Book Review: My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White

Title: My Own Mr. Darcy
Author: Karey White
Pages: 288
My Rating: ❤❤❤❤

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.

Okay, so I know this isn't some life-changing literary masterpiece, but you know what who cares! My Own Mr. Darcy is a fun and frustrating read (opposites I know, but I'll explain later). This is one of the few books I have read that I could actually see as a movie. And, just like with any other cute quirky rom-com, this book had me grinning from ear to ear with anticipation for the dramatic "will they or won't they?" at the end. It was pretty glorious; I'm not going to lie!

I know I said that the book was a fun read, and yes it was, but I was also pretty frustrated throughout. The main character is super obstinate! But, at the same time I could see where she was coming from. For the past six years she has dreamed of finding the perfect guy, a.k.a Mr. Darcy. But, sometimes everything isn't always what it is cracked up to be. This is exactly what happens, and I know it's hard to admit your wrong, but I was wanting Lizzie to do just that the entire time! No easy feat, I know!

Despite the turmoil I experienced throughout the book, I still really enjoyed it and thought it was a cute romance book. It even came with a nice moral...it's okay to change your dreams.

"They say love is blind but perhaps high school crushes are even blinder."

"Did you know hot cocoa has three times as many calories as a cup of coffee?" Matt asked.
"Did you know it's more than three times as delicious?" I asked. 

"We ate crunchy fish tacos while we watched Tom Cruise pretend to be smart and athletic and twenty years younger than his actual age."

"Don't mess up your future because you're afraid to change your dream."