really good for a quick read. Sappily romantic, but had me not wanting to put it down!! I was sucked in hoping for happy endings. Nothing earth shattering, but a good quick vacation read! ( )

The first book I've read by this author, and I found it an enjoyable light read. There are two complex romantic threads, with two rather different couples, although three out of the four are huge fans of Jane Austen, and meet at a long weekend conference in celebration of the author.

The writing is crisps and very readable, the characters are three dimensional, and the conclusion, if a tad predicable, is entirely satisfactory. There are a lot of Austen references, but it's not necessary to understand them all to enjoy this book.

Nothing heavy, and not a huge amount of plot, but above average for light romantic women's fiction, and I'd recommend it to anyone who likes this genre and is looking for a few hours of escapism - particularly if you're a Jane Austen fan.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-weekend-with-mr-darcy-by-victoria... ( )

A book that does what it says on the cover. A Weekend with Mr Darcy, by Victoria Connelly, is a gentle, humorous chic lit intricately linked to the works of Jane Austen. It tells the story of two women with disastrous love lives who find love and happiness through a Jane Austen Conference.

There were a few places in the plot where I felt that the story could have been tighter. For example the student at the beginning of the book who never reappears, or the various other characters, at the conference, who seemed to hang around but not add much such as the nameless next door neighbour. There were some interesting characters, my favourite was Dorris Norris, but I felt that they didn’t develop after their first introduction. The character of Jace annoyed me and I felt it difficult to relate to him. Nadia seemed pointless, instead why couldn’t have it been Mrs Soames after she caught Warwick in the church writing.

The main characters were too simply good looking for me to relate. Also the idea that an English Literature lecturer can’t read easy chic lit because it’s inappropriate for their position. I would find it easier to believe that they read lots of it, particularly on holidays, just like the rest of us.

Regardless of these flaws, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I loved how it incorporated the works of Jane Austen into the book, although maybe a little reliant on Pride and Prejudice. I thought that Victoria Connelly entwined the two separate stories of Katherine and Robyn well, particularly in the first half of the book. It was easy to read, I didn’t stop and start or have to flick back to check what I’d read on the previous paragraph or page.

I’d recommend to anyone interested in Jane Austen and wanting a relaxing easy chic lit read.
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Cute premise and I wanted to like the story, but the overblown and eye-rolling prose/dialogue (and over-the-top stereotypical characterizations) made me put this book down halfway through. This book follows several individuals as they embark on a Jane Austen fan weekend in the English countryside. Katherine is an esteemed professor of Jane Austen whose stunning good looks are so troublesome for her ("bee-stung" lips, really?) that men fall all over her without getting to know who she really is. (Katherine's developing relationship with an admirer at the weekend getaway is the main reason I stopped reading, I don't want to spoil it for you but it's so full of tropes that I just couldn't keep going with this story.) Robyn is an administrative assistant with a long-term boyfriend she just can't quite seem to break up with. I have not read this author before, and in places it seemed like the stiffly written and cringe-y prose may have been a nod to the more formal writings of Jane Austen. But the prose and unbelievable behavior of the characters made it difficult for me to relax into and enjoy this story, and I couldn't bring myself to care enough about the characters to continue (although I like Robyn the most). Two stars is a little harsh, my actual rating is closer to 2.75 stars. ( )

this is a fun summer read. It's a fast read, one I really didn't want to put down. It made me wonder if there really are weekends like this and if there really are people that addicted to Jane Austen. Fun and I'm glad I read it. ( )