Book Review: Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready

Seducing Mr. Darcy

An intriguing plot, suspenseful and engaging to the very end.
Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready (2008)

I've been reading Cready's romantic erotic paranormal time travel comedies in reverse order. The comedy  reminded me of Shakespeare. The subtitle could be "Jane Austen meets Shakespeare's Comedy of Errors and others."

Flip Allison time travels to the early 19th century England after a  new masseuse tells her to imagine herself in her favorite book. She chose Pride and Prejudice, and finds herself as Lady Quillan, seducing  or being seduced by Darcy himself in Regency England. This little event changes the plot of Pride and Prejudice, and Flip, back in the 21st century, is horrified by the way the book now reads. She contrives to return to the 19th century to undo what happened and make sure that Elizabeth Bennet and Darcy marry in the end, as Austen wrote the book. She is followed back in time by Magnus Knightly, an Austen scholar, and by her ex-husband Jed and his current love interest, the university student Io. This makes Flip's job back in time much more complicated and adds both to the romance and to the slapstick comedy.

I read most of Seducing Mr. Darcy on a long car ride to Canada, while keeping an ear on the audio of a much different book,  The Swan Thieves: A Novel by Elizabeth Kostova, but this didn't distract me from Seducing Mr. Darcy.

Have an enjoyable Memorial Day holiday wherever you are and whatever you're doing!

 

Book Review: Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready

Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready (Mass Market Paperback, March 30, 2010)
My summary: Art historian Campbell Stratford finds herself transported to the 17th century while doing research for a book on the sex life of Dutch artist Van Dyke. There she meets Peter Lely, a former portraitist for Charles I. Peter lives in the Afterlife, is waiting for a new life from the powers that be, but is told he first has to stop Campbell from writing her book and smearing the reputation of the great Van Dyke.

When Peter and Campbell meet in the 17th century, sparks fly and they become romantically involved. She returns to the present, but he follows her to the 21st century, where she discovers that he has betrayed her.

My comments: As chick lit, the book's for mature chicks. As romance, it is sizzling in at least two lengthy 17th century scenes, though artfully done. As comedy, it is often clever and funny, as when Campbell tells the 17th century folk that her name is Katie Holmes and at another time, that she is a Spanish countess, wife of Antonio Banderas. As fantasy and time travel, the plot is original and the story well written.

The words that came to mind while I was reading this book: "Saucy! Spicy!" (Something Bruno might say before announcing his rating for a "hot" tango in "Dancing With the Stars"). This chick-lit time-travel romance is definitely for over age 18, I'd say. Make that over 21! The spiciness was thoroughly enjoyable however!

Gwyn Cready is a RITA Award winner and author of other time-travel novels, Seducing Mr. Darcy and Tumbling Through Time. I am tempted to pick them up as well, not for the eroticism, which I think is a bit overdone, but for the unusual fantasy, the humor, and what I suspect are more clever plots.

Thanks to Ayelet Gruenspecht of Simon and Schuster for a copy of Flirting with Forever, for my objective review.

Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge,

Teaser Tuesday: Flirting with Forever by Gwyn Cready

Teaser Tuesdays, hosted by MizB, asks you to choose two sentences at random from your current read. Include the author and title for readers.

Flirting with Forever (Mass Market Paperback - March 30, 2010) by Gwyn Cready

Cam's hands flew up instinctively to cover her eyes. "Mace!"
"Not mace," Jeanne said. " I used it before my date last night. He liked it."  p. 15

Publisher's description: Art historian Campbell Stratford ....thanks to a time portal she accidenally discovered, (she) has caused quite a stir in the Great Beyond....Sir Peter Lely has been recruited by the Guild protecting dead artists to save their reputations by sabotaging Cam's latest project (to reveal the sexy secrets of the artists).

The book is described as a "sexy time-travel adventure." Can't wait to read it all!

UPDATE: I posted my review on May 20, 2010. Here it is: My review of Flirting with Forever.