I enjoyed this book so much!!! The main characters were relatable and endearing, I loved the plot, and it was a lot of fun to read. This book would make a great movie!

I feel a little betrayed by this book. Mostly because it's titled in a way to draw in us week romance lovers that are suckers for Mr. Darcy and all things Austen. But unlike other modern adaptations, this one made the mistake of first abandoning the themes that make Austen so great. I could forgive using the Darcy name and not following any P&P themes if the romance was well done, but this was not. The heroine sticks with an asshole of a BF for "reasons" and it's a waste of my time as a reader to watch her jump through hoops to rationalize keeping him around.

I enjoyed this contemporary story with historical overtones. All the characters were great to get to know.

Meg Knightley is a history professor with a little OCD. When her boyfriend tosses her over for another person to compete in the Jane Austen Festival and Games. She decides to find another person to help her to compete in the festival.

Jeremy Remington is a nice guy and is trying to get his woodworking business off the ground. So when his friend sister offers good money. He decides to take the chance to help her.

This story was very sweet to read. It had a lot of funny parts that had me laughing. I hope there might be a book with Luke and Ellie story if the future.

I received a complimentary copy via Netgalley. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

Hiring Mr. Darcy, was a story that took me by surprise. Meg Knightly is a history professor and returning from a conference she is met by her supposed boyfriend another history professor and an actress who has been at their college studying for a roll. Seeing their banter, she begins to feel something is off and finds out when she is dropped at her house and her boyfriend says he has replaced her with the actress as his partner for the Jane Austin festival. She had been working with him on it for almost a year and what she really thought she was going to hear was a proposal. Not!
Now the story picks up when you have her and her brother go through their entire back and forth and you also have begun to see her OCD, but it really comes into effect when the next morning while in her rob the doorbell rings and he mentions that he found her a Mr. Darcy of her own from poker night. Her speech about only felons needs cash is just one of the good lines, as is he is my friend Jeremy Remington. Whom she remembers as short.
Meet quit open door and their stands a huck of 6’2” extremely well-built smelling of wood and she cannot speak. When asked if he should take off his boots, she says no but her brother says yes which he replies “my grandmother makes me do that so no worries.” Now she feels like she is being compared to his grandmother.
The back and forth in her mind and her fighting the school is great also her Jeremey gives her strength and she slowly finds out things about him and herself. She also finds out that he remembers things from high school and that also is endearing to her. Without giving away more of the story I really liked this book and the characters.

HIRING MR. DARCY is a fun contemporary romance written by Valerie Bowman and the first in her "Austen Hunks" series. Dr. Meg Knightley, history professor, along with her boyfriend and fellow history professor Harrison, have planned on attending the Jane Austen Festival in Bath, England. The goal was to win an Austen-themed competition for fellow Austen-ites and history nerds. For Meg, those hopes go up in flames when Harrison unceremoniously throws her over for an actress to be in the competition in her place. While it may not be his idea, and he doesn’t plan on ending their relationship because of his boss’ machinations, it still stings. Enter Jeremy Remington. Meg’s brother says that for the right price, his buddy Jeremy can fill in for Harrison. Romance inevitably and delightfully ensues.

Throughout this book, Harrison seems to be a bit of a cold fish and a cad for considering his girlfriend’s feelings to be somewhat incidental, but what initially attracted Meg to him was his stability and boring ways. Many qualities she lists on her “Future Husband Checklist” are qualities that her father lacked. Because her father was a gambler and generally unstable, Meg looks for somebody more like Harrison who makes her feel safe and decreases her anxiety. Harrison’s recent behavior kind of threw Meg for a loop and has her questioning herself. As she works with Jeremy and gets him ready for the competition, he proves to be a heady combination of sexy, smart, charming, and caring. Sigh. From the moment they first meet, there is oodles of sexual tension between Meg and Jeremy. As Jeremy accurately observes, Meg is more of a “Mr. Darcy” than he is. If anything, I think Jeremy is like the charming and affable hero of Jane Austen’s book NORTHANGER ABBEY – Henry Tilney. Lacey Lewis, the actress trying lure Harrison away from Meg is like the scheming character Isabella Thorpe – also from NORTHANGER ABBEY.

