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A review by readthesparrow
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a cute, sweet regency-era romance, which I’m genuinely (but pleasantly) surprised I enjoyed so much!
I have a bit of a poor track record with Regency-era romances, particularly those inspired by or adapting Pride and Prejudice—before this, I had only read two and disliked both greatly. I really only started this one on a whim, since it had been offered to me as a pre-approved widget and I was stuck on the subway with nothing to read.
And I genuinely enjoyed it! I found myself pulling my phone out to read it even when I wasn’t on my way to or from work, simply because I wanted to know what would happen next. Charlotte’s struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, class, and her family are just as important as her blossoming romance with Mary, and her platonic and familial relationships are certainly not the main focus but they never disappear from Charlotte’s mind.
Because of those struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, and the fact that the author took care to make Charlotte’s struggles with entering queer community, navigating her first ever actually romantic relationship, and struggling self-esteem issues part of her character and not merely angst points in the romance, Charlotte’s character is genuinely likable and deeply relatable. I adored her, and frankly, her characterization is why The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet was such an enjoyable read—yes, I wanted to see how Mary and Charlotte’s relationship progressed, but more than anything I wanted to see how Charlotte changed.
Charlotte’s struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, societal pressure, low self-esteem, and her newness to queer community is what smoothed over what would normally be a huge pet peeve, which is thethird act breakup . I don’t even read romance that often, and this narrative beat is a part of it—so often the third act breakup is completely unnecessary and eye-rollingly contrived. In this case, while it still did feel contrived—Charlotte does it to herself for really no good reason beyond assumptions she has very little logical reason to have—her struggles with self-esteem and her newness to queerness make the breakup make at least a little sense, so I am willing to forgive.
McLeod has such a beautiful touch on the regency-romance prose style and her side characters were all treats, so, frankly, I’d love to read sequels to this novel following some of the original characters introduced (particularly Miss Brodie). I know it probably won’t happen, but still. A lesbian can dream.
All of that said, there are elements endemic to the Regency-era queer romance genre that I’m simply never going to gel with, which, I think, is going to always prevent me from ever falling truly in love with any as a matter of taste. (Which goes to show how excellent of a specimen The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is—or maybe it’s just a reflection of my taste. Who knows.)
Thank you to the publisher for reaching out and providing an e-ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
I have a bit of a poor track record with Regency-era romances, particularly those inspired by or adapting Pride and Prejudice—before this, I had only read two and disliked both greatly. I really only started this one on a whim, since it had been offered to me as a pre-approved widget and I was stuck on the subway with nothing to read.
And I genuinely enjoyed it! I found myself pulling my phone out to read it even when I wasn’t on my way to or from work, simply because I wanted to know what would happen next. Charlotte’s struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, class, and her family are just as important as her blossoming romance with Mary, and her platonic and familial relationships are certainly not the main focus but they never disappear from Charlotte’s mind.
Because of those struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, and the fact that the author took care to make Charlotte’s struggles with entering queer community, navigating her first ever actually romantic relationship, and struggling self-esteem issues part of her character and not merely angst points in the romance, Charlotte’s character is genuinely likable and deeply relatable. I adored her, and frankly, her characterization is why The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet was such an enjoyable read—yes, I wanted to see how Mary and Charlotte’s relationship progressed, but more than anything I wanted to see how Charlotte changed.
Charlotte’s struggles with compulsory heterosexuality, societal pressure, low self-esteem, and her newness to queer community is what smoothed over what would normally be a huge pet peeve, which is the
McLeod has such a beautiful touch on the regency-romance prose style and her side characters were all treats, so, frankly, I’d love to read sequels to this novel following some of the original characters introduced (particularly Miss Brodie). I know it probably won’t happen, but still. A lesbian can dream.
All of that said, there are elements endemic to the Regency-era queer romance genre that I’m simply never going to gel with, which, I think, is going to always prevent me from ever falling truly in love with any as a matter of taste. (Which goes to show how excellent of a specimen The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is—or maybe it’s just a reflection of my taste. Who knows.)
Thank you to the publisher for reaching out and providing an e-ARC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.