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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
This was really fun and well-done book! It does stand alone, but will especially be appreciated by Jane Austen fans. It starts as the story of Pride and Prejudice from Mary's perspective (the most-forgotten sister, except maybe Kitty) but then goes on to tell of Mary's (and by extension, some other familiar characters) life after the events of P&P end. We get a LOT of Mary's relationship with Charlotte, as well as Aunt and Uncle Gardiner, and some dashes of Mr. Collins, Lizzy, Jane, and Caroline Bingley. The writing style is reminiscent of Austen while being accessible to a modern reader. Highly recommend!
Quite enjoyed this vision of Mary Bennett’s life with a different future than Ms. Austen had written. The first third of the book was very repetitive of Pride & Prejudice which was nice in that the author certainly tried to stick to the source as close as possible, but also a little tedious. Once that section was over, Mary’s story was much more compelling. The author certainly makes nods to other Austen works (Mr. Tilney and his knowledge of muslins, Emma at Fox Hill, and Lady Catherine’s demands immediately come to mind.) I do feel that Mary was made out to be less rough around the edges than Austen had written her, but I still enjoyed the story nonetheless. It was wonderful to go along for the ride of seeing Mary change from awkward girl to confident woman.
I loved this book so much I’ve had to re-write this review a bunch so I could stay within the character limit. It made me so happy and gave me such a massive book hangover.
This book explores the life of the shy Bennet Sister, Mary, in three different parts: a little during the events of Pride and Prejudice, sometime after her father’s death, and the third…well I won’t ruin the surprise ;)
I loved everything, from the writing style that remained faithful to Jane Austen’s style while making it a lot more fluid; to the nostalgia of re-discovering the characters; to the guaranteed happy ending played well enough that even the miscommunication trope did not bother me too much. I liked to see Mary evolve from an overly serious girl trying to make up for her mother’s severity to a blooming young woman falling in love under the care of kinder family.
There was something so soft and sweet, and immensely well-paced about Mary’s adventure, and while it does have a love story, it’s also a wonderful adventure of self-discovery. I loved seeing old characters under a new, kinder light (Mr Collins was oddly touching, a positive surprise)
Also the love story made me squeal with delight and I still have butterflies in my stomach when I think of it.
If you enjoyed Jane Austen and want a fluffy, feel-good romance that is also brilliantly written, please, please give it a go so I can finally have someone to talk to about it.
Also it’s my greatest tragedy that Janice Hadlow has not written more regency fiction.
This book explores the life of the shy Bennet Sister, Mary, in three different parts: a little during the events of Pride and Prejudice, sometime after her father’s death, and the third…well I won’t ruin the surprise ;)
I loved everything, from the writing style that remained faithful to Jane Austen’s style while making it a lot more fluid; to the nostalgia of re-discovering the characters; to the guaranteed happy ending played well enough that even the miscommunication trope did not bother me too much. I liked to see Mary evolve from an overly serious girl trying to make up for her mother’s severity to a blooming young woman falling in love under the care of kinder family.
There was something so soft and sweet, and immensely well-paced about Mary’s adventure, and while it does have a love story, it’s also a wonderful adventure of self-discovery. I loved seeing old characters under a new, kinder light (Mr Collins was oddly touching, a positive surprise)
Also the love story made me squeal with delight and I still have butterflies in my stomach when I think of it.
If you enjoyed Jane Austen and want a fluffy, feel-good romance that is also brilliantly written, please, please give it a go so I can finally have someone to talk to about it.
Also it’s my greatest tragedy that Janice Hadlow has not written more regency fiction.
I adored this book’s journey back into the world of Pride & Prejudice and the Bennet sisters. It was made all the more enjoyable through the narration by Kristin Atherton. I highly recommend this in audiobook version, it’s just like listening to the BBC’s version of P&P with Colin Firth.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 stars. The worst case scenario has happened. Mr. Bennett has died in his sleep. Mrs. Bennett nightmare has happened, one daughter remains unmarried. Hadlow does a great job fleshing out Mary’s character. You see the follow up of beloved P&P characters as Mary looks for a way forward. It took me a bit to get into book, but once you see Mary quietly blossom you see her future with optimism. If you need an escape with characters you love then this is a good break from real life.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes