Member Reviews
For contemporary romance fans who also love Pride and Prejudice, I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton is the book for you! It combines a hint of matchmaking with a helping of attractive, if somewhat exasperating, male, a dash of self-discovery and a whole lot of Pride and Prejudice references to create a delightful story. Exploring themes of self-worth and chasing dreams, this book tells a wonderful romance that I thoroughly enjoyed.
*Thank you to Kasey Stockton, Covenant Communications, and Netgalley for an e-arc. All opinions are my own.
If you liked pride and prejudice and you're single, this is just for you, i connected with Charlotte in a way that made this book so enjoyable for me from the very beginning to the end. Also i love how realistic is with the journey of self love
This was a light read that had a swoon worthy man and lots of references to Pride and Prejudice!
The story was a little bit slow to connect with at the beginning, but I found it developed more as I read on. Parts of Charlie became more revealing, and you started to understand her whys more.
The only reason why I'm not giving this one more stars is because I didn't care for the negativity of Charlie. I GET WHY SHE IS THAT WAY, but I found that it took too long for her to really understand that she was worth more. It was too quick at the end for me, but that's just my thought!
If you're looking for a quick read with a sweet love interest who does ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, then this book is for you!
The perfect contemporary romance for Jane Austen fans! The themes of comparison and self esteem throughout are well done without being too heavy. Liam is wonderful - kind, thoughtful, handsome, patient, with a good head on his shoulders. Charlie is a little lost in the beginning, content with staying in her lane and keeping her head down. That is, until Liam comes into her life and things begin to change....
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for my complimentary e-arc of this book. All opinions here are my own.
Austen fans, add this to your TBR! This was a quick, fun read that kept me engaged. Charlotte “Charlie” Lucas, a die hard P&P fan, is afraid of ending up like her fictional namesake—either a spinster or married to a Mr Collins for convenience.
I loved all of the Austen references but feel that you could still enjoy this book even if (gasp!) you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice. Liam, her blind date turned more, is a rich, gorgeous Darcy type without any of the pride (nice play on his name, too). But Charlie has some issues to work through before the HEA. This isn’t a retelling, more of an “inspired by” story and I really enjoyed it!
Content is clean. Releases Feb 7, 2023.
I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I loved "I'm Not Charlotte Lucas" by Kasey Stockton. I was able to read this on NetGalley after a friend told me that she had read it on NetGalley and recommended it to me! Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas has never been lucky in love. She has daydreams of a "Pride & Prejudice" type of love and is waiting to find her "Darcy." When her elderly neighbor's grandson needs a date to a charity ball Charlie is decides to give it a go. This is the beginning of a swoon worthy romance.
As as a member of the Jane Austen Society of North America, I jumped at the chance to read I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton. A story about a Charlotte Lucas-like character that doesn’t end up with a Mr. Collins? Sign me up! This is a story about Charlie Lucas who loves Diet Coke and Pride & Prejudice. However, her love of Pride & Prejudice has led her to her greatest fear in life: a fate like the fictional Charlotte Lucas. In comes her neighbor’s grandson, Liam Connell, and a blind date to a charity gala. Charlie Lucas may have her Elizabeth Bennett moment. This is a cute, clean romance. Happy Reading!
Who wants to share the name of a character that ends up marrying the man no one wants to marry? Not Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas. No way is she marrying someone she doesn't love just because she doesn't want to be a spinster. Charlie wants to find her Mr. Darcy, not Mr. Collins and thanks to her sneaky elderly neighbor she may have just met her own Mr. Darcy.
Charlie is a sweet and fun character. She's got a bestie, Beth, who seems to be the yin to her yang. She's got some insecurities just like so many of us which I thought made her character relatable. I found Charlie to be a selfless person--always willing to help out her family and others. I really liked her relationship with her neighbor Vera and felt they really cared about each other.
What can I say about Liam other than he's perfect? He's kind, honest, and just an all around great guy. He cared about his grandmother and was doing his best to help raise his teenage brother. I'm so happy he didn't give up on Charlotte when she thought she wasn't good enough for him. As they would say in Regency novels "he was the best of men".
I've read Kasey Stockton's regency romances but this is my first contemporary romance and I doubt it will be my last. I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.
BOOK REVIEW - I'm Not Charlotte Lucas - 5/5 Stars
I took one look at this intriguing title and requested it on Netgalley. I'm a sucker for anything remotely related to P&P or Jane Austen.
THE STORY
First off, this book is NOT a Pride and Prejudice retelling but it has plenty of references so anyone who's a fan will appreciate it. This romance is one of those books that's a blissful escape, a book where you can just sink in, enjoy and forget about life for a little while. It was just deep enough to have substance while still being pleasant and entertaining. Charlie’s first person narration was so amusing and one of the most relatable characters I've read in a while. It was refreshing to read about all her insecurities because so many of us girls share them and I was rooting for her to overcome them!
THE ROMANCE
This romance will give you all the swoons! It's definitely a 'he fell first (or admitted it first)' romance and Liam works very hard to convince Charlie. Charlie can be so awkward at times (at least she feels like it) but it's so adorable and Liam definitely thought so too!
THE TRUTHS
The line that stood out to me the most in the story was “Your worth shouldn’t be dependent on other people.” Too often we look to other people, social media and the world in general to determine our worth. But God is the only one who truly knows our worth and He has determine that we are worth dying for! We are so loved and worth so much in God's eyes that He sacrificed His own son for us. Don't let the world tell you want you are worth, see your reflection in God's eyes and know that you are loved, valued and priceless!
Calling all Jane Austen fans - this beautiful book is NOT to be missed 🤌 As an avid Pride and Prejudice collector and lover of all things Austen, this read was just what I needed and will always have a special place on my shelf 💖 (Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!)
