Finding Mr Darcy

Book excerpt: Shortlisted for the APA Book Design Awards for Best Non-fiction 2013 It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. Unless, of course, he's gay. Or has a girlfriend. Or is neck deep in twice weekly psychoanalysis and entirely unfit for public interaction. How does the modern day heroine find her way in a dating world where the rules change faster than she can update her status on Facebook, and there's not a single Georgian ballroom, empire-line dress or pantalooned man in sight? Intrepid former dater and award-winning journalist Amanda Hooton turns to the ageless wisdom of Jane Austen to solve the eternal dilemmas of romance: how to be as clever as Elizabeth Bennet, as dignified as Elinor Dashwood and as confident as Emma Woodhouse; how to avoid shagging Mr Wickham, marrying Mr Collins, or being dumped by Willoughby; and most importantly of all, how to find Mr Darcy, grapple him to your soul with hoops of steel, and become the part-owner of a country estate in Derbyshire. If you've ever wondered why your love life doesn't more closely resemble a Jane Austen novel, this is the book for you. Charming, laugh-out-loud hilarious and entirely empathetic, Finding Mr Darcy is a witty, street smart and, above all, wise approach to modern dating, which proves that some things - especially the pursuit of love - really are timeless.