A Weekend with Mr. Darcy (Austen Addicts, #1) in Explore the Many Genres of Jane Austen Spinoffs 2012 Reading Challenge

Jan 29, 2012 Rachel rated it it was amazing

Shelves: strong-female-character, like-austen

Wow, this was really a great book.
I expected a Jane Austen romantic tie-in but got more than I expected.
At the start and for the first 1/4 of the book I felt like things were progressing predictably but also how I wanted them to progress. It's a weird feeling, guessing what you want to happen and having that happen. but Victoria Connelly did this well and though I say that events were predictable, the reading wassenior able--I liked what was happening. I was a little disappointed that things pr Wow, this was really a great book.
I expected a Jane Austen romantic tie-in but got more than I expected.
At the start and for the first 1/4 of the book I felt like things were progressing predictably but also how I wanted them to progress. It's a weird feeling, guessing what you want to happen and having that happen. but Victoria Connelly did this well and though I say that events were predictable, the reading wassenior able--I liked what was happening. I was a little disappointed that things progressed so quickly at the start.
In the first day or reading, I was ready to mark it 4 stars for a well written and enjoyable read. By the second day and through until the end, I began to be really impressed by the author's writing style. It wasn't showy and distracting, but the author consistently illustrated that she knew her subject. The book began to have a bit of a feel of a non-fiction book, in that the author, through her characters, told the reader quite a bit about Jane Austen fan (Austenites) and about the Jane Austen herself.
I want to be clear, the non-fiction feel is wholly a complement. Victoria Connelly combined the best bits of non-fiction history (interesting subject, entertaining telling, focus on details that make the history come alive), the best bits of memoir (Interesting subject, enjoyable and stylish writing and subtlety) with Jane Austen riffs.
Ms Connelly, I have one serious complaint: This book wasn't long enough. I understand that you are writing two more in this series. if you plan to write the next two as well as you wrote this one, I would be grateful if you doubled the length. I simply wanted to spend more time with your characters and I would be happy to spend that time learning more about them or simply hanging out with them.
For everyone else, come to the book expecting a pleasantly romantic story interspersed with skillfully written lifelike detail, a dynamic portrayal of Jane Austen fans and an entertaining and insightful--and light and interesting--discussion of Jane Austen's writing and influence.

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Aug 11, 2011 Nancy Kelley rated it it was amazing

Shelves: austenesque

What Janeite doesn't dream of going to a Jane Austen weekend? And then meeting the perfect partner while there? A good romance novel should tap into the reader's own dreams, and A Weekend With Mr. Darcy scores high marks there.

I also enjoyed the lovely descriptions of the English countryside in the fall. The differences between various regions of the country were subtly drawn with the eye of someone who has been there. Descriptions of Chawton, the village in which Jane Austen spent the last year ...more

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Jan 01, 2012 Shanna rated it it was amazing

I loved this book. I read it all in basically one sitting, with a short break for a nap. I found the characters very likable, all the story lines fit together perfectly and all I wanted to do after reading this book was devour as much Jane Austen as possible. I loved the detail, the passion these characters felt for a woman who died 200 years ago. It is quite amazing what books survive the times, and what ones don't. I enjoyed the debates on the best versions of Pride and Prejudice (Colin Firth ...more

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Sep 24, 2010 Maria Grazia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: austen-inspired, read-in-2010

Do you want to spend a perfect weekend with the most charming, dashing heroes and the liveliest , loveliest heroines? Here's a story which is actually sunshine on a rainy day as someone has written in a review. Victoria Connelly created a balanced blend of modern romance and Austensian features, matter-of-fact nowadays language with Hampshire dreamy landscape, heroines troubled by modern concerns but romanticly wooed by handsome gentlemanlike heroes who seem just landed on earth from Jane Austen ...more

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Jan 28, 2011 Kate Maxwell rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own, jane-austen-esque, contemp, chic-lit

What a delightful and fun book this was! It was much different than ‘Molly’s Millions’ – better written. I really liked the way it was written, as there were three main characters and how the story would focus on one of them alternately and then when they interacted with one another.

Dr. Katherine Roberts is a professor of literature at St. Bridget’s College in Oxford and something of an Austen aficionado. What most people don’t know about her is her passion for other types of Regency novels, esp What a delightful and fun book this was! It was much different than ‘Molly’s Millions’ – better written. I really liked the way it was written, as there were three main characters and how the story would focus on one of them alternately and then when they interacted with one another.

Dr. Katherine Roberts is a professor of literature at St. Bridget’s College in Oxford and something of an Austen aficionado. What most people don’t know about her is her passion for other types of Regency novels, especially those written by Lorna Warwick. She is heading off to an Austen conference in Hampshire, hosted by Dame Pamela Harcourt in her person home, in hopes of forgetting about the man who lied to her.

Robyn Love is a young lady who loves anything by Jane Austen. She has saved up and is spoiling herself to a Jane Austen weekend retreat in Hampshire. As she’s about to walk out the door to the train, her boyfriend from secondary school shows up, ready to take her. She wasn’t expecting this, as she has been thinking about calling it quits with Jace – a guy who would rather put his foot through the telly while her favourite Austen adaptation is playing.

Warwick Lawton has a few secrets of his own when he shows up at the Jane Austen retreat in Hampshire. Can he keep his secrets to himself while discovering more about a person he has fallen in love with?

As mentioned, these three characters’ stories were very well woven together. It was sort of predictable, but it still held the interest of this reader, hoping that everyone would get their happy ending. The ending did seem a bit abrupt (a complaint I seem to have with many books – maybe it’s just me!), but did tie up loose ends rather quickly.

Both women are wondering if Mr. Darcy can only be found in books, and if happy endings will ever happen to them. What was nice about this story is that the male interests weren’t perfect, weren’t Mr. Darcy incarnate, but guys who were willing to accept these ladies with all of their issues regardless.

Ms. Connelly did a wonderful job with her female characters and developed their voice well. The reader really gets a sense of who these ladies are and care for what happens to them. The characters seem real with their thoughts and feelings and you can see yourself wondering/feeling these same things. I have always thought of doing an Austen weekend conference/retreat and this made me want to all the more.

I was a bit hesitant to read this after reading ‘Molly’s Millions.’ I enjoyed that story but it seemed a bit too far-fetched. However, with ‘A Weekend with Mr. Darcy’ the characters were more believable and the situations (save a few) were fairly realistic! It was a humorous and delightful read, perfect for anyone who loves Jane Austen and a teaser for enticing the reader to go away to Hampshire for a Jane Austen retreat.
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Jul 29, 2011 Charlene rated it it was amazing

this was a really nice, easy read. About a get away Jane Austen weekend. Of course love is in the air with a little angst. But it is a true jane austen in the end. Really enjoyed

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