Dreaming of Mr Darcy

Dreaming of Mr Darcy
Victoria Connelly
Sourcebooks, 2012

 Since she first met him, Kay Ashton has dreamed of Mr. Darcy. Actually, she loves all of Jane's heroes, but her special favorite is Mr. Darcy. Until the day she moves to Lyme-Regis, purchases Wentworth House and opens a bed & breakfast. Nestled in the heart of Jane-country, Kay finds herself unexpectedly housing the cast of a new film adaptation of Persuasion. Including the smashingly handsome Oli, playing Capt. Wentworth. Kay falls. Head-over-heels. The stuff dreams are made of, coming true before her very eyes. Or are they?

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is one of those fun reads filled with quirky, human characters you could easily see yourself curling up for cocoa with. And, of course, there are tons of Austen references (which automatically make it an awesome read)! I loved Kay's responses and reactions to the unexpected changes occurring in her life - from making her dream come true to becoming friends with movie stars, Kay takes life in stride with a smile and a daydream. She's a character I could relate to, as was shy Gemma. And, of course, what fun romantic comedy of a novel doesn't have intriguing male leads?! Connelly delivers on this score as well, and as much as I wanted to dislike charmer Oli, he did get under my skin. My only problem with the story is that everyone is so in love with Persuasion - but that's just because I fail to see the attraction in Anne Elliot. And hey, I'm more than willing to let others (even fictional characters) have their own personal favorites, if they allow me mine.

Definitely a great summer-y read, and I'm looking forward to more from Connelly!

eARC provided by publisher for review.