Dreaming of Mr. Darcy (Austen Addicts #2) in Explore the Many Genres of Jane Austen Spinoffs 2012 Reading Challenge

May 11, 2011 Maria Grazia rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: austen-inspired, read-in-2011

“Maybe Jane Austen’s fans are destined to be disappointed by love because nothing could ever live up to the happy endings created in fiction”. This is what Adam Craig, one of the main characters in Victoria Connelly’s latest novel, thinks. The same can be said of the perfect hero: who might live up to Mr Darcy’s charm or Captain Wentworth’s passionate loyalty? Maybe... your favourite actor? Someone you admire and dream about? Imagine that he, a real dream-come-true, arrives where you have just o “Maybe Jane Austen’s fans are destined to be disappointed by love because nothing could ever live up to the happy endings created in fiction”. This is what Adam Craig, one of the main characters in Victoria Connelly’s latest novel, thinks. The same can be said of the perfect hero: who might live up to Mr Darcy’s charm or Captain Wentworth’s passionate loyalty? Maybe... your favourite actor? Someone you admire and dream about? Imagine that he, a real dream-come-true, arrives where you have just opened a B&B and is one of your first guests with the director and a bunch of colleagues. Imagine also that he starts flirting with you disguised as Captain Wentworth since the cast you host is shooting Persuasion. Add to these facts that this dream man is the most handsome you’ve ever laid eyes on, with his blond hair and blue eyes. Wouldn’t you think the perfect hero has landed into your real life? I’m sure that, like Kay Ashton, you would.
Let’s cool our enthusiasm and give this story some order.
Die-hard romantic Kay Ashton uses her inheritance to open a B&B in the seaside town of Lyme Regis in Dorset and is dumbstruck when the cast and crew of a new production of Persuasion descend, needing a place to stay. Kay can’t believe her luck – especially when she realises that heart-throb actor Oli Wade Owen will be sleeping under her very own roof!
Meanwhile, co-star Gemma Reilly is worried that her acting isn’t up to scratch, despite landing a plum role. She finds a sympathetic ear in shy producer, Adam Craig, who is baffled by the film world as she is. Kay thinks the two, Gemma and Adam, are meant for each other and can’t resist to try herself at matchmaking like Austen’s Miss Woodhouse.
Then when Oli turns his trademark charm on Kay, it seems that she has found her real-life hero. But do heroes really exist? Or do they only exist in movies and books?
Kay is a lovely heroine who reminds partly Emma, in her funny attempts at matchmaking, as well as Marianne, in her romantic, passionate, naive vision of love. Oli Wade Owen in Wentworth’s uniform has the aspect of Rupert Penry Jones but the impertinence of a George Wickham.
Gemma Reilly recalls Anne Elliot in her initial little self-confidence overcome little by little in her journey through the book.
Adam Craig ... well, Adam, not to give away too much is ... my favourite character together with his hilarious grandmother, Nana Craig. She is funny, colourful and terribly noisy. She has hated actors since she was left by her husband, in search for fame in the movies, for a beautiful actress. She has brought Adam up and their relationship is definitely unique.
Could I not like a romance set in Lyme Regis, with a glamorous cast shooting Persuasion involved, written with a light touch and witty prose, featuring gorgeous heroes and beautiful sensitive heroines? There’s too much of what I like best not to recommend it to all of you, Janeites like me, or fond of romances in general.
...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2012 Jakki rated it really liked it · review of another edition

In Dreaming of Mr. Darcy,* Kay Ashton lives in her own dream world, forever dreaming of “the perfect hero.” But what does he look like? Is he the libidinous and charming Oli Wade Owen, who just happens to be playing the role of Captain Wentworth, or the compassionate and gentlemanly Adam Crain, or does he exist only in Kay’s dreams?

In her quest for the perfect hero, Kay faces many obstacles. She chooses to overlook many signs that she is currently heading down the same road her mother traveled, In Dreaming of Mr. Darcy,* Kay Ashton lives in her own dream world, forever dreaming of “the perfect hero.” But what does he look like? Is he the libidinous and charming Oli Wade Owen, who just happens to be playing the role of Captain Wentworth, or the compassionate and gentlemanly Adam Crain, or does he exist only in Kay’s dreams?

In her quest for the perfect hero, Kay faces many obstacles. She chooses to overlook many signs that she is currently heading down the same road her mother traveled, always falling in love with the wrong man, never finding Mr. Right. With her wild imagination, Kay imagines that there is more to her relationships than there really is. When her hero winks at her, Kay’s imagination is let loose, taking them from innocent flirtation to marital bliss. Kay fails to see that guys do this all the time. Disregarding red flag after red flag, Kay is continually setting herself up for another heartache.

