Series: Austentatious, Book 1
Publisher: Carina Adores
Genre: Female/Female Historical Romance
Source: Publisher
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When Mr. Collins dies after just four years of marriage, Charlotte is lost. While not exactly heartbroken, she will soon have to quit the parsonage that has become her home. In desperate need of support, she writes to her best friend, Lizzie. Unable to leave Pemberley, Lizzie sends her sister Mary Bennet in her stead.
To Charlotte’s surprise, Mary Bennet is nothing like she remembers. Mary’s discovery of academia and her interest in botany (as well as getting out from under her mother’s thumb) have caused her to flourish. Before long, Charlotte is enraptured, and with each stolen glance and whispered secret, their friendship quickly blossoms into something achingly real.
But when her time at the parsonage begins to dwindle and a potential suitor appears, Charlotte must make a choice—the safety and security of another husband, or a passionate life with Mary outside the confines of the ton’s expectations.
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a slow-burn romance between a widowed Charlotte Collins (née Lucas) and her best friend’s sister, Mary Bennet. Author Lindz McLeod continues the story of two of the more wallflower-ish supporting characters of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in a charming story of love and growth.
Charlotte has always done what was expected of her, mindful that though loved she is a burden on her family. Marriage to Mr. Collins was supposed to fix that, but when he dies four years into their marriage, Charlotte is adrift. She can either remarry to secure her future or return home to her parents and the same existence she was drifting through for years. When her best friend is unable to leave Pemberley, she sends her younger sister, Mary. What I liked best about this story was how McLeod truly makes Mary feel like an older version of Austen’s character. She’s different, mature, and has come into her own but in a way that felt natural. Mary has blossomed having left Longbourn to stay with a relative and she sparks something in Charlotte that the woman has long repressed.
Charlotte and Mary make an excellent couple. They shine when they are among people who listen to and appreciate them for who they are. I really liked seeing Charlotte come out of her shell and to be respected by people for her knowledge and skills. But will Charlotte upend what is expected of her, what duty and society has drilled into her? Or will she take a chance on a forbidden love with the enchanting Mary Bennet? As this is a romance, I doubt it will surprise readers which track Charlotte takes, but it’s the journey not just the destination we read for. And the journey is sweet, if a little slow for my taste. As much as I liked Charlotte and Mary together, the middle of the book did drag for me. The writing didn’t pull me in as much as I would have liked and I kept putting the story down, not because it was bad but because it didn’t pull at me. Still, The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a lovely romance overall and the ending was a satisfying one for our two heroines.
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.
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