Dreaming of Mr. Darcy - A Review by Jakki Leatherberry

Fledging illustrator and Darcy fanatic Kay Ashton settles in the seaside town of Lyme to finish her book, The Illustrated Darcy, when a film company arrives to make a new adaptation of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Kay is soon falling for the handsome bad boy actor playing Captain Wentworth, but it's the quiet screenwriter Adam Craig who has more in common with her beloved Mr. Darcy. Though still healing from a broken heart, Adam finds himself unexpectedly in love with Kay. But it will take more than good intentions to convince her that her real happy ending is with him. (from the Publisher - Sourcebooks)

In Dreaming of Mr. Darcy,* Kay Ashton lives in her own dream world, forever dreaming of “the perfect hero.” But what does he look like? Is he the libidinous and charming Oli Wade Owen, who just happens to be playing the role of Captain Wentworth, or the compassionate and gentlemanly Adam Crain, or does he exist only in Kay’s dreams?

In her quest for the perfect hero, Kay faces many obstacles.  She chooses to overlook many signs that she is currently heading down the same road her mother traveled, always falling in love with the wrong man, never finding Mr. Right. With her wild imagination, Kay imagines that there is more to her relationships than there really is. When her hero winks at her, Kay’s imagination is let loose, taking them from innocent flirtation to marital bliss.  Kay fails to see that guys do this all the time. Disregarding red flag after red flag, Kay is continually setting herself up for another heartache.

While searching for her perfect hero, Kay takes on the role of a matchmaker. Believing Gemma and Adam like each other, in true Emma Woodhouse fashion, Kay does her best to get these two to see just how much they love each other, all the while missing signs that prove otherwise.

As much as I wanted to grab Kay by the shoulders and shake the dreamer out of her, I do have to give Victoria Connelly credit for creating characters readers recognize and can relate to. Kay typifies those women who think they will be the one to change their dream guy, the ones who are willing to sacrifice their desires and goals in order to make a man happy.  We all know someone like that, and I am sure readers can also recognize an ex-boyfriend in Oli and an insecure, yet sweet, friend in Gemma.

Although I thought Connelly captured human nature and tendencies in her characters, the one thing I found unbelievable was how quickly her characters fell in love. After their first day together, Adam is ready to declare his love to Kay. It’s not that this cannot be done; I just think Connelly failed to execute this in a believable manner.

While I did not enjoy this novel as much as her first, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, I am looking forward to see what Victoria Connelly’s has in store with the third novel in her Jane Austen Addicts trilogy, Mr. Darcy Forever.

*Titled in the UK as The Perfect Hero; I believe that is the perfect title for the book, considering that it is also the book’s main theme.

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is available on Barnes & Noble.

Dreaming of Mr. Darcy is available on Amazon. 

4.5 Stars for Captain Wentworth - Home from the Sea

I'm so pleased with a review I received from Meredith at Austenesque Reviews for my novella, Captain Wentworth - Home from the Sea. Here is a part of her review:

My favorite aspect about this novella (and every novel I've read by Mary Simonsen) is her accurate renderings and illustrative augmentations of Jane Austen's characters. I adored Mrs. Simonsen's depiction of Anne; she was so patient and compassionate, and I enjoyed seeing her tender nature with Frederick.


To read the full review, please click here.

Physiognomy and Jane Austen

While reading Patricia Meyer Spacks Annotated Pride and Prejudice, I read a footnote in reference to the following statement from Elizabeth (in speaking to Jane): “I can much more easily believe Mr. Bingley’s being imposed on, than that Mr. Wickham should invent such a history of himself as he gave me last night; names, facts, every thing mentioned without ceremony. If it be not so, let Mr. Darcy contradict it. Besides there was truth in his looks.”