Here’s what you can expect:
💜 Contemporary romance
💜 Blind dating
💜 He falls first
💜 Seriously swoony MMC to add to your book boyfriend list
💜 fabulous character development that’ll hit you in the feels
💜 Not a Pride and Prejudice retelling, just fun Jane Austen references
💜 hilarious humorous moments + sweet sweet sweet-as-can-be romance
Kasey Stockton is now an auto read author for me! I’d never read any of her books before but now I need them all!
Fun, swoony, and sweet. This is a contemporary romcom with lots of references to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Charlie is a huge Jane Austen fan but doesn’t want to end up like the fictional Charlotte Lucas. She is almost 27 years old, single, and living in her parent’s renovated attic apartment. Her long-time next door neighbor Vera practically begs Charlie to attend a charity ball recognizing the work of her grandson Liam and the rest is history. I loved their relationship (most of the time). Sometimes Charlie was so aggravating because she has extremely low self esteem and couldn’t understand why a man like Liam would be interested in her. He is very forgiving and helps her see she is capable of accomplishing her dreams.
Thanks to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for a temporary digital copy to use for my review.
Another contemporary romance from Kasey Stockton and I am HERE FOR IT! I loved the premise for this story, which is that it’s not a Jane Austen retelling, but draws heavily on her story.
Charlotte “Charlie” Lucas was such a relatable character and she felt very authentic in her journey to find love. Honestly, all of the characters felt very real and reasonable in their reactions to various circumstances. And if you’re like me and love a flirty main man, look no further! Liam was swoony and sweet and so loving of Charlie, even when she was feeling her most insecure. Without spoiling anything, I loved the elements including the world of art, which were very accurate to some of my experiences in a similar field.
This story was all things funny and sweet and heartwarming, and you don't want to miss it!
I received an advanced copy, all thoughts are my own..
This was such a cute story! Quick easy read that was enjoyable. Fun characters. I felt all the secondary characters were nicely done. We saw just enough of them and there’s was only a few to keep track off. The story moved quickly.
I ‘m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton was a delightful read that drew me and kept me smiling as I read. Charlie Lucas is currently living in her parents attic while working at bank. She is a lover of all things Pride and Prejudice and hopes she is not Charlotte Lucas. Liam is literally the hero next door or his grandmother is next door to Charlotte. He is a swoon worthy hero with a non-profit who interacts with movie stars.
This book was fabulous and I enjoyed every minute. I loved how the characters were reflective, thoughtful and changed throughout the story. I was very invested in the characters and the story. The themes of following your dreams, accepting and believing in yourself, and the importance of family resonated with me. The romance was sweet and the Pride and Prejudice references were fabulous!
I thoroughly enjoyed I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton. The story was fabulous and this was the perfect read for me. I highly recommend it.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a review.
I thought this was a very charming, fun, entertaining book. I loved the connections with Pride and Prejudice and the Charlotte Lucas character. From the very beginning, when Vera, Charlie‘s neighbor, convinced her to go to a ball with her grandson, was so cute. Their attraction, trials and interferences made for a good lighthearted read. From Charlie’s insecurities and struggling to make good decisions, to finally accepting that she was worthy of good things happing in her life. I can be pretty wishy washy at times, so I could relate. I love Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice, I thought it was a darling way to bring the historical novels into contemporary times. The only downside was the character of Spike. I think he could have been an interesting side character, but was left hanging. That will not stop me from recommending this book though. A clean, fun, entertaining contemporary romance! I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
A lovely take on Pride and Prejudice. I've read many stories that were spin offs and retellings, but never from Charlotte Lucas' point of view. It was refreshing and real. We were there with Charlie through her insecurities and watched as Liam helped ease them and love her. Their story was so sweet!
I couldn’t put this one down! I related to the FMC Charlie in so many ways. Liam was lovely. I loved all the references to Pride and Prejudice,
but you could enjoy this book if you aren’t a huge P&P fan. Loved it!!
This book was such and cute read that kept you wanting more through the whole book. This was such a cute and clean romcom. If you like pride and prejudice then you will love this book. This was the first book I have read of Kasey Stockton and I can't wait to read more. I highly recommend.
Thanks NetGalley and Covenant Communications for allowing me to read this ARC in advance.
This book had me engaged right away and it was so different from anything I've read before. It isn't a Pride and Prejudice spin off, but the book is filled with comparisons, scenes, excerpts from the movies/book. I loved that aspect! Charlie's insecurities resonated with me and Liam was the perfect cinnamon roll. I would have loved to see what was going on in his mind.
The humor was so good throughout. I smiled throughout and occasionally laughed out loud. Reading this book brought me to a happy place.
Charlie's obsession over how beautiful people were was irksome for me. I totally understand feeling like the people around you are more beautiful and that isn't the best feeling, but it was hard for me to read that complaint so frequently.
Loved some of the Bridget Jones' Diary vibes I got from this book.
Swoony kisses!
Liam is a heart throb.
I wanted to shake Charlie so many times throughout the book for being ridiculous, but I also loved her and wanted her to find her HEA.
So many beautiful thoughts about the difficulties of having a career/hobby that is subjective and learning find your people/audience that will appreciate what you create.
Super sweet and clean and I enjoyed it so much!
What a fun story! I don’t read very many contemporary romances, but I usually enjoy them when I do. This book had the perfect mix of humor, sarcasm, and clean romance. Please let it be noted that I have never read or watched Pride and Prejudice, so I really had no idea what the main character was talking about when she referenced that story oh-so-many times. That did not ruin the story at all though. It was quirky and fun.
I loved all of the characters, and hope that Beth gets her own story in the future.