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What Kitty Did Next

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Lovely to have the opportunity of revisiting a few characters from Pride and Prejudice with a similar style and feel as the original. The minor characters from that novel are fully developed here and extra historical details is thrown in, adding to the interest and enjoyment of this book.

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I am a fan of Jane Austen and love books that continue with the stories of all the characters. That is was attracted me to What Kitty Did Next. The book was slow going for me, but I came to enjoy the storyline and then could not put it down. Some parts were predictable but not so much that I did not want to finish the book.

I enjoyed how the author was able to capture the misunderstandings between the characters and similar writings of that time, especially Jane Austen. I also liked the added touch of having Kitty be an author, even if she wished to remain anonymous.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/39103763

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Picking up where Jane Austen's classic novel Pride and Prejudice left off, Catherine "Kitty" Bennet is left behind at Longbourn with her parents and sister Mary after the marriages of her older sisters Jane and Elizabeth, and younger sister Lydia, over a period of 6 months. Kitty (with no clue about the scandal Lydia's marriage to George Wickham almost caused the family if not for the kindness of Mr. Darcy) is lonely without Lydia, who was her closest friend before her sudden departure from home.
Soon Kitty is invited to stay with the Bingleys in London where is overjoyed to find culture and society unknown to her before. She does her best to improve her manners and make her sister Jane proud, enjoying the company of new friends, including Georgiana, Mr. Darcy's sister.
Thanks to Georgiana, Kitty receives an invitation to Pemberley, which she gladly accepts. Here her friendship turns to sisterhood with Georgiana and she becomes closer with Elizabeth and the standoffish Mr. Darcy. In the middle of Elizabeth's preparation for her first ball, the family is shocked when Lydia arrives without an invitation.
Lydia (also unaware of the gallant actions of Mr. Darcy or the truth of her husband's intentions) and her inappropriate behavior in polite society leaves Lizzie anxious, so Kitty keeps an eye on her young sister to make everything as uneventful as possible.
It doesn't take long for Lydia's behavior to bring about a scandalous scene during the Pemberley ball which Mr. Darcy witnesses and interprets as a betrayal by Kitty. Kitty returns home in shame without the chance to explain herself, but life as she's always known it at Longbourn is about to change forever. Once considered "silly and ignorant", Kitty has turned into a well mannered lady who carries herself with grace through dark times.
Everything you wanted to know about what happened to the Bennet family after the happy ending of Pride and Prejudice is here: love, loss, births, deaths, and the strong bonds of sisterhood.
What Kitty Did Next is a charming continuation of Pride and Prejudice told through the story of this often overlooked sister.
Thanks to RedDoor Publishing and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

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I found What Kitty Did Next to be a delightful tale that took me back in time to early 1800s England. Starting after Pride and Prejudice, we follow the life of Catherine, aka Kitty, Bennett. Told from her perspective we see the day the day interactions of her family and community and learn of her innermost thoughts.

I enjoyed that the book described the workings of Kitty's day, the dynamics of her family relationships, and her personal growth from her family's perception to her own. In fact, I believe that is what really ended up grabbing my attention in this book. Kitty grew up, and while her family and friends didn't always recognize it, she slowly did. By the end of the book I was quite taken with Kitty and rooting for her to find her own happy ending!

This book brought a smile to my face, as it was a lovely trip back to the world of the Bingley, Darcy, and Benett families.

I received an e-arc via Netgalley from Reddoor Publishing. And while I appreciate the opportunity to read and review all thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I really, really enjoyed this story! After taking a Jane Austen Fanfiction class in college, I have always loved reading about the Bennet sisters. This tale focuses on Kitty Bennet, as she struggles to find herself after all of her sisters move out and begin their own lives with their husbands. Kitty discovers a passion for writing and music along with socializing. There were some minor character choices I did not love, but the end of the story wrapped up nicely. I would love to teach this book along with other "fanfiction" based on the beloved classic.

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I have loved Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice since I first read the novel as a teenager. Since then many novels have been written, pretending to be a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. Usually I do not manage to get far into these novels. Disappointed with the fact that the authors, have not even attempted, to write in a style that comes anywhere near the Jane Austen's unique writing style. Let alone try to retain the main characters' personalities. I started out reading "What Kitty Did Next" with little expectation, however I was pleasantly surprised, it immediately felt like I had stumbled upon another Jane Austen novel! The style was similar to that of Jane Austen. Through the story of Kitty Bennet, we meet Lizzy, Mr Darcy, Georgiana Darcy, Jane, Mr Bingley, Miss Bingly, Lydia, Mr and Mrs Bennet and even Mr Collins once again. These characters are very recognisable and their personalities are further developed in a natural and believable way. In Pride and Prejudice, we never learned much about Kitty Bennet, beside the fact that she was Lydia Bennet's "Side Kick". Her character undergoes a total transformation and the novel describes how this comes about. The story introduced a whole host of new characters and tells the reader a little more about live in the early 1800's. There is a little suspense and some romance, but mainly it is like in Jane Austen's novels, a keen observation of character, this time not through Lizzy Bennet's but through Kitty Bennet’s eyes. I highly recommend this book to all Jane Austen novel lovers!

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A fun Austentation sequel to "Pride and Prejudice". The language felt fairly on point and most of the characterisations seemed pretty spot on. Kitty developed into a likeable heroine with her own personality, instead of the borderline Lydia clone we come to know in the original.

