More than anything, I loved the tone of this book. The frequent breaking of the 4th wall between this omnipotent observer who is acting as tour guide. A great blend of history, magic, and contemporary humor.

3.5 stars

This book was okay. It felt at least 100 pgs too long though. It just dragged on and on. It also mixed a bit too many fictional stories with the "real" stories. As well as being absurd at points. The villains were overly villainous. That being said it was funny and playful. The book was mostly enjoyable, but the middle part was simply too long.

Fantastic read! Loved the change in the story of Mary - the imagination really takes off when beginning this story and I wondered where these authors with go with such a tale! Character depth and growth is great and the relationships that grow throughout leave the reader hungry for what's to come.

Mary wants to be a writer and Ada a scientist, but unfortunately, they are women, so they should just be satisfied to get married and be forgotten... right? Well, their minds are actually a bit too brilliant to be contained, and while perhaps the real Mary Shelly and Ada Lovelace didn't get much credit, the ones in this story get to enjoy their passions while they're still alive. It's not easy, as fairy--excuse me--fae godmothers, evil scientists, greedy poets, and murderous stepmothers keep interrupting with silly things like rules and reputations, but Ada and Mary are creative and inventive enough to find love and joy despite everything.

I admit, everything this trio of authors writes is precisely my cup of tea. The humor is just the right amount of silly and serious. The plot is based on real life, which means it's so outrageous it could only be true. I'm delighted by the amount of research that went into this book, if only to bring in characters and blacken their names. It's a lot of fun, and I eagerly anticipate many more.

I found this story a little confusing at first. I'm not sure if it's because I have read any of the other books in this series, but after a bit I found it charming. I thought the audiobook was well done and I really liked the magical qualities. I'm looking forward to reading the other books too.

My Imaginary Mary was an interesting interpretation of the lives of several historical figures, focusing on Mary Godwin, Percy Shelly, and Ada Byron and punched up with the edition of fae lineage, automatons, and a mad scientist.

Both Mary and Ada, as well as Ada's father, are believed to be fae, as a way of explaining their genius and creativity. Neither having a true, close friend, Mary and Ada form a close friendship and begin to collaborate on their creative endeavors as well as their fae education. Ada suffers from an overbearing and overprotective mother, while Mary is saddled with a stepmother and two barnacles of stepsisters. They end up on a cross-continental jaunt to evade the mad scientist, Percy Shelly, and their parents with the stepsisters and a motley assortment of automatons in tow as they search for Ada's father, Lord Byron. The witty girls say witty things, as do all of the supporting characters but perhaps with less intention. This book is a great mix of science, silliness, and steampunk in a historical setting.

What a ride. There is nothing like a book that breaks the fourth wall so frequently and with such abandon for traditional writing. This trio of writers does like to take a non-traditional route through historical fantasy and I've enjoyed the ride.

World-Building: The book is set up with several famous characters that you'll recognize (or, at least, you should) and if you're totally lost, our dear narrators will fill in some of the gaps as they frequently address you (the reader) directly while relaying the story. Because this is set in historical London the world is one that we recognize and we don't spend too much time learning about what we should already know. The magical elements are a surprise to the characters just as much as they are to us, the reader, so they are explained well. I'm actually quite satisfied with how well the rules of magic are explained.

Plot: The plot is described in detail ... excruciating detail. Barely a breath or move is made that isn't relayed to us directly. This makes the plot drag a bit throughout. I know many readers enjoy this level of detail in the plot, it just isn't my personal cup of tea. The story itself is exciting and the added detail of having the narrator address me directly while reading is actually a fun element, even though if used more sparingly it might be more exciting.

Characters: Alas, it is hard to read fictional tales about real people. I so love one of these poets who turned out to be quite an unsavory character in this story. However, I'm willing to let that go. Our trio of authors do a good job at building characters, but I'm not sure they grow over the course of the book. They make changes to their lives, but do they grow? I'd argue that they do not. Without giving any spoilers, as I'm remiss to do with a book that hasn't even come out yet, I don't feel that these characters, even though we know them for weeks, change in any significant way. Normally in a series I'm willing to forgive the lack of character development in a single title, but this series won't revisit these same characters (at least, I don't expect it to) and so this was their one chance to grow, change, learn about themselves. I'm disappointed that they don't seem to have grown from their numerous mistakes.