While searching for her perfect hero, Kay takes on the role of a matchmaker. Believing Gemma and Adam like each other, in true Emma Woodhouse fashion, Kay does her best to get these two to see just how much they love each other, all while missing signs that prove otherwise.

As much as I wanted to grab Kay by the shoulders and shake the dreamer out of her, I do have to give Victoria Connelly credit for creating characters readers recognize and can relate to. Kay typifies those women who think they will be the one to change their dream guy, the ones who are willing to sacrifice their desires and goals in order to make a man happy. We all know someone like that, and I am sure readers can also recognize an ex-boyfriend in Oli and an insecure, yet sweet, friend in Gemma.

As much as I thought Connelly captured human nature and tendencies in her characters, the one thing I found unbelievable was how quickly her characters fell in love. After their first day together, Adam is ready to declare his love to Kay. It’s not that this cannot be done; I just think Connelly failed to execute this in a believable manner.

While I did not enjoy this novel as much as her first, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, I am looking forward to see what Victoria Connelly’s has in store with the third novel in her Jane Austen Addicts trilogy, Mr. Darcy Forever

*Titled in the UK as The Perfect Hero; I believe that is the perfect title for the book, considering that it is also the book’s main theme.
...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 26, 2011 Kate Maxwell rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: jane-austen-esque, contemp, library

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is the story of Kay Ashton who inherited a sizeable amount of money and bought an old bed and breakfast in Lyme Regis, home of Jane Austen’s Cobb and Persuasion. Now, all she needs is Captain Wentworth to walk in the door. Which happens shortly after room renovations are done, as the movie of Persuasion is being filmed in front of Wentworth House, Kay’s new venture in the world of bed and breakfast. In walks Oli Wade Owens, the newest Captain Wentworth, and his fellow actor Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is the story of Kay Ashton who inherited a sizeable amount of money and bought an old bed and breakfast in Lyme Regis, home of Jane Austen’s Cobb and Persuasion. Now, all she needs is Captain Wentworth to walk in the door. Which happens shortly after room renovations are done, as the movie of Persuasion is being filmed in front of Wentworth House, Kay’s new venture in the world of bed and breakfast. In walks Oli Wade Owens, the newest Captain Wentworth, and his fellow actors, due to a catastrophe at the B&B they were staying in, they needed a new place to stay. Winks and smiles quickly turned Kay’s head in the direction of Oli, as she was immediately startstruck. But what about the compassionate screenwriter and producer Adam Craig? Since he is so shy, he would be a great partner to the equally quiet and shy Anne Elliot, played by actress Gemma Reilly; or so Kay Ashton thinks and tries to put forward.

This next addition of Austen Addicts has two Jane Austen novels rolled in to one: Persuasion that is being filmed, and Emma that is being played out, with Kay as Emma, trying to matchmake, and not really seeing what is going on around her.

I loved how Kay was able to buy a run-down bed and breakfast and still had adequate funds to completely renovate the place (said with tongue-in-cheek). It was almost too whimisical in the way that it happened. There was no, “Let’s borrow some money, and keep my inheritance to pay the bills until the inn was successful.” It reminded me a bit of Molly’s Millions, in which a young lady came into a large amount of money and drove around England giving away money, and not thinking very straight. This story was unlike the first in Austen Addicts: A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, which I adored! And which was very humourous…this current one was not. Kay was a bit adolescent in her daydreams which would take her away from reality all too often.

My favorite characters were Gemma, Nana Craig and even Adam. I really wanted to keep smacking Kay, but I guess that is how one feels while reading Jane Austen’s Emma. I also wanted Adam to be a little more forthright and stop the insanity of Kay misunderstanding him. She did have her ‘ah-ha’ moment at the end, but only after Frank Churchill left her behind with no explanation.

I wanted to see more of Gemma and how things ended up working out for her. I know that she was not supposed to be a big character, but, once again, after A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, I expected to see how her story wrapped up as well.

It was a fun read, and it truly made me want to go to Lyme Regis (which I didn’t have a chance the first time I was in England…) and experience that seaside town. But I felt that this story was done hastily and could have been wrapped up a little better. Some of the characters were larger than life (Oli and Beth) and others you wished would have grown a bit more of a spine. But it was nice to visit the world of Jane Austen, if briefly.
...more

1 like · Like · see review

Dec 25, 2011 Charlene rated it liked it · review of another edition

"Dreaming about Mr Darcy", was a wonderful romantic novel that I enjoyed very much. But other than the main character being obsessed with Jane Austen's heroes and hoping to find her own Mr Darcy or Capt Wentworth, the story was really not a JA genre. The story is about Kay who loses her mother and a friend. The friend leaves her enough money to buy a B & B in Lyme. There filming Persuasion in lyme and the main actors end up staying at her B& B. Of course love is in the air and who is to fall in ...more

Like · see review