Let's go, lesbians!

Thank you to the publishers for the e-ARC!

Y'all, I'm not even a diehard P&P fan. I watched the 2005 movie for the first time a few years ago and read the book 6 months ago. But I saw a queer wlw sequel up for grabs and I was HOOKED!

The entire novel comes from Charlotte's point of view as she deals with the death of poor Mr. Collins. While she certainly didn't love the man as Lizzie and Darcy do each other, she mourns him in her own way. Though that doesn't stop her from being plagued with guilt over not feeling as she 'ought' to about him. No great tears, no broken wails. When Lizzie can't make it to comfort Charlotte (her and Darcy's son is ill), she sends Mary over instead!

Mary and Charlotte click. The instantly become fast friends, but is there something more? Charlotte finds a love letter penned by a woman among Mary's things, along with a very salacious drawing of the female form... and cue many, many pages of Charlotte grappling with her lustful feelings towards women.

I loved the tender moments between Charlotte and Mary, and it was so funny as a reader to see Charlotte explain away interactions where Mary is clearly besotted. Charlotte's inner monologue goes 'certainly that is just what friends do,' as Mary does everything short of kissing her on the mouth. The flower language is another detail I really enjoyed! While trying to find an outlet for her feelings, Charlotte creates a bouquet that declares her feelings for Mary, then places it subtlety out of the way. Later, Mary, claiming to be ignorant of flower language, asks Charlotte to translate a bouquet she had made, which said 'message received, I feel the same.' I was giggling and kicking my feet as Charlotte completely disregarded this information and continued to pine.

I listened to this on audio, and was very happy with it! Consumed the whole thing in less than 12 hours! Highly recommend!

I LOVED THIS!!! I genuinely felt like it was Austen but for someone like me (queer) literally listened while crocheting and it was a VIBE💖✨

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Romance & Audio, and Lindz McLeod for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Listen-- if when you read (or watched..) Pride & Prejudice you wanted more for Charlotte Lucas
(Although she was 27, no money, no prospects & a burden, she found Mr.Collins, but that didn't seem like enough, did it?) and Mary Bennet (all miserable there on the pianoforte, surely there was more to her?) then look no further than this sapphic romance tale! Taking place 4 years after the end of P&P when Mr. Collins has suddenly passed!

This was such a well done story that, perhaps, shows us how queer people lived in the early 1800s, using a cast of beloved characters already so well known to us. It was an appropriate slow burn as Charlotte discovered about herself what Mary already knew.

I loved the narration, particularly when the narrator cover the correspondence pieces and did lovely inflections for each character! (Especially Mama & Papa Lucas' letter that alternated line by line!)

I received an advanced audio copy of this book for review. This is my own opinion.

Interestingly, I've not read any Pride and Prejudice continuations, though I've read several retellings. In this story, we find Charlotte Collins née Lucas on the death of her husband. Grappling with a series of complex feelings, Charlotte reaches out to Lizzy Bennet, but ends up having Mary as a visitor instead. Rather than the mousy Mary of P&P, we find a bookish woman who is far from the sort of person we saw her as through the eyes of her sister. Charlotte is intrigued by Mary's studies and interest in her own pursuits, gardening and the language of flowers. What follows is a beautiful friendship that blossoms to something more.

Written in Edwardian English ('Do not you love me?'), The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet evokes Austen but offers its own expansion to a familiar story. Charlotte and Mary's story is soft and sweet, as lovely as they flowers with which Charlotte loves to communicate.

I think the blurb compares this to Bridgerton, and while the time period is similar, I'm not sure I'd compare it, just because the focus isn't on gossip and scandal. If you like Bridgerton, you certainly may enjoy this, but it feels much less stressful than Bridgerton can be. It's quite cozy. I'd definitely recommend to fans of historical romance!

Thanks to Harlequin Audio and Netgalley for the ALC. 4.3/5 stars

I have to admit it: I always thought Charlotte Lucas was queer. So I jump at the opportunity to read this book and I’m not disappointed at all! This book is all I hoped. Charlotte’s fighter with the comphet was very well executed and I feel her pain and her difficulties a little too much.
The story is cute, not so original but warm and comfortable, in perfect Austen style, and the narrator was just perfect!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I love a Pride & Prejudice adjacent romance, and this book brings together two unlikely wallflowers, Mary Bennet and Charlotte Collins. Such a sweet Sapphic romance with heaps of tension and adorably awkward, yet tender love.