Weekend with Mr. Darcy

Chapter 1

Dr Katherine Roberts couldn’t help thinking that a university lecturer in possession of a pile of paperwork must be in want of a holiday. She leant back in her chair and surveyed her desk. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Outside, the October sunshine was golden and glorious and she was shut up in her book-lined tomb of an office. Removing her glasses and pinching the bridge of her nose, she looked at the leaflet that was lying beside a half-eaten salad sandwich, which had wilted hours before. The heading was in a beautiful bold script that looked like old-fashioned handwriting. Purley Hall, Church Stinton, Hampshire, it read. Set in thirty-five acres of glorious parkland, this early eighteenth-century house is the perfect place in which to enjoy your Jane Austen weekend. Join a host of special guest speakers and find out more about England’s favourite novelist. Katherine looked at the photograph of the handsome red-bricked Georgian mansion taken from the famous herbaceous borders. With its long sweep of lawn and large sash windows, it was the quintessential English country house, and it was very easy to imagine a whole host of Jane Austen characters walking through its rooms and gardens. ‘And I will be too,’ Katherine said to herself. It was the third year she’d been invited to speak at the Jane Austen weekend, and rumour had it that novelist Lorna Warwick was going to make an appearance too. Katherine bit her lip. Lorna Warwick was her favourite author—after Jane Austen, of course. Miss Warwick was a huge bestseller, famous for her risqué Regency romances of which she published one perfect book a year. Katherine had read them all from the very first—Marriage and Magic—to A Bride for Lord Burford, published just a month earlier, and which Katherine had devoured in one evening at the expense of a pile of essays she should have been grading. She thought of the secret bookshelves in her study at home and how they groaned deliciously under the weight of Miss Warwick’s work. How her colleagues would frown and fret at such horrors as popular fiction! How quickly would she be marched from her Oxford office and escorted from St Bridget’s College if they knew of her wicked passion? ‘Dr Roberts,’ Professor Compton would say, his hairy eyebrows lowered over his beady eyes, ‘you really do surprise me.’ ‘Why because I choose to read some novels purely for entertain­ment?’ Katherine would say to him, remembering Jane Austen’s own defence of the pleasures of novels in Northanger Abbey. ‘Professor Compton, you really are a dreadful snob!’ But it couldn’t be helped. Lorna Warwick’s fiction was Katherine’s secret vice, and if her stuffy colleagues ever found out, she would be banished from Oxford before you could say Sense and Sensibility.

To Katherine’s mind, it wasn’t right that something that could give as much pleasure as a novel could be so reviled. Lorna Warwick had confessed to being on the receiving end of such condescen­sion too and had been sent some very snobby letters in her time. Perhaps that was why Katherine’s own letter had caught the eye of the author. It had been about a year earlier when Katherine had done something she’d never ever done before—she’d written a fan letter and posted it in care of Miss Warwick’s publisher. It was a silly letter really, full of gushing and admiration and Katherine had never expected a reply. Nevertheless, within a fortnight, a beautiful cream envelope had dropped onto her doormat containing a letter from the famous writer. How lovely to receive your letter. You have no idea what it means to me to be told how much you enjoy my novels. I often get some very strange letters from readers telling me that they always read my novels but that they are complete trash! Katherine had laughed and their bond had been sealed. After that, she couldn’t stop. Every moment that wasn’t spent reading a Lorna Warwick novel was spent writing to the woman herself and each letter was answered. They talked about all sorts of things—not just books. They talked about films, past relationships, their work, fashion, Jane Austen, and if men had changed since Austen’s times and if one could really expect to find a Mr Darcy outside the pages of a novel. Katherine then had dared to ask Lorna if she was attending the conference at Purley Hall and it had gone quiet, for more than two weeks. Had Katherine overstepped the boundaries? Had she pushed things too far? Maybe it was one thing exchanging letters with a fan but quite another to meet a fan in the flesh. Just as Katherine had given up all hope, though, a letter had arrived.

Dear Katherine,

I’m so sorry not to have replied sooner but I’ve been away and I still can’t answer your question as to whether or not I’ll be at Purley. We’ll just have to wait and see.

