Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready

Photo taken from Goodread

Book Info

Title:  If I Stay

Author:  Gwyn Cready

Publisher:  Pocket

Language: English

Format:  Kindle Edition

Pages:  384 pages

ASIN:  B001D8QUMU

Source:  Purchased, Amazon

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Summary

From Amazon 

"In the second hilarious and sexy novel from author Gwyn Cready, a divorcée suffering from "carnal deprivation" has a racy one-night stand with one of literature's most irresistible heroes -- and learns that you really can't judge a book by its cover.

Mr. Darcy just isn't Flip Allison's style. She prefers novels with hot sex on the bathroom sink to the mannerly, high-tension longing of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. That is, until she pays a visit to Madame K, who promises a therapeutic massage with an opportunity to "Imagine Yourself in Your Favorite Book." Somehow, on the way to a sizzling sink-top session with a Venetian Adonis, Flip lands right in the middle of Regency England -- and dangerously close to handsome Mr. Darcy. So close, in fact, that she discovers a side of him even Jane Austen couldn't have imagined.

Waking from her massage, Flip is on top of the world and ready for her upcoming book club -- that is, until she notices a new scene in which Darcy and spunky heroine Lizzy Bennet are arguing over...Flip Allison? Her rapturous liaison with Darcy has had disastrous consequences for Austen's characters -- not to mention millions of Pride and Prejudice fans! Flip has twenty-four hours to put the story back on course, and Magnus Knightley, a sexy but imperious scholar whose brooding good looks and infuriating arrogance are decidedly Darcy-like, is the only one who can help. The only problem is, Flip can't keep her hands off him, either..."

 

Review

Reading this reminded me of the books I borrowed from my mother.  She's very fond of romance novels and when I began to get interested in reading longer books, I grabbed a book from her shelf.  I was quite young then, so imagine a 10-year-old girl reading the romantic misadventures of a Highland heroine - my mother never stopped me from reading, although she would at times get me age-appropriate books, but I like her books better because it's got better vocabulary, but of course the explicit seduction parts I mostly skipped.  My mother strictly made me do it.

I got interested by Seducing Mr. Darcy because of the title.  Who has never fallen in love with Mr. Darcy at some point while reading Pride and Prejudice?  I know I did.  And like every female, I wanted to get to know Mr. Darcy's ardent, passionate side.  Reading this book, like any romance novel worth its salt, this book enticed you and sucked you into its story.  Were it not for the fact that this was a digital copy, I would have finished this in one sitting.  As it was, life happens and it's easier to put down your Kindle than putting down an actual print book (take that, ARGH!).  But resuming reading, I was even more excited than when I first read it and found myself actually getting into the middle parts in less than an hour.  

The story was very fast-paced.  Because this happens within one day, you definitely sense the urgency but the details of each scene, the minor specifics were not merely sketched, they were well-drawn and vividly described.  The author ensures you never miss a thing, even in the most exciting parts.  

Which is what probably brings me to the first issue I had with this book:  Because it was full of details, how could this book explain the existence of the masseuse herself?  I know that she's essential into making this story work, but no background on her at all?  How did she come across such power?  No back story on that one?  Oh well, you can't have everything, I guess.  I don't want to risk running spoilers so I won't cite further examples.

The characters were very romance-novel credible.  They are strong, but they need love.  I like the fact that each character's voice was very distinct and evokes a specific image in the reader's mind.  

I don't think I would agree much that this book is another of those Pride and Prejudice remakes.  Sure, this story revolves around that novel, but it's only a setting for an elaborate and outrageous but interesting plot, but if anything, pride was only present, mostly in Magnus Knightley's character.  There was no prejudice, nothing of that sort in Flip or any of her friends.  Well Magnus was also a bit prejudiced about American women, but my point is that there is no pride in one character and prejudice in another that when combined together could compare with Austen's narration.  

One lesson I learned through reading most of my mother's romance novels:  Always expect some impossible twists - in this case, the dabbling into the paranormal was of course a bit impractical but it's what held the story up, what made it special and thrilling.  

On the whole, I enjoyed this book a lot.  I like the simple love story between Flip and Magnus - which is grounded more on sex, but what romance novel wasn't? - and liked the human portrayal of our beloved characters from Austen's book.  A lot of sexual references and sex scenes but once you get past that, the story is actually very simple and light.  An easy read after reflecting heavily on Pride and Prejudice - and of course, if Mr. Darcy left you hankering for more. :-D 

Rating

If you have any questions on this particular rating, please refer to my ratings system here.   

Notice

All opinions expressed in this book review are my own and not influenced by any party in any way.

 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

(Photo taken from Goodreads)

Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Author:  Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Publisher: Quirk Books

Language: English
ISBN-10:  1594743347

ISBN-13:  978-1594743344

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Rating: 

I previously said I'll be reading this but I ended up ditching it because it bored me.  Well, in between books, I tried to read a few pages and now I am done, hence this review.

