Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart

An enjoyable read

Really enjoyed this book! Claire is a likable character who has had a bit of a rough life. Her parents died when she was 18 and rather than letting her family break up, she took on the responsibility of raising her younger sister. Fast forward a few years, but Claire is still taking care of her sister...as well as brother-in-law and twin nieces. After losing her job, Claire goes to an Oxford seminar in her sister's stead. How cool that it was on Pride and Prejudice? While Claire was not really a fan, this is one of my favorite books!

Claire has a steady boyfriend who is a nice enough guy, but she's not even sure that he knows she left. He's a big sports fan and not always attentive. Needless to say, Claire is not doing well in either her personal or professional lives. Hopefully, this week will give Claire a chance to take a breather and figure out what she wants to do next. At least, that's the plan.

Let's just say that things don't go according to plan. One of the other seminar participants, James, is handsome enough to make every bit of oxygen in Claire's lungs disappear, and she almost slides to the floor in a faint when she first sees him from across the room. Now that's handsome! Alas, he is also rude, arrogant, and unpleasant most of the time. But wait...doesn't that sound a little like Mr. Darcy? Could James be Claire's Mr. Darcy?

The other main character Claire meets is Harriet. She's a nice little old lady who Claire met in the park and escorted home. She seems harmless enough, but is she actually delusional as her daughter claims, or does Harriet really have the origianl draft of Pride and Prejudice? It would it be an unbelievable experience to read a lost draft by a famous author!

I really enjoyed this book! I liked Claire, and was glad to accompany her through her one week of life-changing discoveries. So much happened in only one week! Claire made several eye-opening discoveries, may have read an original draft of a famous book, befriended a sweet old lady, and had her entire life turned upside down. All while still attending the seminar!

Gave this a 4/5 as I really liked and enjoyed this book. The characters were believable, the action was well-paced, writing was good, and I enjoyed the plot. Didn't really like Claire's sister, but she was still believable. I was pleased with the ending, and would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story. It's not really a light chick-lit type of book, as Claire does face some hard truths. Not really a romance. There is an element of mystery as well. It's just a good, well written story, which are getting harder to find these days. Enjoy!

3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.

New Take

This books is sweet, yet it helps to have read How Jane Austen Ruined My Life to understand some of the dynamics and secrets Pattillo includes here.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Good read!

Enough twists to keep ya entertained! Truly enjoyable!

Great Book

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is another fabulous book by Beth Pattillo. The story takes place in England at a symposium of Jane Austen. The main character of this novel is Claire Prescott. Claire is a hard working woman who has given up a lot to raise her sister after their parents death. Claire is practical, rational and devoted to her sister, Missy. In fact she's so devoted to Missy, Claire travels to Oxford in order to present a paper her sister had written to a Pride and Prejudice summer seminar. However Claire is not happy about this. She does not understand why everyone falls head over hills for Mr. Darcy. She's not excited to be at this conference until she meets James Beaufort. James is the embodiment of Mr. Darcy. He's debonairly handsome, not very friendly but has gentlemanly manners. James turns Claire's world upside down especially since she's been in a relationship with Neil for years. Neil is an okay guy who is a bit of a sports fanatic.Claire is not even sure that he knows she left for England. Claire does her best to try to fit in with the people of the seminar but she finds herself caught up in a lie and part of an evolving intrigue that once again involves no other than Jane Austen.
Claire is a martyr. I don't think she means to be but she is. She's given up her life and dreams to raise her sister. Claire only wants the best for her sister but it's at the cost of her relationships and life. Claire doesn't realize what she's doing and how the people in her life feel about it until she reads her sisters paper. Claire feels lost and unappreciated. She turns to an endearing woman she just met, Harriet Dalrymple. Harriet is a sweet elderly woman who seems to be on the cuff of dementia . She is a bit of an eccentric with an interesting filing system. Harriet is in possession of Jane Austen's first draft of Pride and Prejudice, First Impressions. Harriet allows Claire to read the manuscript and implores her to help make a decision that could disrupt the image of Jane Austen.
This book made me want to go and read Pride and Prejudice again. Claire and Elisabeth have a lot in common. They both have a preconceived notion about the people in their lives. I really enjoyed reading Beth Pattillo's version of First Impressions. This story within a story really helped set the tone and help the main character Claire realize that love is sometimes subtle and not what you'd expect and sometimes the answers are not the obvious ones. I really like that the Formidables make an appearance in this book as well. They add quirkiness to the book.
Overall I really liked this book. The characters are great and well written. This book was hard for me to put down once I started it. If you haven't checked out any books by this author yet, I encourage you to. Beth Pattillo has a great writing style. Her novels are fun and inspiring.

Quirky and Cute

Though I've read plenty of Jane Austen, before this book, I'd never read any Austen-inspired fiction. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is a quirky little story about a woman who finds herself caught up in a mystery surrounding the first draft of Pride and Prejudice.

I loved the setting (there's something very romantic about Oxford), and I enjoyed the eccentric cast of characters. The romance in the last chapter is some of the best I've read. Pattillo took a risk by writing as Jane Austen for a good portion of the novel, but I think it was a huge success.

