lovableness that made me see them as more than just shadows of the original P&P gang.
The plot was definitely new and refreshing with only winks and nods to the mother story.
I appreciated the attention to settings, pace, and shifting in points of view that really kept my interest. Normally the idea of two people thoroughly misunderstanding each other when simple communication would have solved the problems would have driven me to fling the book aside, but I found the way the author teased out reasons and motives made me less infuriated with that behavior and more sympathetic than usual.

I must toss in some cautions here so readers know what to expect. This is contemporary so we have a steamy romance, adult issues, and language usage.

Well done contemporary take on the classic! (less)

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Mar 07, 2012 Chanpreet rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm a huge Jane Austen fan and Pride and Prejudice is one my favorites of hers. This new modern take on it is interesting. While based on P&P, it is very loosely based, making it different. There is an Asian twist, medical angle, and addition of neuroses to make this adaptation stand out. And the character roles for some members of he cast in this book are 180 degrees different from in the actual book.

While I enjoyed reading the book, I do think there were some parts of this book which were...more

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Feb 20, 2012 SOS Aloha rated it 4 of 5 stars

"I'd love to stay but I have my therapy group meeting, and last time I was late the compulsive gamblers were betting the passive aggressives that they couldn't make the over-eaters cry." – Dr. Niles Crane

I recently reviewed a nonfiction book that documented how the literary classics, including Jane Austen, could help the modern woman find love. Perhaps it put me in the mind frame that timeless stories, such as PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, can be retold in a contemporary setting.

Enter Nina Benneton and C...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Carolina Cordeiro rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the book! I'm a bit picky about sequels and based upon P&P but this one got me from the second chapter on until the "fainted". I enjoyed the well written plot and amusing dialogues. JA's witty characters are there in all glory. Really! The way Lizzy reacts to Darcy and vice versa, it's lovely, funny and smart. The up-to-date plot is well conducted, I mean it's quite feasible to picture it happening. But, I must say that the thing that got my attention throughout the book is...more

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Jan 30, 2012 Christina (A Reader of Fictions) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: netgalley

As is perhaps unsurprising, I find Jane Austen inspired fiction to be largely disappointing. I mean, what could ever hope to compare to her original work? Still, I do not give up hope and continue to add every single book written about her characters or her to my reading list.

Compulsively Mr. Darcy is, overall, pretty fun and takes a fairly unique view of the characters and the plot. The opening scenes really captivated me, although, I must admit, that that had more to do with the setting (Da Na...more As is perhaps unsurprising, I find Jane Austen inspired fiction to be largely disappointing. I mean, what could ever hope to compare to her original work? Still, I do not give up hope and continue to add every single book written about her characters or her to my reading list.

Compulsively Mr. Darcy is, overall, pretty fun and takes a fairly unique view of the characters and the plot. The opening scenes really captivated me, although, I must admit, that that had more to do with the setting (Da Nang in Vietnam) than anything else. I went to Vietnam during college, so I've actually been to Da Nang. I recognize the descriptions of the traffic, the spiny fruit Bingley eats in the first chapter, and some of the social rules herein described. That part was awesome.

I also thought it was pretty cool how Darcy's perfection was reenvisioned as a sever compulsive disorder. That fits so well with our overly diagnosed and medicated modern lifestyle. Charles Bingley, too, suffers from a modern problem: ADHD.

While I was initially impressed by Elizabeth's career as a doctor, I quickly became disheartened. Despite the author's constant assertions that Elizabeth is highly intelligent and respected in her field, it's hard to see her as anything but a ditz. She is such a bonehead, both in her assumptions about people and situations, and in her way of speaking. What doctor would forget to wear a condom before being tested (and what OCD person for that matter)?

All of the characters of the novel are here, in one form or another, but they are all quite different, and there are some new folks as well. I would argue that Darcy is perhaps the least changed. The Jane of this book is much more Lizzy than Lizzy, which was actually kind of interesting to see. Wickham is here, but he doesn't get to be the big bad of the story, a change I found to be rather refreshing, especially since Lydia got to be slightly different for once. Oh, and, for some strange reason, there's a crossover, because a couple of characters from Sense and Sensibility make cameo appearances.