In the end, the book was a fun jaunt into a fictional mis-telling of real historical people. It was quite fun to see what could have inspired Mary Shelley's most famous book.

Note on my star rating system:
* DNF or really loathed
** Didn't enjoy or there were major issues with the story
*** Average read - most books I read are three-star books. They are good stories I recommend, but they didn't change my life.
**** - Amazing. Seriously. AMAZING. I've already been recommending it. I'm already adding the author's other books to my TBR. I am having a hard time starting a new book because it was so good I can't stop living in the story just yet.
***** - Life changing. Everything a four-star book is, but MORE. I'm already planning a re-read. I've bought it in a second format. I'm comparing the characters I love to other characters I love. I'm in love with the story. I'm referencing it in my daily life.

A world where Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace are friends, and together through magic and science they bring to life a Automaton that will change the world.

These books are ok.
Entertaining, and cute with some pretty witty one liners.

This is such a fun adaptation of Mary Shelley's life, and I love their reinterpretation of Frankenstein. I'd recommend this to any teen that needs to read Frankenstein.

My Imaginary Mary by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows. Was great! The audio book was super fast paced and fun to listen to. I loved the story and think this would be a great book for readers who need to get out of a reading slump, as it did for me! Definitely will be ordering some copies for the store!

I'm torn between 3.5 and 4 stars for this one. I enjoyed the overall story. The references sprinkled throughout were interesting, though at some points it seemed like there were a few too many or it was a bit of a stretch to make them fit. My biggest pet peeve was the fae/fairy element since I really don't care for that in stories. It seemed to work ok here. I'm just not a fan of the fae. The humor was still here and the strange twists and turns within the actual history were interesting. I preferred the first two of the Jane books (I have somehow missed the third one and the first Mary book and will need to rectify that soon.) I would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed any of the previous books.

I received this audio Galley from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This audio galley is not the actual audiobook, so I will not comment on the quality of the recording.

A nice witty and fun tale by the brilliant writing trio. Book #2 focuses on Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace, so you know you’re in for a real treat. This book does not disappoint. It’s a beautiful blend of STEM and historical twists. Be sure to add this to your TBR list, and in the meantime, check out the books in the My Plain Jane and Mary series.

I LOVE these books. The writing is clever and full of witty banter, jokes, and remarks. The characters are fun, likeable, and engaging. These stories are among my favorites, and I am not always a fan of historical fiction. These are just so well done. I have always listened to the audiobooks because they are also so well done. I started this one with the synthesized voice as an early release on netgalley, and while it was not as AI sounding as I expected, I just couldn't do it. As much as I wanted this book early, I really wanted to wait to experience the joy of the full audio version. I am sure the book will be great, and I want to wait. I would highly recommend any of the books in the Jane or Mary series.

I have been a fan of this series since My Plain Jane. The authors do not disappoint with the second installment of the Mary series. In this installment, the Mary in question is Mary Godwin (Shelley) of Frankenstein fame. The young Mary attends the famous scientist, mathematician, engineer, etc., Charles Babbage. It is there that she witnesses, to everyone's astonishment, witnesses a mad scientist bring a frog back to life. In the classic style of the other books in this series, Mary's life is about to get turned upside down when she meets a fairy godmother who unites her with Ada Byron, daughter of Lord Byron. She finds out from her fairy godmother that she and Ada are fae, people with magical abilities. This novel contains all the action, humor, and fun that you would expect. This book will not disappoint fans of this series.

This is a very entertaining read. I like the twists on a history which often ends in tragedy, giving the heroes a proper happily ever after. From the catchy one-liners and popular slogans that pepper the character's conversations to the humorous asides of the narrator, readers must be warned that they may find themselves bursting into laughter on more than one occasion. And prepare to have your perception of certain historical events and celebrity figures forever altered, for Fae are hiding among us. All joking aside, the takeaway is to always "create responsibly."

🌟🌟🌟🌟+ Bright Stars!

Book #2 in the Mary series written by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows the authors of ‘My Lady Jane’!
This story features Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace.
Mary has inherited the brilliant mind of her mother, Mary Wollstonecraft however; you wouldn't know it as Mary lives on the second floor of her father’s bookstore and has a somewhat sad/drab life. She is anxious to write but it waiting for an amazing idea that will impress her beau Percy Shelley.