Yours truly, Lorna

It seemed a very odd sort of reply, Katherine thought. If Lorna Warwick was going to be at Purley, surely the organisers would want to know as she’d be the biggest name and the main pull because she was famously reclusive. In comparison to the bestselling novelist, Katherine was just a dusty fusty old lecturer. Well, young lecturer, actually; she was in her early thirties, but she knew that people would come and listen to her talks only because they were true Janeites. At these conferences, anyone speaking about Jane Austen was instantly adored and held in great esteem. In fact, any sort of activity with even the lamest connection to Austen was pursued and enjoyed, from Jane Austen Scrabble to Murder in the Dark which, one year, ended in uproar when it was discovered that Anne Elliot had somehow managed to murder Captain Wentworth. Katherine smiled as she remembered, and then, trying to put thoughts of Purley out of her mind, she made a start on the pile of papers to her left that was threatening to spill onto the floor. It was mostly rubbish that had accumulated as the term had progressed. It was what she called her ‘tomorrow pile,’ except she’d run out of tomorrows.

With fingers as dextrous as a concert pianist’s, she filed, threw away and recycled until she could see the glorious wood of her desk again. She was just about to pick up her handbag and briefcase when there was a knock on the door. ‘Come in,’ she said, wondering who was calling so late in the day without an appointment. The door opened and a tousled head popped round. ‘Stewie,’ she said, sighing inwardly as one of her students stum­bled into the room. Stewie Harper was in his first term studying English literature and he’d spent most of that time banging on her office door.

A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly appealed to me because 1) the title. Who wouldn’t want to spend a weekend with Mr. Darcy? 2)It’s a Jane Austen variation. I’m a huge fan of all things Jane. I love reading about people who love her as much as I do.
A Weekend With Mr. Darcy is set in modern day during a weekend with a bunch of Jane Austen addicts. There are two story-lines that mingle quite often. The first storyline centers around Dr. Katherine Roberts. She is unlucky in-love and has some trust issues. She’s developed a pen-pal relationship/friendship with her favorite author, Lorna Warwick. However Katherine doesn’t know that Lorna Warwick is really a man named Warwick Lawton. Warwick has fallen in love with Katherine’s letter and decides to attend the Jane Austen weekend in order to finally meet her.
The second story-line focuses on Robyn and Dan. Robyn’s life is a routine of sorts. She’s been with the same man since high school. Robyn doesn’t love Jace and is trying to find the courage to break up with him. He follows her to Hampshire and makes a bit of a pest out of himself. Robyn’s life gets even more complicated when she meets Dan. Dan is a breath of fresh air that makes Robyn begin to believe in happily ever after.
This is a great book to read. I loved it from beginning to end. There are several laugh out loud moments. The characters are well developed and fun to read. The supporting characters are really great also. I loved reading both story-lines. I couldn’t get enough. There is a perfect quote on the cover that fits this novel to a T. It says "The course of true love never does run smooth when Jane Austen makes the rules.." Victoria Connelly has a witty sense of humor that translates well onto paper. This book is a total win for me and if you love Jane Austen variations you should check it out. Other reasons to read this book include:

1. Undressing Mr. Darcy
2. Handsome men on horseback
3. Bennets and Bonnets


I’m so glad I read this book and I am now Victoria Connelly’s newest fan.


It is no secret that I am obsessed with all things Jane Austen. I remember flipping through a People magazine as a teenager back in 1996. I saw an ad for an intriguing looking mini-series on A&E, Pride and Prejudice. I had heard of the novel by Jane Austen, but hadn’t read it at that time (and strangely it was never taught about it my high school). I didn’t have cable TV at home at the time, so I had my Dad’s girlfriend tape it for me (back in the glory days of VHS tapes). My sister Kristi and I sat down and watched it for a six-hour marathon, and we loved it. My best friends Jenn and Elina also watched it and we could talk of nothing else, but Pride and Prejudice and Mr. Darcy. It was also during this time frame that I saw the Emma Thompson Sense and Sensibility in the movie theatre with friends for the first time. Soon I was picking up my first copy of the novel Pride and Prejudice while I was visiting my soon to be future college, Michigan Technological University. I read it and admired it even more than the mini-series (although I would be picturing Mr. Darcy as Colin Firth as I read the novel). Soon I was reading all of Jane Austen’s other novels, reading biographies of Ms. Austen, watching any and all adaptations, reading spin-offs, sequels, modern take-offs, etc. Sixteen years later, the obsession hasn’t stopped. I only find as the years go by that my appreciation for Austen and her witty observations on life to have increased with age and experience.

What does this have to do with A Weekend with Mr. Darcy? Well, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy is a book written for a person as obsessed with Jane Austen as I am. I laughed with appreciation throughout reading the references to various Austen productions and spin-off novels. The main characters also have an Austen obsession like me, but unlike me they live in England and are able to attend a weekend Austen conference in Hampshire. They not only visit Austen’s birthplace, but also her beloved cottage in Chawton. I read with delight about the gift shop at Chawton and wished I could purchase some Colin Firth Mr. Darcy paraphernalia for myself. I also loved the call out of other Pride and Prejudice inspired works such as Mr. Darcy’s Diary and the Other Mr. Darcy.

