I would like to thank the publisher and author for giving me a digital ARC via netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

UGH! This book! I have found two truths with Austen-inspired books. Either they are great and I love them or they totally flop. There doesn't seem to be a middle ground for me in this category. Unfortunately, Mary B fell low in the disappointed category. I was totally let down and disappointed with this novel. I assume it is written to attract Austen fans and those that especially love Pride & Prejudice. Then why, why would you write it in a way that totally ruins P&P's characters. The first half of the book is a rewrite from Mary's whiny, wallowing, self-pitying perspective. Sure she was always the less-known, underappreciated of the Bennett sisters but Chen took it much further turning her into an abused, berated, negative existence. It was painful. No one was painted in a positive light. The second half of the book then continues after the two older sisters are married where P&P leaves off. I thought maybe things would improve here now that it is more of Chen's own story. Sadly, it just got much, much worse. My beloved characters became intolerable, flat, selfish, and unlikable. People were dying, husbands were straying, and prudent, reserved Mary all the sudden is little Miss Promiscuous. If you are an Ausenite, if you like Pride and Prejudice, or ever had a crush on Mr. Darcy, stay far away from this book. Read What Kitty Did Next instead. That title was a big win for me as a P&P follow-up. This one was a major fail!

This was an interesting retelling of Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice.” I always thought that Mary was treated unfairly and was curious about her story.

Katherine J. Chen paints a vivid portrait of the overlooked middle sister, Mary. The style of writing was impeccable but the story failed to grab a hold of me.

If you are a Jane Austen fan, and enjoy retellings, I recommend this lovely book.

Provocative and clever, Chen’s debut gives Mary, the ignored middle daughter of Pride and Prejudice’s Bennet clan, new life. Plain, and outwardly placid, she’s perpetually in waiting as men court her prettier sisters. Invited to Pemberley by the now-married Lizzy, Mary’s search for love, and a place of her own, will delight, and infuriate. Don’t miss it.

Mary Bennet's Untold Story Now Written by Katherine J Chen in Mary B
Mary B: A Novel: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice by [Chen, Katherine J.]As an avid fan of Jane Austen's books, I was eager to read this untold story of Mary Bennett by Katherine J. Chen.

In Pride and Prejudice we see Mary as that difficult middle daughter who possesses none of the beauty of her elder sisters. Nor is there the spunk found in her excitable younger sisters who seem to find nothing but mischief and the desire to be courted by anyone sporting regimental reds.

This story brings a new twist to Mary's personality as the men we've come to admire in the original seem to look past her plain looks and personality to see the real Mary and her potential. Even Mr. Collins' plight has had a new light shed upon his toady personality as the author digs deeper into his background and odious behavior in seeking a wife.

Jane Austin's Mary, a well read young woman who seeks no dance partners nor special ribbons to adorn her plain looks is the same Mary Bennet in Mary B. The difference is that in Mary B, we get more than a superficial glimpse into this young woman's life. If you find you haven't had your fill of the Bennet family, you will probably enjoy adding this book to your collection. It is written in the style faithful to Pride and Prejudice.

I received this e-book ARC through Net Galley from Random House Publishing Group - Random House in exchange for a truthful review.

I was so excited to receive this ARC to read. Pride and Prejudice is a classic and a favorite and I was looking forward to how the author would expand upon that universe. I was hoping for a loving addition, a la
Death Comes to Pemberley by P. D. James. Instead, I was left with
what I felt was a point of view which I can only broadly categorize as "delusional Mary".

The novel unfolds in three parts; I enjoyed Part I, which seemingly kept to canon and told of events which were already familiar from P&P, but from Mary's view. Okay, Mary in this section seemed plausible.

Parts II and III, however, mainly take place in a time frame after P&P and what the author does to the characters of Elizabeth and Darcy in particular and Mary left me astonished/angry/unbelieving.

Katherine J. Chen, Author of "Mary B" An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice, writes her novel on Mary Bennet the middle sister.  The author deals with "What if"about Mary  using a unique and fresh perspective. In the original "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austin, there is very little input about Mary. The other sisters overshadow Mary, and with their mother's aggressive approach to marrying well, is  basically ignored. In Katherine J. Chen's novel, Mary is set stage and center. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women's Fiction, with a touch of Historical Fiction. The story takes place in England in the nineteen century, and is set in the past, present and future around the other Bennet sisters' stories.