What I liked least was all the romance novel type sex going on. Normally, this wouldn't bother me. I mean, who doesn't want to live vicariously through fictional characters? However, these scenes were not doing it for me at all. I also didn't especially like that Elizabeth was a virgin at 28, while Darcy got to be a crazy party animal in the past. What the heck, double standard?!?! The one cool thing about their relationship was that Benneton (I'm guessing this is a pen name) completely changed up the timeline. However, their romance is definitely as cheesily romantic as this song.

One more awkward thing about this novel was that it did that confusing thing where it couldn't decide whether to retell a story or just happen to have characters of the same names as those in a book do the same things. That wasn't clear. In the book, there are numerous references to the BBC productions of P&P. This is highly odd, as it seems to imply that these people just happen to have the same names as the characters but not to have noticed. This is a bad thing to do in fiction; I would also like the writers for the recent Get Smart movie to make note of this.

So yeah, if you're a romance fan, you'll probably like this, and as Austen-inspired books go, it's not too bad. There are some clever, amusing things here and it is a quick read.(less)

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Jan 29, 2012 Sharon Redfern rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc

When I read the summary for this book, I was a little leery of reading it. I was worried the Darcy character would be ruled by his OCD and be less romantic. Boy was I wrong! In this wonderful adaptation by Nina Benneton, Darcy’s OCD is sensitively handled; Darcy is a man with OCD but he is not defined by it.
Darcy and Bingley have come to Vietnam to help his sister and brother in law, the Hurst’s, finalize an adoption at an orphanage managed by Jane Bennett. Bingley injures his leg horsing around...more

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Jan 17, 2012 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

A LASR BEST BOOK!

A smooth read with plenty of eccentric and quirky characters, this story was a meaty delight with a hero and heroine I enjoyed getting to know. Compulsively Mr. Darcy had moments of sheer literary genius that took turns making me smile, sigh or laugh out loud. Some of Ms. Benneton’s turns of phrase were brilliant and utterly entertaining.

Darcy, a/k/a Will, was a wonderfully developed hero with compulsion issues that...more Originally posted at: http://www.longandshortreviews.blogsp...

A LASR BEST BOOK!

A smooth read with plenty of eccentric and quirky characters, this story was a meaty delight with a hero and heroine I enjoyed getting to know. Compulsively Mr. Darcy had moments of sheer literary genius that took turns making me smile, sigh or laugh out loud. Some of Ms. Benneton’s turns of phrase were brilliant and utterly entertaining.

Darcy, a/k/a Will, was a wonderfully developed hero with compulsion issues that took turns at amazing me, making me giggle or completely fascinating me. The author put a very human spin on what other people would term, ‘crazy behavior’. In fact, it was very clear that the behavior did not define the man and that really impressed me. It certainly led to situations down unusual paths and I felt quite grateful that the hero had the money to indulge his particular needs because they certainly presented challenges not everyone could overcome without it. Despite his controlling tendencies, Darcy has a good heart, good moral fiber and he’s incredibly sexy. In fact, the author’s way of describing his actions in moments of passion were highly enjoyable.

The recipient of all that passion and focus is the heroine, Dr. Elizabeth Bennet, a/k/a, Lizzie. What a fun character! She’s impulsive, emotionally passionate, tender hearted and has a sparkly snarky wit full of cheek and sauce. My absolute favorite aspect of her personality was her acceptance of Darcy’s compulsive behavior. Her viewpoint was refreshing, very positive and optimistic with a healthy dose of understanding and acceptance. I wish there were more people like Lizzie to interact with people with emotional/neurological conditions – the world would be a much more compassionate place. As it is, in Compulsively Mr. Darcy, the heroine’s own special quirks bounced off rather nicely against the hero’s propensity for intense focus.

That was one of the most romantic things ever. There’s a part where Lizzie wakes up to find him staring intently at her in the night. She asks him why, but I didn’t get an answer until later in the book. It was so sweet and special and totally expressed the best of what readers hope to read when they open up this kind of book. For a man with a hard time in expressing himself, when he does, it’s beautiful.

