Extremely cute cover, and I love an Austen reference. That was enough for me to want to pick this one up. If that’s enough for you too, don’t let me ruin your fun.

But, sadly, DNF at 25% and here’s why.
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Couldn’t shake this thought: Why did avoiding the “Charlotte Lucas fate” matter so much to a 21st century professional 26 year-old? This being a contemporary story, I felt her self-flagellating worry to not end up a spinster needed some broadening or added backstory to firm it up, because current general social pressures alone in this context don’t hold up enough for me. Knowing the premise, I expected circumstances that would push her to similar last-resort practicality as the moniker in the title, but the set-up was not there. And, though I can relate to insecurity as much as the next fallible human, the title is accurate, but not in a good way. Because, besides not having an outgoing personality or much of a dating life: Charlie is no Charlotte Lucas. I borderline resented the comparison, because Charlotte Lucas may have been a plain wallflower compared to Lizzie, but she was a capable, stalwart, proactive realist who knew her mind. And here was woe-is-me Charlie in blubbering awe of Mr. Blind Date Blue Eyes. That, plus her aching insecurity, just placing herself at such a disadvantage. Can we get some FMC competence besides being endearingly cringey, for the love of Mr. Collin’s potatoes? What I did read represented too much of what I don’t enjoy about some celebrity or billionaire romance: I don’t want to read a whole book about how she’s completely oblivious he could ever want lowly ol’ her, to then shifting to incredulous when he shows he actually does, to then begrudgingly, if not suspiciously, accepting he wants not-so-bad her, The End. Maybe there’s eventually a great arc in here for Charlie, but I felt that cycle is where we were heading, plus (nitpicking) some descriptive comparisons were a little random and distracting, so I decided to move on.

I’m grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an ARC.

I’m Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton
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Charlie Lucas is a huge Jane Austen fan, especially Pride and Prejudice. She tries to not be alarmed that her life is starting to appear like her namesake from P&P, but here she is 26 with “no marriage prospects”. Even her elderly neighbor is trying to help her by setting Charlie up with her grandson.
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What I liked:
-I love Pride and Prejudice so this book sounded right up my alley. I enjoyed the thought process that Charlie had about the book and how she pondered Book Charlotte’s life and choices.
-I loved neighbor Vera. She was a fiesty lady and I wish I had neighbors I was as close to.
-I enjoyed the love story here. When love stories have a feel of the people becoming friends first and then falling in love, it just feels so real to me and gives me all the warm fuzzy feelings.
-The way things ended for Charlie were excellent. I wanted to clap for the choices she made.
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What I didn’t like:
-Andy.
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4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A fun cozy read for me. I would recommend for sure.

I loved Charlotte and Liam! I loved how much these characters were relatable, especially Charlotte with her insecurities.
I have loved everything I've read by Kasey so I was very excited to read this book and it did not disappoint! I highly recommend to fans of Pride and Prejudice!

She has an Obsession with Pride and Prejudice and it slants her view of men. He's busy with his organization and focused on raising his brother as well as checking on his grandmother. They're being set up by their families and aware of it. She doesn't believe he would really be interested in her and he's going to have to prove his interest. 2.75 stars.

********************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.************************

Though I didn’t love the third Act breakup and the dramatics that came with it, I did love the introspection. I felt like Charlotte’s growth and self actualization happened a little fast, but the story was sweet and the chemistry was well written.

I enjoyed the plot of the story but the writing was a bit too much for me at parts, or maybe it just wasn't my style, which often led me to put down the book for long period of time. Overall it was a good story with great characters but lacking a little in the writing aspect.

I LOVED this book! It was so cute and sweet, and FUN—just what I’ve been looking for in a read! It’s hard to find sweet romance that isn’t annoyingly full of non-bedroom steam. This was funny, sweet, yet relatable, and a great balance of all the things. I loved the characters, and I’m really rooting for Beth to get her own story.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

She’s not Charlotte Lucas / she’s Charlie Lucas - and she’s about to turn 27 & wants to make sure she doesn’t live up to her namesake. This book is so sweet & swoony! From the first meet cute to the next several ones, I kept turning the pages to see what would happen in Charlie’s life next - and let’s be real, because Liam was so swoony! I adored their story & loved watching Charlie learn how to become her own leading lady. If you love Pride & Prejudice, sweet romances & meddling old ladies, pick this one up - it is definitely worth it!

Charlotte “Charlie” Lucas knows the story of Pride and Prejudice quite well and fears that she will suffer the fate of the possibility of marrying someone just so she doesn’t have to be alone, just like the character Charlotte Lucas did. She suffers from a lack of self confidence and needs someone to be her champion.

I loved this story and was surprised how quickly I flew through the book. I think all of us can relate to Charlie’s imposter feelings and thoughts that you don’t measure up to self-imposed expectations or those of others. Her character was lovable and just so sweet! I couldn’t wait to see her realize she was worthy of being loved and highly valued. My favorite line was, “It didn’t matter what anyone thought. I was happy. I was loved. I was enough.”