My take on that quote was that Elizabeth believed Wickham’s tale because he was an accomplished liar and gave nothing away by his facial expressions. But according to Spacks, there was more to it than that:

“Interest in physiognomy, a pseudo-science that purports to read character from facial expression, was widespread in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries... Joseph Kaspar Lavater, a Swiss clergyman, wrote an extensive treatise on the subject (1778). Translated into English in 1793, it exercised considerable influence. Austen, however, is skeptical. A propensity to judge people on the basis of their looks turns up again in Emma, where Emma’s initial enthusiasm for Harriet Smith is based mainly on the girl’s “soft blue eyes” and her “look of sweetness.” Both Elizabeth and Jane have consistently cited Wickham’s looks as evidence of his amiability and authenticity.”

According to Wikipedia, physiognomy is the assessment of a person's character or personality from his outer appearance, especially the face… The practice was well-accepted by the ancient Greek philosophers, but fell into disrepute in the Middle Ages…. The popularity of physiognomy grew throughout the 18th century and into the 19th century, and it was discussed seriously by academics, who saw a lot of potential in it. Many European novelists used physiognomy in the descriptions of their characters, notably Balzac and Chaucer… A host of other 19th century English authors were influenced by the idea, notably evident in the detailed physiognomic descriptions of characters in the novels of Dickens, Thomas Hardy and Charlotte Bronte.”

My question is: In the above quote, was Austen referencing physiognomy when Elizabeth spoke of Mr. Wickham’s “looks?” Spacks states that in regard to physiognomy, “Austen, however, is skeptical,” but then suggests that Austen was referencing this pseudo-science in Emma’s description of Harriet Smith. Was she also referring to physiognomy in Lizzy and Jane's exchange? Personally, I think it’s a bit of a stretch OR I may be making too much out of it. What do you think?

Review of Becoming Elizabeth Darcy

May I brag? I received a wonderful review from Kimberly at Reflections of a Book Addict for Becoming Elizabeth Darcy. Here is part of it:

I feel that Simonsen has a great balance between these themes of humor and seriousness, and this makes the novel an exciting and fulfilling addition to the fan fiction world.  Simonsen has once again shown that she can tackle any JAFF genre and is a force to be reckoned with.  I cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!


Thank you, Kimberly. I hope you will stop by and read the entire review.

Conspicuous By Its Absence

Et Tu, Brute!

Do you every wonder where a particular phrase originated? I can actually hear you nodding. One of those phrases is "conspicuous by its absence." So I looked it up. According to Brush Up Your Classics by Michael Macrone (a book I picked up from a remainder table), it goes back to Imperial Rome. It has been attributed to the Roman Chronicler Tacitus in a description of the funeral of Junia Tertulla, the sister of Marcus Brutus, one of Julius Caesar's assassins, and the wife of Cassius, Brutus's co-conspirator.

"Though she died sixty-three years after Marc Antony defeated Brutus and Cassius at Philippi in 44 B.C., her relatives' crimes had not been forgotten. The emperor Tiberius, a rather touchy individual, might have been expected to bear a grudge because his stepfather was Caesar Augustus, Julius's nephew. But in rare show of restraint, Tiberius allowed Junia a ceremonial funeral." Among the statues lining the funeral route, conspicuous by their absence were monuments of her brother and husband.

British Prime Minister John Russell used the phrase in his 1859 address to the Electors of the City of London. He was referring to a provision lacking in a reform bill. O'Henry used it as well, and if you care, so have I.

So there you have it. Mystery solved!

Time Travel on Austen Authors

Today, I have a post on Austen Authors talking about time travel. In my novel, Becoming Elizabeth Darcy, Beth Hannigan, a 26-year old American, wakes up in the body of Elizabeth Darcy in 1826. What would she have found in the late Regency Era. More importantly, if you could travel through time, where would you go and who would you meet? I hope you will join me.