On the other hand, when they finally consummate their love, it’s really awesome. What makes it so is in three parts. There’s the buildup and tease, there’s the discovery and wonder of the physical magic they make when they finally let go, and then there are the parts when Lizzie makes Darcy lose control. Those were fun and well worth reading more than once. I applaud Ms. Benneton for her clever use of language in describing some of those scenes. Most were well done but there’s one that excelled beyond expectation. In fact, it’s rather hysterical and delightful all at the same time. Whenever I saw the word “broth” I nearly fell off my chair. I’m not sure what the author was thinking or how she came up with it, but it’s priceless. In fact that whole germ thing was truly inspired. That was the best piece of writing, ever.

The secondary characters are wow. Just, wow. There are Lizzie’s sisters and Darcy’s cousin, Richard, and best friend, Charles, all of whom should have their own stories. Then there are the vile characters that stir up the conflict to a diabolical fever. I am very pleased and satisfied as to the means in which the author had the villains get their comeuppance. I got the sense that the author could have elaborated on that a bit more, but by doing so, it would have switched this from a straightforward fun romance into romantic suspense. Certainly there were some juicy tidbits that were fascinating to ponder; however, I’m glad Ms. Benneton wrote this story as she did.

Some might argue that Lizzie’s ability to navigate though those prickly parts as being too easy but I found it charming. In real life, some folks are so sunny and positive that other people will do what they can to help that person just because it makes them feel good. Lizzie inspired that in others and it’s what made her such a terrific partner for Darcy. I had the best time reading about Mrs. Ching and the pickles. The fact that the author included tweezers and armpits had me rolling on the floor. I never knew when Ms. Benneton was going to inspire a great scene of sexual frenzy for the main characters and what the triggers would be. Reading became an adventure to guess where or what would inspire Mr. Darcy or Lizzie.

Although this story is touted as a modernized and spunky version of Pride and Prejudice, I can’t speak to that as I’ve never read any of Ms. Austin’s work. Yes, I know, many consider that being a philistine. I’m basing this review solely on the merits of Compulsively Mr. Darcy itself. I enjoyed the whole experience and had a jolly good time watching Lizzie and Mr. Darcy navigate being in their first real loving relationship and all the emotional mayhem that happened along the way before they finally figured out the whole man/woman thing.

Hands down, Compulsively Mr. Darcy is a must read book for lovers and fans of classic romance. The story delivers characters with quality personalities, a conflict that has substance without being dark and a happy ever after that ends with a giggle. It’s well rounded, entertaining and thoroughly lovable. I’d recommend this book as a must read, even for those like me, who’ve never read a Jane Austin book. Thank you, Ms. Benneton, for a story that had such wonderful heart, I read it in one sitting. It’s that good.

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Jun 06, 2012 Charlene rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a modern day story about a rich, proud and OC man named Fitzwilliam Darcy. Of course the heroine in the story is a smart, witty and adaptable young lady named Dr Elizabeth Bennet. In this modern alternate version of "Pride and Prejudice" all the characters are there and just as loveable or dispicable as we would have them be! The story is wonderfully told and you end up rooting for the happy ending. As with the original there are alot of misunderstandings and hauty behavior. The story st...more

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Feb 19, 2013 pylades rated it 1 of 5 stars

GOOD LORD IS THIS BOOK BAD!

Never let a classy book cover and your love of modern AUs guide you into purchasing something .... without checking reviews first.

(Although, to be honest, there are tons of really GOOD reviews for this book on Amazon. I don't understand it, but there are.)

I had high hopes as I started the book, even though I was irked by Bingley's characterization. Adult ADD is obviously the same thing as being an overexcited puppy who pees on everything he sees.

