What Kitty Did Next by Carrie Kablean is a lovely continuation of the classic Austen novel Pride & Prejudice. Now that three of her sisters are married, there is just Kitty and Mary left. Despite the desire to see her last two daughters wed, Mrs Bennet is reluctant to let them travel further from home than Meryton. When Jane, Kitty's eldest sister, invites her to London, Kitty is delighted that her parents agree. From London, Kitty goes to stay at Pemberly with Lizzy, her second eldest sister. Away from her family home, and among people who value her opinions and input, Kitty begins to blossom. She makes friends, from Georgiana Darcy and Felicia Fanshawe, to Sir Edward and Henry Adams, and begins tentatively exploring writing.

Unfortunately, her world gets upset when Lydia, the youngest, black sheep sister shows up uninvited to the Darcys’ summer ball and causes a ruckus that leaves Kitty blamed for a theft she didn't commit. Returned to her family home under pretence of caring for her ailing mother, Kitty begins to take over more and more of Longbourn's daily running, and to deepen her writing practise. The birth of Jane’s baby, the Bennets’ first grandchild, rallies Mrs Bennet. For a time at least. Her unexpected passing tumbles the family into mourning, and she and her father travel to London for the Christmas holidays to visit family. And it is here that Kitty will rise in fortunes, on many levels.

This story, written in a many reminiscent of the classic Pride & Prejudice, plays the long game. The events cover a year and more, delving deep into one young woman’s transformation from 'silly girl’ to 'sensible adult’. I did so feel for Kitty, to be labelled such things as she was. I know what it's like to have a family that won't take the time to recognise or foster innate gifts, and who inadvertently cause damage to a growing psyche with such assumptions of character. I was glad she ended up out of that environment, and in one that did foster her growth. It was tragic that her sister Lizzy assumed she’d fallen back on supposed old ways, with nary a chance to explain. I am glad Kitty gave a tirade against that injustice, for all the good it did at the time. However, it was Kitty's return home, full-circle, that paved the way for all her later good fortune.

I rather quite liked Kitty. I enjoyed most of the characters to be honest, except Frederick and Lydia. The latter’s behaviour was just atrocious on so many levels, it was hard to believe she was related to Kitty, Jane, and Lizzy. Oh, and Caroline Bingley. Ugh. Asshat. Sir Edward was my favourite, overall. He seemed so sweet and caring. It was hard to see him taken such advantage of. And for some reason, Felicia made me think of Mary, from the BBC Sherlock. That was just amusing.

But really, it was descriptions of time and place that I enjoyed most. All the different estates. London trapped in fog. The pure novelty of gaslamps! The frost fair was a treat to read about, except that the testing of the ice involved walking an elephant across. What if the ice broke!? I was so afraid that would be the case, and elephant and handlers would go down.

If you love Jane Austen's works, or particularly the characters of Pride & Prejudice, I highly recommend this book!

***Many thanks to Love Books Tours and the author for providing an egalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

4☆ A Charming read

Ok so for me I haven't read Jane Austen so I was a little apprehensive as to what to expect. I know sometimes books based on classics don't always live up to expectations.
However I really enjoyed What Kitty Did Next.

It was wonderful to see Kitty mature from a young women into a lady.
Kitty doesn't have it easy, but as she grows so does her maturity to deal with situations.
I really liked her character she is strong, independent, yes a lil immature at times but that only added to her charm.

This isn't a fast paced book at all. Carrie creates the perfect ambiance.
It really is the perfect read if you adore historical fiction with a dash of romance.
I can only speak as I find as I haven't had the pleasure of reading the previous originals. But I would definitely recommend reading this beautiful enchanting read.

Thank you to Love Book Group Tours for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Interesting read, centred around Kitty, once three of her sisters have married and left home.
You start off feeling sorry for her, but as the book progresses her life gets more interesting.

Really nice book to read from the point of view of Kitty Bennet. As a fan of Pride and Prejudice, I enjoyed the whole book and I would recommend it to anyone who likes Jane Austen's literature, for this is as entertaining and really nicely written.

