5/5

As a Jane Austen girlie who has always yearned for a sapphic romance centered around the character of Mary Bennet, it feels like this entire book was written for me. Austen reimaginings have always held a special place in my heart, especially those that investigate her work through a queer lens, and at long last I can obsess over a new favorite. The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a queer historical romance that draws together a love story between Charlotte Lucas, now widowed, and the fearsomely independent Mary Bennet. Lindz Mcleod echoes the imaginings of many Jane Austen fans with a historical romance that extends past the canon into the queer communities of this time that persevered and thrived and further explores issues surrounding class and gender within that sphere. Like the flowers carefully placated into bloom at Hunsford, Mcleod tends a love story that had my heart aching for resolution and happiness for these two kindred spirits held back only by the time period in which they lived and all of its stifling expectations. The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is for every Jane Austen fan that found themselves in between the lines and the unspoken queer characters. Lindz Mcleod brings everything great about Austen and the historical romance together with a tangled and imperfect love story about choosing the unconventional paths, and ultimately ourselves.

My full review is now up on my blog!

I was completely surprised by The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet! Charlotte, newly widowed and feeling stuck, gets a visit from the last person she expected. Mary Bennet, who turns out to be way more interesting and bold than anyone gave her credit for. Their slow-burn connection, expressed through flowers, of all things, was just beautiful to watch unfold. The story had me hooked as Charlotte discovered more about herself and what she really wanted in life. Aunt Cecily’s unconventional household added a unique touch, making the whole story feel both tender and progressive. Definitely worth the read!

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the works of Jane Austen, and most especially Pride and Prejudice, are the most sought after subjects for retellings, sequels, modern interpretations, and the like. Readers who hold Ms. Austen in the highest esteem, such as this humble reviewer, may rightfully be wary of yet another book professing to add value to this body of literature.

Yet, from the very first, it is clear that this author truly understands the characters of the original work and faithfully - and humorously- conveys their personalities to the page. To begin, Mr. Collins, on his deathbed, apologizing to Lady Catherine for missing dinner, is exquisite. The small anecdotes, and letters from, side characters in this story are positively true to form. Further, multiple mentions of “fine eyes” and “most ardently” and other turns of phrase are immensely satisfying callbacks for the discerning reader. Finally, it just so happens that yearning sapphics fit sweetly in the backdrop of Austen’s world.

In short, the vibes are most excellent. Although the sketch of Mary’s character is a shade far from the original drawing, and in fact, more closely resembling a liberated, queer, and educated Elizabeth Bennet, she is a wonder to behold. Charlotte’s character hews most closely to her original rendering, ever the quiet, sweet, even meek girl who holds herself in the lowest of self-esteem. But her strength, reflected in her original choice to forge a life for herself with Mr. Collins, carries her through this journey of growth and self-discovery, ever bolstered by her glorious gardening.

Why then, must one star be taken from this lovely book? It does not do to wallow too long in the depths of low self-esteem and keep oneself from a most evident future. Some fewer pages of Charlotte’s painful indecision would have greatly improved the ending of this story. Even so, I must recommend this endearing book to any lover of Jane Austen or devotee of queer historical romance.

My sincerest and most heartfelt thanks go to Netgalley and Harlequin Romance for providing a copy of this work, free of charge, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this tender, lively and true-to-form Austen-inspired novel (and those aren’t usually my type of book; I tend to just reread Austen). I loved the balance of Austen’s original style with that of more modern romantic content (Austen never wrote love scenes like these, but the author writes both passion and restraint so well). A captivating story.

The synopsis for The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet called to me much like a siren’s song - JAFF, floriography, Mary, the oft-overlooked sister of the Bennet sister and Charlotte Lucas, who I always want a happier ending for when re-reading Pride and Prejudice (a long time favorite novel ❤️), free from Mr Collins - falling in love.