Characterization is so...more

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Mar 17, 2012 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: general-fiction

So let's imagine an idealistic Dr. Elizabeth Bennet, who's volunteering at a hospital in Viet Nam when in walks an arrogant British tourist named William Darcy. But it's the 21st century, and Lizzie assumes that Darcy is a partner of Mr. Bingley, as he seems very solicitious of Bingley's condition after a minor bike accident. True, Darcy seems interested in Lizzie, and he's so attractive she can't help but admire him, but she's had boyfriends before who turned out to be gay, and that won't happe...more

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Sep 14, 2012 Diane Wilkes rated it 3 of 5 stars

I had high hopes for COMPULSIVELY MR. DARCY--the description of a "William Darcy" who had an obsessive-compulsive disorder and Dr. Elizabeth Bennet--who is NOT his therapist--sounded full of potential.

And, for the first half of the book, COMPULSIVELY MR. DARCY lived up to that potential. The tone is breezy, the misunderstandings not completely ludicrous (and rather entertaining...Elizabeth initially believes Darcy and his friend Bingley are a couple who want to adopt a baby!), and the story lea...more

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Feb 08, 2012 Jakki rated it 5 of 5 stars

By just looking at the cover, the reader can tell this is going to be a fun book. From her humorous one-liners and wit, to her portrayal of her characters, Nina Benneton offers a great diversion. With chapter titles such as “Two Men and a Baby,” “Escort Service,” and “What the Frick?” amongst others, I knew I was in for a real treat.

From the moment Darcy and Bingley enter the hospital in Vietnam, misunderstandings abound. It is during their first meeting, where Darcy’s need to control the situat...more By just looking at the cover, the reader can tell this is going to be a fun book. From her humorous one-liners and wit, to her portrayal of her characters, Nina Benneton offers a great diversion. With chapter titles such as “Two Men and a Baby,” “Escort Service,” and “What the Frick?” amongst others, I knew I was in for a real treat.

From the moment Darcy and Bingley enter the hospital in Vietnam, misunderstandings abound. It is during their first meeting, where Darcy’s need to control the situation and Bingley’s carefree attitude lead Elizabeth to believe they are a couple. While this book is lighthearted and fun, Benneton keeps her readers’ attention with new conflicts. Elizabeth needs to let go of her past relationships while Darcy must realize that someone can love him for himself, neuroses and all. As Elizabeth and Darcy work through their baggage, Wickham is working behind the scenes causing mischief. At one point, Benneton had my heart aching for the couple, yet the story never lost that lighthearted feel. Continuing in the pleasure of the novel is the fate that befalls Wickham, Lady Catherine and Anne.

In addition to the entertaining plot, Benneton captures key characteristics from Austen’s characters, while giving them a modern spin. The capricious Charles Bingley suffers from ADHD, while the fastidious Fitzwilliam Darcy is plagued with OCD, both of which fit the gentlemen. Working at an orphanage in Vietnam seems to be the perfect job for Jane, who still sees the world as good and agreeable. On the other hand, Elizabeth has a propensity to judge on first impressions and is rather impulsive as a result. How appropriate that Caroline Bingley is a socialite whose only interests are Hollywood, Mr. Darcy, and tabloids

While some do not like Austen or her characters to be tampered with, Benneton did an exceptional job in successfully transplanting them to Vietnam and the twenty-first century. . I do not know much about that country, but after reading Benneton’s story, I feel like I have been to Vietnam myself on a mini vacation. I now know the beauty of China Beach and Marble Mountain. While reading, I could picture myself in a crowded street wandering from shop to shop as cyclo drivers pass by. Also as interesting as its panoramic sites is the Vietnamese culture and its strictures on how men and women are to behave.

