Karen Doornebos' novel, Definitely Not Mr. Darcy, is another addition to the already abundant group of novels based on the world of Jane Austen. Chloe Parker is a thirty-nine-year-old single mother who loves Jane Austen and fantasizes about the Regency period. When Chloe hears about a reality/documentary TV show set in England, that will be staged in the Regency period, she decides to audition. The $100,000 prize could save her fledgling business and her home. Chloe is selected as a contestant, but when she arrives, she finds that the reality show is meant to be a competition to win Mr. Sebastian Wrightman, the heir to a large estate. Chloe also finds that life in the Regency period with no cell phones, electricity, indoor plumbing, or even deodorant, is not as romantic as it seemed. Chloe sticks it out, determined to win the money, but her growing attraction for Sebastian's younger brother Henry jeopardizes her chances at winning.
Ok, so it's total fluff. It's a little silly and I saw the ending coming from quite early on in the novel. But I ate it up. It's a fun story with a steamy romance and I couldn't help but become immersed in it. The author also includes all the interesting details about life during the Regency that you don't learn from a Jane Austen novel, like how one went to the bathroom or bathed, what was used for makeup, how meals were prepared, etc. As much as I'd like to say that I prefer to stick to more serious fiction, I do enjoy a fun novel like this one from time to time.