A Weekend with Mr. Darcy focuses on two Austen obsessed ladies that attend the Jane Austen Conference. Katherine Roberts is a respected literature professor at Oxford with her expertise in Jane Austen. What she hides from her colleagues is the depth of her obsession with Austen and her secret passion for racy regency romance novels. She especially loves the regency romance novels by her favorite novelist, the popular, but reclusive Lorna Warwick. After becoming friends with Lorna Warwick through writing letters, she hopes to meet her favorite novelist at the conference. Katherine has been burned by love in the past, but after having a misunderstanding with a handsome stranger at the conference, she soon learns they have more in common then she originally thought.

Robyn Love is obsessed with Austen and is thrilled to be attending the Jane Austen conference. What she is not thrilled about is that her long time boyfriend Jace has decided to drive her to the conference and to hang out in town waiting for her. Jace hates all things Austen, and has not taken Robyn’s hints that she wants to break up with him. After meeting a handsome man on horseback, she learns that this man, Dan, also loves animals and reads Pride and Prejudice after her recommendation. Will Robyn get the courage to finally express her feelings to both men in her life?

A Weekend with Mr. Darcy is a delightful novel, and a fun, romantic read. I related to all of the Austen love in the novel, and I thought it had one of the best twists in a book that I’ve read for quite awhile. I won’t spoil it for you here, but a few chapters in I was like, “WHAT?” You got me! And I like it! The romance in the novel is sweet and I loved the character growth of each of the main characters. The secondary characters were also fun. I read this book quickly and was left wanting more. Luckily it said at the end of the novel that Victoria Connelly is working on a trilogy about Jane Austen addicts so I have two more books to look forward to!

I learned from this novel that if a man is looking for love, if he reads and likes Pride and Prejudice, the odds will be in his favor.



Victoria Connelly takes Austen inspired fiction in a new direction with her book, A Weekend With Mr. Darcy. Instead of writing the typical prequel or variation, Connelly decided to set her novel around a Jane Austen conference where lovers of all things Austen get together to celebrate her work. Readers will fall in love with Connelly’s sharp wit and humor, as she captivates them with complex and compelling characters. A must read for Austen fans!


Katherine Roberts has been a Jane Austen fan for years and when she gets an opportunity to spend a long weekend nursing her addiction it seems like the perfect getaway. She also hopes to meet a woman she has been keeping in contact with that is an Austen fan as well. But it appears Lorna Warwick, a writer of racy, Regency romances and Katherine’s penpal hasn’t been able to make the trip after all. Katherine has no idea that the man she meets as Lawton Warwick is really her friend Lorna, but there is just something about him that reminds her of her own personal Mr. Darcy. Meanwhile Robyn Love decides to attend the weekend event as well. She loves all things Jane Austen but with her boyfriend Jace in tow it may not be such a great weekend after all. Jace doesn’t understand Robyn’s love of Austen and he isn’t willing to compromise. When Robyn meets a man who not only willing to read Pride and Prejudice, but seems to care about her feelings, she is torn between them. The weekend reveals some hidden secrets, romantic moments and that finding love isn’t always easy.


Victoria Connelly’s book is somewhat different from most of the Austen inspired fiction that I’ve read. Typically, you get everything from prequels and sequels to variations and mash-ups, but A Weekend with Mr. Darcy doesn’t seem to fit in any of those categories. Connelly isn’t using Austen’s original characters as characters in her own story, but as inspirations to her own complex and muli-layered heroines and heroes. She uses a Jane Austen conference as the backdrop for this funny, and entertaining novel. It kind of reminded me of how fanatical Star Trek fans are with their conventions and the like, LOL! I think it’s a fantastic idea and I hope someone decides to hold a Jane Austen Addicts weekend in my neck of the woods. It was a perfect setting for romance and readers will find themselves wishing they could be at Purley Hall themselves.


I thought Connelly did an amazing job of referring and quoting Austen and her work throughout the novel. It is obvious that she is an Austen fan herself because of the reverence she gives Austen’s work. Readers who are unfamiliar with Austen will still love this book as a great romantic comedy, but I think they will also find themselves learning a little bit about Austen and her work. I wouldn’t be surprised if many readers who haven’t taken the time to read Austen will be so inspired by this book, that they will dust off those old copies or be out buying new ones.


