Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters by Elinor Lipman, Adriana Trigiani, Karen Dukess, Eloisa James, Audrey Bellezza, Emily Harding, Diana Quincy, Nikki Payne, and Sarah MacLean
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary/Historical Romance
ISBN: 9781668204177
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Eloisa James Reading Order
“Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair” by Elinor Lipman
Lipman keeps it short and sweet with the chatty Miss Bates finally getting her chance at love (and security) by catching the eye of Mr. Woodhouse. It’s a cute story, though perhaps a less charitable read of it is Emma and Isabella Knightley are looking to offload some of the attention their father requires onto poor Miss Bates. However, all’s well that ends well and though I thought both Miss Bates and Mr. Woodhouse could have used more depth it was a likeable read.
“The Bennets of Jane Street” by Adriana Trigiani
Set in modern-day New York, Mary Bennet is the last unmarried Bennet sister and the only one residing in the family home, taking care of her aging parents. Of all the stories in this book, this one held my attention the least and I kept putting the book down because of it. Mary goes about her life and we follow her, with not much really jumping out at me until the climax of the story. It was fine and Trigiani did a good job of putting the Bennets into modern times, but overall this wasn’t the story for me.
“What Georgiana Wants” by Karen Dukess
Georgiana is grown up and a married mother of two, but this story follows her for a day where she thinks of her past with Wickham and what might have been. It’s a quietly contemplative tale that wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea but the short format worked in its favor. Dukess’s writing was interesting and her take on Georgiana and what she thought of her past was something different.
“Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons” by Eloisa James
This is where the book picked up for me. James takes grown-up, would-be writer Margaret Dashwood and gives her her own happily ever after, much different than that of her sisters. Margaret’s story is a friends-to-lovers romance and it’s both fun and funny, with endearing characters and buoyant dialogue. Squibby and Snaps cracked me up and Margaret’s writing efforts let James’s sense of humor shine.
“The Elizas” by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Bellezza and Harding give three generations of Elizas their tale. From the tragic first love of Colonel Brandon to her daughter, deceived by Willoughby but whose fate was not sealed, and finally a modern-day Eliza at a crossroads in her life. There’s melancholy and hope in equal measure in this tale but it was compelling, empowering, and incredibly sweet.
“Lydia’s Story” by Diana Quincy
Who hasn’t been annoyed by Lydia Bennet? Quincy challenges opinions of Lydia by telling her a story through an adult, widow with four children’s version of the youngest Bennet sister. I liked that Quincy focused on how young Lydia was during Pride and Prejudice. Yes, she was a brat, but she was also forced to pay a lifelong price at just fifteen years old. In this story Lydia is a pariah still, but then a handsome vicar comes along and propels change. Michael is sweet and kind and honorable and I loved that he was head-over-heels for Lydia. I enjoyed watching Lydia claim a new life, changing her relationship with her family, her home, and herself.
“Lace and Larceny” by Nikki Payne
Speaking of not-so-beloved Pride and Prejudice character, Payne takes Caroline transforms her into a white-passing New Orleans woman who is grabbing her destiny by the reins and heading west as a mail-order bride. This is the most unique spin on a character in this anthology and I could have read a whole book about Caroline and her journey. Rather than try to control the chaos that erupts around her, Caroline learns to adapt and finds her own inner strength. She also finds love in a man who truly cares for her which was just lovely.
“The Triumph of Hetty Bates” by Sarah MacLean
Hetty Bates gets the happily ever after she deserves in the anthology’s final tale. I absolutely loved this take on the chatty Miss Bates, showing that she is certainly not what others take her for. She’s a vibrant, interesting woman with a past but no one has seen beneath the surface for years. Then that past shows up in Highbury and Hetty gets to take the spotlight. MacLean did so much with Miss Bates without changing her from the character in Emma. I loved it and – even though this story was satisfying on its own – I wanted more because it was so good.
Ladies in Waiting features eight different takes on some of Jane Austen’s most famous supporting characters. I do wish that for Austen’s 250th birthday the anthology had covered more of her work, but there’s nothing to be done for that. The stories span a variety of styles, so not all the stories will be for everyone, but there is so much to delight. What came through most of all was every author’s enjoyment of Austen and the focus on keeping the heart of the characters the same, no matter how close or far they strayed from the original text. If you like Jane Austen, Ladies in Waiting is an absolutely charming read.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre: Contemporary/Historical Romance
Release Date: November 4, 2025
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Eloisa James Reading Order
In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces.
“Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair” by Elinor Lipman
Lipman keeps it short and sweet with the chatty Miss Bates finally getting her chance at love (and security) by catching the eye of Mr. Woodhouse. It’s a cute story, though perhaps a less charitable read of it is Emma and Isabella Knightley are looking to offload some of the attention their father requires onto poor Miss Bates. However, all’s well that ends well and though I thought both Miss Bates and Mr. Woodhouse could have used more depth it was a likeable read.
“The Bennets of Jane Street” by Adriana Trigiani
Set in modern-day New York, Mary Bennet is the last unmarried Bennet sister and the only one residing in the family home, taking care of her aging parents. Of all the stories in this book, this one held my attention the least and I kept putting the book down because of it. Mary goes about her life and we follow her, with not much really jumping out at me until the climax of the story. It was fine and Trigiani did a good job of putting the Bennets into modern times, but overall this wasn’t the story for me.
“What Georgiana Wants” by Karen Dukess
Georgiana is grown up and a married mother of two, but this story follows her for a day where she thinks of her past with Wickham and what might have been. It’s a quietly contemplative tale that wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea but the short format worked in its favor. Dukess’s writing was interesting and her take on Georgiana and what she thought of her past was something different.
“Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons” by Eloisa James
This is where the book picked up for me. James takes grown-up, would-be writer Margaret Dashwood and gives her her own happily ever after, much different than that of her sisters. Margaret’s story is a friends-to-lovers romance and it’s both fun and funny, with endearing characters and buoyant dialogue. Squibby and Snaps cracked me up and Margaret’s writing efforts let James’s sense of humor shine.
“The Elizas” by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Bellezza and Harding give three generations of Elizas their tale. From the tragic first love of Colonel Brandon to her daughter, deceived by Willoughby but whose fate was not sealed, and finally a modern-day Eliza at a crossroads in her life. There’s melancholy and hope in equal measure in this tale but it was compelling, empowering, and incredibly sweet.
“Lydia’s Story” by Diana Quincy
Who hasn’t been annoyed by Lydia Bennet? Quincy challenges opinions of Lydia by telling her a story through an adult, widow with four children’s version of the youngest Bennet sister. I liked that Quincy focused on how young Lydia was during Pride and Prejudice. Yes, she was a brat, but she was also forced to pay a lifelong price at just fifteen years old. In this story Lydia is a pariah still, but then a handsome vicar comes along and propels change. Michael is sweet and kind and honorable and I loved that he was head-over-heels for Lydia. I enjoyed watching Lydia claim a new life, changing her relationship with her family, her home, and herself.
“Lace and Larceny” by Nikki Payne
Speaking of not-so-beloved Pride and Prejudice character, Payne takes Caroline transforms her into a white-passing New Orleans woman who is grabbing her destiny by the reins and heading west as a mail-order bride. This is the most unique spin on a character in this anthology and I could have read a whole book about Caroline and her journey. Rather than try to control the chaos that erupts around her, Caroline learns to adapt and finds her own inner strength. She also finds love in a man who truly cares for her which was just lovely.
“The Triumph of Hetty Bates” by Sarah MacLean
Hetty Bates gets the happily ever after she deserves in the anthology’s final tale. I absolutely loved this take on the chatty Miss Bates, showing that she is certainly not what others take her for. She’s a vibrant, interesting woman with a past but no one has seen beneath the surface for years. Then that past shows up in Highbury and Hetty gets to take the spotlight. MacLean did so much with Miss Bates without changing her from the character in Emma. I loved it and – even though this story was satisfying on its own – I wanted more because it was so good.
Ladies in Waiting features eight different takes on some of Jane Austen’s most famous supporting characters. I do wish that for Austen’s 250th birthday the anthology had covered more of her work, but there’s nothing to be done for that. The stories span a variety of styles, so not all the stories will be for everyone, but there is so much to delight. What came through most of all was every author’s enjoyment of Austen and the focus on keeping the heart of the characters the same, no matter how close or far they strayed from the original text. If you like Jane Austen, Ladies in Waiting is an absolutely charming read.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.