Liam Connell was not what I expected. He was surprisingly humble, non pretentious, and compassionate. He was not deterred by Charlie’s insecurities and saw beyond them to fight and win her heart. Every lady needs a Liam in their life to help them through those rough times when you compare yourself to others, when you think you have to settle for second best because you just aren’t good enough.

I highly recommend this positive and encouraging story. Buy several copies of this book. You just can’t read this without talking about it with your best friend, your mother, or your book club.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All opinions are my own.

This was exactly what I needed; a fresh take on what we know and love about Pride and Prejudice. Everyone focuses on Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters but we lose sight of just what a profound character Charlotte Lucas actually is.

I loved this story. Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas is facing her 27th birthday and feeling more like the Jane Austen character who settles for Mr. Collins and his love of potatoes than Lizzie Bennett and her dashing introverted Mr. Darcy. She's at a stand still in life as she's not using her art degree to do what she loves and she's back living hat home in her parents attic apartment. She knows she doesn't want to remain in this life but she's too comfortable in her life at the moment to make any big changes. When her elderly neighbor asks Charlotte for a favor - being the date of her grandson to a charity event to act as a buffer between him and his ex-girlfriend - selfless Charlie agrees and this sets our story off on a fun foot.

I love that Charlie and Liam have a meet cute before the night of the charity event. It gives us a moment to see them as simply Liam and Charlie rather than the set up provided by Liam's grandmother Vera. But the night of the charity ball definitely set the pace for the chemistry and romance that begins the relationship between these two that had me laughing, smiling and hoping for the HEA I knew would be delivered.

I find myself bonding with characters who are similar to myself in ways and Charlie and I both have levels of insecurity that we play off with humor. I understood why she would do something like give an ex-boyfriend a second chance even though she knows he doesn't deserve it. I understood how she wanted nothing more than to fall for Liam immediately but had reservations about someone like him truly being into who she was. It can seem irritating to some readers and yet for me, I got to know Charlie for who she was inside and out and fell for her along side Liam. She truly doesn't know how great she is.

Liam. Liam. Liam. Good lord this man is incredible. His love for his grandmother, his little brother, underprivileged kids and his new "friend" Charlie that he knows belongs nowhere else but by his side doing what she loves and making his life better. Watching Liam meet Charlie and fall for Charlie was delightful. His texts made me smile, his delivery of tacos made me sigh and his fight for love had me head over feet in love with him.

This book was so much fun to read. The supporting cast was perfect and I do hope that Spike gets into USC and Beth finds her own HEA.

I do have one thing I would have loved to see in this and that would have been Charlie and Liam celebrating her 27th birthday together since that is the birthday Charlie has been dreading as it could turn her into the Austen Charlotte Lucas. You know, something like Samantha and Jake Ryan celebrating her birthday and being exactly where they needed to be, together and in love. But the epilogue was perfect and I am truly satisfied.

My Review 4 STARS

Charlotte (Charlie) Lucas is filled with insecurities so at almost age 27 she is feeling much like one of the characters in Pride and Prejudice that she is named after. Charlie has only ever dated a "Mr Collins" so with no hope of finding her own "Mr Darcy", she agrees to a blind date with her neighbors grandson, Liam. Low and behold he is tall, dark, and handsome, and she figures with his job and connections in Hollywood he is out of her league. But she sure feels a spark of attraction to him and much to her surprise, he feels the same way toward her. Working through feelings of inadequacy leads Charlie on an enlightening discovery about self with her own "Mr Darcy" by her side.

Fans of Austen will undoubtedly enjoy this delightful rom-com from Stockton. She is a talented wordsmith. I'm Not Charlotte Lucas is a clean contemporary romance that makes for a fun and diverting afternoon read.

I received an electronic copy from the publisher through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I'm Not Charlotte Lucas tells the story of a modern-day Charlotte Lucas who refuses to settle. Charlie Lucas is 26, working at a lackluster job, and living in her parents' attic when her elderly neighbor asks her to be her grandson's date to a charity ball. Charlie accepts and is instantly drawn to Liam.

The beginning of this book instantly pulled me in. Charlie and Liam are both likeable characters and their chemistry felt real. Stockton's writing is solid and funny at the right times. The supporting characters such as Beth and Charlie's family are all endearing.

However, Charlie's lack of initiative and self-confidence became very grating very fast. I can't get over the scene where she gives her ex and second chance. They're on a date and she's literally thinking how it was a mistake and planning how to make her escape when he says one nice thing to her and that he really thinks they could work out this time and she immediately changes her mind and agrees! This happens multiple times throughout the story. The constant miscommunication is also grating. Charlie thinks Liam has a girlfriend, and despite him giving every indication and even literally saying that he is into her, she thinks there is no possible way he could like her.

Despite that, I still overall enjoyed the book. Charlie and Liam were a cute couple most of the time, and their banter was fun. I really recommend if you don't mind some miscommunication and frustrating decisions and you're even a little bit of a Pride and Prejudice fan.