Connelly is true to Austen’s original vision, for Pride and Prejudice. She gives the reader characters that may not be Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy but they have the same characteristics and ideals. Warwick is handsome, intelligent and loyal, much like Mr. Darcy and Katherine is outspoken and quick witted, much like Lizzy. I enjoyed reading their story very much. I was somewhat less enthused about Robyn’s part of the story, mostly because of her relationship with Jace. In my opinion Jace is the George Wickham of the book. Robyn feels compelled to stay with him because of things that have happened in the past, but he comes across as high-handed and entitled, much like Wickham. I tend to shy away from characters that I don’t particularly like, even though I know they are necessary to the story most of the time.


I recommend this book to two different groups of readers. Those who are already Austen fans and Austen inspired readers and to those who enjoy a light-hearted comic romance. You don’t have to be an Austen addict to enjoy this one. It’s full of humor and wit and moments that will definitely put a smile on your face. You might even learn a little bit about Austen and her work in the bargain!


Katherine Roberts and Robyn Love have both had disastrous love lives. While Katherine has had a string of bad relationships, Robyn has been stuck in an unhappy one for as long as she can remember and she doesn’t know how to escape it. So when the two of them head off for a weekend at a Jane Austen conference, neither of them expects anything but lectures and Austen-related gatherings. Katherine is speaking at the conference but secretly hopes that her favourite author Lorna Warwick will be at the conference. She has little hope though, as Lorna is a very private person - not even making any public appearances to promote her books. Robyn, on the other hand, is looking to find a little bit of peace while she decides what to do about her boyfriend, Jace. However, that isn’t too easy to do when Jace decides to tag along and stay at a local B&B. Little do they know that the weekend has a lot more in store for them than either could have ever expected, which all adds up to some life-changing decisions. This is filled to the brims with complex relationships that mirror some of the characters from Austen’s novels. It’s a sweet novel, with characters who are lovable and down to earth. However, it does seem at times as though there are too many things packed into one weekend. About halfway through the book, it seems as though a week has gone by but it’s only been one day. Other than that, it’s a book that is recommended whether you love Jane Austen and fantasise about your own Mr Darcy or not.

By far the best book I have read this year. This is the book all Janites should own. Comprised of eventful love stories, unbelievable twists, and numerous bits of Jane Austen facts, A Weekend With Mr. Darcy, is breezy novel that you will simply devour.

The characters are charming as well as relatable and the plot is fantastic, offering two stories, Katherine’s and Robyn’s, in one book. Once you have read this book you will want to tell others about it.

I cannot wait to read what comes next in this new series!



Dr. Katherine Roberts teaches at St. Bridget’s College in Oxford. She is an authoress and also instructor of Jane Austen. She is addicted to Jane Austen; but secretly loves racy Regency novels by the author, Lorna Warwick. She is so looking forward to a Jane Austen weekend at Purley Hall in Austen country, in England, to escape her ex and fawning students. She has been secretly corresponding with the author of her racy romance novels and is hoping she will decide to attend the Austen weekend.
Little does Katherine know that the author of the letters is actually a man and he is falling in love with her. He attends the conference with the intent of personally meeting her. Will the relationship survive the lies that have been perpetrated in the letters?
Love is in the air in Jane Austen novels, as well as, at the conference. This is a wonderfully humorous, modern take on an Austen novel. Fans of Jane Austen are sure to be pleased with the results. The storyline is quite catchy and the characters are a real mix. Katherine and Warwick (Lorna Warwick) are the major players; but there is also a secondary romance going on between another attendee, Robyn, and a gorgeous and sexy stable hand. The big problem is she has to dispose of her longtime boyfriend, Jace. Both women have baggage that needs to be sorted before any relationship can bloom. The story revolves around these two women and their men and the Jane Austen weekend. It is a lovely story sure to please and makes a wonderful relaxing read.
I wish to thank Sourcebooks Landmark for providing me with an ARC to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I was not compensated in anyway except for the privilege of reading the book.




In this enchanting Austen-Inspired novel, three devoted Janeites travel to a Jane Austen Conference that takes place in Purley Hall, a picturesque and historic Georgian mansion in Hampshire, England. The conference is hosted by none other than Dame Pamela Harcourt, a famous and distinguished British actress who has played famous roles such as Elizabeth Bennet, Marianne Dashwood in her youth and Lady Catherine de Bourgh and Fanny Dashwood in recent years. Our two heroines, Katherine Roberts, an Oxford professor, and Robyn Love, a receptionist at a college, and our Austenesque hero, Warwick Lawton, a writer, are all eagerly looking forward to enjoying their long Janeite weekend!


