I went back and read this again and ended up liking it! It was a creative twist and a fresh perspective on a classic. If you’re an Austen fan check it out!

I LIVE for Pride & Prejudice retellings (or really any retlling of a Jane Austen title)! Melinda Taub gets super creative with this one that focuses on Lydia. Great read! Can't recommend it enough

3.5-75 stars rounded up!

I LOVE Jane Austen, so I am always both excited AND wary when I see a book that's an Austen retelling/revamping. I was seriously curious how someone would be able to pull off the "Lydia Bennet, witch" part in particular. But I've gotta say, Melinda Taub delivered! This book really stands well on its own, and as a really fun accompaniment to the original Pride & Prejudice. I really enjoyed the sarcastic, self-deprecating narration, as well as Lydia's characterization. She came across as flawed, but endearingly mischievous, and reliving some of Pride & Prejudice with witchcraft thrown into the mix was a lot more fun than I thought it would be! My biggest gripe with the book was the very slow pacing, which unfortunately continued throughout the entire book, and the ending was a little anti-climactic. Those two things really hampered my enjoyment more than anything else, and are why I didn't rate it as 4 stars or more. Overall, though, this was fun and if you're looking for that rare book that holds up as an Austen retelling, then this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Melinda Taub for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

There were parts I loved and parts I would suggest be edited out.

I loved that she wrote the sister Kitty was actually Lydia's familiar that could transform into human and have everyone believe she was another Bennett sister.

I loved the humor jokes, but not rambling anecdotes through out.

It was quirky, sarcastic at times (like me!), with an entertaining spin on Pride and Prejudice that made a full character, into someone with a little spunk.

Did Not Finish.

The author absolutely nailed the mimicry of Lydia Bennett's voice and thoughts and I absolutely can't stand her. Kudos but not for me.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub is a first person-POV historical fantasy retelling of Pride and Prejudice from Lydia’s point of view with a witch-y twist. Lydia is the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter, which grants her magic, and she's still learning how to use it. When Darcy and Wickham come onto the scene and her magic can't fix everything, Lydia winds up in a battle she didn't ask for.

Taub plays a lot with form here; in many ways it's memoir-style, but it's also very much epistolary. Almost the whole book is essentially one long letter from Lydia to Maria Lambe, a fellow witch, that goes from the beginning of Lydia's life to past the end of Pride and Prejudice. Lydia makes interjections throughout the novel but she also conveys entire conversations, making the book jump between a narrative, a memoir, and a letter. We also jump between the novel’s timeline and after the original story was done, as Darcy is opposed to contact with Lydia because of her marriage to Wickham until he needs her to cure his sister of madness.

Kitty is actually a cat who was given human form by Lydia by mistake after Lydia kept insisting Kitty the cat was her sister because Mary wouldn't play with her. Despite this, everyone sees Kitty as a girl and forgets that she was ever a cat or never not there. Kitty was a relationship with a soldier, Denny, who is unaware of her true form. I walked in expecting to be really excited by the Elizabeth and Darcy moments, but I fell in love with Kitty and Denny and their devotion to each other.

Through Maria Lambe’s backstory, we delve into the colonialist aspects of the Regency period. Maria is half-Black, the daughter of a freedwoman and the son of a plantation owner, and the potential suitors around her care far more about her fortune than Maria’s history, giving little thought to where that fortune came from or Maria’s feelings on it. Maria is also Sapphic and has the end goal of trying to find her lost love who was taken when Maria's grandfather died.

The magical aspects come through most strongly with Wickham, who is the son of a powerful and ancient demon, and Maria the most strongly. Lydia is a talented witch in her own right, but Maria is much stronger and Wickham is trying to control the Brighton coven under his father’s orders. The magic system does have firm rules, some of which is familiar (Kitty is Lydia's familiar) and some of which is new and very interesting (the ocean being tied to witches and calling to them).

I would recommend this to readers looking for a magical twist on the Pride and Prejudice retellings, fans of Lydia Bennet, and those looking for more exploration of colonialism in the Regency period.

I adore P&P retellings, especially ones that are set apart so clearly from others and when Elizabeth isnt the sole main focus of the novel. I loved this variation and found brilliancec in its details. I really enjoyed this story and loved to see the narrative and story of a charachter not often thrust into the foreground.

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch is a very unique tale in which Lydia Bennet reports in the first person her view of the Pride & Prejudice events, but unknown to all, Lydia is actually a witch and witchcraft is present in all actions that led to her marriage to George Whickham, therefore this is a very different take of the book.

Fernando Pessoa, a famous Portuguese writer, created in 1920 the first Coca Cola slogan in Portugal, and to this day that slogan is commonly used to describe something that seems strange at first, but that grows on you until you actually love it. If I were to write this review in Portuguese, I would certainly use that expression (first you snub it, then you luv it), because that’s what I felt about this book. Its unique style is not easy to digest at first, and I spend the first chapters trying to adapt and get into the story, but once I did, I couldn’t let go.