For readers who enjoy modern Pride and Prejudice variations, lighthearted reads, or want a vacation, this book should be on the top of their to-be-read list.
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Mar 06, 2012 Gayle Surrette rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

It’s all the rage to adopt a child in a foreign country — and engenders more social status if the child is dissimilar to the adopting couple in ethnicity. So, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst have decided to adopt a child. Charles Bingley decided they needed someone responsible to come along so he invited William Darcy — that it would also get Darcy out of the office was a plus. So, Bingley, Darcy, the Hursts, and Caroline are in Da Nang, Vietnam, to meet with the managing director of Gracechurch Orphange, Ja...more It’s all the rage to adopt a child in a foreign country — and engenders more social status if the child is dissimilar to the adopting couple in ethnicity. So, Mr. and Mrs. Hurst have decided to adopt a child. Charles Bingley decided they needed someone responsible to come along so he invited William Darcy — that it would also get Darcy out of the office was a plus. So, Bingley, Darcy, the Hursts, and Caroline are in Da Nang, Vietnam, to meet with the managing director of Gracechurch Orphange, Jane Bennet, and hopefully pick up their child.

On the way to their hotel, they end up in a traffic jam. Charles can’t stand sitting still so he hops out and asks a man riding a bicycle carrying a load of live chickens if he can try riding it. Of course he falls, scattering chickens and managing to gash his leg badly enough to require stitches. Darcy swings into action and learns of a local hospital with an American doctor, and hires a bicycle taxi to take them there. Darcy can’t bring himself to enter the hospital due to his fear of germs and painful associations, so he opts to wait outside.

When the waiting becomes intolerably longer than it should be, in Darcy’s opinion, he seeks out Bingley only to find him still waiting for treatment. Darcy is outraged and demands to see the doctor while lifting the towel over Bingley’s leg. A glimpse of the blood on Bingley’s leg causes Darcy to faint. A clog prodding his face trying to bring him to consciousness is his first introduction to Dr. Elizabeth Bennet. Neither comes out of this encounter proud of their actions.

Thus begins, Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton. This modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice contains many of Austen’s beloved characters: The Bennets, Darcy and Georgiana, Fitzwilliam, Anne and Catherine de Bourgh, Wickham, Mrs. Reynolds, and a couple of surprises from another Austen novel. However, Benneton has updated them by examining their characteristics and matching them to current medical labels. For example, Mr. Darcy, who we know wants to protect those he cares about and takes all his commitments to others including his tenants and servants very seriously, suffers from, as title of the book implies, OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Charles Bingley, on the other hand, has recently been diagnosed with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). You can see that Pride and Prejudice makes this seem a very logical character choice from this quote:

“Oh!” cried Miss Bingley, “Charles writes in the most careless way imaginable. He leaves out half his words, and blots the rest.”

“My ideas flow so rapidly that I have not time to express them — by which means my letters sometimes convey no ideas at all to my correspondents.”

Being a modern retelling of the story, not only were the characters updated, but the story was revamped to fit into our current society. Darcy is, of course, rich. He’s CEO of DDF (Darcy, Darcy, and Fitzwilliam). Fitzwilliam, his cousin, is a vice president. Bingley also works there. Meanwhile, Jane Bennet, as you’d expect from her patient and loving nature, is a social worker now running an orphanage founded by Aunt Mai and Uncle Gardner while recovering from an abusive relationship. Elizabeth is an doctor specializing in infectious diseases. She moved to Vietnam with Jane to keep her company. The relative social status is maintained as Mr. Bennet is a college professor. The Bennets are middle class and, while not hurting for money, do not spend it wildly either.

My only reservation about the characters is that the Elizabeth Bennet of the original was a great student of character until she allowed her first impressions to cause her to assign to Mr. Darcy characteristics he didn’t actually deserve, after which she became more careful of her judgements. This Elizabeth is impulsive and quick to judge others with minimal data. She makes life changing decisions without consulting those involved in her decisions and without input from those close to her who might be effected. Being a doctor who also does research in her field, this particular implementation of her character seemed too much of a contradiction. How could she possibly maintain her position as one of the top infectious disease specialist and be so incredibly flakey? Other readers may not have as much difficulty with this aspect of her character, but I wanted to make sure she met a very large clue stick. In other areas, it was incredible how these two very different people turned out to be just right for each other — and that takes clever writing when trying to be true to well-loved characters in a new environment and the changes that requires.

