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review 2017-09-01 00:00
Me and Mr. Darcy
Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter For any Jane Austen's fan this book is a treasure. I loved it, it's so good. I love the story and the humor in it. Really a great book, it made my day!
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text 2015-04-02 03:39
Oh, for the love of Darcy
Austenland - Shannon Hale
Me and Mr. Darcy - Alexandra Potter

What annoyed me about both Shannon Hale's "Austenland" and Alexandra Potter's "Me and Mr. Darcy" was the conceit that both books' main characters are "huge Austen fans" -- but not fans of Jane Austen's actual writing. They're huge fans of Mr. Darcy -- and specifically Colin Firth's portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the BBC miniseries. 

 

Okay, so that's the classic, quintessential portrayal. But to devote a whole novel to someone who hero-worships a film character is a giant waste of time. It's basically fan fiction. Don't know why a major publisher would take on such slight, frivolous works. Well, I do know -- Jane Austen sells books.

 

I like a good Austen reimagining, myself. P.D. James' "Death Comes to Pemberley" was ok (you can read my remarks on it here: http://carissagreen50.booklikes.com/post/1068308/reimaginings-death-comes-to-pemberley). I'm looking forward to reading Jo Baker's "Longbourn."

 

But these are so flimsy, and under such a premise, it's hard to like or even take these characters seriously. 

 

-cg

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review 2014-09-18 12:10
[Rezension] Alexandra Potter - "Ermittlerin in Sachen Liebe"
Ermittlerin in Sachen Liebe: Roman - Alexandra Potter

Jede Leserin, die gerne ChickLit liest, stößt früher oder später auf eines der Bücher von Alexandra Potter. Nachdem mich insbesondere “Träumst du noch oder küsst du schon?” sowie “Ein Mann wie Mr. Darcy” begeistert haben, war ich auf ihren neuesten Roman, “Ermittlerin in Sachen Liebe”, sehr gespannt.

Ruby Miller ist selbst Autorin von mehreren Liebesromanen und ist beständig auf der Suche nach verschiedenen Liebesgeschichten. Ihre eigene Liebesgeschichte, die früher absolut perfekt schien, endete leider abrupt, als sie ihren Verlobten mit einer anderen im Bett erwischte. Auch ihren Beruf hat Ruby sich ein wenig glamouröser vorgestellt – zumindest nicht im Pyjama am Schreibtisch sitzend, mit einer Schreibblockade dazu. Glücklicherweise folgt sie dem Rat ihrer Agentin, endlich Urlaub zu machen und besucht kurzerhand ihre Schwester auf Goa. Doch nach einer erholenden Woche am Strand, geht das Chaos erst richtig los und plötzlich reist Ruby kreuz und quer durch Indien.

Auf den ersten Blick unterscheidet sich Rubys Geschichte nicht von zig anderen ChickLit-Erzählungen. Doch neben einer üblichen locker-leichten, unterhaltsamen Liebesgeschichte bietet uns Alexandra Potter hier eine wunderbare gedankliche Reise in den fernen Osten – nach Indien. Während wir auf Goa noch zusammen mit Ruby ein wenig entspannen können, befinden wir uns nur wenige Seiten später auf einer 30-stündigen-Fahrt im Schnellzug nach Delhi. Wir entdecken neue Landschaften, exotische Speisen, wahnsinnig sympathische Menschen, aber auch die Schattenseiten des Landes. Kurzum: die Autorin schaffte es, mich gedanklich für wenige Stunden in ein ganz anderes Land zu transportieren. Manche Stellen gleichen sogar einem Märchen aus 1001 Nacht, andere wiederum verschaffen einen realistischeren Eindruck des Landes. Trotzdem ist es gerade durch den krasseren Ortswechsel und die Reise der Protagonistin eine sehr angenehme Abwechslung und der Roman ein richtiges Wohlfühlbuch und ein toller Urlaubsersatz.

Den eigentlich positiven Eindruck trübt lediglich ab und an das recht stereotypische und vorhersehbare Verhalten der Protagonistin. So bereist sie Indien leider ein wenig blindäugig und vertrauensselig und hört partout nicht auf die gut gemeinten Ratschläge von deutlich erfahrenen Mitreisenden. Gedanklich verrennt sie sich oftmals ganz ohne Grund und gibt im Großen und Ganzen eine ziemlich klischeehafte Protagonistin einer ChickLit-Geschichte ab.

