Enthralling. I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton completely grabbed me from page one and kept me turning the pages way past my bedtime! I fell in love with Charlie and her no-nonsense approach to her current phase of life. I adored all the parallels and references to Jane Austin and Pride and Prejudice. I loved the play on ideas and characters and found them to be well executed. Liam almost seems too good to be true, but again, there is a theme that is being established and I totally fell for him myself. The chemistry and tension between Charlie and Liam are what made this book stand out for me. I absolutely loved the playful banter between them. When the intensity turned up, I felt it. I mean, heart racing, stomach dropping, breath holding, felt it. I love these two! The other characters are also great and well developed. I would not mind seeing a series developed out of this book.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Charlotte (Charlie) Lucas is a 26 year old assistant bank manager that doesn't want to settle for Mr. Collins but can she find her Mr. Darcy? Charlie was guilted in to a blind date to a fancy charity event with Liam Connell, who is not only rich and extremely attractive, but also runs the charity.
This was a fun romance with lots of Pride and Prejudice thrown in which I absolutely loved. The story was interesting and kept me turning pages until the very end. Kasey Stockton is such a great writer and this just became my favorite book by her! Definitely recommend this book!
Thank you for letting me read this ARC Covenant communications and NetGalley!
#ImNotCharlotteLucas #NetGalley

What a good read. I really enjoy this author as she can transition from Regency to Scottish to Contemporary and it's always a sastisfying story. A very creative author. I thought the book opened so naturally and the story flowed. Great bit of autenticity written in eventhough it's fiction. I found plenty of moments that were humourous and there was excellent banter. I thought the heroine was a strong character with good introspecton. I liked her self introspection and gained confidence. I found some truism in her character for me. I felt for her and some her self sabatoge and low self worth ways. Our Hero of the story was fantastic. Just the best & sweet decleration from him towards the end. I thougth the story was a creative premise. If there was a book 2 with her best friend as the main character I'd totally read it. Actually, I really hope there is and the author reads this review and feels inspired to write one! ha

𝘐'𝘮 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘦 𝘓𝘶𝘤𝘢𝘴 begins with Charlotte or Charlie on a blind date as a favour to her elderly neighbour but the neighbour's grandson turns out to be a hot philanthropist who's ex is none other than Hollywood's biggest star.
But Charlie has already decided Liam couldn't possibly be the Mr. Darcy to her Charlotte Lucas then why does she feel like her heart's breaking when she tells him their relationship is going nowhere?

- ~ -

Charlie has resigned herself as Charlotte Lucas from 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 & 𝘗𝘳𝘦𝘫𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘦 and has grown to keep her expectations from life to a supporting character level only.

But when main character scenes take place and she's wrapped up in a love story only Elizabeth and Darcy could top, she can hardly believe herself and her self sabotaging instincts claw out.

The transition from "I'm Charlotte and woe is me" to "My name maybe Charlotte but I'm in charge of my life" was well developed but the good parts were short lived.

I will admit that Charlie and Liam had great chemistry and their romance was messy though well done.

Mostly I had fun with the supporting characters. Vera, the matchmaking grandmother, had insane cool, rich and travelling aunt vibes and Beth was the perfect stylist.

Ps. Justice for Beth and Rhett.

- ~ -

Check it out, releasing 2/7!

3.86 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘊𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘐 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 & 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘥. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

This is a beautiful masterpiece based in modern times about dear Charlotte Lucas, yes, the P&P Charlotte Lucas. Somehow Kasey hit all the perfect notes with this story and I loved seeing the story unfold and the characters come to life.

I've read several of Kasey Stockton's historical novels and absolutely loved them, so I was excited to pick up "I'm Not Charlotte Lucas." I don't read a lot of contemporary romances, as most have more explicit content than I'm comfortable with, but this one was squeaky clean.

Charlotte Lucas is a kind woman in her mid-twenties who has chosen security and emotional safety over her passions. Liam is a wealthy non-profit director whose last ex is a literal movie star. Pushed together by Liam's grandmother, the pair finds they have more sparks than they could have ever imagined. Like-minded in family devotion and general kindness, the two are extremely well suited; however, Charlotte's insecurities cause her to push Liam away. The question then becomes whether or not Charlotte can love herself and take a chance on happiness.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in a day! Liam was probably too perfect, but I did not care one bit. It was a delightful read after a long week that I will absolutely revisit again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a light, clean romance story or anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice. I thought it was so fun to have a P&P story that focused on Charlotte Lucas' character.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As an ardent Janeite, I was excited to finally get to review this book. As with most romance novels, I found the plot somewhat predictable, but in other ways it was quite refreshing. The communication between the characters about their relationships is open, clear, and honest, so we don't get the misunderstanding tropes that usually drive me insane. Stockton's insight about the original Charlotte Lucas is also very interesting and something that I don't know holds up to a Regency interpretation, but does work well for a modern-day woman. My only complaint would be that the epilogue felt a bit too rushed. I wanted to spend more time with these characters by the end, and it almost made me cry once or twice (though that may have been my hormones, too).