While Compulsively Mr. Darcy maintains the fractious nature of the original character’s relationship as they grow towards understanding and love, the details have changed radically since society and social mores are now very different from those of Austen’s time. As with many romances, there are sex scenes. For some traditionalists, this may be off-putting. However, the sex is steamy, fairly graphic (including phone sex), but easily skipped over if you like dislike such scenes. There are also several subplots that deal with today’s problems of inappropriate sexual contact.

Well written, witty, comedic and serious by turns, Compulsively Mr. Darcy has it all — quirky characters, evil villains, surprises, disappointments, and a great love story.

NOTE: Review originally published on my blog.
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Feb 07, 2012 Serena rated it 4 of 5 stars

Compulsively Mr. Darcy by Nina Benneton (check out her writing space guest post) is a modern re-telling of Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen, but in this rendition, Darcy is not only proud, but he has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). He’s not the only one with control issues, though, with Bingley showing symptoms of ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) and Lizzy Bennet being completely spontaneous and snap in her judgements and decisions. Jane as always is responsible and carin...more

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Feb 12, 2012 Kim rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen-influenced, pride-and-prejudice-influenced, medical, for-review, contemporary-romance

I’ve often wondered what modern day psychiatric medicine would say about some of my favorite literary characters. Are they bi-polar? Do they suffer from ADHD, depression, or a form of autism? Author Nina Benneton explores what a modern day Darcy would be like, suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder in her debut novel Compulsively Mr. Darcy

Benneton’s tale is a break from tradition right from the start, as we find our beloved characters in Vietnam, with Darcy and Bingley traveling to help th...more I’ve often wondered what modern day psychiatric medicine would say about some of my favorite literary characters. Are they bi-polar? Do they suffer from ADHD, depression, or a form of autism? Author Nina Benneton explores what a modern day Darcy would be like, suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder in her debut novel Compulsively Mr. Darcy

Benneton’s tale is a break from tradition right from the start, as we find our beloved characters in Vietnam, with Darcy and Bingley traveling to help their good friends, the Hurst’s, finish an adoption via an agency run by Miss Jane Bennet . All is running well until Mr. Bingley takes a fall and suffers a broken leg as he humorously attempts to ride a bike. After being taken to the local hospital, Darcy decides that he will accompany his good friend, yet will not enter the hospital building itself. Darcy is incredibly frightened by the sight of blood and is unable to deal with germs, making a hospital a difficult place for him to be. Enter Dr. Elizabeth Bennet. Darcy, sick of waiting outside for Bingley, storms into the hospital and determines Elizabeth has been helping other patients for far too long and demands help for Bingley. His outburst on Bingley’s half causes Elizabeth to assume that he and Bingley are a couple. Before Elizabeth has a chance to respond to his outburst, he sees the blood on her smock from a recent surgery and passes out.

After this less than perfect first meeting, Darcy and Elizabeth are thrown into each other’s company after Elizabeth is hired to work as the doctor for their resort. Thinking she is safe from any type of relationship (since she assumes Darcy is gay) she feels free to be herself and begins spending more time with him. The two grow increasingly fond of each other and quickly strike up a friendship that may turn into something more. Although a relationship with this man is the farthest thing from Elizabeth’s mind at the moment, a surprising chemistry and connection forms between the two, leading to quite the romance. What will happen when Elizabeth finds out Darcy isn’t gay? Will his OCD come between them?

I’m always amazed at how many new situations authors can drum up to place Elizabeth and Darcy in. Even with all these new ideas, Benneton’s story tops my list of most creative. Giving Darcy OCD makes complete sense to me. In the original Pride and Prejudice Darcy takes it upon himself to feel guilty over everything that Wickham does and he also feels the need to protect Bingley from fortune hunters. Not only this, but he is also under a tremendous amount of stress that the running of Pemberley and guardianship of his sister causes. It doesn’t surprise me that our modern-day imagining of Darcy would have OCD with that load. What’s fascinating about giving Darcy OCD is the amazing side of Elizabeth that comes out. Sure she still makes rash assumptions at first, but the unconditional love she has for Darcy (ALL of Darcy) is inspiring. She looks beyond Darcy’s OCD to see the man deep inside who isn’t riddled with an incessant need to wash his hands and control everything around him, and loves him. She accepts him just the way he is, a trait hard to find in people sometimes.

