Wistful YA ~ MY OWN MR. DARCY Tour & Giveaway!

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If you know anything about me and my literary attractions then you must know I'm a MAJOR Jane Austen fan. And to an even greater extent, a Pride and Prejudice junkie.

I could probably recite most major passages and scenes from the book, not to mention share the multitude of dreams I've had over the years about the tale. Yes. Mr. Darcy was my first fictional crush; frankly, I don't think I ever got over him. O_*

Sooooooo...when I was contacted this summer about a new adult novel encompassing the 'Lizzie' Bennett and Mr. Darcy theme, you bet I snatched up the opportunity to read and review for the author.

MY OWN MR. DARCY by Karey White
Genre: New Adult Contemporary/Romance
Released: July 2013
Pages: 220

I'd like to thank the author for supplying me with a copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Favorite Line/Passage: The boy started walking down the sidewalk toward a different parking lot and Chad started walking toward me. Well, actually toward his car, but ince I was by his car, it looked like he was walking toward me. (Lizzy, near end of story.) *You'll understand why I chose this passage once you read the story.*

Description: After being dragged to the 2005 movie Pride and Prejudice by her mother, sixteen-year-old Elizabeth’s life changes when Matthew Macfadyen’s Mr. Darcy appears on the screen. Lizzie falls hard and makes a promise to herself that she will settle for nothing less than her own Mr. Darcy. This ill-advised pledge threatens to ruin any chance of finding true love. During the six intervening years, she has refused to give any interested suitors a chance. They weren’t Mr. Darcy enough. Coerced by her roommate, Elizabeth agrees to give the next interested guy ten dates before she dumps him. That guy is Chad, a kind and thoughtful science teacher and swim coach. While she’s dating Chad, her dream comes true in the form of a wealthy bookstore owner named Matt Dawson, who looks and acts like her Mr. Darcy. Of course she has to follow her dream. But as Elizabeth simultaneously dates a regular guy and the dazzling Mr. Dawson, she’s forced to re-evaluate what it was she loved about Mr. Darcy in the first place.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY!

My Splats:  "Pride and Prejudice enthusiasts will love this modern spin on one of the most timeless love stories ever told. Social status, stubborn attitudes, and preconceived notions mix with a surprising love triangle that keep readers' hearts guessing until the very end."

I hate to say this by...OMGosh, was this cute! It was more than cute, really. But if you're a girl who's ever had a massive crush on an untouchable guy you know what I mean. In this case, though, the guy wasn't all that untouchable. He eventually became pretty tangible. But what made this different from the original Pride & Prejudice was that this Lizzy was presented with another option--a suitor who was acceptable, unlike Mr. Collins in the original story; really, he was more than acceptable and taken for a good 'guy' friend. 

The opening hooked me. It could have been because I'm a major Darcy fan or the way the author used the intro of a teen and her mom viewing the actual 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie; either way, I wanted to read on. There was a dreamy tension between the way this story's Lizzy related to the actual Elizabeth Bennett's reactions to the real Mr. Darcy. 

This Lizzy was an interesting character. She dreamed of being a great interior designer one day. She even held a degree, but currently worked as a bank teller, waiting for her big break into the design world. She was a dreamer, and had lusted for a man as credible and loyal as Mr. Darcy as long as she could remember. Her BFF (since high school) even argued about it with her. And, of course, her Mr. Darcy finally waltzed into the bank where she worked. His name: Matt Dawson. Perfect. Tall, dark, handsome, and as stately as the fictional Mr. Darcy this Lizzy had fallen in love with as a teenager.

The story really began when Lizzie's BFF challenged her to go on at least ten dates with the next guy who asked her, giving him a chance over her fantasy of Mr. Darcy. She agreed. And frankly, kind of lucked out. The next guy who asked her out was a sweet school teacher. (Won't say more for fear of spoilers.) Just know, even though I am a MAJOR Darcy fan and wanted nothing more than this Lizzy to get her very own Mr. Darcy in Matt, I slowly found myself softening toward this school teacher. Grr....

Through awkward social gatherings with Matt's snobbish circle--and yes, there was a Caroline and incredibly rude aunt--strangely comfortable encounters with the teacher's family, new and unexpected interior design opportunities both personal and professional, the reader traveled along with Lizzy as she sorted out her true feelings and what she really desired out of life. Did she really want Mr. Darcy. Or could her Mr. Darcy be of a different shade, economic background, and personality altogether? 

Um...you'll have to read to find out. Trust me; you won't be sorry.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Amazon Kindle

Author Karey White Karey White grew up in Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Missouri. She attended Ricks College and Brigham Young University. Her first novel, Gifted, was a Whitney Award Finalist. She loves to travel, read, bake treats, and spend time with family and friends. She and her husband are the parents of four great children. She teaches summer creative writing courses to young people and is currently working on her next book.  

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads

  Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 10/8/13
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

So, prey tell. Are you and Mr. Darcy fanatic? Did you read any of Jane Austen's works in HS. If so, which did you prefer?