At this time in history, women's roles were to marry to someone well established. It is a male dominated society.  Men who had lesser titles also wanted to marry well. This was a time was it was important for the wealthy to have heirs, and often the real estate was left to the nearest male relative.

The author describes Mary as complex and complicated. The sisters appear to be jealous, immature, selfish , and at times mean. Some of the men in the story seem to be very shallow, and insecure.There are betrayals, and false promises.

Mary has been regarded as a "wallflower". She doesn't like balls, or groups. Often it is like Mary is invisible, and her family is not sure if she is there or not.  Family and others often joke or put Mary down. Mary's escape is reading books. Soon Mary starts to write books. My favorite part of the story is when Mary seems to be "modernized" and more independent and seeks her own path. What is to become of Mary Bennet?

I would recommend this book to readers that like fiction and historical  fiction of this time period. Although this book is referenced to "Pride and Prejudice" it is a stand alone.I received an ARC from NetGalley for my honest review..

Mary B. follows the lives of the Bennet family long after Pride and Prejudice's last page. Yet unlike the classics, the novel tells the story of Mary and gives each one of the famous characters an unpredictable twist. And before I continue with the review, there's something very important to note on - this is not Jane Austen's work, this is Katherine J. Chen's. So if you are the Pride and Prejudice's greatest fan, it might be worth trying to look at it with a fresh perspective and an open mind.

Chen knows how to write - there's no doubt about it. She's great with her words and very skilled at crafting sentences that can rival the works of fiction written in that era. The style is spot-on and the structure possesses coherence and flow. The first part of the novel centers on the events that took place during Pride and Prejudice, but the other parts are completely unparalleled.

As a middle child (especially during those times), Mary struggles for attention and care. Realizing from a young age that she's different from her sisters, Mary finds solace in reading and learning. Never having the fair chance of competing with her sisters neither in looks and wit nor with her parents' favoritism, Mary does what she knows best in order to stand out - spending time buried in the pages of books. She outspokenly criticizes the playfulness and frivolity with a touch of vanity of her sisters and makes sure that she is the one who chooses the rejection of men, not the other way around. She wants to live her life in her own terms even if it means inadvertently rebelling all her life - you have to give her credit for that.

What impressed me most in this novel is the character development. Chen devotes time to craft her characters and puts the same effort in drawing their journey as they grow. They do change with time just like people do. They have their strengths and weakness, desires and motivations.

I also enjoyed the hint of contemporary fiction throughout, it doesn't take away from the epoch, but at the same time it offers something new to the story.

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and Random House in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book - I wanted to like it so much but the multitude of glaring period errors made that supremely difficult. The author should have done better research, but even if she did not, the editor should have caught these. Mistaking a maid for one of the ladies of the house, ladies drinking wine at balls, a gentleman calling the ladies by first name, all are just a few of the many, many glaring historical errors that yanked me right out of the story. The characters were not at all true to Austen and, I felt, did her a huge disservice. I'm so disappointed, because I really would love to read a well written, historically accurate story about Mary Bennett that remains true to the rest of Austen's characters. This isn't the book I am looking for.

I couldn’t get into this one - I consider Pride and Prejudice one of my favorite classics, and felt this didn’t come close to capturing the wit or depth of Austen’s characters - a real disappointment!

I still count Pride and Prejudice as my favorite novel of all time. So, it’s always with some trepidation that I tackle any book that’s meant as a continuation or spin off or story told from a different viewpoint. There have been some that have worked well. Longbourn comes to mind. But Mary B, not so much. Told from the perspective of Mary, the plain, nose in a book, middle sister, it was boring in the extreme. Mary longs to be noticed, by her father, by the young officers, by Mr. Collins, by anyone…

Chen does a passable job in getting the language and writing style correct. But there’s none of the wit of Austen. Mary has a woebegone character, a black cloud perpetually over her head.

What she also gets very wrong are the other characters. Are we to believe that this cold hearted, vain female is supposed to be Lizzy? That becoming mistress of Pemberley has turned her into someone I didn’t recognize? Or this dastardly version of Colonel Fitzwilliam?

As the book moves into Part Two, we move into a future unforeseen by Austen. And while there are a few interesting and fun scenes, most of the chapters devolve into a cheap romance novel. It’s one thing for Mary to pen almost comically florid scenes, it’s another for our author. I will give Chen credit for delving into the real dangers of womanhood in the 18th century.

I have to give fair warning to those who adore P&P. Avoid this book!

My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this novel.