Jakki's Review of Robin Helm's SoulFire

In the second volume of The Guardian Trilogy, Fitzwilliam Darcy, powerful Chief of all guardian angels, adjusts to life with a dual nature. An angel/human, Darcy seeks to win the love of his beautiful partner in SoulFire Ministries, Elizabeth Bennet, as they travel together across the country. While keeping his true identity hidden, Darcy joins archangels Michael and Gabriel in defending and protecting Elizabeth from the schemes and trickery of Gregory, the Dark Prince, and Lucifer, his father. The question remains, will Elizabeth find the strength within herself to forgive Darcy for his secrecy after she discovers that he was her guardian angel, or will Gregory be ultimately successful in separating this match made in heaven? (From the Publisher)

Balance is an important component in any novel. In SoulFire, Robin Helm creates a perfect combination of wit, romance, and scripture, fused together to gain and maintain the reader's attention. Throughout the book, the balance between humor and angst moves the plot along nicely. Helm weaves them together so cleverly; there is a natural ebb and flow to the storyline. The banter between Gabriel, Michael, and Darcy is witty, while providing the comic relief needed to offset the angst-filled parts. Also helping to offset the tension created by Gregory and his minions are the affectionate scenes between Darcy and Elizabeth. After Elizabeth tells Darcy she loves him, he quotes the Song of Solomon, creating a tender scene. However, Gregory, Lucifer, and their demons will stop at nothing to break up the couple and the SoulFire tour. After being tested time and again, will Darcy and Elizabeth's love be strong enough to overcome deceit and betrayal?

The clever way Helm alludes to events and popular quotes from Austen's text only serves to draw the reader in. As Darcy is not one to easily converse with those with whom he is not intimate, he remarks how it was easier for him, as Daniel's guardian angel, to close the mouths of lions than it is to strike up a conversation with Elizabeth. On the other side, there is the charming Gregory who tells Elizabeth that Darcy cannot be trusted as he has known him for years. These parallels continue throughout the novel, and it was fun trying to pick these out and see Helm's spin on them.

Another area where Helm shows expertise is by incorporating scripture into the text. If the reader is open, she can hear God speak through the pages. It is truly amazing how many names God has and how each one is specific to one of His attributes. Though there are scriptures in the text, the reader does not have to be a Christian in order to enjoy this Pride and Prejudice variation.

While I enjoyed the novel, there were times when Helm's exposition seemed superfluous. While Elizabeth is performing a piano concert in Toronto, Helm expounds for several paragraphs about the concert. It seemed unnecessary as I could not see its purpose to the story.

I have said before in my reviews that I love it when an author evokes an array of emotions from me. That holds true with SoulFire. From the joy felt by the lighthearted banter to the agony felt from characters being hurt both physically and emotionally, the reader's emotions are fully engaged.

At he end of the novel, Helm leaves the characters and readers with many questions. I am anxiously awaiting Helm's third and final book in the Guardian Trilogy, Legacy.

SoulFire is available from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

Review of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is based on the true story of a mole buried deep inside the British Intelligence Services in the 1950s. In the film, the story is moved forward to the 1960s. In the purge following the capture of a British agent in Budapest and the subsequent debacle, Intelligence Officer George Smiley is sent packing from the Circus, the headquarters in London for British spies. But when evidence surfaces proving the existence of a mole, Smiley (Gary Oldham) is asked to investigate and ferret out the spy in their midst. Possible suspects include Bill Hayden (Colin Firth) and Roy Bland (Ciarnan Hinds).

Cumberbatch and Oldham

The story’s setting is the 1960s in an unscrubbed London: soot-stained buildings, dirty windows, and gloomy skies set the stage. It is a time of bad tailoring, bell bottoms, dress patterns you should only see on upholstered furniture, and bad haircuts. Colin Firth is either wearing a hair extension or he has the biggest head in England. Benedict Cumberbatch (George Smiley’s right-hand man, Peter Guilliam) gives us an idea of what Justin Bieber will look like when he grows up. As for my daughter’s crush, Tom Hardy, he looks like a poster boy for an STD-prevention campaign.