Katherine, who has been to this particular conference several times before, is hoping to finally meet her favorite Regency Romance author/pen-pal whose rumored to attend. Robyn plans to enjoy some time away from her selfish and immature boyfriend, but disaster strikes when Jace announces that he is tagging along on her precious Jane Austen weekend. Warwick Lawton travels to Hampshire with the intent of meeting the woman he has fallen in love with and possibly revealing to her his big secret. Wonder what’s in store for Katherine, Robyn, and Warwick this weekend? Curious to see if everything goes according to plan?


I absolutely adore the Contemporary Jane Austen Chick-Lit genre! Whether it’s Confessions of a JaneAusten Addict, According to Jane, My Jane Austen Summer, Austenland, or the “Formiddable” Series by Beth Pattillo, I love reading about Jane Austen addicts searching for their very own perfect happiness! Sometimes these heroines find their own Mr. Darcy, and other times they learn life lessons and make important self-discoveries. Whether they travel to England, back in time, or never leave their hometown these women encounter, dream of, rely upon, and are guided by our beloved Jane Austen – and that is something many of us can relate to!


One aspect I really loved about A Weekend With Mr. Darcy was that there were TWO heroines and TWO romances occurring at the same time! (Given that the back cover blurb doesn’t mention Robyn Love at all, this came as quite a surprise to me!) I also loved that the story was told from three different point-of-views. I loved being privy to Katherine’s thoughts, Robyn’s musings, and Warwick’s ponderings! All three characters were a joy to follow around, but my favorite is Robyn, whose meek and unassuming nature reminded me a little of Anne Elliot or Fanny Price.


The other aspect of this novel I loved was the Jane Austen Conference. How I would love to go to something like this! Just imagine: sleeping in a Georgian mansion, meeting the famous actress who portrayed many iconic Jane Austen characters, attending talks about my favorite author, a day-trip to Chawton Cottage, a Jane Austen Quiz Night, and a Regency Ball. Ms. Connelly did a fantastic job of describing with vivid details Stevenson Rectory, Chawton Cottage, and Winchester Cathedral. I’m so glad that Ms. Connelly underwent such extensive research and travel to make these settings as authentic and accurate as possible.


Have you ever heard the saying: “reading can take you places?” Well, while reading A Weekend with Mr. Darcy I felt like I was taken on a tour of Jane Austen’s Hampshire and able to see, feel, and hear all the wondrous things about that county first-hand. Victoria Connelly is an engaging and skilled story-teller and I am eagerly anticipating the next book in her trilogy, Dreaming of Mr. Darcy (The Perect Hero) due to be released January 2012.


A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly is a summer read for Austenites and those who want to have fun. Set in modern day England, Dr. Katherine Roberts works too hard as a professor at St. Bridget’s College in Oxford and sees her role as lecturer at the Jane Austen Conference as a way for her to get away and relax. She befriends regency romance author Lorna Warwick through letters and hopes that the conference will put a face to the name she’s begun to call friend. Meanwhile, Robyn is stuck in a relationship with Jace (Jason Collins) and is too worried about his feelings to express her own or to end their relationship. She decides that she’s not going to think about her life while at the Austen conference, but just enjoy herself before dealing with her fading relationship with her childhood friend.

“She thought of the secret bookshelves in her study at home and ho they groaned deliciously under the weight of Miss Warwick’s work. How her colleagues would frown and fret at such horrors as popular fiction! How quickly would she be marched from her Oxford office and escorted from St. Bridget’s College if they knew of her wicked passion?” (page 2 of ARC)

Women and their passion for Jane Austen’s characters seems never-ending, but does this passion for Austen sometimes prevent these women from living their own lives? And does it ensure that the men in their lives will never measure up to Mr. Darcy or Captain Wentworth? Connelly has created a cast of characters that have flaws and find themselves in situations they never expected. Dr. Roberts is a strong woman with a passion for sexy Regency romances, but her own love life is a disaster until she finds herself in situation much like Captain Wentworth, while Robyn is trapped by obligation in a life much like Edward Ferrars. It is an interesting correlation between Austen’s characters and Connelly’s female leads, as it demonstrates a new perspective on how these situations would be handled.

Connelly also creates a cast of characters that are fun and outrageous from Dame Pamela to Higgins the butler. And of course, what Austen spinoff doesn’t have its own Lady Catherine de Bourgh — in this case, it’s Mrs. Soames. A Weekend With Mr. Darcy by Victoria Connelly is a great romp in the English countryside with some gal pals and hot men that will make you giggle, squirm, and sit on the edge of your seat. A quick summer read that will have readers wondering if an Austen-filled weekend should be their next vacation.