Jane Austen had a unique style of writing, effortlessly blending social satire, romance, and observations from her daily life. Her characters jump off the page because they reflect those around us—they’re relatable and remind us of real people.

Because I love Jane Austen’s novels, I am constantly looking for a way to rediscover them; that’s why retellings of her book are so tempting. I enjoyed stepping back into Regency England and the Bennet family adventures through “Mary B”. I love contemporary literature, but reading books that are reminiscent of Austen, the Bronte sisters, etc. just feels so comforting and soothing to the soul. I was pleasantly surprised at Katherine Chen’s skillful writing and her ability to mimic this favorite style. “Mary B” is incredibly readable and easy to sink into from the beginning.

While I enjoy re-entering that world, I try with all of my might to resist Jane Austen retellings. I usually go back and forth about picking them up; often my decisions heavily rely on the reviews and recommendations of others. Since I read “Mary B” as an ARC, there weren’t many previous reviewers to warn me off. However, I really wish there were!

Chen is a talented writer, but I really despised her story. When I first read the summary, I was intrigued. Mary Bennet has always been a rather flat character and one that is easily forgotten. Hearing from her as “Pride and Prejudice” unfolds was just too much for me to pass up.

From the beginning, I disliked Mary even more than I did previously. Throughout “Mary B”, it seemed that every positive attribute of the Bennet sisters was stripped from them and handed to Mary. She secretly stored up resentments against each of them while they grew increasingly immature, vulgar, and fraudulent. Elizabeth, in particular, retained none of her easy-going, witty, and warm nature; meanwhile, her marriage to Mr. Darcy quickly disintegrated into shambles. The mishandling of these familiar and lovable characters frustrated me to no end.

Even Chen’s beautiful writing and my longing for Austen couldn’t make these drastic alterations less disappointing.

I do not recommend “Mary B.” for readers that desire a retelling in the same spirit of Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice”. I am firmly in this camp. If you, like me, want to be Lizzy Bennet when you grow up—don’t read this book.

A full review will be posted on my blog on the publication date, July 24, 2018.

So well written. Ms. Chen develops Mary’s character so that we totally understand how the hurts and slights that are heaped upon her damage her own view of herself. But Mary is not to be put in the trap of other’s opinions she struggles to be her own person.

This is a wonderful addition to the Pride And Prejudice bookshelf. Follow Mary’s mistakes and triumphs. Brought beautifully to life in this special book.

Couldn't get past the main character's (understandable) self-pity and abuse by family and friends.The Bennet family relationships have a Lord of the Flies quality and no one comes off as admirable or someone I'd like to spend time with. A nice premise--smart, unappreciated sister is true object of Darcy's affection, but the melancholy of it all is too much to bear. Full Disclosure--Net Gallery and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Any reader who enjoys Austen-related fiction will devour this title. It's fascinating and heartbreaking in equal measure. Chen humanizes Mary Bennet and gives readers a much more balanced and even-handed view of the Bennet sisters; Elizabeth's not perfect, she can be a handful. If readers were given a plot summary at the outset, few would believe Chen could pull off this narrative, but she does, and it's an excellent read. Especially recommended for those who enjoyed Joan Aiken's takes on the Austen universe.

I enjoyed this book but might find myself in the minority here.

The writing is simply beautiful. However there are some tweaks to some of the characters that some may find disconcerting or even sacrilegious to some die-hard fans of P&P.
Me? Yes, I was surprised (and not always pleasantly so) by some directions the author decided to veer, but ultimately it is fiction and the way one author envisioned things developing following P&P. And I admire the author’s courage to take on a universally loved classic and make those hard choices. Her version happens to be heartbreaking, poignant, but ultimately victorious.

Mary finds her voice...as a sister, as a daughter and as a woman. She’s amazing here.

I received a free e-copy of this book through Netgalley, as I was intrigued by the plot summary. I really wasn't sure what to expect. As a possible variation on Pride and Prejudice, it appealed to me as something that could be different. There is no doubt, it was different.

In fact, the book is based on Pride and Prejudice, told from the POV of Mary, the middle daughter of the Bennett family. Right from chapter 1 she announces that she has been in love three times, and knows that although her love did not result in what would customarily be considered a happy conclusion, that her love was real nonetheless. Mary is an amusing character with a sardonic sense of humor, yet her plainness appears to be her undoing. Because she has been conditioned to believe that she has nothing to offer, she comes to believe that she is undeserving.

