Saturday, December 28, 2013

Book Review: Undressing Mr. Darcy

Undressing Mr. DarcyAuthor: Karen Doornebos
Publication Date: December 3, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Trade

Thirty-five-year-old American social media master Vanessa Roberts lives her thoroughly modern life with aplomb. So when her elderly Jane Austen centric aunt needs her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, a very private man from England who’s written a book called My Year as Mr. Darcy, Vanessa agrees. But she’s not excessively diverted,” as Jane Austen would say.

Hardbound books, teacups, and quill pens fly in the face of her e-reader, coffee, and smartphone
.

Until she sees Julian take his tight breeches off for his Undressing Mr. Darcy show, an educational striptease” down to his drawers to promote his book and help save his crumbling estate. The public relations expert suddenly realizes things have gotten
personal. But can this old-fashioned man claim her heart without so much as a GPS? It will take three festivals filled with Austen fans, a trip to England, an old frenemy, and a flirtatious pirate re-enactor to find out.


The conversion has begun. It’s in your blood. Resistance is futile.” He looked into her eyes and took a step backward. “You’re becoming an Austen fan.”

Sex sells, even to smart, liberated women, and Mr. Darcy was the smart girl’s pinup boy.

Was Vanessa the only American woman who didn’t swoon over men with British accents?

She had gotten a glimpse of the man beneath the Darcy trappings, and, oddly enough, she liked what she saw.

This was just the taste of Jane Austen I needed to bring in the New Year! I wouldn’t consider myself a rabid Janeite, much like Vanessa’s aunt in this story, but I do love reading a good Jane Austen retelling every once in a while. Of course this is a modern retelling with a few added twists, and what I enjoyed most was the walk through Jane’s life as our heroine, Vanessa Roberts, visits London! Vanessa’s Jane Austen-centric aunt has asked her to take on the public relations for Julian Chancellor, who has just written a book called, My Year as Mr. Darcy. Vanessa half-heartedly agrees. Little does she know where this new journey will take her and all the things that Jane Austen is waiting to teach her!

My favorite part of this book was learning all about the Jane Austen conventions that I am sure go on every year here and in London. As I mentioned earlier, I would not consider myself an avid Janeite, but I do have an interest in her books and her life. I learned many, many things just by reading this book. I got to witness the lives of people who really do love and admire Jane Austen to the utmost. This was a perfect inside look into a Janeite’s passion for someone like me. I developed a stronger understanding and more knowledge of what the term “Janeite” really means.

The revelation for me and the main character, Vanessa Roberts, came at the end of this book. Vanessa finds herself in England for the celebrated ten day Jane Austen festival. Vanessa is set about on a scavenger hunt through London when all of life’s woes begin to weigh heavy on her. She begins to questions all the things going on in her life. Vanessa realizes somewhere in the midst of all this what Jane Austen really means to her aunt and she begins to realize the lesson that Jane Austen was trying to teach her as well!

***A HUGE thank you to the publishers at Berkley Trade for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review***

 


4 comments:

  1. Hey! Thanks for stopping by my blog(: This book sounds kind of amazing..I'll have to check it out!
    Happy reading
    Jackie

    http://nobentspines.blogspot.com/

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  2. This sounds like a really interesting book! I've always wanted to read some Jane Austen retellings! New follower (:

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  3. Great review! I've not heard of this book before until now and it sounds really interesting... going to add it to my TBR.
    Thanks for stopping by and I follow back.
    Amie @Magic of Words

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  4. This sounds really great! I haven't read any Jane Austen yet, though. *cowers in ball* don't hurt me! I plan to try her soon, but I feel like I'll like the retellings more- what can I say, I'm a 21st century girl.
    Great review!
    Esty @ Boarding with Books

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