I did find the Darcys' characterisation a bit jarring, mainly because they're so beloved characters and seeing them in a negative light, causing pain to Kitty through a misunderstanding, was a bit of a shock. The large stock of male characters introduced as potential beau for Kitty also felt a bit much: it was hard to really root for any particular relationship and while I was satisfied with who she ended up with, he didn't really get enough 'on-screen' time for me to be heavily invested.

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This was a delightful read that continues the story of Kitty Banner from Pride and Prejudice. I enjoyed the development of kitty's character in this story as she is not the focus in Pride and Prejudice. Kitty learns manners, gains new friends and even finds love in this story. The plot was a little slow in some parts but over all a wonderful novel. I would recommend this to any Austen fan. Thank you to net galley for an advance reader copy.

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This was the first P&P continuation I read based on Kitty. I was impressed with the author's staying very close to Austen's characters. Several others take too much liberty and have one or more of them do things completely out of character. It felt more realistic than I expected, more Austenesque than others in the same category.

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I was feeling that I was on a one way train to Slumpsville, but this book rejuvenated my book loving soul Those who have read a few of my reviews know that I have been a fan of Jane Austen since age 13( thanks Emma Thompson!) and I cannot resist any type of sequel. The tagline teases us that this is the book Pride & Prejudice fans have been waiting for and in a way, it certainly was.

So, having married three of the Bennett sisters, Austen concluded her story, but I think we all wanted happy endings for sweet Kitty and the proper minded Mary and to journey back to Austen's much loved world that she had created. Although Mary finds her happiness quickly( yet in a satisfactory fashion), Catherine "Kitty" Bennett is at the centre of this sequel and the book takes us on a quest as she tries to step out of the shadows of her three married sisters and form her own identity. I was so hooked into this story that I felt as if this was a lost manuscript recently found among Austen's papers. Author Carrie Kablean is certainly a kindred spirit and this is certainly a Jane Austen sequel that I would re-read again. Trust me, I have read a few that I REALLY wish I could forget!

Kablean takes us from Longbourn to the inner rooms of London society to the splendor of Pemberley and exposes us to the many trials of the becoming of Kitty Bennett.

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I received a copy of this book through NetGalley and Red Door Publishing for an honest review.
Carrie Kablean has taken the Character of Catherine 'Kitty' Bennett and given her the story all lovers of Pride and Prejudice will enjoy. Kitty Bennett has always been the sister that was lumped together with her wild and out of control sister Lydia and now that her two older sister Jane and Elizabeth and her young sister Lydia are all married she is lost in the Longbourn house with not much to gain her attention. Her only un married sister Mary is still the same but Kitty is unsure as to how she can change her Father's and other people opinions on her character being nothing but a officer chasing silly young woman. This story gives Kitty hidden talents and hidden depths that emerge in this year long spent in her life. From her time spent in London with her Aunt Gardiner and her sister Jane and family to the Shades of Pemberley and her growing relationship with a handsome music master Mister Adams and her friendship with her sister Elizabeths sister -in-law Georgiana. Lydia shows her trouble maker face and tries to sabotage it all. Most adaptations of characters try to retell the Pride and Prejudice story their own way and put in their own opinions but this story does not. I loved every word and this is a great story of Catherine 'Kitty 'Bennett that many readers will love and enjoy on it's own merit. Thank you Carrie Kablean for giving Kitty a voice to tell us all of her adventures and ups and downs and her having a Happy Ever After just like her sister Jane and Elizabeth. The one aspect of the story that made me sad was the death of Mrs Bennett. She is not alway thought of as a great person but she was an important part of the Pride and Prejudice story. The author gave her respect in her death. I highly recommend this book.

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Bravo - thank you for bringing Catherine Bennett out of her sisters' shadows & giving her the limelight! A well-thought out and well-crafted novel. Beautifully written and enjoyable from beginning to end. I was sad to finish it and will look out for more from this very talented writer.

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What Kitty Did Next was such an enjoyable read for me. I loved getting to read about the Pride and Prejudice characters again. It felt like reading about old friends.
I enjoyed the exploration of Kitty’s character and got the sense that Kablean enjoyed writing this novel, which is always a good sign!
I’d recommend this to any of my Austen loving friends and for anyone that enjoys historical fiction and romance!

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I think the ultimate question is: how can you not love Kitty Bennet? She's probably the character with the least to say or do in Pride and Prejudice, which makes her the best character to write spinoffs about. Some elements of the story were a little dragging, and until the only major plot point of the story, about 3/4 of the way in, it's not a very engaging read. However, I did enjoy it a lot, and would definitely recommend it.

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I’ve read a large number of Pride and Prejudice variations and sequels, but rarely one focusing on Kitty. It was fun seeing her grow from being Lydia’s rather silly shadow into a thoughtful and competent young woman. The one thing that I would have liked, however, was to have seen her relationship with Mr. Adams developed more. It felt like they went from the start line to the finish line with little development of the relationship.

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"What Kitty Did Next" was a worthy sequel to "Pride and Prejudice." Ms Kablean did an amazing job capturing and developing Jane Austen's iconic characters.

The narrative voice was well done, Kitty is a likable and sympathetic protagonist and her struggles felt in character and realistic for the time the story is set in. The way her sisters interacted with her and felt about her was frustrating at times but not necessarily out of character.

The ending wrapped up the story a little to neatly for my taste, especially since the story's resolution is not brought about by Kitty's actions, but I still really enjoyed the novel and would definitely recommend it everyone who enjoyed "Pride and Prejudice."

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