a_reader_obsessed 's review for:

Mr Collins in Love by Lee Welch

4.0

hopeful reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A Pride and Prejudice reimagining of the not so beloved Mr. Collins, providing a plausible alternative and explaining the motivations and reasons behind his oh so haughty marriage proposal to Elizabeth Bennett. 

 

Here, Welch brings a different lens to Mr. Collins, a man who is a lot persnickety, who values solitude and privacy, and always plays by the rules lest he incur the displeasure of his demanding patroness Lady Catherine. What we learn is that he’s stuck by circumstance, riddled with insecurity and anxiety, only wanting to do best by his congregation in and amongst appreciating the small joys in life when he can.  His situation takes a drastic change for the better when his childhood friend Jem returns from a long absence looking for work and shelter. 

 

However, life’s serendipity can’t last forever as Mr. Collins’s idyllic life is upended when Lady Catherine insists he’s overdue for taking a wife, and he knows he has no choice but to play by society’s rules and expectations despite vehemently not wanting to marry.  

 

Though absent on explicit details, this continued the tone of Austen’s creation, seamlessly inserting itself in the grand narrative, lending a behind the scenes look at the before, during, and after that titular wedding proposal that went so awry.  Welch deftly brings such great nuance to this character, where the reader feels empathy and then cozy satisfaction when it all ends very cleverly and serendipitously for Mr. Collins and all those involved. 

 

Overall, if you’re a fan of the original creation, then one should revel in this alternate MM detour! 

A big thank you to the author for a copy to review honestly!