The inspy in this inspirational romance is very, very subtle. I mention it because one of the complaints I've heard about Christian fiction is the authors' heavy handed treatment of faith in inspirational stories. If you didn't know Guideposts was a Christian publisher, you might not even recognize this one as an inspirational romance.

So, for readers who are not sure Christian fiction is their cup of tea, I think Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart might make a good first taste. It's a fresh, offbeat novel which has definitely inspired me to seek out other Austen-esque stories.

Another FORMIDIBLES Secret Uncovered

The storyline has just the right amount of drama, twists and turns, plus romance to keep you reading for hours. I know this book is Fiction, but once you read the chapters of First Impressions, as Claire is reading them, you will be wondering if those chapter are really in existence today. I know I'm still wondering.

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart........

I love anything with a "Jane Austen" theme - type book- but this one I did not love too much. I did not care for the plot line/characters- but it is an "ok" read if your bored.

Enthralling and entertaining romance with an unexpected twist

Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Patillo is a fascinating look at an old treasure. Claire Prescott has never been enthralled with Jane Austen and Mr. Darcy the way her sister is, but when the sister is too ill to attend an important seminar about Pride and Prejudice at Oxford University, Claire fills in. She could use some romance in her life, especially after the loss of her job and her boyfriend's minimal acknowledging of her leaving the country. A handsome classmate fits the bill perfectly and soon sweeps her off her feet, but then she is caught up in a confusing whirlwind of Austen's lost papers, conspiracy, and deception. Patillo takes the Pride and Prejudice and turns it on its ear through the various papers presented throughout as studies of the famous novel, as well as her own remarkably well done version of Austen's writing. This story is a completely unexpected surprise in that the narrative never goes where the reader anticipates, making it an enjoyable ride. The author does a superb job of making Austen's work come alive through the eyes of Claire as she closely examines the work in relation to her own life, causing deep introspection. I was thoroughly entertained and hope that Patillo writes more in this vein.

Fans will appreciate Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart

Having just lost her position as a pediatrician office manager in Kansas City, thirtyish Claire Prescott's nerves are frayed, but has no one to talk to about her fears. Her boyfriend Neil buries himself in a cocoon of and her sister Missy always turns to her for bail out since their parents died. In fact the latter is why she is at Christ Church in Oxford, England attending a seminar on Jane Austen where no college degree Claire will present Missy's scholarly paper on Pride and Prejudice.

Claire plans to spend the week temporarily fabricating her résumé so she can be like all these successful people who are judges, professors and stockbrokers, etc. When she meets James Beaufort of a Manhattan publishing firm family, she imagines him as a modern day Americanized Mr. Darcy; who is definitely not her type. Thus Claire starts with lies, but meets elderly Harriet, who suffers from early stages of dementia; yet presents a different version of the commonly accepted Pride and Prejudice that seems so much more realistic to Claire. Others want to meet Claire and her room is searched; obviously for the manuscript Harriet gave her. Unsure what to do next, Claire is stunned when Neil arrives.

Every time I think nothing new can happen to Jane Austen, a surprise refreshing spin occurs. The story line is fast-paced with plenty of suspense but is many ways is more of a character study. Claire is ashamed of herself and begins to understand her altruism re Missy has allowed her to hide her fears of life. Fans will appreciate Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart as the heroine must decide what Harriet should do with an earth shattering manuscript and what she should do with her life starting with Neil.

Harriet Klausner

Reimagining Passion!

Claire Prescott is helping out her sister again, something she's been doing ever since her parents died. Claire has recently lost her job as an officer manager for a pediatrician's office, and she is in a very fragile state, unsure of where she is heading in a career and questioning the non-relationship she has with her boyfriend, Neil, a sports fanatic whose life revolves more about sports than Claire. So imagine Claire's consternation when she agrees to give her sister's scholarly paper about Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen at Oxford University in England.

Imagine her consternation when she meets a swarthy, Mr. Darcy-type man, James, and she finds herself lying about her life, attempting to reinvent herself in the prospect of appearing more interesting. Lies and secrets abound not only in this electric meeting but also when she meets an elderly woman, Harriet, with rapidly approaching dementia but who seems to present an earlier version of Pride and Prejudice that doesn't quite match up with the version the world knows.

As she reads this earlier much more real account in snippets over the course of a week, several women and an Austen scholarly seem to want to spend a lot of time with Claire. A trashed room and several undisguised threats shake Claire to the core? To whom should she speak about the secret manuscript? Should she do anything with it? Or does she just read her paper, continue to engage in Austen discussions and leave for America, having experienced an adventure that has set her mind and heart afire with questions and doubts, as well as forced her to face some facts about her life she'd much rather ignore but now can't?

Add to the mixture the arrival of Neil and a series of confrontations that rock both their worlds!

Beth Pattillo mixes mystery, passion and intelligence with a professional touch few ever manage to master! This reviewer recommends this novel as one of the best books read this year! Wonderful, Ms. Pattillo! Keep writing! We want more!

Reviewed by Viviane Crystal on December 15, 2009

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