At first I was really fascinated with the concept of introducing a completely bizarre story into the classics, helps stir things up and encourages a renewed interest in the books.  I even did a post on these book mashups and most of the commenters on that post said they have a copy of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.  I was also thinking of which book I could pick up, and thinking that this book is the most popular one, I know a friend who has a copy and borrowed this and started reading.  The first few chapters are funny and interesting, but I think all of you have experienced having a conversation with your parents/friends/anyone else you know where they always bring up this silly incident which makes you laugh the first few times but then the joke gets old pretty soon and all you could say when they repeat it again is, "Yeah, I think you already told me that story..." but they still insist on telling you about it again?  That's what happened in this book.  I loved Pride and Prejudice so much and I understand that that book, as well as Austen's other books are really very powerful that the magic of their stories transcends time.  I also like zombies although not too much to go gaga over them but enough to give me a laugh when I read about them, and it was interesting to see Austen's storyline being invaded by zombies.  But mere insertions of a zombie fight or some such thing is not really that riveting to me, it was just like reading Pride and Prejudice all over again, but this time it's like my mind is warping some of the passages that makes reading about zombies not very amusing.

I thought the book would be giving different twists and quirks and maybe that's what disappointed me so much.  I suppose I could not expect any of the major characters to die or turn into a zombie, but something to that effect could have been better, could have at least made the book more fascinating on its own, than relying on Austen's power and just tossing in some undead beings.  For me, it doesn't really matter if you don't stay too faithful to the original book, the point here is to create a new story from an old book and a new concept right?   This book had a lot of promise, but the execution was poorly done.

Of course, Austen's prim and proper manner of writing is preserved, the voice solid and clear, the characters charming and relatable.  I loved the graphic illustrations and the realistic tone of dialogue but that's where it stops.  If the story itself had been written with more creativity and force, this book could have been better.  I could not picture myself  buying this book and keeping it on my shelf to re-read it over and over.  Good thing I did not get this on my own, otherwise, I would be really kicking myself in the head right now for wasting a lot of money on something as useless as this book.

Mr. Darcy's Diary by Maya Slater

(Photo taken from Fantastic Fiction)

Title: Mr. Darcy's Diary

Author: Maya Slater
Publisher: Phoenix
Language: English
ISBN - 10: 0753822660
ISBN - 13: 978-0753822661
Rating:







Have you ever wondered what goes on in another person's mind while doing things? What do you think a butcher thinks while chopping off a large pound of meat? What a schoolteacher thinks while writing lectures on the board apart from the lesson at hand? What a man thinks while he is being lectured upon by his wife? In Mr. Darcy's Diary, a classic retelling of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice through Mr. Darcy's eyes explores this gentleman's mind frame through the entries in his diary. And I must say, the story is presented as seamlessly and as accurately as I could have imagined it. Fitzwilliam Darcy is my favorite character (don't we all?) as he often appears aloof, proud, and silent, and his personality alludes to mystery, which I always love. Which is why, as soon as I saw this book, I grabbed it from the shelf.

Mr. Darcy's Diary attempted to shed light on some mysteries in the original novel, giving the readers an understanding of Wickham's treachery, shedding light on Miss Caroline's true motives and feelings, and also showing a sympathetic, sensitive, and passionate man beneath the strong, reserved, and proud facade that is Mr. Darcy himself. I have always speculated about how the men feels in Pride and Prejudice, as the original novel seems to be more focused on the Bennet family. In this book, it served to make me love my favorite characters in the original novel more. Elizabeth definitely deserves a man as passionate and as in love with her as Mr. Darcy was. This diary is realistically written, with brief recollections of day-to-day events in Mr. Darcy's life, yet never seeming to lose any detail.

The author has also brought humor to the book through the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Peebles, his valet. The latter's obsession with his master's grooming and fashion provides some comedic banters and lightens an otherwise brooding and serious story.

Before reading this book, I actually reread Pride and Prejudice again, just so I won't be easily fooled by this book, but to my pleasant surprise, the story in this book blended seamlessly into the original novel, it was like reading an actual sequel. Hands down to Maya Slater - this was a risky endeavor for her - Pride and Prejudice is one of the most well-loved of the classics, and a careless handling of its story may prove fatal for the story, if not for the one who wrote it. But reading through this book, I would have not wanted it any other way.

A lesson in pride: this book showed how Mr. Darcy has shed his pride in the face of true love. As you read through the passages of his diary, you'll be shocked at how this proud man crumbled in the face of rejection and loneliness, and how it helped him become the man that finally deserved Elizabeth's love.

A lesson in empathy: this book teaches the reader that other people have minds and feelings too, despite their outward reactions and affectations, inside they have their own thoughts, not all of which may be agreeable or nice, or, in Mr. Darcy's case, not very "Mr. Darcy."