I liked how the witchcraft intertwined so perfectly with all the events that occurred in Pride & Prejudice, and how many situations were easily explained with magical intervention. The blending of the events with this original and magical perspective demonstrated the authors incredible imagination and writing ability, and it was one of my favourite aspects of this book.

I also enjoyed Lydia’s view of the events. As she mentions herself, we only know P&P from Elizabeth’s perspective, but has anyone ever considered that Lydia may have a different view of what happened? In this story we realize Lydia is not such a silly girl as everyone thinks, she may even try to appear that way on purpose, but she is in fact a lonely, underrated and kind person. She is fuelled with honourable values and is an honest and faithful friend who will move heaven and earth to help those she loves. Of course, she is also a teenager who likes balls and dancing, but she is 15 after all, so all that is expected. In this story she had to make very hard decisions, but she always gave priority to others, even if the consequences would be dire for her. I loved the connection this author made me feel with this character who was fighting powerful forces alone during the entire story. I was cheering for Lydia and hoping she would find love and company at the end of the book.

George Whickham was such an interesting character. Initially I didn’t really know what to expect of him, but as the story unfolds, I started liking him and wishing the demon inside him would find redemption and happiness. I loved how the author made me feel that he was falling in love with Lydia without ever having to tell me that! The author showed me that, she didn’t tell me, and I loved that skilful writing style.

There were many interesting details in this book that made it an exquisite story such as aunt Phillips teachings, Kitty’s true nature, Georgiana’s malaise and Miss Tombe’s storyline, but to describe those I would have to give you spoilers, so I’ll just say that the sum of all these particulars made this book a great read.

My only quibble with the novel was the pacing, even though it is a wonderful and interesting adventure with many events occurring throughout the story, the pacing was very slow with many descriptions of the spells that were being executed, and Lydia’s internal thoughts about what she was living. This may be a personal preference, and I believe that many readers will prefer this pacing, but I would have preferred for the storyline to move a little faster. Also, I felt there was an abrupt change in the books pacing towards the end when all events started unfolding and pending situations such as Georgiana’s were getting solved very fast, therefore a more balanced pacing would have been more to my liking.

Summing Up, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch is the perfect fall read! Readers will find a very unique story that is exciting, emotional and fun at the same time. You’ll cry and laugh while reading this book, and you will certainly not forget it anytime soon.

"The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet" offers a delightful twist on Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice." In this exuberant retelling, Lydia Bennet takes center stage as she pens her own version of events and reveals the real happenings and aftermath of the beloved story.

While some facts remain familiar—the nervous Mrs. Bennet, the long-suffering Mr. Bennet, and the entailed estate—Lydia adds her own unique perspective to the tale. She shares surprising revelations, such as her belief that her sister Kitty is actually a barn cat and her conviction that Wickham is not just a scoundrel but a literal demon.

Lydia's world is one filled with enchantment and magic. She discovers that she herself possesses magical abilities, and she navigates the challenges and consequences of her newfound powers. Along the way, she encounters familiar characters like Mr. Darcy, whose disdain for magic adds an extra layer of tension to their interactions.

Despite the whimsical elements, the story retains the wit, strength, and romance of the original novel. Lydia's journey offers unexpected twists and turns, culminating in a redemption arc for the wild and spirited Bennet sister.

"The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet" is a charming and enchanting tale that will captivate fans of "Pride and Prejudice" while offering a fresh and magical perspective on the beloved characters and story.

While Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy were stumbling around in their awkward courtship, it seems there was another story playing out in the background - that of Lydia Bennet, witch, her familiar/sister Kitty, and the literal demon Mr. Wickham.

Reader, I love Pride and Prejudice. It was one of the first classic books that I read in its original form, and I've reread it numerous times over the years since. But I've usually avoided Pride and Prejudice retellings, doubtful of how they might add their own spin to them. But a title like  The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch promises quite a different take on the well-trod story.

The book takes an epistolary format, told through a long confessional document from Lydia as well as a section consisting of letters between various characters. We alternate between the past - Lydia's childhood and the events of the original Pride and Prejudice - and her present situation, in which she is called upon to help the Darcys with some thorny problems and perhaps redeem herself in the eyes of society.

Lydia Bennet, Witch does a great job as both a Pride and Prejudice remix and as a fantasy in its own right. I loved that the author stuck meticulously to canon even in its little details, and Lydia isn't so much re-characterized as shown with other facets. It's a lot of fun to see Austen's choices reinterpreted in this new light - Kitty not colorless but instead a cat familiar willed into a girl-shape, Lydia's yen for Brighton not purely frivolous but part of a vital magical quest, Wickham's sinister entanglement with the Bennets part of a larger scheme.

But there's lots to love even outside that well-known framework. The magic system, simple yet exacting, was an enjoyable mix of old folk magic and Taub's own invention that felt at place in the setting. I enjoyed the various relationships explored - of course there's romance, but friendship and familial relationships end up carrying more weight. I especially loved the character of Maria Lambe (from Austen's unfinished Sanditon, though developed as an original character here), how tartly she encourages Lydia to dig deep for her potential, and how she brought the broader context of the time to bear in the story.

