Review: Unwrapping Mr. Darcy by L.L. Diamond

Source: Purchased

A modern-day Pride and Prejudice-inspired Christmas story? Check. Cute cover? Yes! So of course I had to add Unwrapping Mr. Darcy to my list of Christmas reads for this year, and I wasn’t disappointed! L.L. Diamond’s novel is funny, sweet, sexy, and a complete page-turner.

Elizabeth Bennet takes a job as a lawyer at Darcy Holdings. She is excited about the job, until she overhears her boss, William Darcy, being a complete jerk on her first day. Her sister’s boyfriend, Charlie Bingley, convinces her to stay. It’s not long before William realizes his mistake, but he doesn’t know how to apologize.

A simple “I’m sorry” isn’t good enough for William, and he takes his job as Elizabeth’s Secret Santa up so many notches that Elizabeth begins to wonder whether she has a stalker. One gift at the office party doesn’t say “I’m sorry and am mad about you” as well as 25 thoughtfully planned gifts in an Advent calendar fashion. Meanwhile, he tries to convince her that he’s not the person he seemed on her first day at the office, but Elizabeth can hardly stand to be in the same room with him. Is that because he intimidates her, or is it because of her attraction to him?

In true Pride and Prejudice fashion, Unwrapping Mr. Darcy is filled with misunderstandings, awkward interactions, and heated conversations. Elizabeth’s personal assistant, Charlotte, provides plenty of comic relief, and Elizabeth’s cat, Grunt, provides plenty of mischief. I liked that Diamond gave some complexity to William’s character, but there were times that I thought Elizabeth went a little overboard in her reactions toward him (like running out of the room instead of talking to him, even if she didn’t necessarily want to), but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book. I especially enjoyed William’s take on Secret Santa; that he truly listened to her and got to know her, that he put so much thought into each gift, and that he gave her the gifts not to impress her but to bring her joy warmed my heart.

Unwrapping Mr. Darcy is a lighthearted romance, with just a touch of angst, and is a delightful escapist read for the busy holiday season. It was the perfect way for me to spend a chilly day, curled up in my chair with a cup of coffee, a hot Mr. Darcy, and a troublemaking cat for some laughs.