Claire Prescott is a sensible woman who believes in facts and figures, not fairy tales. But when she agrees to present a paper to a summer symposium at Oxford on her ailing sister's behalf, Claire finds herself thrown into an adventure with a gaggle of Jane Austen-loving women all on the lookout for their Mr. Darcy. Claire isn't looking for Mr. Anyone—she's been dating Neil, a nice—if a bit negligent—sports fanatic. But when a tall, dark and dashing stranger crosses her path, will the staid Claire suddenly discover her inner romantic heroine? Her chance meeting with a mysterious woman who claims to have an early version of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"—in which Lizzie ends up with someone other than Fitzwilliam Darcy—leads to an astounding discovery about the venerated author's own struggle to find the right hero for Lizzie Bennet. Neil's unexpected arrival in Oxford complicates Claire's journey to finding her own romantic lead.