I originally thought if I was fortunate enough to receive early access, I would wait to read it until closer to the publication date (4/29/25 as of 9/27/24) but when the lovely people at Carina Adores approved my NetGalley request within what seemed like minutes, well, it just seemed too much like poor manners to hold off and started it right then.


10/13/24) Okay, I’ve been sitting on my thoughts with this one.

I loved this - the writing was very good, the storyline pulled me along with it, I adored Charlotte and Mary and the secondary characters (with the exception of Mary’s awful acquaintance, Mrs. Tremaine), the letters at the beginning of each chapter, Charlotte’s awakening yearnings, my own longing for a happily ever after for the two (again, hello life, so I want that HEA in a novel).

I had a couple of issues with this - some unnecessary last minute idiocy on Charlotte’s part and some bits that didn’t strike me as fully believable. In spite of those, this will be a definite reread for me and will have its own place in my audible library.

Recommended!



Thank you to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the DRC

This was such a fun and lovely spin on pride and prejudice! It was everything I wanted it to be. Super swoony and soft and sapphic and absolutely perfect. The author did an excellent job sticking to the personalities and story lines of the original characters while adding her own spin and it was so well done!

Full disclosure: aside from the very basic things engrained into pop culture, I don’t know a single thing about Pride & Prejudice. Luckily, this f/f romance is incredibly enjoyable even without that knowledge— I can only imagine the fangirl squealing this will bring full on lovers of the original text. SO good, another great addition to the (thankfully!) growing pantheon of sapphic historical novels. I devoured it and I think i’ll devour it again soon enough.

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Linda McLeod was EVERYTHING I didn’t know I needed! 🪻🌹
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5/5 stars
I devoured this gorgeous sapphic reimagining in just two days. I expected to get Mary’s POV, but instead, the third person limited to Charlotte’s perspective gave this story so much heart and tension. Mr. Collins’ dramatic death in the first line had me cackling, and the familiar Pride and Prejudice characters felt so true to their original selves. I absolutely adored watching Mary Bennet grow into such a confident, smart, and loving woman- and seeing Charlotte Lucas finally allow herself some happiness was pure joy. The slow-burn romance was so beautifully done, from every lingering look to every gentle touch, with the secret queer Regency society providing a fascinating and validating backdrop. The flower symbolism, especially with violets and Lillies, made me swoon (and taught me a ton!). Tears were shed for these two- trust me, you’ll feel it!!
Huge thanks to Linda McLeod and NetGalley for this early read! I’m OBSESSED.
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I really loved the first half of this book it was cosy and interesting. You really are in the mind of the characters, the atmosphere is well done and you even learn things about this time. However once they kiss, it's the end of it at least for me. I felt like the second part was dragging and not quite there.

This was a strong romance and uses the continuation of Pride and Prejudice. It had that writing that worked as a sequel in the Pride world. The characters worked well overall and enjoyed how they worked in this time-period. Lindz McLeod has a strong writing style and was invested in what was happening. It uses the romance element perfectly and enjoyed how Mary Bennet was written in this.

This Pride and Prejudice spin-off started off so strongly with the very first sentence, and it really just kept me entranced the whole time. Admittedly, I have never read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (only modern, queer retellings), but this really has me thinking I've been missing out this entire time because a lot of the character work in this novel is divine and it left me wanting more--I can only assume that Lindz McLeod has done justice in working within this universe.

Recently widowed Charlotte has a lot to think about and decisions to make after the passing of her husband. When her best friend, Lizzie, can not visit due to her ill son, she offers Mary in her stead. Lonely and a little distraught, Charlotte accepts even though Mary is the Bennett sister she is the least acquainted with. What slowly enfolds is a tender love story and a very satisfying narrative arc for Charlotte, whose practicality was self-stifling. Although the HEA did feel a bit contrived, I did not mind one bit because of the reality of the time period and their circumstances.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel like the most Basic of White Girl Basicness is loving Pride and Prejudice and pumpkin lattes. There are so many adaptations and fanfiction-ish books/movies/miniseries/actual fanfiction that at this point I hate every version of Mr. Darcy's smug face and posh accent and ridiculous cravat. I think the only way you could make P&P appeal to me is by saying "Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennett are lesbians and in love." But wait, someone did say that! That novel now exists and this is it!