Dafür hat mich Alexandra Potter trotzdem mit ihrem etwas wie gewohnt zauberhafteren Schreibstil wieder einmal begeistern können und trotz der etwas zu typischen Protagonistin hat sie meiner Meinung nach einen sehr lesenswerten ChickLit-Roman geschaffen.

Wer Alexandra Potter bisher mochte, wird auch ihr neuestes Werk lieben. Für alle anderen ChickLit-Leser, die mal Lust auf eine Geschichte haben, die ausnahmsweise nicht in London oder New York spielt, kann ich “Ermittlerin in Sachen Liebe” unbedingt empfehlen!

Source: primeballerina.wordpress.com/2014/09/18/rezension-alexandra-potter-ermittlerin-in-sachen-liebe
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review 2014-03-04 00:00
The Love Detective
The Love Detective - Alexandra Potter So, how’s your significant other at gift giving? Mine is a long history in that particular department, which began with my first husband, our first Christmas, and a disastrous gift. Rather than relate the gory details, let’s just say that from then on, I began compiling lists of welcome gifts for my husband to choose from, and come any gift-giving event since then, I have been a happy camper. Notwithstanding this mutually satisfying practice, my sweet Ulli decided to go a bit rogue this Valentine’s Day. In addition to my requests, he took himself off to the bookstore and got me a set of magnetic bookmarks and The Love Detective, thereby confirming the urgent and continued need for my ingenious gift list.

The thing is, it’s not that I don’t like romance. I do, but there’s romance and there’s romance...and then, there’s The Love Detective. By that, I mean there’s Harlequin-type romance, which everyone knows is pure, unadulterated fluff with no storyline other than boy meets girl, boy and girl hate each other, and then, boy and girl fall in love. Alternatively, there’s more serious romance where, yes, there’s boy meets girl, but there is more depth to the story, less fairytale, and more realistic themes involved. Then, we have Ms. Potter’s book, which is really just a Harlequin Romance IMO. That wouldn’t be such a problem except it is double the page count and double the price for the pleasure of slogging through a book that goes boringly on and on about nothing much really.

Here’s all that really happens. For a couple of years, Ruby has been a basket case because she caught her fiance with another woman. Unable to write romances because she's given up on love, she sets off to India to visit her sister and shake things up. When said sister decides to elope, Ruby needs help tracking her down. Enter the gorgeous Jack, whom Ruby hates at first. A series of mishaps, miscommunications, and unbelievable coincidences ensue, and their mutual attraction grows as they make their way across India. .

The one saving grace in the book is the India setting. As Jack and Ruby go from city to city, Ms. Potter’s descriptions somewhat tempt the reader, even if they are superficial. Nevertheless, I must say I did take exception with her portrayal of Indians as pretty much all happy, dancing and smiling, no matter their circumstances. I mean, India is a country with heartbreaking, grinding poverty and other social issues. Not that every country doesn't have its issues, but the gloss over India's was simply too much for me. Everybody can’t be smiling and dancing, but from this book, one would never know it. Yes, I am aware this is a feel-good romance, but some semblance of reality somewhere in the book would not go amiss. Just sayin'.

Perhaps, my even rating this book is unfair as I would never have chosen it on my own and it is obviously geared toward an audience of which I am not part, but after reading 360-odd pages of much ado about nothing, I feel entitled to have my say. And it’s sad really, because since I’ve discovered my love of all things Jane Austen, I am truly tempted by Ms. Potter’s book Me and Mr. Darcy, but unless it falls into my lap for free, I fear I will never read it.

So, in the end, this book was not for me. AND rest assured that Ulli will be banned from making further autonomous reading choices for me. But all is not lost. I do love my magnetic Valentine’s bookmarks. :)
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review 2014-01-30 16:25
You're The On I Don't Want
You're the One That I (Don't) Want a-Format - Alexandra Potter

Read in 2012

from March 16 to 18

 

I think Potter is the only writer I despise more than Sophie Kinsella. I could eat a bowl of alphabet soup and throw up a better book than any of Potter's. Never mind that, the book was absolutely horrible. The main character Lucy is a complete idiot. She's  childish, reckless, basically someone you would like to punch in the face if you ever met them. 

 

In Alexandra Potter's books you can't find any point whatsoever. Even Kinsella introduces some poor and meager points. As if the book was not already bad, Potter introduces magic and fantasy factors.

 

I really can't make myself talk about the plot. If you're interested, you can read the synpsis of the book on Goodreads 

 

 

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