I love Austen retellings so jumped at the chance to read this.I really enjoyed the Pride and Prejudice references and it made me want to rewatch the film and series. However I would have liked this to go a little deeper into how Charlie feels like Charlotte other than having the same name and being single at 27. Liam honestly seemed a little too good to be true so I really understood Charlie’s struggle with feeling not good enough for him.

The romance was very cute but I really liked that a lot of the story was really about Charlie figuring out what she wants and deserves. I think a lot of people will relate to feeling a bit stuck and not sure how to make a change.

Overall this was a sweet, fun read and I recommend it if you are a Pride and Prejudice fan.

Thanks to netgalley for the chance to read and review this book.

"Pride and Prejudice was comfort food for my soul the way a half-gallon of ice cream or a box of Twinkies comforted other people."
I was absolutely delighted to read this one this past weekend! I believe this is my first experience of this author with a contemporary novel, and thought she did such a wonderful job! I enjoyed Charlotte's character and could easily identify with her love for Pride and Prejudice! Her arc was written so well, I thought, and I enjoyed getting to see her grow throughout the book. Liam was such a delightful hero- his patience, kindness and overall swoon-worthiness was so lovely. My favorite parts about this wonderful story, besides the main characters, were:
the benefit gala
bowling
evening dates at grandma's
the P&P play
the conversation across the yard
If you love romance books, I would highly recommend adding this one to your list!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions are my own!

Insecurity and Jane Austen...

Charlie is 26 and riddled with insecurity about everything...from her looks, to ending up like Charlotte Lucas, who settled for Mr. Collins. Nope, she gets Liam (as in FitzWilliam Darcy). Liam is Hemsworth hot and is recovering from a breakup. His grandmother sets Charlie and Liam up on a date. But they meet when Charlie hits Spike on his skateboard.
I wanted Charlie to be a stronger lead and not so insecure all the time, from little things to big things but I always like Jane Austen references and Charlotte Lucas took control over her own future and made her choice on whom to marry.

Rounded up from a 3.5

This books follows Charlotte Lucas, aka Charle, a 20something year old who recently moved in with her parents, working a job that she settled in, gets invited to be the blind date to her neighbor's grandson's charity ball. Charlotte lives in fear that she is going to become the spinster character from Pride and Prejudice who shares her name sake. Enter in Liam, her blind date, who ultimately turns her life over with his presence in her life.

I have a bookish confession to make. I have not read or watched Pride and Prejudice, and this book is riddled with references. That being said, I dont think that took away from my experience with this book.

I related to Charlotte as a 20something who feels stuck and doesn't know what her future holds. That being said, there were time in this book that I felt like Charlotte's insecurities were a bit too much. By the end of the book she really pulled through and sought the change that was needed. But considering how fearful she was to end up just like the P&P character, she was very content with settling. I was SO happy that Liam was able to help her pull her from that, but I wanted to see more inner work from her. I loved Liam, he was so selfless and really cared his family and Charlotte. I loved that he saw Charlotte for who she was as well as who she could be and wasn't afraid to tell her that.

This was a cute and fast read that is the perfect palette cleanser. If you're a P&P Fan, you may enjoy this more than me!

Thank you NetGalley and Covenant Communication and Kasey so much for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Covenant Communications for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

In I'm Not Charlotte Lucas, Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas is terrified of ending up like her Austenite namesake: an "elderly" spinster. Charlie wishes she were the Elizabeth Bennet of her own life but sees, and treats, herself as the supporting character. She works a dead end job she is not passionate about and lets her life be dictated by family and friends around her. When a beloved neighbor asks her to go on a blind date to a charity gala with her grandson, Liam, Charlie begins to question parts of her life she has avoided making difficult decisions about.

I loved the premise of this book: I'm a sucker for retellings and love most anything Pride & Prejudice but there were parts of this book that I did not like and I honestly couldn't tell if they were done on purpose or not. The way Charlie acted around her love interests was inane and with her ex, practically excused borderline emotionally abusive traits. Any character growth that Charlie made felt forced on her by other characters.