The story started out a little slow but it did pick up. There are so many characters coming and going thru out the tale. Miss Catherine Bennet (Kitty) is one of five daughters. For better or worse the other four sisters get married and leave home. Kitty had always felt like she never counted or mattered to her family. She was alone even with a house full. She met Mr. Henry Adams when she went to Pemberley, she went to spend time with one of her sisters. Mr. Adams was a gifted musician and excellent music teacher. He taught her and her cousin the pianoforte. She found him attractive, kind, and gentle.
The characters were varied, had different interests, As far as good and evil goes it was a fair mix from one end of the spectrum to the other. They seemed lifelike and enjoyed life. The descriptions were wonderful, you could almost see the surroundings. The plot was twisted and kept the book interesting. It was hard to put down once it picked up. I thought the author did a great job of keeping track of all the characters and actions.
I received this ARC from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it. l

In this Pride and Prejudice sequel, Mrs Bennet has three daughters married, but what to do about the remaining two. Kitty is invited to London to join with the Bingleys. Can she take this opportunity to change. How will Lydia interfere. Does Elizabeth turn into Darcy and think she is always right and judge before knowing all the facts.
I would wish that authors would be more imaginative in their disposal of Mary Bennet who is my favourite female character. Which was really the only thing I didn't care for in the book.
There are not many books written about Kitty so I found the story enjoyable at that level, it was also well-written, though it was slow in its start. The story certainly developed Kitty's characters and made her much more likeable.

I love Jane Austen and a sequel of some sort is always 'most welcome'. This one is definitely one of the better ones. 

This story follows Kitty, who was best known in Pride and Prejudice as 'the other silly sister'.  Having the spotlight put on her worked very well in my opinion. The imagined continuation of her life felt quite believable and the resulting wrap-up was satisfying. 

I feel the author did a great job with a cast of mostly existing characters and as far as some sort of sequel goes, this book is definitely a success. The prose, especially in the beginning, is very much in the Austen vein. The strength of the prose and the story fluctuate a little and dips a little in the middle act, but overall I think this is a well written story that respects the original novel it flowed from. 

Since I love Pride and Prejudice and am very familiar with these characters, I really enjoyed it. However, if you have not read Austen's famous novel, I fear this book may fall a bit flat.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Great for fans of Pride & Prejudice, this book picks up where that one finishes, creating a story about Kitty, and what she does after her other sisters marry. It is written in a similar style as Jane Austen’s, and is highly probable and likeable.

A year after the event of Pride and Prejudice, we revisit Catherine "Kitty" Bennet, younger sister of the 'more famous' Elizabeth and Jane. Kitty is underestimated, no one expects much from her. Her mother is a nag and her father thinks she's ignorant and silly.

Kitty is hurt by the way she is viewed by her family and sets out to change herself and her life. This is a fun story, bringing us back to the Bennets. Carrie Kablean did a wonderful job of developing these characters seamlessly with Jane Austen.

This is a wonderful read of fans of Jane Austen's satire.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

As someone who loves Pride and Prejudice, who rereads it every few years, I was both excited and nervous to read What Kitty Did Next. Would it reflect the characters I love so much? Would I be horribly disappointed by an underwhelming tale about the least discussed Bennett sister? I was so thrilled that this novel lived up to my expectations!

The story follows Kitty Bennett after both Jane and Elizabeth have married and started living their Happily Ever Afters. In my mind, Kitty was such a filler character. The only thing I ever retained about her was that she followed her younger sister's lead and as a result behaved poorly. I think by Kitty being the main character, we have an entirely new perspective and do not have as many expectations for the character herself. Without Lydia there, Kitty quietly comes into her own. She realizes the error of her past ways and endeavors to not be the embarrassment her family thought her. Her growth and development were admirable and made you care for this character that you thought you had known for so long. Carrie Kablean created a version of Longbourne and the Bennetts that felt true to Austen's telling.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favourite classics and I’ve read and watched the TV adaptions and movies several times, so I was really excited to jump back into this world and I’m glad to say that I was not disappointed.
This is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set after the events of the original book following the second youngest Bennet girl Kitty as she navigates Regency Britain Society, learns how to live outside of her elder sister Lydia’s shadow and find a husband.
Before I read this I didn’t have much of an opinion on Kitty other than her being a Lydia copycat but once I read this I realised I was very wrong. This book adds a lot more depth to her character and I loved learning more about her.
I also loved seeing more of Elizabeth and Jane and getting to spend time at Pemberley. However, I swear Lydia is one of my most disliked fictional characters and this book just enchances my dislike of her
Overall this was a great read and I loved learning more about Kitty.