This is a clever and modern remake of Jane Austen's most underrated character. Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas' dislike of her namesake is based on a misassumption that a lot of Austen's readers still share: that Charlotte Lucas was practically a spinster aka a boring female character that didn't deserve a meaningful arc. I love that this novel brings attention to this underrated character in a surprising way. It's not exactly a retelling, but Charlie is very similar to Charlotte. Think of her as a modern Charlotte who actually has options and opportunities. If you've always adored Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas' friendship - and believed that Charlotte deserved a better hand than the one that she was dealt with Mr. Collins - then this is the story for you. A must-read for any Austen fan!

I loved this one. I can’t wait to see the cover! I think this will be a popular choice for any and all book clubs.

I have to say I thought I was burnt out on Pride and Prejudice like retellings. But I enjoyed this one. I think it's do in part to the fact that heroine is more Charlotte like than Elizabeth and quite frankly that's refreshing.

"I'm not Charlotte Lucas" was an excellent surprise! I love Regency romances, old and new, but I'm not always the biggest fan of chick lit. Here, on the contrary, I was really drawn into the story and couldn't put the book down!

The main protagonist is Charlotte Lucas, a 27-year-old that is afraid of ending up like her namesake from P&P: a spinster. As a consequence, she tends to date guys that are not great, and, as she is a kind person, she even agrees to go on a date with the grandson of her lovely old neighbour. Liam Connell is a very successful guy, president of a trust, owner of a big mansion, etc. but most of all, he is gorgeous. (There was much emphasis on physical appearance in this book.) This is why Charlie feels inferior to him and keeps repeating that he is "out of her league" for the whole book, which got a bit annoying. Yes, she had many insecurities, but sometimes she was pushing it a bit far, and she got over it at the end of the book a bit quickly.

What I liked the most about the book was perhaps how "normal" it felt. The relationship between Charlie and Liam didn't feel forced (apart from the first couple of scenes), they mostly hang out at his grandmothers' house and don't go on extravagant dates. Charlie lives a normal life, navigating between her job as an assistant banker, helping her neighbour and supporting her little sister. It was nice to just tag along, as if we were a friend, without toooo much drama.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I'd give it 4.5 stars !

*I received a complimentary e-copy and this is my honest opinion*

I’m a fan of Kasey Stockton’s regency era/historical romance books, so I was excited to read one of her contemporary books. I really appreciate that her books are clean, and I never have to worry about content. The beginning of this one felt a little forced, but it evened out quickly and I enjoyed the story - especially Liam. What a sweetie! There were many many Pride and Prejudice references - a few too many, in my opinion. I’m sure others will disagree with me on that though. I also thought Charlie’s insecurities became a little tedious at times, but not terribly so. She’s still very likable and relatable. Who wouldn’t be insecure in this situation?! Overall, an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgally for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I could not stop reading it. The actual tension comes at like 75% of the book and I still loved it. Maybe cause it felt like a realistic story and didn’t have the MC doing stupid things just to further the plot. I thought it was a cute short read and I will definitely keep my eye out for this book and this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

NetGalley provided me with an electronic ARC for honest feedback.

Holy. Shitballs.

I’ve never DEVOURED a book so fast. This was fabulous.
I will admit, some of the negative self talk was a little too much - and then I reminded myself that is what goes on in my head and then deemed everything super accurate.

I absolutely loved the plot. I loved the characters. I thought the growth and development of the plot was chef’s kisses.
Seriously, I could see this playing out on the silver screen. It’s cute, flirty, romantic, along with a heaping amount of realism.
This was perfect.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Lasst mich mit meinen positiven Eindrücken vom Buch starten. Der Beginn war einnehmend und hat Lust auf mehr gemacht. Ich war sehr gespannt mehr über Charlies Leben zu erfahren.