If you are really into everything P&P you might enjoy this closed door romance but it just wasn't quite right for me.

#ImNotCharlotteLucas #NetGalley

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

I enjoy contemporary romance and was intrigued by the premise of this, but unfortunately, this book really was not for me. Most of the characters felt one-dimensional. I genuinely did not enjoy either of the main characters, they felt very bland, and I didn't feel any chemistry between them. The ending also felt very rushed and the epilogue felt too neat.

However, you may enjoy this if you love contemporary romances without any spice, references to The Office, and Pride and Prejudice.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing team for sharing this ARC with me!

As a Pride & Prejudice lover, I was intrigued by the premise of following a story of a character who compares to Charolttel considering she's a background character. I thought this book had a lot of potential but unfortunately, felt a little flat to me.

I found Charlie to be unlikeable. She was so insecure and wishy-washy towards any decision she made. She actually had a lot going on for her but didn't appreciate any of it because she's too busy comparing herself/her life to a character that barely there in P&P.

All the other characters were very one-dimensional, even her love interest. I couldn't tell you why he liked her. I honestly couldn't tell you what ended up happening in the end.

I think this story could've used a little more meat to it to make it more memorable. The cover is very cute though!

I would definitely recommend "I'm Not Charlotte Lucas!" It was funny, exciting and intriguing. The main character Charlie was amazing and I loved how Kasey Stockton made her very really relatable. Liam was equally fun and real to life. I couldn't put it down and was sad to have it end.

I guess I thought when it said in the summary that "life seems to be imitating fiction" it meant that the story was a spin-off....it was not.
Charlie's romance was going to mirror Charlotte's.....
I enjoyed like....80% of the book. It was cute and I loved Liam but then there came a point where I couldn't stand Charlie (probably because she reminded me of myself)
I kind of want to go on a rant about how Charlotte Lucas might have married Mr. Collins for convenience, but like...she was happy... There's nothing wrong with being a Charlotte...like....
TS Song: Babe, Untouchable

I am so thankful to Netgalley for receiving this ARC! I really appreciated it. I was really excited to see a take on Charlotte Lucas! Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books and movies (2005). I found this take on Lucas fresh, lively, and fun. While I am not a big fan of love triangles (I usually try to avoid books that have these), I found that it didn't annoy me as much when I've previously read other books that had it. I thought this was really cute all in all. I don't think I would revisit the book but it wasn't bad and the characters were lovable.

I liked this sweet contemporary story with all the Pride & Predjudice references. It's not a retelling but it does have some funny similarities.
It's a light read and I finished it in a day.
The ending was a little bit rushed but good.

Charlie (Charlotte) Lucas is afraid to end up with a Mr.Collins like her namesake.
But is a FitzwilLIAM Darcy out of her league?

Charlie is a caring young woman who selflessly wants to help her family friends and neighbours. So when her neighbour asks her to go on a blinddate with her grandson Liam to help him, Charlie can't say no.
The blinddate was a success...but Charlie is afraid it's to good to be true.
So will she settle for a boring, untrustworthy former boyfriend and her boring job at the bank or will she overcome her insecurities and reach for the stars?

Charlie is sweet, practical but also insecure. And a big P&P fan. At some moments I was a little bit annoyed by all her insecurities and self-doubt, but at the same time it wasn't that unrealistic. She also had gotten some negative feedback in the past which explains some insecurities.
But overall she was likeable.

Liam is a kind, confident and thoughtfull cinnamon roll.
Yes he is rich...and handsome...and dated a celebrity. But he doesn't act like he is. He's actually pretty down to earth and charming.

The side characters where also lovely. Except Andy 😬

You can definitely read this book when you haven't read or seen P&P. But it is fun to read the references to P&P!

I’ll let you in on a little secret… I’ve never read Pride and Prejudice 🙈 I have, however, seen many of the adaptations. The BBC miniseries with Colin Firth, the 2005 movie with Keira Knightley, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, even The Lizzie Bennet Diaries on YouTube.