Kablean's prose is the closest I have ever found to Austen's. This book is so well written and the characters are true to Austen's creations and even fit into the ending she had imagined herself.
It did start a little slow, but by the end I was loving it.

Thank you to the author and publisher for sharing a digital copy of this book with me via netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Oh I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. I love, love Jane Austen and any recreations of her books either seem to be well done or terrible. I was worried that this attempt at a follow-up novel to Pride and Prejudice could easily disappoint, but I need not fear. I thoroughly enjoyed this and would recommend it to other Austen fans. I felt the author did a great job keeping with Austen's writing style and true to her characters. I loved the look into what happened next and thought it was well thought out, creative, witty, and fun. I love that Kitty was given a redemption in this novel without ignoring her behavior in P&P. Great, fun read that I will happily pass on to friends.

#What Kitty Did Next#
By: Carrie Kablean
A charming story set in 1813 England. Very well crafted. Great historical accuracy. Miss Catherine Benet called Kitty, in the story is one of five sisters. Three sisters are married and have made good matches despite not having great wealth. Kitty isn't envious of her married sisters' good fortune, but she has misgivings about her own future especially as her mother constantly brings up the fact Kitty hasn't a beau in sight. Kitty, unfairly deemed silly, ignorant, and at times stupid by her immediate family regrets her lack of polish. A younger sister, Mary, bookish and studious has no interest in balls, parties and suitors. She seems content to remain at home. But, not Kitty. It doesn't help that Kitty's father is a witty, sarcastic man, preferring reading to interaction with his family. Her father's seemingly innocent jests wound Kitty and make her more unsure of herself. She longs to leave home for a more exciting life. Still, she remains a faithful daughter who loves both her mother and her father.
When an unexpected invitation arrives from one of the married sisters for Kitty to visit London, Kitty is ecstatic. In the exciting city she realizes her lack of polish and determines to improve herself, not necessarily to find a husband, but to escape embarrassment for her gauche country upbringing. As the story develops Kitty's circle of friends increases. She's invited to another sister''s estate. She makes new friends there and grows more self-confident. An unfortunate theft occurs changing the gaiety and happiness to suspicion and mistrust. Everything changes for Kitty, as well. Ever resourceful, she rises to face problems on every hand.
Ms. Kablean has penned an interesting story making the reader want more from this author.

We all know the story of Pride and Prejudice, and how Jane and Lizzie found their happily-ever-after. With Lydia married to the dastardly Wickham, what became of the other two Bennett girls? What Kitty did next tells the story of Kitty Bennett, probably the most overlooked Bennett sister, and what she did to change both herself and her future. Very enjoyable!

A truly enjoyable read, perfect for fan of Jane Austen who wondered what happened to some characters.
The book is well written, in a style that reminds of the original Austen one.
The plot is enthralling and it answers to all questions left by the original Austen text. The historical settings is perfect and the writer has a good grip of the Regency world.
I highly recommend this book, a page turner that kept hooked since the first page
Many thanks to RedDoor Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC

My review has been posted to Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

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This review will be posted on Goodreads, Amazon and my blog, Foxes and Fairy Tales, on 14 June 2018.
https://foxesfairytale.wordpress.com/2018/06/14/review-what-kitty-did-next

As much as I love Pride and Prejudice, there are so many retellings out there -- missing the charm somehow -- that no matter how unique and ingenious one sounds, I tend not to be interested. What Kitty Did Next completely blew me away. Instead of retelling the story, it takes one of the minor characters -- Kitty, arguably the least defined of the Bennet sisters -- and spins out a future for her. It makes her the star of her own story but includes wonderful cameos from all the characters we know and love.

