Monday, February 08, 2010

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart [ARC Review] & GIVEAWAY

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart
Beth Pattillo


Series or Stand Alone: Stand Alone

Release Date: February 2010

Publisher: GuidepostsBooks

Pages: 272

Author Site: http://www.bethpattillo.com/

My Rating: 3.75/5

Source: Received for review from publisher


Synopsis [from goodreads.com]:

Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone. She's been dating Neil -- a nice if a bit negligent -- sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice -- in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy -- leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is the story of a woman who finds that love isn't logical and that a true hero can appear in the most unexpected of places.


Review:

I'm sure I've said this before, but I'm one of those people who have yet to pick up a book by Jane Austen. And again, I'm not too sure as to why I haven't. I suppose the language of the book scares me away... But anywho, going into this book with Sense and Sensibilites and Sea Monsters [check out my review] being the only Austen-ish book under my belt (in addition to a movie here and there), I have to say my review is probably a little skewed...

With that said... I enjoyed MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART. I believe if I had read Pride and Prejudice before-hand my opinion of the book would have either been entirely different or more strengthened. Basically I think you'll either really like the book or you won't. In the book, the main character Claire stumbles upon a early version of Pride and Prejudice called First Impressions. Although First Impressions is entirely fictional, it would have been really nice to have the original story in my brain to compare it to. Although, the author does a good job explaining or pointing out the differences as she writes, which I appreciated very much.

As for Claire herself, she was an interesting character. She wasn't an extraordinary character, yet I found her personality very enjoyable. As the story progresses, Claire's life is laid out for the reader to discover bit by bit. This summer symposium at Oxford is an event that forever changes Claire's life and her outlook on life. She discovers what love truly is as she meets a handsome Darcy-like gentleman in Oxford while juggling her current boyfriend who she's been comfortably invovled with for quite some time. She re-evaluates her relationship with her family, especially her sister, and how her personality and lifestyle came to form around others rather than herself. I found MR. DARCY BROKE MY HEART to be a fresh and entertaining read that involved real emotion without the story dragging on and on.

I definitely recommend fans of Jane Austen to give this a try to see if it's your cup o' tea. I think people who have never really read Jane Austen will enjoy it like I did as well.

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GIVEAWAY INFO:

One person will win my gently read ARC copy of Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by simply commenting below with an email address... (no email address = no entry)

Extra Entries:

+2 for following/subscribing the blog.
+2 for following on twitter. (provide your twitter @name)
+1 share this! -sidebar, blog post, twitter, facebook (links required, each link = +1)

Giveaway ends Febrauary 22nd and the winner will be announced February 23rd. US Entries only.

Good luck!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

18 comments:

Emily H. said...

Great contest

treerose at yahoo dot com

Fire and Ice said...

I follow your blog and I tweeted, I follow you on twitter @fireicephotos

THANKS!

Unknown said...

I would love to win! I love anyting even slightly Austen-ish

kissyjensen at gmail dot com

Melanie said...

I've heard several good things about this book, and it sounds awesome!

I tweeted: http://twitter.com/MelanieMFoust/status/8822446467

Thanks for the great giveaway!

melanie@melaniesmusings.net

Bookish in a Box said...

This book sounds cute!

whatinabox at gmail dot com

+2 Follower
+2 Twitter follower @whatinabox
+1 Blog post: http://bookishinabox.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaways-week-of-27.html

Unknown said...

I've never heard of this book until I read your post, but how exciting!! I think regardless whether or not I win (which of course I hope I do) I will have to look into this!

I'm with you, never picked up a Jane Austen book either, not sure why, but the words do sort of scare me...

Okay so my email address is:
jenniferdaiker(at)gmail(dot)com

+2 Follower
+2 for blog post and link, I haven't updated it yet, but by the time I get home this evening there will be two little spots with your name and link :) Shout Out at Unedited

Victoria said...

I have this on my TBR list, & I would to enter this giveaway. :)

konstanzia@hotmail.com

& I already follow your blog and your twitter! (@littlelotte25)

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

Great review! Maybe someday you will read Pride and Prejudice :) I'd love to enter the contest!

+2 i'm a follower
+2 follow on twitter @in_the_hammock
+1 tweeted here: http://twitter.com/in_the_hammock/status/8856882535


inthehammockblog (at) gmail (d0t) com

Thanks!!

Lisa Richards/alterlisa said...

It has been years and years since I read the original but need to reread it as there seems to be so many great books referencing it.
+2 i'm a follower
+2 follow on twitter @alterlisa
+1 tweeted here
+1 Blog post: http://lisaslovesbooksofcourse.blogspot.com/2010/02/mishtakes-mr-darcy-broke-my-heart-arc.html

alterlisa AT yahoo DOT com

Hot Off the Shelves said...

This book sounds great. Please enter me.

jasmyn9[at]hotmail[dot]com

I am a follower.

I blogged with a link:
http://jasmynninestuff.blogspot.com/2010/02/giveaway-link-mr-darcy-broke-my-heart.html

And all my blogs automatically tweet.

www.twitter.com/jasmyn9

Margay Leah Justice said...

I would love to win this book.
Margay

Margay1122(at)aol(dot)com

Test said...

I would love to enter!

+2 for following

Laurenscrammedbookshelf@gmail.com

Miss Haley said...

+2 I'm an old follower
+2 follow you on twitter @haleymathiot
+1 posted at twitter.com/haleymathiot
+1 posted at http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2010/02/few-contests.html
+1 added to my sidebar

haleymathiot@yahoo.com
thx! awesome contest :D

Mystica said...

Would love to win this book.


mystica123athotmaildotcom

Anonymous said...

Wonderful review! This sounds like a great book. :D

+2 Follower

+2 Follower on twitter (@thegoodgonegirl)

+1 Sidebar: http://goodgonegirl.blogspot.com

+1 Bloggged: http://goodgonegirl.blogspot.com/2010/02/lovely-giveaways.html

+1 Tweeted: http://twitter.com/thegoodgonegirl/status/9039367178

Anna ♥
goodgonegirl@gmail.com

Oregon Kimm said...

Please enter me!

Oregon Kimm
oregonkimm(at)gmail(dot)com

Sue said...

Thanks for the giveaway.

s.mickelson at gmail dot com

AnAddictedBookReader said...

Awesome, thanks!
+2 following
adrienne2093 at comcast dot net

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