Aww my favorite so far: so clever. Oh that Percy~ Really?
Such a great mix of fantasy, embarrassing moment and it is such fun when narrator speaks to the reader. For example: The comment is made that Pan Looks like a deer caught in the head lights ~ that is if the saying had been invented!
BTW: Percy is such a jerk

Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for this Voice Galley ~ a voice galley is one in which the voice has been synthesized and therefore not the final voice in the audiobook which will be read by professional narrators. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 2, 2022

Have you ever heard the phrase -I fall in love with men written by women- or some similar line? This book takes that idea and runs with it when Mary Godwin (you may know her better as Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein) and Ada Byron (Ada Lovelace, creator of early computing) accidentally create a living, breathing, thinking, machine boy, PAN. Both girls are brilliant in their own way, Mary is on her way to becoming a writer, and Ada is an inventor. Now they must work together to keep PAN safe and navigate the new magical world around them.

I’ve become a big fan of the Lady Janies and the Mary Series by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. Normally history retellings that stray too far from the truth really annoy me, but Cynthia, Brodi, and Jodi take history more as an inspiration for the fun fantastical stories they want to tell. They take real historical figures and place them in fantastical situations Sometimes there are ghost hunters in the victorian era, sometimes people can turn into animals, and sometimes there are werewolves in the wild west. By the end of their fantastical adventures, our characters usually have a much happier ending than their real-world counterparts. My Imaginary Mary is no exception. Our narrators have once again created a fantastical story, where Mary Shelley and Ada Lovelace must navigate a world that has a great deal more magic than our own, and thus we get to watch them go on a grand magical adventure, and their lives are changed (for the better I think readers will agree).

As usual, the book's narrators are an active part of the story, chiming in to give us extra background, make snarky comments, reference other books, and generally make the story more fun. I love this about these books. It's a choice that I haven't experienced in many books and it's done so well in the Mary and Jane books. It adds a whole new dimension to the reading, it's a lot of fun, and I often found myself laughing out loud at a comment the narrators made. However, I do think compared to the other 4 books I’ve read in the Mary and Jane series, this book had the least amount of sass from the narrators. I can’t quantify it, but overall it just felt like there were fewer funny comments.

One of the other things I like about the Mary and Jane books is how well defined the character's voices are. Usually, there are three main characters whose viewpoints we switch between and they each have their own tone which makes them easy to tell apart. However, I had a much harder time telling Mary and Ada apart when reading, than I have with characters in the previous books. They just seemed very similar to me when reading their perspectives.

Overall I would say that this was a very enjoyable book to read, but I wouldn’t rank it as my favorite out of the Mary or Jane series. Fans of the authors’ work will enjoy the extenuation of these unique series, but If you are just starting to read the Mary or Jane books I would personally recommend starting with another title.

Loved the narration for My Imaginary Mary. As always, the authors take historical figures and spin their stories into something fun and unexpected. If you're a fan of the previous series about the Lady Janies and Marys, then this will not disappoint.

The fates of two famous women are intertwined in this imagined tale. It was equal parts science fiction and fantasy.

I enjoyed the Easter eggs of pop culture and history. I appreciate the strong female protagonists.

The plot was a little far reaching at points and I wasn't a fan of the love story. It did encourage me to research the lives of both women more to determine what was true and what was imagined. For this reason, I gave it 4 stars instead of 3 because I find value in that for young adults.

*****Thanks to NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!******************

It’s always nerve-racking when you begin the second book in the series when you really liked the first one. Thus, I was thrilled when this follow-up in the “Mary” series actually surpassed my enjoyment of the first! Maybe because I’m an English teacher, and love teaching Frankenstein, and maybe because I was already familiar with most of the characters in this story (as compared to the first, My Contrary Mary, which piqued my interest to learn more about those characters) but this was a truly satisfying follow-up. There is just enough romance, just enough humor, just enough “fantasy,” and just enough pop-culture references to make the story appeal to a wide range of readers and it will definitely be a hit among my middle and high school girls. Once again, I’m thrilled that the main characters are strong, smart, and independent young women who don’t need rescuing from men. I can’t wait for the next in the series! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ALC in exchange for my honest opinion.