In this story, we read about 26 year old Charlotte Lucas who is obsessed with all things Pride and Prejudice and who (to her own dissappointment) identifies with her namesake in P&P. She feels like she plays second fiddle and feels like she's a failure. Why she feels that way, remains a bit unclear, but somehow she's convinced of all this. But Charlotte is obviously a very sweet woman who takes care of her elderly neighbor, her sister and makes the most out of each day. When she is asked by her neighbor to attend a gala with her grandson, Charlotte feels like she can't decline and finds that she quite enjoys her company. But since he's handsome and wealthy, she feels like she doesn't deserve him (even though it's obvious he's into her). Charlotte's feelings of inferiority for me are the central theme of the book. I think many readers will identify with Charlotte and I really hoped that Charlotte would find a way to feel worthy, to love herself for who she is and accept that everyone is beautiful in their own way. That is not the case, however and I feel this is a huge missed opportunity. Charlotte eventually accepts that she deserves all the wonderfull things that happen to her, but that acceptance is solely based on the appreciation others have for her. I would have loved for Charlotte to really come into a new way of thinking about herself.

This book is categorized as a romance novel. It's a very clean romance (no smut whatsoever). The male main character, Liam, ticks all the standard boxes (handsome, kind, intelligent, wealthy) but is also a bit.... bland. The story could have benefitted from a few chapters from his POV. We never find out why he's completely smitten with Charlotte (other than that he thinks she's wonderful).

All in all, it's a cute story and if you're looking for a clean, cozy read than this book is for you. I prefer a romance with a bit more oomph to it.

I just reviewed I'm Not Charlotte Lucas by Kasey Stockton. #ImNotCharlotteLucas #NetGalley

I loved this contemporary romance by Kasey Stockton, it was beautiful!

I’ve loved P&P for as long as I can remember and have always been intrigued by Charlotte’s character, so I was thrilled Stockton was going to give Charlotte some main character energy and modernize the character. This started off very cute and I loved the idea of the grandmotherly neighbor playing matchmaker, but then it quickly fizzled. Charlie and Liam’s characters felt a bit flat, and in the case of Charlie, there wasn’t any real growth for her character. The majority of the book focused on her fear and insecurities, which was disheartening.

Overall, I thought the story had a clever concept, gorgeous cover and I loved Beth - she’s the hype girl you want in your corner - but I found the chemistry between Charlie and Liam forced, the pacing a bit slow, and the buildup to the end lackluster. This has such potential to be an adorable rom-com and I was really rooting for Charlie, but I was left wanting more for her character and needing more tension between her and Liam for their relationship to be believable.

This was super cute! Charlotte and Liam were very precious together but I do wish got over herself a little faster Liam was very clearly interested and the only real conflict they had was that Charlotte didn't trust that Liam really wanted to be with her which was annoying. However, I would also probably be a lot like Charlotte in that situation which is why it's good she had her BFF Beth. Their friendship was also super cute. Overall this is a fun light-hearted read and I kind of want to read about Beth and Rhett and Spike and Mariah so we will see if they get their own stories as well.

2/5 stars! The premise of a modern-day take on a Jane Austen novel was exciting. I am a huge Austen fan so never skip an opportunity to read a remake. This book was just poorly structured. The pacing was slow and there was no real build-up to the conclusion. The chemistry between Liam and Charlie was lacking, which kept me from truly engaging in the story.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas loves Pride and Prejudice. That said, she's terrified of becoming a spinster like her namesake. She can't say no when her elderly neighbour asks her to be her grandson Liam's blind date. After a magical evening with him at a charity ball, Charlie is ready to get back to reality but he seems to be everywhere. How is a lady to move past a fantasy when life seems to be imitating fiction to an alarming degree?

Charlie had her insecurities, stuck between the knowledge that her feelings for Liam were real, or if she was settling because of her fear of being Charlotte Lucas incarnate. Liam brought her out of her shell. He was the sweetest, being transparent about his intentions and always addressing her fears immediately they came to light. He always sought her out, even climbing up a trellis 😂

I loved Beth, her best friend and personal cheerleader. Also Vera, the matchmaker tag teaming with Charlie's mum 😂 best grandmother ever!

I read Pride and Prejudice a long while ago and had forgotten Charlotte Lucas' character. It was nice to revisit the story in a different light, to read a retelling of a different character aside from Elizabeth Bennet 😄

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for an ARC.

Wow. This was an absolutely amazing book! I how relatable Charlotte was. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Charlotte and Liam! I also enjoyed the witty batter! This book is perfect for fans of romcoms and pride and prejudice!

This is a cute story and I did like Charlie and Liam, but honestly the story is more about Charlie than her relationship with Liam (which feels a little forced to happen). Charlie was a nice character… but that’s it. Nice. Not multi-faceted, not very flawed, rather one dimensional. I would have liked to see her growing more.

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