HIRING MR. DARCY is a fun story about a heroine who may not get the Mr. Darcy she thinks she wants but gets the Mr. Tilney she needs. HIRING MR. DARCY is told exclusively from Meg’s perspective. Telling the story this way makes the heroine more sympathetic and make some developments more of a surprise. I’ve enjoyed Valerie Bowman’s historical romances in the past, but the natural dialogue and entertaining characters make me eager to read more contemporary romance from this author in the future.

First thanks to Netgalley for this ARC.
Lets be honest I wanted this book because it has Mr Darcy in the title. But I was disappointed. This was so away from P&P that I didn't like it. I didn't truly love characters.
I just didn't connect.
This was 2.5 stars for me.

This was a really cute book!

Meg and Jeremy were an adorable couple. They were different in many ways but yet not so different that it wouldn't work.

Meg was a woman who was wound a little tight. She was relatable to me on a certain level but yet she took a few things a little far. I could understand many things that she did especially the husband list but I couldn't understand why she kept her boyfriend around. This woman was a strong and almost demanding woman but yet she let her boyfriend treat her awfully.

I ADORED Jeremy. I don't think there could have been a better book boyfriend. I understand that he was in this to get paid but the amount of work and just being ok with something that was so out of the box for him was fun to read.

History professor and Jane Austen addict Dr. Meg Knightly's life is planned down to the last minute, giving her control and order. That is, until her life is completely upended when her boyfriend and fellow professor dumps her as his partner in the Jane Austen Competition in Bath, after months of hard work and effort. Heartbroken and angry, she tells her brother she'd not only hire a replacement Mr. Darcy, but teach him everything to know about being Mr. Darcy.

When her brother delivers in the form of his best friend, Jeremy Remington, Meg is surprised that the scrawny boy she knew in high school is now, well, the opposite of scrawny. And incredibly handsome... Also, very much in need of cash so that the can get his woodworking business off the ground. It's a win-win scenario for them both--hopefully one that will lead to another 'win'. But Jeremy doesn't fit her plans, doesn't check off her list the way her boyfriend does. But, maybe, that's not what Meg needs at all.

Brilliantly written, with lots of humor, swoony moments, and Jane Austen references, "Hiring Mr. Darcy" is fun, delightful, and satisfyingly fills a need for a mash-up of contemporary and Regency romance that I didn't know I needed in my life but man does Bowman nail it!

What a great first contemporary romance by Valerie Bowman, especially as I have also reviewed her latest regency romance ‘The footman and I’. I must admit to enjoying both books!

History professor, Meg Knightly hopes to win a competition in the Jane Austen Festival and Games but her life is upended when he decides to partner an actress in the competition. Meg’s life is normally so organised that she even has a list for her ‘potential husband’ so this event throws her completely. Consequently, she decides to take her brother’s advice and hire out his friend, Jeremy Remington, who Meg has known since he was at school. As the two spend time together, Meg begins to rely on Jeremy, seeing him in a completely different light from when she knew him.
With so many references to Pride and Prejudice, it was difficult not to enjoy this great romance. Jeremy is definitely a gentleman and his affection for Meg so obvious, to everyone but her. I loved Meg’s personality and wondered when the ‘penny would drop’ for her. This book kept me entertained from the very start and I look forward to reading more in this series – maybe Meg’s brother may have his own book?
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me a free copy of 'Hiring Mr Darcy' in exchange of a honest review.

I honestly picked up this book because Mr. Darcy was in the title. I was expecting more Pride and Prejudice elements and themes to be running throughout the book but I found it lacking in this book. When ì read the blurb on goodreads Jeremy's character and journey are highlighted but in the book not so much. The plot of the book in general was quite predictable and monotonous. This book had it's pros and cons but I felt the cons outweighed the pros. Margaret (Meg) was a very pessimistic protagonist who was completely immersed in self loathing about her hobbit shaped body. I could definitely relate to being nerdy and obsessed with P&P and Meg's competitive streak. But overall the character ARC fell short in my opinion. In conclusion this book was a okay read but did not live upto my expectations.