I am amazed at how many Austenesque novels continue to have “Mr. Darcy” worked into the title. Recently there has been: A Wife for Mr. Darcy, by Mary Lydon Simonsen, The Trouble with Mr. Darcy, by Sharon Lathan, The Truth about Mr. Darcy, by Susan Adriani, Mr. Darcy and the Secret of Becoming a Gentleman, by Maria Hamilton, Only Mr. Darcy Will Do, by Kara Louise, What Would Mr. Darcy Do?, by Abigail Reynolds and ironically Mr. Darcy Goes Overboard, by Belinda Roberts – and that is only in the last four months!!! Gentle readers, have we indeed gone overboard over Mr. Darcy? *shudder* Can there ever be too much Mr. Darcy?

As I opened A Weekend with Mr. Darcy, yet another new novel featuring Jane Austen’s romantic icon of Nonpareil in its title, it was difficult not to feel a rush of astonishment. What could Victoria Connelly possibly offer that has not already been said several times in historical, contemporary or paranormal versions? The back blurb looked promising: “Surrounded by appalling exes and fawning students, the only think keeping professor Katherine Roberts sane is Jane Austen, and her secret love for racy Regency romance novels. She thinks the Jane Austen Addicts weekend will be the perfect getaway. Maybe she’ll even meet her own personal Mr. Darcy… Breezy and beautifully witty, internationally bestselling author Victoria Connelly’s charming modern love story will appeal to all Jane Austen fanatics… and anyone who loves a good romance.” OK. So I’m an admitted Jane Austen fanatic and also love a good romance… this was a good start.

Set in contemporary England, we are introduced to the two main characters, singletons Katherine Roberts, a young and beautiful Oxford professor, and Robyn Love, a romantic idealist North Yorkshire receptionist. They are both bound for an idyllic Jane Austen weekend retreat at Purley Hall in the countryside of Hampshire, not far from Janeite Mecca – Steventon, where she was born and raised, and Chawton Cottage, where she wrote many of her novels. Also secretly headed to the retreat is famous Regency romance novelist Lorna Warwick who has been privately corresponding with Katherine for months, building a strong friendship but remaining an enigma to her. Even though she is an international bestselling author, she has never given a personal interview, nor allowed pictures to be published of herself. Lorna is captivated by Katherine and arrives at the retreat incognito – as Warwick Lawton. (Spoiler) Yes, Lorna Warwick is a man.

Both ladies have their complicated romantic past following them to the retreat. Katherine can’t seem to connect with the right man and prefers to fall in love with Jane Austen’s fictional world of Mr. Darcy, Captain Wentworth and Henry Tilney, easily finding solace in her obsession of heroes because there are so few real ones. Robyn on the other hand is a pure romantic. “Life for her was never as good as it was in fiction.” She is in a longstanding (but unfulfilling) relationship with Jason Collins. Unfortunately she does not know why she stays with Jace. They have nothing in common and the thought of being Mrs. Collins (the same last name as Jane Austen’s odious Reverend Collins in Pride and Prejudice) is unbearable. When he insists upon tagging along on her Jane Austen weekend, staying in a nearby Inn, she is both annoyed and suspicious.

The perfect summer fantasy Austenesque novel, A Weekend with Mr. Darcy supplies all the elements on this scrutinizing Janeite’s checklist: stunning early eighteenth-century country manor house, cast of colorful & humorous secondary characters, emotional roadblocks and misunderstandings, and two heroines in need of some personal growth before they can fall in love. Connelly’s enthusiastic knowledge of Jane Austen is solid and her writing style is fresh and funny.

Will A Weekend with Mr. Darcy get lost in the sea of “Mr. Darcy” inspired novels flooding the market? Nope. It is the leader of the pack! Brava Ms. Connelly! Since this is the first in a trilogy, we are all anticipation from this very talented author.



Katherine Roberts is officially off men and the only men she’s even willing to give head-space to is the fictional ones she reads about in her much-loved Jane Austen books as well as the regency romances of Lorna Warwick, with whom she has also struck up a friendship with and is hoping to meet at a Jane Austen conference.

Despite her name, Robyn Love isn’t really feeling the love for boyfriend Jace any more and when she happens across the chance to head to a Jane Austen conference she jumps at the chance to clear her head of her romantic entanglement, until Jace decides to go with her.

