Needs more Darcy (Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter)

Member Name: blackviolets

Product:	Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter
Date:	04/07/09 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Does what it says on the cover.

Disadvantages: Doesn't really get into the characters.

There's something about Mr Darcy which appeals greatly to me. Yet I have never read Pride and Prejudice, neither have I watched the recent film with Kiera Knightly or the TV production with the lovely Colin Firth. So why on earth would I bother to pick up a book with his name on it, when I know nothing of him.

Me and Mr Darcy is not the typical sort of book I would usually read. Just looking at the cover makes me think of the usual not that great romantic fiction which seem to cover the vast majority of my local library or book shop. I instantly think office affairs/divorce/single mum or dad/soppy and predictable endings...

However the words Mr Darcy made me ignore the frankly boring and unimaginative cover and glance briefly at the back to read the blurb. To be honest that didn't do much to spark any interest either, until the last few lines!

'...then she walks into a room and finds herself face to face with Darcy himself.'

Well that was that then, saying as I've always thought about what it would be like to meet the living man.
Me and Mr Darcy is written by Alexandra Potter, no, I'd never heard of her before either but my friend has since said that she has produced a few other books which, according to her are somewhat decent.

She was born in Bradford but has spent time living in the USA and Australia. I intially thought that she was an american from how she describes a certain Emiy Albright from LA visiting England for the first time. Talking about how excited she was at how polite the brits were, mentioning the cockney slang and the discovery of midget gems.
The book in itself is dare I say it, quite good. But I think its definetly more suited for the female reader.

Emily Albright works in a bookstore with her friend Stella. She enjoys living in New York but has had more disastrous dates that's enough to put any woman off. Ranging from a man who insists on paying only for what he's eaten, to another who blew her out at the last minute only to see him in the seat behind with his tongue down somebody elses mouth.

Despite the pleading of her best friend Stella who wants her to go to a margarita drinking Mexico holiday for new years, she strangely finds a leaflet just at the right moment for a week in England, for Jane Austen lovers. Coincidently there happens to only be one place left and she gets the ticket.

Although she is enthralled by what she sees when arriving, seeing a coach full of grey haired pensioners was not what she was expecting, even less so of a man around about her age. Naturally she dislikes him, with his cocky arrogance and unnatural amount of self assurance. Especially when he is only there because of being a journalist and it's not as if he chose this report to do. All on Mr Darcy of course.

When you're a lot younger a sign which says 'do not enter' or 'don't touch anything' can be very tempting. That's not to say it differs when you reach your late 20s. Finding herself tired that's exactly what Emily does. Seeing nobody about she props herself into the very chair which the famous Miss Austen would of once sat in. Maybe even using the very same quill in front of her.

"Can I help you?" The first time we encounter Mr Darcy.
It's likely that the times she claps eyes on him, she's very tired, or drunk or maybe just plainly out of her mind. Or is she? When another member of the tour happens to pipe up when he comes into sight that he 'is not a patch on Colin Firth' something must be up.

Mr Darcy does not feature much in the story, maybe that was wise considering there's only so much of his personality you can fit into it. I'm not sure whether it was this book or ITVs Lost in Austen which came first but there are definite similarities between the two. I can't help but think that one of them got the idea from the other. Considering that Me and Mr Darcy was only published in the year 2007. I don't know when Lost in Austen came about.

But nows not the time to start speculating, this book can fill a few hours of boredom. Maybe more so in the evening when the TV isn't on. It surprised me how much I enjoyed reading it, but sadly I wouldn't buy the book, I may take it out of the library from time to time but that's all as it's not really worth £7. I feel that it's best to read in one sitting other wise you could lose the interest in it.

Summary: .