I really like when authors take side characters and give them a main story. I've never given any thought to what would have happened to Charlotte if Mr. Collins died so this was interesting. Also left me wondering 'Who gets Longbourn?'

Mary Bennet of this story is totally different from original. Found it a little hard to believe that she changed that much, but I can go with it. One thing did bother me. Charlotte writing her sister and asking if their aunt's companion was more than a 'friend'. Charlotte is way too practical to put something so scandalous, for the time, in a letter. A letter that could have been lost or anyone could have read.

All and all a sweet love story that I enjoyed. Happy to have read ARC

An interesting story, I wish that I would have read Pride and Prejudice before reading this to I had more context for the story line and more of an understanding of the characters.

Having a book pitched as a follow up to Pride and Prejudice means you have some pretty big shoes to fill and overall the execution of this was solid. Having Mary and Charlotte be lesbians expands and recontextualizes their characters from the source material in a really wonderful way. Their relationship feels quite sweet and natural. I loved the many scenes of people perceiving Charlotte as a lesbian and her not even realizing it yet. I do wish that Charlotte would have had a friend that she could have confided in. I think expanding Anne could have worked really well to meet this need. But even with that little gripe I think this was very tender and I’m interested in checking out more of this author’s work.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Queer retellings of Pride and Prejudice have delightfully been plentiful in recent times, but this sapphic canon-adjacent spinoff with the quieter side characters was absolutely refreshing. This reminded me of Olivia Waite's Feminine Pursuits series of sapphic Regency romances which I adore. My forever gripe with single POV romances aside, the the author earnestly attempted to present a widowed, isolated and repressed Charlotte as a queer foil to Elizabeth Bennet's narrative POV from the original. And mostly succeeded. Charlotte's narrative voice is one of dignified isolation and self actualization by way of grief and reclamation. I do wish we had Mary's POV as well, but as Elizabeth's best friend in Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte's journey out of class and queer naivete was the most effective parallel perspective, especially if you're an OG Lizzie Bennet fangirl. That said there was often some tonal inconsistencies that seems to be an artifact of bridging the canonical Austen-speak and the more modern Regency romance genre speak. But none of that stopped me from absolutely devouring it in one sitting.

Lets be honest, we all knew Charlotte Lucas was queer, right? This book was such a fun Pride and Prejudice follow up! It was a bit slower than I expected but I really enjoyed it. The romance between Mary and Charlotte was such a wonderful and sweet slowburn as Charlotte explored that side of her identity and began to meet more members of the community outside of Rosing Park's shadow. I loved Mary as a main character! I adore Jane Austen, but honestly, Mary was done dirty in the original Pride and Prejudice for how young and overlooked she was. So I love when retellings or companions expand on her character. And Lindz McCleod did a wonderful job of keeping Mary's core characteristics, but letting her shine in a new context. This was such a sweet romance and I really enjoyed it!

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Recently widowed by a local preacher, Charlotte has to leave her home and either remarry or live with her parents. When she asks her friend, Lizzie, to visit, Lizzie instead sends her sister Mary. Charlotte is surprised by Mary, who's grown up to be a beautiful and opinionated single woman with no intention to marry. The two spend some time together and Charlotte has to admit to herself that her feelings are more than friendship. Then they travel to Mary's family home in Canterbury and there things move forward.

This is a Pride and Prejudice adjacent novel. Charlotte is Elizabeth Bennett's best friend and the wife of Mr. Collins, the preacher.

This book is well written and entertaining. The growing relationship between Charlotte and Marry is well plotted. On two occasions, they are able to resolve a conflict by talking it through instead of causing a separation, which is a common flaw in romance novels. This book avoids that and instead the final conflict is believable and not as easily resolved.

The book is highly recommended.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

After a brief stint as a dutiful wife, Charlotte Lucas is made a widow at just 31 years old. She has no money, no prospects, and is prepared to once again be a burden to her parents. She might also be a raging lesbian.

Enter, Mary Bennett. Much changed in the four years that Charlotte has been ensconced in Hunsford Parsonage, this bold Mary bears little resemblance to her Austen counterpart, aside from being something of an Odd Duck. Living with an eccentric aunt and largely left to her own devices, the middle Bennett sister has much to show Charlotte of the world and the different people living in it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me access to this eARC.