As Katherine and Robyn head off to the Jane Austen conference, Katherine is looking forward to finally meeting Lorna Warwick after so much letter-writing whereas Robyn is just thrilled to be going full stop. But nothing goes according to plan and despite Katherine being off men and Robyn having a boyfriend, true love could be in the air for the pair of them.


Last year I read Victoria Connelly’s first book to be published in England (her first three were published in German) called Molly’s Millions and I really enjoyed the sweet story of a florist who wins the lottery before going on the run before her stingy family can get their hands on her fortune. So I was thrilled when Victoria said she was working on a new, Jane Austen trilogy and that the first book A Weekend With Mr Darcy was due to be released in 2010. I’ve never read an Austen book but because I loved Victoria’s previous book I was still looking forward to her new one and I was thrilled to receive an early copy and I began it in earnest.

A Weekend With Mr Darcy quite aptly follows a group of people who are attending a Jane Austen conference, you guessed it, for an entire weekend at Purley Hall in Hampshire. In fact, it’s more like a long weekend as it begins on Thursday before ending on the Monday. There’s Katherine, a University lecturer tired with the men in her life and then there’s Robyn, who has been together with her boyfriend since school but things have recently become stale between the pair. Then we have the mysterious Warwick who is hiding something from the entire group, and Katherine in particular, and finally there is Dan, who works in the stables of Purley Hall. There are many more characters who attend the conference but the main story is made up between Katherine, Robyn, Warwick and Dan.

I loved the fact that the majority of the book took place over the course of the Jane Austen weekend, five days in total. The backbone for the entire book was the fact that all of the character were united by one simple thing: their love for Jane Austen and despite having never read a Jane Austen novel as I’ve already mentioned, I liked that she was the main focus of the book and the reason all of these such different characters converged for that special weekend. Surprisingly enough there is a lot that happens over the course of the weekend at Purley Hall and it was fascinating that we got to know all of the characters so well over such a short period of time. Even more so that the characters themselves got to know each other so well, with a couple of love stories peppered throughout the pages.

Of the four main characters the one that caught my eye more than the others was Robyn Love. She was such a wonderful and warm character and I could see why she felt the need to stay with childhood sweetheart Jace despite not loving him anymore and getting to know Dan a bit more. I thought Katherine was a bit more of a closed book and it was only as the novel progressed did we really get to see the real Katherine, the one she refused to show whilst lecturing at Oxford and it turns out she was rather lovely. As she got to know Warwick more, the more she opened up and the more we got to see what she was like underneath her academia. I also really loved both of the men featured in the book, Dan and Warrick. Dan had me from the first page he appeared on and I thought he was so incredibly sweet. As for Warrick, I liked him more as I got to know him more. The reader knows early on he’s hiding something and what it is he’s hiding but it’s nothing too terrible so I was able to like him pretty easily. I must admit that I wasn’t a huge fan of Jace, Robyn’s boyfriend. He just seemed a bit off to me and couldn’t seem to grasp the fact that it probably wasn’t going to work between himself and Robyn and the way he kept crashing Purley Hall in a bid to see Robyn was more annoying than endearing.

A Weekend With Mr Darcy was really well written, told in the third-person and constantly flitting from Katherine to Warwick to Robyn and back again and it made us able to see what anyone was thinking at any given time. All of the Jane Austen aspects and references were fantastic and Victoria Connelly must either really love Jane Austen to enthuse so much or is just a very, very good researcher. The purist in my hopes it’s the former as it’s a better story and the love for Jane Austen really does come off the pages. In fact it’s so strong I’m sorely tempted to pick up a Jane Austen sometime soon so I can see what all the fuss is about! Victoria Connelly has managed to write another winner with A Weekend With Mr Darcy and I for one can’t wait for the next book, of three, in the series.



I’d like to thank the publisher for sending me this to review.





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It took me only a handful of pages to figure out what was going to happen in A Weekend With Mr. Darcy, but that didn’t prevent me from really enjoying the book. Sometimes light and predictable is just what you need, and Victoria Connelly infuses the book with charming but flawed characters and plenty of humorous scenes.

A Weekend With Mr. Darcy follows three people at the Jane Austen Conference hosted by Dame Pamela Harcourt at her estate, Purley Hall. Katherine Roberts is a professor who lectures and writes about Jane Austen at work and secretly devours the sexy Regency romances by Lorna Warwick, an author she talks to through letters and considers her best friend. She plans to speak at the conference and just get away from it all, particularly a student with a major crush on her and a former lover whom she discovered was married.