Not only does Compulsively Mr. Darcy give us a peek into what life with OCD is like, but we get to experience new cultures! I for one had not a clue what life in Vietnam was like, whether it be about their cuisine, fashion, or rituals. Benneton does a great job at infusing tidbits of knowledge about these things into the storyline in an intriguing manner, making the reader want to pick up a book and study the culture more. (I’ll also admit that her descriptions of the landscapes and landmarks there have made me add Vietnam to my bucket list of must visit places)

Benneton’s unique and inventive story is a wonderful addition to the Jane Austen fan fiction world. However, Compulsively Mr. Darcy is definitely not for the Austen purists out there. A more mature audience will appreciate this romantic, sensual new retelling of our favorite duo, Elizabeth and Darcy.

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
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Mar 14, 2012 Candy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: austenesque

I loved this quirky, humorous, modern day Pride and Prejudice retelling that had me laughing out loud many times! Darcy is a germ-a-phobic control freak who meets up with Elizabeth, an infectious disease doctor. This is really a hilarious combination!

Darcy has accompanied Bingley to Vietnam to help the Hursts with an adoption. The orphanage is being temporarily run by Jane Bennet. Her sister Elizabeth is also there, volunteering at a local hospital. Right from the beginning Darcy and Elizabeth...more

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Dec 10, 2012 Katie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Worst retelling of a Jane Austen novel EVER! Stay as far away from this book as you possibly can. I find it very hard to believe the author even calls herself a Jane Austen fan. It didn't bother me that they made Lizzy American, or that Darcy was OCD about germs. Even the misunderstanding about Darcy and Bingley in the beginning was interesting. But I'm sorry, the liberties she took with Lady Catherine and Anne were borderline ridiculous. Georgiana was family to her too. Yes, Lady Catherine is r...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Marcie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book appeals to the Jane Austen lover in me, although I've never actually read much of her actual novels. The lead character is OCD and has the baggage to justify it; his compulsions and germophobic tendencies actually become surprisingly endearing characteristics to the heroine. Miscommunications and personality flaws lead to some adventures which are interesting. The book, for me, was a light-hearted romance. It was fun to read, quick, not ridiculously explicit, and endearing. There were...more

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Nov 13, 2012 Rhapsody rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: romance

I could not resist reading this book because I love anything remotely related to Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice. We are introduced to William Darcy, Charles Bingley and his awful sister, Caroline Bingley in the first chapter. Charles Bingley is portrayed as a rather silly man and Darcy as an uptight control freak. Elizabeth Bennett is a doctor in Vietnam. For someone who is supposed to be really intelligent she can be quite clueless, e.g. (view spoiler)...more

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Mar 22, 2012 Julie (Mom2lnb) rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Pride & Prejudice Re-Tellings; Lighthearted Contemporary Romance

Shelves: contemporary-romance, desert-island-keepers, read-2012, romantic-comedy

Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" Nina Benneton's debut novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy, is a delightfully fun, lighthearted, contemporary spoof of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Much to my shame I have not yet read P&P (never fear, it is on my TBR list;-)), so I can't offer any kind of comparative analysis. However, the book stands very well on its own merits. It would have been equally as enjoyable even if the plot of the book was not in some fashion following the plot of P&P and t...more Reviewed for THC Reviews
"4.5 stars" Nina Benneton's debut novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy, is a delightfully fun, lighthearted, contemporary spoof of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Much to my shame I have not yet read P&P (never fear, it is on my TBR list;-)), so I can't offer any kind of comparative analysis. However, the book stands very well on its own merits. It would have been equally as enjoyable even if the plot of the book was not in some fashion following the plot of P&P and the characters had been given different names. I have to admit that initially, the sheer volume of characters could be a little confusing, and this is where some previous knowledge of P&P might have been helpful, but eventually, I got everyone straight and had a lot of fun spending time with them.