As someone who is currently 27 with “no money and no prospects” (not that I want any prospects, being AroAce) I really enjoyed this book! The way Charlie feels influenced by the story of Pride and Prejudice and the character she happens to share a name with, to her and Liam’s journey to happiness.

The epilogue felt a bit off, like it should’ve been set more than one year later but it was still fun to read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review an ARC of this book.

This was such a cute rom com I absolutely loved it , I loved Charlie and Liam and how their relationship developed throughout the story . I loved how I could relate to Charlie in some ways . I love when books have characters that are realistic and relatable. It was a very cute book I definitely recommend!

*I received this book (Via eArc by Netgalley) for free from the Publisher ( Covenant Communications ) in exchange for an honest review*

I had a great time reading this book and Charlie and Liam were fun characters to read about. I understand that she is afraid of her namesake being a spinster but I had a feeling there was lack of a character study and comparison of the sacrifices that Charlotte did in Pride and Prejudice by marry someone in her equal status an intellect no matter how self destructive it could have been. I am not a big fan of the love triangle trope and sometimes they work. This was not my favorite but it was tolerable. I wish there were more of a balance. I very much loved the interaction with Liam and Charlies interactions and the fun moment. I do enjoy when the guy fell first. I really hoped that the BBC pride and prejudice would have been referenced just like the 2005 did. I totally understand the appeal of the movie and the aesthetic. As a literature major I would have very much enjoyed the comparisons. I adored the ending. Regardless it was and I enjoyed reading it. it was cute and adorable. I would purchase this book to have a physical copy of it! For someone who doesn’t read plenty of romance this was up my alley!

*thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free E-ARC for the honest review*

Charlie Lucas is a lifelong fan of Pride and Prejudice but she's afraid of ending up like her namesake, Charlotte Lucas, Lizzy Bennet's best friend, and a total spinster until she marries a kinda boring and annoying man for convenience and stability. Her blind date/love interest, Liam (like FitzwilLIAM Darcy, get it hehe), is a kind and lovely man who is direct and honest about his intentions (imagine that I literally cannot) but not awkward and prideful like his namesake/inspiration.

Charlie was totally relatable—a single twenty-something trying to make a potentially big turning-point decision about her career (and life as a result). Like her namesake, she is (almost) 27, has (little) no money and (definitely) no prospects, is a burden to her parents (recently moved back into their home) and is frightened (of change). Like I said, totally relatable.

TLDR: This was a sweet story and a quick read, but not one I'd rush out to tell the masses about.

Charlie compares herself to Charlotte Lucas all the time, but the character is a kinda vague and inconsistent touchstone to whom she can compare herself as sometimes things Charlie says admires about the character are things she later says she hopes to avoid? So this is not a very clear motif, despite being mentioned frequently.

What it came down to for me was that the writing could’ve been refined. The prose was a bit clunky and the dialogue too, in places.

I had some issues with the Charlie’s primary internal conflict, which I’ll try to explain while avoiding spoilers. The conflict arose from some of Charlie’s insecurities (normal, that’s fine) but her level of insecurity with regard to this internal conflict seemed discordant with how she acted throughout the story. Also, her self-consciousness around how people received her art was debilitating, but at no point do the story or the other characters tell her that she can take that feedback and learn and grow, which is a super important part of the artistic process. Instead, Charlie basically says she can’t handle negative feedback and the other characters tell her not to care about what people say. While I love the attitude, feedback can be critical to improving your craft, and also if you’re going to pursue the arts as a career, you’re going to need to have a sense of if your art has an audience to be able to make money. So. This maybe isn’t a big deal but felt unrealistic and was super irritating to me.

All in all a sweet story but I’m not sure I’d insist upon my friends reading it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This was an incredibly sweet and cozy blind date, opposites attract novel. My first Kasey Stockton read and I loved it. From the very start to the very end, this book captured my attention and I found it hard to put down.