Meanwhile, Robyn Love is unhappy with her job and looking for the right time to break up with her boyfriend, who just doesn’t understand her love of Jane Austen, the books, and all the film adaptations. She can’t wait for the long weekend at the conference so she can visit Jane Austen’s family church in Steventon and the house where Austen did much of her writing, as well as immerse herself in the Regency world and talk with people who love all-things-Austen as much as she does. But her loud and obnoxious and not-a-fan-of-Austen boyfriend has a surprise — he will accompany her to the conference.

Also attending the conference is Warwick Lawton, who has elaborate plans to meet the woman of his dreams there and make her fall in love with him. Except he has a secret that threatens to derail his plans.

All I could think about while reading A Weekend With Mr. Darcy is that I would love to be friends with these characters, I’d love to attend such a conference, and if I were lucky enough to spend even a moment at Purley Hall at said conference, I would never want to leave. A Weekend With Mr. Darcy has that little extra something to go with the romance — Jane Austen (of course) and a cast of interesting and well-developed characters. I fell in love with Katherine, Robyn, and Warwick; I rejoiced with them, I laughed with them, and I cringed with them when the inevitable mistakes were made.

Connelly has created a magical world for Janeites, where it is possible for an Austen-obsessed woman to find her Mr. Darcy or Captain Wentworth, which makes the whirlwind romances easier to swallow. Because when you read a book like this, you want to believe that love at first sight is possible — especially when it could be your very own Darcy or Wentworth. A Weekend With Mr. Darcy is a fun, though predictable, must-read for Austen fans looking for characters who are just like themselves. If you love Austen as much as I do, you’ll find yourself nodding in agreement every time these characters open their mouths to say how and why they love Austen, her books, and all the films. Connelly is obviously one of us, and I can’t wait to read the next two books in this trilogy about Jane Austen addicts.



Katherine Roberts works hard and likes her guilty pleasures in the form of racy Regency romance novels. Her favorites are those by Lorna Warwick and though expressing her admiration for the author via snail mail, the two become close friends, writing often to each other. Surrounded by crappy exes and annoying students, Katherine decides that the Jane Austen weekend retreat is just the thing she needs and poses the question to Lorna on if she’ll be there. Little does Katherine know, however, is that Lorna is the pen name of a man. A man who feels he is falling in love with Katherine.

We are also introduced to Robyn Love, an idealist Yorkshire receptionist, who carries her own romantic baggage to the Austen retreat in Hampshire. While Katherine deals with her ex, Robyn feels she is in a unfulfilled relationship. And both ladies find solace in Austen’s novels when real-life romance turns sour.

I thought this book was fantastically witty and makes a quick read (and it definitely put Connelly on my radar), but am I the only one who thinks we need less Darcy and more of Austen’s other heroes in these sequels? I feel like we are OD-ing on Darcy lately. I’m ready for ‘A Weekend with Captain Wentworth’ myself… ;) Either way, I urge Austen fans to check this one out! 4/5.





As the story opens, we get a brief glimpse at Katherine’s failed past relationships and Warwick’s dilemma - he wants Katherine to know him for who he is, not what he is. Katherine is supposed to be a smart, sympathetic heroine, but I do think it was a bit of a stretch that she didn’t figure out Warwick’s secret much earlier. Their relationship progressed in spurts and stops - she goes from avoiding him after he runs her foot over with a suitcase, to "true love", to her discovery of his secret and the subsequent feelings of betrayal; this all in the course of one weekend.

When Robyn was introduced, I thought for sure I’d be more interested in Katherine’s story, but I was pleasantly surprised by Robyn. She’s trapped in a boring job and her boyfriend’s a boor; she’s pretty much a doormat. But, once she’s at the JA weekend, she meets the fellow attendees and tries to view her life as Jane would have viewed it. There were several scenes where I thought, "Robyn, what are you doing - here’s your chance to make a change!" But, as in real life, change does not happen overnight. I enjoyed Robyn’s path to self-awareness and self-worth, and Jace was a really cringe-worthy anti-hero.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the period costumes, the places where Jane Austen frequented while she was alive, and mentions of her family. There are also several references to other Jane Austen authors and their books, which I thought was a nice "shout out" to this popular genre.

All in all, two sweet romances filled with fabulous Jane Austen references and history. A Weekend With Mr. Darcy made me want to pick up my own copy of Pride and Prejudice for a nice, comforting re-read

Format: Paperback

Dimensions
Length: 7.75 in
Width: 5.75 in
Weight: 13.28 oz
Page Count: 352 pages