I enjoyed the fact that this book was placed around Charlotte from Pride and Prejudice. She is not usually the main character or focus for any retelling or continuation. I think her realization/understanding of her sexuality was written very well, especially considering the time period the book takes place. To me, the writing is also very immersive. It feels accurate to the time, and you can place yourself within the world. The complexities of emotions Charlotte feels are also well-written. As she explores her love with Mary, there is also the grief of losing her husband and a life she had planned on leading.

I enjoyed the fact that we got to see these characters counteract the patriarchal society. It is always good to have characters, especially historical characters, point out the flaws of society and issues that women face when it comes to men.

An important discussion about this book will be aimed at the relationship between Mary and Charlotte. Their development is a nice one. They each share similar interests and desires, which is always important in romance novels. In the beginning, Charlotte compares Mary's regard for her to that of Mr. Collins, which is important in establishing their future romance. She can see herself as an equal to Mary and someone who values who she is. I enjoyed their gradual pull into a relationship. It began with glances and light touches, which I enjoyed reading about. I like a nicer and slower build-up. Furthermore, Charlotte’s love of herself and confidence in herself only blossoms as she engages in a relationship with Mary. Mary draws Charlotte and calls her lovely, which Charlotte is not used to. I think the plot was a little slow for this book, but overall I really did enjoy seeing the journey that Mary and Charlotte went on. While the relationship between Mary and Charlotte is important, I would just like to point out how important Charlotte’s relationship with herself is. Seeing her come into her own, without the overbearing idea of a husband (Mr. Collins), is really one of the most important aspects of the book.

As a lover of Pride and Prejudice, being brought back to the story in a queer twist made me incredibly overjoyed! I was pleasantly surprised by how well the romance worked between Charlotte and Mary, and how well the self discovery was portrayed. Would highly recommend if you enjoy regency inspired sapphic romances!

This was delightful! I really enjoyed McLeod's version of a grown-up Mary Bennet, the glimpses of Regency queer society, and Charlotte's gradual blossoming. I also loved all the flower language and scientific allusions. I had a good time with this one!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc! Opinions are my own.

Thank you Harlequin - Romance and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Four years have passed since the end of Pride an Prejudice and we find Charlotte has become a widow after Mr Collins passing. This tale follows her as she decides what is next. Will she wed another husband ensuring her future or follow her heart with an unexpected love?

I love Pride and Prejudice and getting to go back into this world is always so fun! Getting a different view of Charlotte as well as Mary was so exciting and I loved every moment! Would recommend to any regency era fan as a fun read!

Sheer, absolute perfection perfect for fans of Austen and sapphic romance! It is always daunting to live up to Jane Austen but this book is a lovely continuation of Charlotte Lucas’ story with so much queerness and hot sex and longing glances. Loved it!

I quite enjoyed this sapphic Pride & Prejudice continuation. With every book that begins in a Jane Austen world I look to see if the author stays true to the characters I know and love as well as staying true to time and place. While Mary Bennett and Charlotte Collins have grown in the past four years they are recognizable. As they renew their acquaintance after the death of Mr. Collins (not a spoiler) Charlotte begins a journey of self discovery and possible happiness.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Romance for the opportunity to read and review this book. My review can also be found on Litsy.