A fun read.

Meg Knightly is supposed to be taking part in a Jane Austen fesitval in England, but when she finds out her boyfriend is entering with someone else, she stubbornly decides to hire her own Mr Darcy and win the competition. Her brothers friend Jeremy gets talked in to helping her. Do they have a chance at winning more than the festival?

Hoping that Meg's brother and her best friend get their own book next!

I loved this take on Pride and Prejudice and all things Austen. It was a fun twist to see the main character Meg, not as a Lizzie Bennett but as a Mr. Darcy, even though she doesn’t realize it. Also how freaking awesome would it be to go to a competition like that, I would sign up in a heartbeat. The only thing that made this not perfect was how completely judgmental Meg was and how she refused to open her eyes. I wanted to shake her sometimes. Also how could she not see how much Jeremy liked her or that he could have been her high school stalker. Those would have been my first thoughts if some guy remembered everything about my high school days. I loved Jeremy though, ugh he made me swoon. Overall though it still was a really good book.

Thank you NetGalley for this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Ugh. I love twists on Jane Austin tales, specifically pride and prejudice. This one? Disappointing to say the least.

I didn’t enjoy the way the characters were written. Or the fact that her boyfriend was terrible and yet she stays with him until pretty much the last second of the book. I felt there was a lot of... verbal abuse? At least that’s how I’d take some of those things that were said. Build people up, don’t put them down.

This was a very fun take on Pride and Prejudice and all things Austen. The book is entirely told from Meg Knightley's perspective. Meg is a professor of History, who adores Austen and all things regency. She is definitively the Mr. Darcy of the story. She is very uptight and seriously judgy - to the point at which I wanted to kind of yell at her and confront her the way her brother does. Her current boyfriend, who meets all of the criteria of her husband list, has decided to compete in the upcoming Austen festival with an actress instead of Meg. Meg's brother offers up his best friend to participate in the festival with Meg. Meg has known Jeremy for years - but truly never noticed him in any real way. Jeremy has grown into a very good looking man who knows himself and what he wants in life. He is a very good man - and proceeds to help Meg (she is paying him - but we can all agree he goes over and above to help her) even in the face of her pretty harsh judgment.

This book is laugh-out-loud funny - and so sweet. I totally fell for Jeremy and wanted to shake Meg most of the time - even though I completely identified with her as a character. The only thing that kept this from being a five star read for me was how swiftly it was resolved in the end. I think the author maybe could have really snuck in some more self awareness for Meg before it finally happens. She is clearly gradually realizing that her boyfriend is a serious prick and that Jeremy is a much better option for her - but even in the face of that realization she is still holding on to marrying the boyfriend within the last 15% of the book.

Overall - I highly recommend this! So cute and the perfect book to raise your spirits right now!

I received this as an ARC from NetGalley, but these opinions are all my own.

DNF

I would like to thank netgalley and une Third Enterprises for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the idea of the book, but it was full of fat shaming and pulling other women down. It didn't need a character who claims they have OCD just because they like cleaning and being organised.

Thank you NetGalley for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

Overall I liked the story and the writing was fine as well. There were a couple things that bugged me however.
First just something small: the used of words like whaa? (instead of what), awk, obvi etc just felt so out of place. Nobody in their thirties talks like that.
Second Meg was quite judgemental and snobby. This is mentioned a lot but I feel like she doesn't really change her ways. She acknowledges this assessment but it's so far along in the book that a lot of it is hard to read, just because of Meg's mean spirit and negativity.
Also every secondary character is described in a rather unflattering light. If my best friend talked to my brother the same way the character in this book does, we wouldn't be friends much longer.
Jeremy also falls rather flat for me. He doesn't have any distinctive characteristics besides being nice and looking good. The romance itself starts very late and the declarations of love feel very sudden.
As I said I didn't dislike the book, I just think it could have been executed a little better.

