NEW RELEASE
Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart - Beth Pattillo (2010)
Claire Prescott doesn't see the appeal of Mr Darcy. Unlike many women who are continually searching for their own romantic hero, Claire is content in her relationship with her sports-loving boyfriend, Neil. But when Claire agrees to stand in for her sister, Missy, at a Jane Austen seminar in Oxford, England, she begins to wonder if there isn't something to this Mr Darcy myth after all. She meets James Beaufort, a handsome publisher, and Harriet Dalrymple, a strange old lady who claims to have the original manuscript of First Impressions, the story which evolved into what we now know as Pride and Prejudice. Between seminar meetings, and afternoons at Mrs Dalrymple's cottage, reading the scattered, hand-written pages, Claire becomes so enthralled by the story of Elizabeth and Darcy, she begins to question whether the elusive Mr Darcy really does exist in the form of James. This is an enjoyable read that will have even the most cynical wishing for a romantic, happy ending. (LEK)
Beth Pattillo (Jane Austen Ruined My Life) continues her Jane Austen-inspired novels with Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart. The synopsis says: "Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairytales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr Anyone. She's been dating Neil, a nice - if a bit negligent- sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's Pride and Prejudice in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennett. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead." Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart is out in February. Pattillo is also the author of the Betsy Blessing series. The first book Heavens To Betsy won the RITA award from the Romance Writers of America for the Best Inspirational Romance of 2006.