The story is exciting. The plot takes us through all of the period-typical dramas we would expect -- dances, misunderstandings, heartbreak and secrets -- but I loved Kablean’s characterisation most of all. She manages to build Kitty into a wonderful, complex character that's incredibly likeable. She also manages a similarly impressive feat with the side characters (the major players in the original) with whom she perhaps doesn't have as much room for manoeuvring. Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia etc all further rounded out and developed, as perhaps they would be after the events of Pride and Prejudice have taken place. Most have changed slightly, perhaps grown, but they're still very much the characters they were in the book and easily recognisable. The new characters such as the love interest are all enjoyable, as are the minor characters from the original who are more present in this one, especially the Darcy's.

Although finding husbands, playing the romance game, matchmaking and that sort of thing were a big part in the novel (which they should be considering who the characters are and when they’re living) it didn't overwhelm the story. If you're not a big fan of romance, that doesn't necessarily mean you won’t enjoy this book. There is a romance -- and it's a very sweet one -- and Kitty does spend a fair amount of time ruminating on potential suitors and matches, but the novel is just as much about Kitty finding herself. It’s about a young woman discovering her own interests and hobbies, improving herself is a person, building new friendships and bettering her relationships with her sisters. It's a study of family, friends and Kitty's inner self rather than simply being a romance.

What Kitty Did Next is an incredibly enjoyable book. I'm sure fans of Pride and Prejudice are going to love it, and I really hope anyone who isn’t a fan of the original will give it a try. I would definitely consider this to be the sequel to Pride and Prejudice. At the moment, What Kitty Did Next appears to be a stand-alone (and it definitely feels like a complete, well-rounded story) but I hope that the author will either go back and show us what happens to Kitty as she embarks on her career and marriage, or perhaps takes one of the other characters -- Mary and Georgiana spring to mind -- who she’s also given interesting new directions to explore. What Kitty Did Next is a brilliant novel, and a perfect summer read. I’m planning to watch the BBC miniseries this weekend and, since this was an eARC I received, I've pre-ordered myself a physical copy to keep.

Easily a new classic and definitely a new favourite.

What Kitty Did Next is a fun novel that plunges the reader back into the amazing world Jane Austen created with the original Pride and Prejudice. Her characterization of not only Kitty, our main protagonist in this novel, but also the other members of the family (to include Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine de Bourgh) are spot on. It's as Jane was channeled from the other side to inspire this tale. Focusing on young Catherine "Kitty" Bennett create a strong coming-of-age story for the younger sister and her willingness and tenacity to overcome her unfortunate set back gives absolute satisfaction.



A must-read for Jane Austen fans - however - I do feel like it's not a summer read and that is my bad for reading it in the wrong time of year. Curl up with this one come Fall with a cup of Chamomile tea and a light rain outside - that would be perfection! In fact, I will be revisiting it then. But I still give the story and the writing a hearty 🍷🍷🍷🍷for Kablean's ability to capture the language, setting, dialogue, and dynamics of Jane Austen's original masterpiece.

I am happy to be a total cliche and tell you that one of my favourite books is Pride and Prejudice. As such I delight in reading retellings of and follow-ups to Jane Austen’s original novel – What Kitty Did Next is a brilliant example.

Most of the these type of books seem to focus on the more prominent Bennet sisters, while poor Mary and Kitty get cast adrift. Carrie Kablean sets this right by turning the spotlight onto Kitty as she emerges from Lydia Bennet’s shadow and influence. Invited to spend more time in the Bingley and Darcy households, Kitty fully embraces the opportunities that gives and begins to make friends with Georgiana Darcy – who is presented as a much more fully-formed character in this novel.

Carrie Kablean’s style is very much her own and, while the characters we all recognise from Pride and Prejudice are here, there are some fantastic new ones introduced – some of whom are worthy acquaintances of the Darcys and some who are downright rogues. All of these characters blend seemlessly, with settings such the balls and assemblies we’re familiar with.

It’s clear that the author is a fellow lover of Pride and Prejudice, as it comes through in the care she shows poor Kitty and the rest of the Bennet family and, although tragedy strikes the family, the whole section is written with sensitivity and true affection.

Reading the further adventures of Kitty and seeing how she begins to mature and develop is a real delight and any fan of Jane Austen’s work will love this continuation Kitty’s story – definitely recommended!