Compulsively Mr. Darcy begins in Da Nang, Vietnam of all places. What a unique setting for a romance novel! I enjoyed learning a little about the country and the culture, as well as reading about Elizabeth's colorful Vietnamese relatives. The story then moves to New York City and on to California as we follow the hero and heroine through their adventures.

In this retelling, Fitzwilliam Darcy is the OCD billionaire of a very successful company specializing in acquisitions and mergers. He begins the book quite stuffy and uptight, but I immediately discerned a very appealing man underneath the control freak veneer. I actually loved how he took such good care of everyone around him, both family and friends. I think he was a naturally kind, caring, loving person, whose anxieties and OCD just make him go a little overboard. Ultimately though, I thought it was rather sweet. Elizabeth must have agreed with me, because she was never off-put by his neurotic behavior either. William never stops worrying about everyone, most especially Elizabeth and his sister, Georgianna. He does manage to live a fairly normal life in spite of being a worry-wort, but I really loved the moments when he was able to loosen up a little bit. He was actually surprisingly good with babies (dirty diapers not withstanding;-)) which leads me to believe that he would be a great father. He was already a wonderful husband, lover, friend and brother, so he can just add another check-mark to his repertoire.

Elizabeth has a rather inauspicious beginning, first snapping at William when he comes to check on his friend, Bingley, who is under her care at the hospital and later thinking that they are a gay couple which led to all sorts of hilarity. In spite of her initial grumpiness, Elizabeth turns out to be a very sweet, loving woman. She and her sister Jane are women after my own heart, the way they are giving selflessly of themselves to work in a third-world country helping others. I also love how completely accepting she is of Darcy, faults, neuroses and all. I think her only shortcoming is that she has a bit of a jealous streak which led to the dreaded misunderstanding and a temporary breakup. Even though it could have been cleared up with a candid conversation, in terms of page-time, it didn't last too long, led to a very sweet make-up, and was played a little lighter, more like a comedy of errors, so I guess I can mostly forgive the lapse. Elizabeth was very funny too with her frugal ways. Even after she found out that Darcy was a billionaire, she couldn't help herself. She was still trying to pinch pennies and couldn't stand the thought of being wasteful, which is something I can totally relate to. I'd probably be the same way even if I suddenly came into a lot of money.

Overall, I had a really good time reading Compulsively Mr. Darcy. William and Elizabeth are just the sweetest couple who practically dote on each other nearly all the time. They can't stand to be without one another and always seem to have fun when they're together. I absolutely loved all the gentle teasing and bantering. The secondary characters were great too. Bingley is a hoot with his lighthearted, boyish manner, and Darcy's cousin, Richard, is always trying to look out for him while he looks out for everyone else. All of Elizabeth's sisters have their own unique personalities too. Everything just came together to make this an extremely enjoyable read. Nina Benneton is a talented new author, and I'll definitely be looking forward to seeing what else she comes up with. In the meantime, if the original Mr. Darcy is half as charming as William, and Pride and Prejudice is half as delightful as Compulsively Mr. Darcy, I know I'm going to have a blast when I finally read it.

Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.(less)

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Feb 15, 2012 Victoria Austin rated it 4 of 5 stars

I'm probably the biggest Jane Austen fan ever. Pride and Prejudice is my all time favorite book. There have been many reinterpretations of Elizabeth and Darcy’s story and my new favorite is Compulsively Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth is a doctor volunteering in a hospital in Vietnam; Darcy is a venture capitalist with OCD tendencies. They meet in the emergency room when Bingley had a minor accident. Benneton has done a great job of capturing the banter between Elizabeth and Darcy. One of my favorite passa...more

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Feb 27, 2012 Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: jane-austen, pride-and-prejudice, favorites

We've seen Darcy as a judge and Elizabeth as an attorney (The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy), Darcy as a politician's son and Elizabeth as a marine biologist (Pemberley By the Sea), and both of these iconic and beloved characters as rock stars (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star); but this is the first time we have ever seen a modern-day Fitzwilliam Darcy that suffers from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and a modern-day Elizabeth that is a volunteer infectious disease specialist in Vietnam! Sounds i...more

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