Außerdem ließ sich der Roman aufgrund des angenehmen Schreibstils insgesamt gut zu lesen und die Dialoge hörten sich für meine Ohren authentisch und unterhaltsam an.

Im Verlauf der Geschichte tauchten allerdings ein paar Elemente auf, die mir auf die Nerven gingen. So wirkten Charlies Unsicherheiten auf mich zu überzogen und zu konstruiert, dies traf auch auf ihre Verbindung zur Romanfigur Charlotte Lucas zu.

Die Charaktere wirkten auf mich größtenteils nett, sie waren aber leicht zu vergessen, da es ihnen etwas an Tiefgang fehlte.

Die Liebesgeschichte bzw. ihr Potential konnte mich anfangs überzeugen, je weiter sie voranschritt, umso weniger berührte sie mich. Am Ende war nicht viel Interesse übrig.

Blicke ich auf mein Leserlebnis zurück, so war dies größtenteils ganz nett und kurzweilig.

Für wen?

Wen Klappentext und die Leseprobe ansprechen, kann einen Versuch wagen. Erwartet inhaltlich nur eine leichte Anlehnung an die Romanfigur Charlotte Lucas und eher leicht zu vergessene Geschichte.

If you're a fan of Jane Austen and "Pride and Prejudice", there is a high possibility you will like this book. So many references to person who never read this novel. 
Blind date to a neighbor's grandson.  Charlotte Lucas is willingly to help him be his +1 in a charity ball. And avoid his gorgeous ex. Even if she could think about dating him, he is so out of her league. But fate brings them together more and more. How can they resist?
Despite the wonderful moments, I have my red flag in this book. Chapter 28 and scene in school. And as an insecure person in the past, I want to say - I'm not believed. You can't learn how to believe in yourself over a few conversions after you have self-doubts in the past 8 years. I know, it's for the book, for the story. But c'mon, in real life - it will not be working. I'm still learning to do it. Liam needs to choose a different gesture, not this. You could be not agreed with me, but this is how I feel about it.

Thank you to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, so I'm always up for a retelling/reimagining/spinoff/Alternate Universe story - some with more success than others. I would put I'm Not Charlotte Lucas, by Kasey Stockton, into the successful one.

Charlotte Lucas, nickname Charlie, has always been aware of her namesake in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She wonders if she is destined to have the same fate as the character in the novel - having to pick an unsuitable husband to escape "spinsterhood". Driven away from her true passion in college, she has a steady but unfulfilling job at a bank and spends her days taking care of her family and neighbors.
Her friend asks her to go on a blind date with her grandson, who just went through a bad breakup - enter Liam Connell. She is drawn to him even though she thinks he is out of her league. Being friends first may turn into something more if Charlotte can get over her pride and prejudices.

This was a very entertaining and fun novel. I really enjoyed reading it and it was different enough from Pride and Prejudice that I didn't know what was going to happen. I would say it was nice that Stockton didn't try to force her characters into situations that mirrored or slightly mirrored the plot of the source novel as sometimes that can fall flat. I would recommend it to fans of Pride and Prejudice but also to people who are looking for a quick and fun novel.

I can never get enough of Pride and Prejudice retellings and when I saw this latest one by Ms Stockton, who is one of my favorite authors, I just could not pass this up. I especially liked the references by the main character to the different movie/tv adaptations. Made me want to go back and rewatch them again (in addition to the multiple times I already rewatched throughout the year!)
Charlie Lucas is a lover of Regency and all things Jane Austin. She hasn't had much success on the dating scene and is terrified of ending up single and sharing the fate of her namesake. When she is set up on a blind date for a charity event with her neighbor's grandson, despite her apprehensiom. she can't bring herself to say no, even though part of the reason for the date is for her to be a sort of buffer for the grandson since his ex will also be at the event. She never expected said grandson, Liam, to be so handsome and so nice, but totally out of her league. Despite Charlie trying to forget about him and carry on as normal afterwards, he seems to turn up everywhere. How can she let go of her fantasy, when the object of her fantasy seems to be everywhere she turns?
A delightful fun and entertaining book for sure which I truly enjoyed reading Ms. Stockton never disappoints!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

To read a contemporary romance by this author was so fun!

Charlotte loves regency romances (and diet coke). But even more, she's afraid she's going to end up as a spinster.
She can't say no, however, when her elderly neighbor asks her to go on a blind date with her grandson to a REAL LIFE ball.

This book is a very fun modern twist on Pride and Prejudice that I would definitely recommend.