I wanted to love this book and it had a cute beginning. However, Meg was just so judgmental about everything and everyone. Her constant comments about her pot belly and Hobbit feet were distracting. Jeremy was written as the perfect male character while Meg came off as selfish and self-absorbed. Some chapters from Jeremy's POV would have made this feel less one-sided and given him more of a voice, as he came off as the perfect, adorable doormat who remembered everything about her and catered to all her needs and never asked for anything in return. Also, her concerns about not being taken seriously as an author because she was a professor felt a bit weak. Couldn't she write under a pseudonym? Or maybe even start writing the book to see how it goes? Also, while I loved the idea of the Jane Austen event in Bath and was really excited to read about it, I think it was only about 25-30% of the book. While I get that a lot of the book was dealing with Meg and Jeremy's preparation to go, I felt like by the time they arrived at the festival it wasn't as detailed or exciting as I expected.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hiring Mr Darcy has an amazing premise: the heroine, a cute but nerdy History Professor, gets passed over by her boyfriend, another Professor, (for "career" reasons) and needs to find a replacement Mr Darcy so she can compete in a Jane Austen Festival in Bath. Anyone who enjoys either the P&P book or any of the film adaptations and enjoys contemporary romantic comedies would immediately be hooked by that premise.

Unfortunately for me, the execution fell a little short. The heroine, Meg, was very smug, judgmental and full of self loathing that I found it very hard to like or relate to her. A decent portion of this book is simply Meg complaining about her protruding stomach, short stature, hobbit feet or being super judgmental about other people and using those judgments to either solidify her reasons for not liking someone or feeling superior to the other person. Other than those qualities, the fact that she puts up with the most boring (and carbon copy to her personality) boyfriend and her knowledge of Jane Austen, there's really not a whole lot more to her. Also without giving too many details away, I also really didn't understand her flip flop career decision at the end.

Making up for what Meg lacks, however, is the hero of this story: Jeremy! He was such a lovely, down to earth and all around good guy that it definitely made me keep reading. He does everything in his power to help Meg out and performs his role beautifully as Mr Darcy. He also teaches her to put aside her own pride, prejudice and plans for the future so that she can learn that true happiness doesn't necessarily come from a check list.

Another great point in this story was the actual Jane Austen Festival. It was super entertaining to hear of each of the rounds such as costumes, dancing, acting out a scene etc. I'm not sure if a festival such as this actually exists in the world but if it did, I would absolutely check it out.

Overall though, while there were several elements that left me very frustrated, it was an okay read and there were just as many elements (aka Jeremy) that made up for it.

This is the first time that I read Valerie Bowman's contemporary romances. It's terrific! I love Austen's Darcy in general so this Austen-ish book is exactly what I like. The characters are always likable. The ex-bf is a jerk though of course. Love the ending. :) So sweet.

This is the first book I have read from this author and I am in love with her book. When I saw the title I knew I just had to read this book. No way could I have skipped not reading anything based upon Jane Austen. Valerie Bowman did a fantastic job on her first contemporary/historical romance.

Meg Knightley is a history professor who is planning to take part in an Austen pageant with her boyfriend Harrison, to play the parts of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Men's dreams is shattered when Harrison announces he is going with an actress he is tutoring instead, because it would be better for their college. Meg still wants to go as she did so much preparation and she never likes losing. So her brother, decides to hire a substitute Darcy for Meg. In comes Jeremy, one of her brother's childhood friend who volunteers and is ready to be Darcy.

I smiled continuously while reading this book. Jeremy is that hot guy who is kind, funny, and a loyal gentleman who appreciated Meg and loved her silently throughout the book. Meg is quirky, smart and serious who is also a total bookend like us all which I LOVED!!!

Hiring Mr.Darcy was a delight to read. This is a really enjoyable romance, especially for Jane Austen fans or fans of Pride and Prejudice. I LOVE this book and cannot wait for more in the series.

I received the ARC from netgalley for my honest review.