Review of Caroline Bingley by Jakki Leatherberry

From the back jacket of Jennifer Becton's Caroline Bingley: "When Charles Bingley and Mr. Darcy made proposals of marriage to the Bennet sisters at the end of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Caroline Bingley was both distressed by her brother's choice of bride and humiliated by Mr. Darcy's rejection of her... Now banished from her brother's household, Caroline must return to her mother's home in the north of England until she can make amends with both Bennet sisters... Instead, she seeks an alternative route back into society in the form of Mr. William Charlton, heir to a barony… However, she must also contend with her vexing emotions regarding Mr. Patrick Rushton... When all that Caroline has ever dreamed of attaining… is finally within her reach, will she grasp for it even if it means disregarding the workings of her own heart? Or will she cast off the trappings of society and give herself to true love?"

Pride & Prejudice Trailer - Beauty and the Beast

Thanks to Billie Barrett and Barbara Tiller Cole for finding this.

Daylesford House, Gloucestershire, Chimney-piece

Daylesford House, Gloucestershire Chimneypiece*

A night of entertainment at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Phillips:


When this information was given, and they had all taken their seats, Mr. Collins was at leisure to look around him and admire, and he was so much struck with the size and furniture of the apartment, that he declared he might almost have supposed himself in the small summer breakfast parlour at Rosings; a comparison that did not at first convey much gratification; but when Mrs. Phillips understood from him what Rosings was, and who was its proprietor, when she listened to the description of only one of Lady Catherine's drawing-rooms, and found that the chimney-piece alone had cost eight hundred pounds, she felt all the force of the compliment, and would hardly have resented a comparison with the housekeeper's room.


I think even Lady Catherine would have been impressed by this chimney-piece. Jane Austen visited Daylesford in 1806. It was the home of Warren Hastings, the first Governor General of India.

Review of Mr. Darcy's Letter by Jakki Leatherberry

I love books, but because I write books, I don't like to comment on the work of other authors. On the other hand, I know my readers would like to know when a good novel comes out, especially an Austen re-imaging. To that end, I have asked Jakki Leatherberry to help me out, and she has agreed to post her reviews on my blog. For her debut, she has chosen to review Abigail Reynolds' Mr. Darcy's Letter.

Abigail Reynolds writes another Darcylicious novel, Mr. Darcy's Letter. Reynolds's decision to have Elizabeth not read Darcy's letter after his disastrous proposal changes many of the events in the story. In this version, there are a few more misunderstandings between Darcy and Elizabeth; however, I feel they add to the storyline and the relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth.

Vignette - The Marriage of Antony, Lord Fitzwilliam

In Pride and Prejudice, we learn that Darcy's cousin, Colonel Fitzwilliam, is the younger son of an earl. But what about his brother, the heir? I have decided that the colonel’s brother has already succeeded to the title, and like so many titled gentlemen of the Regency Era, he is a rake, a gambler, and a seducer.Antony has appeared in my novels, The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy and A Wife for Mr. Darcy. He is married to the Evil Eleanor and is thoroughly unhappy in his marriage, but he also has a heart of gold. My original character has become quite popular, and I have received many requests to write a story about Antony, the Earl of Stepton, and so here it is.

The Marriage of Antony, Lord Fitzwilliam, to Lady Eleanor Henley

As Lord Fitzwilliam climbed the stairs to the nursery of his London townhouse, he thought about the two little girls who were waiting for their dear Papa to tuck them in. He was always at his best when his children were on parole from their mother, the Evil Eleanor, Queen of Darkness, now residing at Briarwood in Kent. But as long as Lady Eleanor haunted the halls of the ancestral seat of the Earls of Stepton, he would call London home.

After dismissing his daughters’ nurse with a wave of his hand and a finger to his lips, he tiptoed to their shared bed. Looking at the lovely Sophia and Amelia, with their long, golden tresses cascading over their pillows, he noted how kind Nature had been to his children. They had inherited their father’s blond hair, cornflower blue eyes, and adorable dimples, and from their mother, they had inherited… He paused while gazing at his two lovelies. Surely, they have something from Eleanor, Antony thought as he continued to study his children. But when nothing came to mind, he decided to have a look at their feet after they had fallen asleep to see if they had any extra toes.

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy - On Sale

The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy is on sale on Amazon in paperback for $6.00. That is 60% off the original price. It also qualifies for free supersaver shipping. Who could possibly resist?