A review by hrjones
Lucas by Elna Holst

4.0

(Read as part of a "sapphic takes on Jane Austen" binge.) This novel builds on the premise that Charlotte Lucas (of Pride and Prejudice) now Mrs. Collins, harbored a secret and never expressed passion for Lizzie Bennet. Having resigned herself to Lizzie’s happiness as Mrs. Darcy, and deeply unhappy and unsatisfied in her own marriage, she finds herself falling for the sister of the local doctor, a woman with a mysterious and ultimately horrifying backstory. A somewhat uncomfortable psychological novel, though structurally satisfying as a romance. But there were several plot twists and backstory scenarios that stretched my willing disbelief to the breaking point. The writing is quite good, though.