I hypothesize regency romance is so popular because of the fancy dresses, the snooty repartee, and the sexual repression. Making the romance sapphic means all of that is elevated to the nth degree. You know that hand flex scene in the Keira Knightley movie? Way more powerful between two women. The brushing of elbows! The lingering gazes! The intimate sketches! To hold her hand platonically in bed, to lean forward and recognize the notes of her perfume, to give her flowers and pray she understands the hidden meaning. The terror, the hope! MARY BENNETT DRAW ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR FRENCH GIRLS

Charlotte Lucas's character was easily recognizable to me, but Mary Bennett was very different. In this novel she blossomed into a cool, educated urban lesbian living in a queer utopia and was sort of a magic pixie dream lesbian for Charlotte. I found the yearning in their initial relationship development very sweet and was less interested in the obligatory third act argument and breakup. It felt like conflict was introduced because we needed a conflict and a resolution, even though Charlotte's reasoning made sense for her. Also, just a heads-up, if you don't like Jane Austen Era prose, then you won't enjoy this (but honestly you should if you're a P&P fan?). The prose is faithful to that time period's style and was very romantic.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin - Romance; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own.

Pride & Prejudice is one of my favorite stories of all time, so every time I see a continuation or a rewriting, I worry I will be overly harsh in my review (not a problem I generally suffer from, but still). However, I can easily say this is one of my absolute favorites!

It's clear the author is intimately familiar with the source material, and her writing talent is clear in how she handles the personalities of these well-known characters and reshapes them (gently, especially in the case of Charlotte Lucas) to tell a new and tender love story. Both characters are well drawn, and their love story is sweet and compelling. Absolutely huge recommendation for me if you love P&P, doubly so if you like historical fiction sapphic romances!

For sensitive readers, this book contains depictions of graphic sexuality as well as references to historical misogyny and homophobia.

This was fine! I didn't think it felt particularly related to Pride and Prejudice beyond the characters names, so while I do think that connect will get reads to pick up the book, I think comparisons will be to its detriment once people are actually reading it.

In PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, Charlotte Lucas, snaps up her best friend Lizzie Darcy née Bennett’s rejected suitor Mr. Collins, a dour preacher man. Charlotte thinks the arrangement solves all her problems by providing security, and she resolves to live a loveless life devoted to a tiresome man. But when he dies (and this story begins,) she must leave her beloved garden and either find a new husband or move back in with her parents. But a third option presents itself when Lizzie’s middle sister comes to visit Charlotte, who finds herself attracted to Mary, who has had quite the glow up.

Colins, Charlotte, and Mary are three characters from the original book who are often overshadowed, but here the two women are given center stage and they shine. Their love story is a sweet slow burn as the pair struggle with societal expectations and their growing desire. Mary’s cool social circle and staff provide plenty of great new characters. Over the course of the novel, Charlotte has her own glow up in that she discovers her value and confidence.

With casual authority, McLeod nails the setting, language, and time period, not to mention the tenderness of the love story. She also lightly touches on the way the other four Bennett daughters have fared since the end of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.

After finishing this book, I have a whole new appreciation for Charlotte and Mary as I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them attain their happy-ever-after.

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

Thanks to Harlequin Enterprises ULC for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

thank you netgalley and Harlequin for the ARC! a very sweet sequel to pride and prejudice where Charlotte and Mary Bennet are sapphic lovers. i especially liked the fact that both of them are aware that they like women, but came to their realization that they loved one another in different ways. the ending was frustrating for me in the sense that the decision should have been simple.

I loved this so much. It was such a fun romance and I loved the chemistry between them. Watching these two get together was so much fun to read and I couldn't get enough.