Charlotte (Charlie) Lucas is single, living with her parents, working an unfulfilling job, and on the cusp of turning 27. She determined not to turn out like her Pride and Prejudice namesake, but will she find her Mr. Darcy before it’s ‘too late’?

Enter Liam, Charlie’s neighbour’s gorgeous grandson. He’s a hot and wealthy jet setter, and completely out of Charlie’s league. Or is he?

This is a ‘he falls first’ romance about two lovable characters from different worlds brought together by a lovable matchmaking Grandmother. We follow Charlie’s (very relatable) struggle to overcome her insecurities, and accept that she is worthy of the things she wants. Throw in some great side characters (loved Vera!) and some not so great side characters (looking at you, Andy), and you’ve got a fun, engaging read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my unbiased review.

Different from what I normally read but in this case different was good. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as I’m sure you will too

I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton is an excellent read I didn’t want to put down. I have been a fan of Stockton’s writing for a while, so I knew I would love her pacing, her writing style, and her characters in this story. I was initially drawn to I’m Not Charlotte Lucas because of the cover. Isn’t is gorgeous?! I absolutely love it. The title caught my attention, too, because I know who Charlotte Lucas is and was very curious as to why the main character in this story wants to separate herself from a fictional character in Pride and Prejudice. Then I read the synopsis on the back cover and knew I needed to read this book immediately.

I think, deep down, whether women want to admit it or not, we are all, on some level, fearful of becoming a Charlotte Lucas — the unwanted, unloved, unattractive spinster. From the second a girl is born, Society judges us and it judges harshly, and we take in every judgement as if it is Gospel. Some of us are affected by comments made about our looks. Some of us struggle with comments from our mothers. Some of us are hurt by comments made from those we look up to or admire. And some of us struggle with the mean things boys said or did. Charlie Lucas is a 26-year old woman who has lost her spirit. She is SO kind and compassionate. She cares about every single person she knows and meets. She is hard working and diligent. She is dedicated and loyal. But she is trapped. Someone said something really mean to her and it stuck in her heart and refuses to stop playing on loop in her mind. She has allowed that one comment to define her, and has built a life where all she really does is hide. To protect herself from getting hurt again and losing even more of herself in the process, Charlie keeps things superficial. Her job is safe, her car is boring, she lives in her parent’s attic, and her dating life is stale. But then she is asked to go on a blind date with her next door neighbor’s grandson, and life can’t help but change for Charlie. Who knew the hottest man alive was just the person Charlie needed to get her life going again?! I very much enjoyed Charlie’s journey from “Charlotte Lucas” to “Elizabeth Bennett” status. I laughed out loud a few times, teared up some, wanted to smack Charlie a time or two, and very much cheered her on as she rediscovered who she is and what she wants out of her life. What a great journey!

I’m Not Charlotte Lucas is a great Contemporary Romance; one I highly recommend. If you are a fan of clean Contemporary Romances, and a fun nod to Pride and Prejudice, then you will not want to miss out on this super fun read.

I received a review copy of this novel in eBook form from the publisher, Covenant Communications, through NetGalley in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Okay, I just really really like this book! I’m not Charlotte Lucas isn’t a Pride and Prejudice retelling, but it also kind of is?😂 Either way, I love Charlotte because she’s deeply relatable, and I love the way Liam absolutely adores her. I was a little unsure how I’d feel about it when I started reading, but the story quickly won my heart! I’d highly highly recommend reading if you’re looking for a sweet, lighthearted but realistic story!

I loved all the nods to Pride and Prejudice in this story! It’s not a retelling, but there are plenty of references to the movies and to the book, and I thought it was very unique and clever how Charlie related to Jane Austen’s Charlotte Lucas.

This book has themes of self-acceptance and self-worth, and I thought it was well done. I enjoyed following Charlie’s story, and I cheered for her several times while I was reading! I like when books have these kinds of themes in them. I also really loved Liam, and I thought it was sweet how he pursued Charlie.

This was a fun book to read, and I enjoyed it a lot!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.