This book was a fun and reflective journey through the passion of first queer relationships and the upending nature of figuring out who you are later in life. I enjoyed the subtle winks to Pride & Prejudice and almost wished for more contact with the original characters. Nevertheless, any queer retelling that centers two unabashedly in love characters is good in my book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
After falling into yet another reading slump, I knew I wanted something more “familiar” this time around. Fortunately, The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet was one of the ARCs I had next ony my schedule to read, striking a balance between being a new story with familiar characters.
While writers of Austen “fanfic” don’t always get the characters right, Lindz McLeod did a fairly good job of remaining true to the characters readers know and love, while also making them her own. And it does help that, with Charlotte and Mary taking center stage, each has evolved since the original novel, with Lizzie and Darcy being relegated off-page and referenced largely through letters. And with these two being the characters in Austen’s world that have been the center of much queer speculation (especially Charlotte), there is fertile ground to probe and build on.
That said, I really liked how McLeod interpreted Charlotte and Mary, with Charlotte in particular going on a journey of self-discovery in the wake of Mr. Collins’ death, and being able to finally be a fully autonomous person after being defined as someone’s daughter or wife, and having been resigned to that fate. And while the story definitely centers Charlotte’s journey more than Mary’s, that’s only because she’s already come into her own as a person, fully cognizant of who she is, and is now able to help Charlotte.
And while the interactions between the two in the source material were few and far between, I love how the text acknowledges how they more or less just circled each other before, with their bond growing deeper, based on their initial, earlier acquaintance-ship.
And while there is some inclusion of some characters from P&P, I appreciated the shift in focus to the original characters, particularly those in the environs of Rosings and whatnot, including a reasonably interesting antagonist. The choice makes it feel more like a Regency romance in its own right, in spite of the Austen characters that center the narrative.
While the plot and pacing was sometimes a little slower, especially initially, I liked how it set the tone, prioritizing the internal and interpersonal growth of the characters.
I absolutely loved this one, and would recommend it to readers who love Jane Austen and/or sapphic historical romance!

This was a beautiful and original written, sweet yet sexy historical romance about two women and the problems they faced back in that era. It was entertaining with fun, wit, and wonderful characters. I enjoyed as their romance built into love. I highly recommend reading.

"Jane Austen meets Bridgerton in this sapphic romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet that begins four years after the end of Pride and Prejudice.

When Mr. Collins dies after just four years of marriage, Charlotte is lost. While not exactly heartbroken, she will soon have to quit the parsonage that has become her home. In desperate need of support, she writes to her best friend, Lizzie. Unable to leave Pemberley, Lizzie sends her sister Mary Bennet in her stead.

To Charlotte's surprise, Mary Bennet is nothing like she remembers. Mary's discovery of academia and her interest in botany (as well as getting out from under her mother's thumb) have caused her to flourish. Before long, Charlotte is enraptured, and with each stolen glance and whispered secret, their friendship quickly blossoms into something achingly real.

But when her time at the parsonage begins to dwindle and a potential suitor appears, Charlotte must make a choice - the safety and security of another husband, or a passionate life with Mary outside the confines of the ton's expectations."

Like Bridgerton because of the Regency or because of the sapphic?

3.5/5

I really enjoyed this book. I felt there was some great tension through the beginning, particularly as Charlotte came to terms with her sexuality. I appreciated that the book was single POV because I really felt the longing!

That being said, once we hit the 2nd half things seemed to progress really quickly which didn’t seem very realistic to me, especially given how much build up there was.

I think the third act conflict made a lot of sense, however it resolved really quickly and was kind of predictable.

All in all, I had a great time notwithstanding a couple of things. This was a fast and easy read, and I loved the continuation of the Pride and Prejudice world!

🌶️/5

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the eARC!

This was such an interesting take on the the love lives of a pair of the side characters from Pride & Prejudice. I really enjoyed getting to know both Charlotte and Mary better. The story included really great exploration of what a sapphic love might have looked like in that time. While there were places and moments that felt repetitive in the book, overall, I really enjoyed it. I loved the focus on flowers and their meanings - I love that flowers were central to a lot of important moments in the book. I loved the life that Mary had created for herself. And I loved the way jealousy showed up in the book. I loved the relationships both Mary and Charlotte had created with their household servants.
This was a genuinely delightful book, and I hope to read more from McLeod in the future!

Oh my gosh, I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did, and it was such a pleasant surprise. I am always looking for good sapphic books and this absolutely delivered. The tension between Charlotte and Mary was evident from the start, and it made me all the more invested. Their developing friendship felt very natural which made their romantic and sexual chemistry feel very realistic. And of course, the spicy scenes were very enjoyable.

My only gripe was the third act breakup, but that's my own personal preference. It made sense within the story, especially because Charlotte is so new to acknowledging her queerness and her insecurities, but it irked me nonetheless.

I definitely recommend this to anyone who enjoys regency romances or Pride & Prejudice spin-offs. It was such a sweet story with low angst, and I enjoyed it a lot!