I'll be honest, I am a tough sell on a P&P continuation, retelling, or generally any other JAFF. I'm into some of the modern retellings (if the author is queer and/or BIPOC) but I've read some smooshy JAFF that made me want to die inside. So when I saw the email from Harlequin saying that they were offering my early access because I'd previously liked A Bluestocking's Guide to Decadence, I was curious, but skeptical.

I am so glad that I was wrong. I am officially a Mary/Charlotte shipper thanks to this book.

When Mr. Collins dies four years into marriage, the ever-practical Charlotte has to make preparations because she knows that without a husband, she'll have to remarry or return to her father's home. Unable to travel to her friend, Lizzie sends Mary as a friendly comfort so Charlotte doesn't have to be alone... And Mary is much less prim and boring than Charlotte remembers. Mary makes Charlotte feel alive and beautiful in a way that she hasn't before, and she finally lets go and allows herself to feel the feelings that she's felt for years.

As a floriography fan, I loved that Charlotte is a gardener and floriography enthusiast. And I loved the method of HEA that McLeod gave to us. It's grounded and freeing and full of love and worthy of Charlotte (the character I always thought I was in P&P).

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for this ARC. I will be buying a copy, and I've already started recommending this one to friends.

Newly widowed Charlotte Collins (nee Lucas) had a decent marriage -- her now deceased husband, a parish priest, was a kind and decent man -- however, she felt no passion for him. She married him because marriage was expected of her. She wrote to her dear friend, Lizzie Darcy (nee Bennet), to inform her of her husband's passing, but Lizzie had a sick child and could not visit. However, one of her younger sisters, Mary, would be passing through Kent, and it was arranged that she would stay with Charlotte briefly. Mary was the Bennet sister that Charlotte knew the least but someone she remembered as being plain, devout, and a talented pianoforte player. The Mary that arrives is not who Charlotte expected and makes her feel things she should not feel (or so she believes).

"The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet" is a beautiful story of coming out to and accepting oneself. The time they spend together at the parsonage and later at the house Mary shares with her Aunt Cecily opens Charlotte's eyes to feelings and ideas that she did not realize could be reciprocated or accepted. Mary and Charlotte have feelings for each other, but Charlotte is not sure how to express those feelings, and Mary, having been emotionally burned in a past relationship, does not want to push too hard, especially as she is uncertain how Charlotte feels. Charlotte's love of flowers, and the meaning of specific types of flowers, colors of flowers, and combinations of flowers, becomes the way they are able to "test the waters", so to speak. I enjoyed watching (reading) as their feelings for each other developed, and as they explored those feelings, especially witnessing Charlotte opening herself up to new and unexpected experiences.

Although Aunt Cecily does not appear in the story until near the end, her influence is felt much earlier in the story in the household she has created. For the times, she has a rather "unconventional" lifestyle, and she has made her home a safe haven for staff whose romantic interests and lifestyles are deemed unacceptable by much of society. I was particularly pleased that the staff included a transgender character.

Of course, the story is not without its fair share of turmoil, as Charlotte does not see a viable way forward for her and Mary, believing that it is her duty not to bring any scandals upon the family, and having resigned herself to returning to live with her parents, remaining a widow. She does not want to marry another man but yet lacks the financial independence to live alone. Her gardening knowledge and inquisitiveness will present her with an unexpected job opportunity which would be perfect for her, except that it would be considered unseemly for her to pursue a trade/join the working class. She will have to decide whether she is willing to risk going against convention.

For lovers of Pride & Prejudice, Anne Lister, The Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence, Bridgerton, The Duke’s Sister & I, and on…Mary Bennet and Charlotte Lucas get their own delicious queer true love story.
I adored this book. I was sent the copy yesterday and devoured it immediately - all of the beautiful flower language references and the way Charlotte used that to share her feelings for Mary - the sweet acceptance of those around them, the complications of grief and widowhood and propriety. I was drawn in by the longing, yearning, and simple want of it all - how Charlotte let herself truly want something and have it - in this case, Mary’s self and love.
This book made my heart sing. And the ending was just SO exquisitely happy.