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meeks3's review
2.0
The book presupposes that Jane Austen wrote Pride & Prejudice on a real couple, Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, and now years later we're reading about the exploits of one of their great whatever granddaughters. That is not a view point that I've seen yet in Austen updates so I was quite enthused to read the book.
In this instance, however, I feel the concept is more exciting then the actual execution. I felt that Olivia and Stanley were just all over the place in the way they interacted with each other and how their story was progressing. I found myself not fully understanding why they had many of their conversations. On top of that I did not fully understand why Olivia felt the need to judge Stanley as harshly as she did at the beginning of the book. I suppose that could be a nod to Pride & Prejudice, but it just made me think Olivia was too meddling and rude.
I will say that I enjoyed Stanley's character mainly because I found it funny reading about how he was always trying to control his anger around Olivia. You could almost see the internal debate going on inside him about whether he wants to slap Olivia or kiss her.
This was an ok read and a cutesy kind of story, but it's definitely not an Austen remake/modernization that I would pick up again.
In this instance, however, I feel the concept is more exciting then the actual execution. I felt that Olivia and Stanley were just all over the place in the way they interacted with each other and how their story was progressing. I found myself not fully understanding why they had many of their conversations. On top of that I did not fully understand why Olivia felt the need to judge Stanley as harshly as she did at the beginning of the book. I suppose that could be a nod to Pride & Prejudice, but it just made me think Olivia was too meddling and rude.
I will say that I enjoyed Stanley's character mainly because I found it funny reading about how he was always trying to control his anger around Olivia. You could almost see the internal debate going on inside him about whether he wants to slap Olivia or kiss her.
This was an ok read and a cutesy kind of story, but it's definitely not an Austen remake/modernization that I would pick up again.
witandsin's review
3.0
Blue Ribbon Rating: 3 out of 5
Original Review Link
As the descendent of literature’s most beloved couple, relationship advice columnist Olivia Darcy is expected to be quite the expert on love. And she is…if one doesn’t count the lack of love in her own life. Miss Darcy’s career is steadily on the rise until she answers a letter from the ex-girlfriend of Christopher Stanley, one of the country’s most infamous bachelors. Soon a war erupts between the proud Christopher and the slightly prejudiced Olivia. But with great tension comes equally great passion and before she knows it, Olivia has found herself on the same path to happily ever after as the famed Elizabeth and Darcy.
DEAR MISS DARCY is a delight for Austen fans. Authors Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess hooked me immediately with their spin on the PRIDE AND PREJUDICE tale; namely, that Lizzie and Darcy were real and they allowed Jane Austen to write their story. Mses. Briggs and Burgess filled DEAR MISS DARCY with references to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE along with Ms. Austen’s other works. As a Janeite myself, I had a lot of fun playing “spot the nods to Austen” in DEAR MISS DARCY.
But enough about Jane Austen. As a contemporary romance, DEAR MISS DARCY is charming, though, at times, the plot gets a bit dragged out. In the very public battle between Olivia and Christopher, I felt like Olivia held almost all the power and began to feel sorry for the poor man. Olivia tended to get carried away when she was irritated with Christopher, which brought DEAR MISS DARCY down in a few spots. Still, on the whole, Olivia and Christopher had nice chemistry and I enjoyed watching them fall for one another.
The literary market is flooded with spinoffs, adaptations and sequels to Jane Austen’s work, so it’s difficult nowadays to pen one that feels fresh and new. With DEAR MISS DARCY, Mses. Burgess and Briggs have succeeded in creating a story that’s original and entertaining and I finished Olivia and Christopher’s story a well satisfied reader.
Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here courtesy of Romance Junkies.
Original Review Link
As the descendent of literature’s most beloved couple, relationship advice columnist Olivia Darcy is expected to be quite the expert on love. And she is…if one doesn’t count the lack of love in her own life. Miss Darcy’s career is steadily on the rise until she answers a letter from the ex-girlfriend of Christopher Stanley, one of the country’s most infamous bachelors. Soon a war erupts between the proud Christopher and the slightly prejudiced Olivia. But with great tension comes equally great passion and before she knows it, Olivia has found herself on the same path to happily ever after as the famed Elizabeth and Darcy.
DEAR MISS DARCY is a delight for Austen fans. Authors Laura Briggs and Sarah Burgess hooked me immediately with their spin on the PRIDE AND PREJUDICE tale; namely, that Lizzie and Darcy were real and they allowed Jane Austen to write their story. Mses. Briggs and Burgess filled DEAR MISS DARCY with references to PRIDE AND PREJUDICE along with Ms. Austen’s other works. As a Janeite myself, I had a lot of fun playing “spot the nods to Austen” in DEAR MISS DARCY.
But enough about Jane Austen. As a contemporary romance, DEAR MISS DARCY is charming, though, at times, the plot gets a bit dragged out. In the very public battle between Olivia and Christopher, I felt like Olivia held almost all the power and began to feel sorry for the poor man. Olivia tended to get carried away when she was irritated with Christopher, which brought DEAR MISS DARCY down in a few spots. Still, on the whole, Olivia and Christopher had nice chemistry and I enjoyed watching them fall for one another.
The literary market is flooded with spinoffs, adaptations and sequels to Jane Austen’s work, so it’s difficult nowadays to pen one that feels fresh and new. With DEAR MISS DARCY, Mses. Burgess and Briggs have succeeded in creating a story that’s original and entertaining and I finished Olivia and Christopher’s story a well satisfied reader.
Note: My review was written for Romance Junkies and is cross-posted here courtesy of Romance Junkies.
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