The story is made up completely of characters from the original Jane Austen novel, but with the differing POV, the story becomes something altogether different. The characters themselves become altogether different. That said, I believe the reader will enjoy this book all the more with the ability to compare it to the original. If you haven’t recently read Pride and Prejudice, consider reading a summary of the story to refresh your memory. This is not to say the story will not be enjoyed otherwise, but knowing the original inspiration can only improve upon that enjoyment.

Though there were certainly some very happy times in this book, I found myself, even during those times, with a sense of foreboding and fear of what might come next. For I knew that she had been in love and that love had not resulted in what most would consider traditional happiness. I also knew, based on the original, what was bound to happen with many of these characters. I felt for Mary, rejoicing in her happiness and wanting to cry during her tribulations. Thankfully, she never dwelled on her sadness for very long, preferring to pick herself up and keep moving forward.

To me, the most interesting aspect of this book was the perspective of the wallflower. Mary goes into painstaking detail to explain how to act when one is not the life of the party. So many books choose as their main character the most beautiful, the most charming, the most desired female. At first glance, Mary is none of those things. Yet, she proves herself to have more passion and more spirit than any other character in the book. She inspires others to be better. She refuses to accept the status quo. Ultimately, the story has a happy ending. Not surprisingly, it is not the traditional happy ending. And that may be what makes this book so great. Mary learns, as we all should, that happiness comes from within and cannot be found through someone else.

Written from the perspective of Mary, the plain middle sister in Pride and Prejudice, the action takes place before, during, and after Austen's novel.
I thought it was well written and quite amusing.
Lately, it seems there have been so many fictional novels being written about real people that it was enjoyable to have a fictional account of fictional characters!

At first I was skeptical, having been a huge fan of all books Jane Austen. I enjoyed Longbourn, I enjoyed Austenland, and seeing that this book was due to be published, I knew I had to jump on the opportunity and fast. The story revolves around Mary Bennet, the least talked about member of the Bennet family. The story takes liberties surrounding relationships between characters and post-P&P stories I'm sure some will be unhappy with, but after having followed the Elizabeth Bennet/Mr. Darcy story for so long, it was refreshing to see something different for once. This is not meant to be a rewriting of Pride and Prejudice - it's part of the story told from a different point of view and that is going to color descriptions of characters differently to how we perceived them in the original work. I greatly enjoyed reading this novel and would challenge any Jane Austen lover out there to reserve judgment because the writing is well done, the character development is quite interesting and the story arc is wonderful.

Some readers are going to hate Katherine J. Chen’s Mary B: An Untold Story of Pride and Prejudice. Its premise isn’t unusual. It is a retelling of the classic novel, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. There are dozens of other retellings, prequels, and sequels. Choosing to tell the story from the perspective of middle daughter, Mary, isn’t that unusual either. What is radically different is what Chen does with the other beloved characters of Austen’s novel.

Readers familiar with Pride and Prejudice will remember Mary as the very plain, socially clueless, serious middle daughter. She’s been caught between the lovely and vivacious older sisters who find true love and the silly younger sisters who seem determined to annoy the bejeesus out of everyone in the county. So far, nothing is different in Mary B. She tells us her version of events while the plot of Pride and Prejudice spins on in the distance.

What is different is that, in this version of the story, Mary falls in love. More, she falls in love three times. She tells us this early on in the book, so I knew that at least the first two loves wouldn’t last. I expect that most readers, especially if they identify as a woman and who read Pride and Prejudice for fun, found that they identified with one of the sisters. I doubt that anyone but me ever identified with poor, unlovely Mary. So I was delighted to see how full Mary’s life became once she is released from the bounds of her original story. I also really enjoyed seeing the excerpts of Mary’s first novel, a hilariously overwrought Gothic novel in the vein of Ann Radcliffe.

Mary B is not just an atypical love story. It’s also the story of how Mary grows as a person, from someone who is frequently slighted and bears grudges, to a fully fledged woman who refuses to let anyone limit her. Even when she falls in love with a man and he with her, she will not follow the dictates of society. I was very surprised by the direction Chen took in the end. Readers who hold Pride and Prejudice as sacred, as I said, will definitely not like this book. Readers with open minds will have a much better time with this book.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley and Edelweiss, for review consideration. It will be released 24 July 2018.

Pride and Prejudice' is one of my favorite books...can't tell you how many times I have read and re-read it. Therefore, this story caught my eye The book is well-written, however, don't mess with perfection!!!

My thanks to NetGalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.