It's just a fun book! And definitely one I plan to add to my shelves, and recommend to my Austen-loving friends.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

What if Lydia Bennett was a witch and Kitty her familiar? We take these characters from Austen give them a twist and it's a jaunt into the Georgian Era of Austen's writing exploring what it meant to be a witch in that society and what really happened to Lydia Bennett witch.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I love Jane Austen and I love witchy stories, so this should have been a slam dunk for me. Instead it was a DNF @ 25%. While the character of Kitty was absolute perfection, full of wit and mischief, Lydia was wholly a bore and her internal reflections should have been cut by half in the final edits of this novel. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

What a delightful take on the Pride and Prejudice story. The whole storyline of her being a witch and Wickham being a demon was so fun. I also loved the inclusion of Kitty. There were a few times where timelines seemed to get confused for me, but otherwise this was a fun read, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a witchy fan and a Pride and Prejudice fan. You could certainly enjoy it without being a Pride and Prejudice fan because it is a self-contained story, but knowing the original novel makes it better I think.

I thought this was a really interesting and clever take on Lydia (and Kitty) Bennet from Pride & Prejudice. While we do see characters and key moments from the original novel, I thought the author did a great job of creating an original story by focusing on one of the more minor characters found in Pride & Prejudice.

I've read a lot of witch books these past few years and the thing I enjoyed about "The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch" was just how witchy it was. A lot of other witchy books I've read seem to sacrifice the witchy elements in lieu of adding more romance or thrills to the novel, and the author didn't do that here. I enjoyed the way the author integrated the magic into her story.

The only thing that kept me from enjoying this more was that it felt a bit disjointed at times. Once the story gets moving there are two major plot points, one related to Georgiana Darcy and the other related to Mr. Wickham and his father. The Georgiana story pops up randomly throughout the second half of the book, but it's seemingly out of nowhere and it took me out of the story. It also seemed like a rather long novel even though it wasn't. That being said I would definitely read again from this author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a review copy.

This historical fantasy is a variation on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in which the youngest Bennet sister is transformed into a witch. Nor is she the only one to undergo change. Several minor characters in the original are also witches, including Lydia’s Aunt Philips; her sister Kitty, her familiar, is originally a barn cat; and Wickham is a demon. Instead of a comedy of manners, the story becomes a conflict between those who make use of their supernatural abilities largely for benevolent purposes and those who seek to accumulate power for themselves.

Lydia remains a headstrong and self-centered teenager, but her motivations shift. Rather than merely thoughtless, she also displays courage and loyalty to her friends, whom she endeavours to protect from danger despite great personal risk. She offers some amusing observations about her family’s conduct; and Miss Georgiana Darcy’s transformation into a math prodigy by day and an owl by night is entertaining; but the primary focus shifts to the conflict between magic-users. As this widens, it grows increasingly confusing, but the warning against the temptation to misuse power becomes ever more forceful. I doubt Jane Austen would approve.
HNR Issue 106 (November 2023)
https://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/the-scandalous-confessions-of-lydia-bennet-witch/

Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite stories and I loved seeing it from Lydia's perspective and a glimpse into what happened after the story ended for the Bennet sisters. I enjoyed the twist on the original, integrating witches and magic. You don't necessarily need to have read the original to read this one, it does go over the key plot points, but I feel like it's more enjoyable having an existing familiarity with the characters and how they're portrayed in this telling. It's a bit slow and very character based but if you're a lover of the original and enjoy character based stories I'd definitely recommend picking this one up.

I'm going with 3.5 rounded up. Honestly, for most of this book, it was a total 4 star. But about 75% in, it just felt long winded and that it should have been done by then. For the last quarter of the book, I thought it'd be a 3 star, but really, there were things I loved in here so I'll bump it up.

First off, how Kitty came to be was genius. I loved it so much. I thought it gave such a strong reason for why Kitty always seemed like Lydia's sidekick. I also loved that Lydia's character wasn't exactly different than what we had come to believe, but her witch background and her naivety as a kid provided some context for it.

The conclave of witches also reminded me of Angelica Huston in The Witches so I enjoyed that. It also gave me a little bit of what I loved in The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton - women willing to sacrifice anything to be beautiful.

I do think some stuff went off the rails though. The stuff with Wickham and the jewel was a bit much and I'm also not sure I understood the point of Georgiana Darcy as a side character. After a while, it just felt like there was so much going on and all I really wanted to hear about was Lydia and her cat.

This is a book club pick for next year and I think I'd read it again before the time comes just to refresh my memory because I know I'm going to forget a lot since there was a lot going on towards the end. Maybe I'll read it physically though to see if my brain tunes in better.

As a lover of Pride and Prejudice (both the book and the movie...the Kiera Knightley version, of course!), I was very excited to dive into this book. I found this story to be a fun spin on the classic tale and made me feel more connected to the character of Lydia. I would recommend this to fellow lovers of Jane Austen, but I'm not sure if it would be too enjoyable for those who don't already know Pride and Prejudice.