I've read several of Kasey Stockton's historical novels and absolutely loved them, so I was excited to pick up "I'm Not Charlotte Lucas." I don't read a lot of contemporary romances, as most have more explicit content than I'm comfortable with, but this one was squeaky clean.

Charlotte Lucas is a kind woman in her mid-twenties who has chosen security and emotional safety over her passions. Liam is a wealthy non-profit director whose last ex is a literal movie star. Pushed together by Liam's grandmother, the pair finds they have more sparks than they could have ever imagined. Like-minded in family devotion and general kindness, the two are extremely well suited; however, Charlotte's insecurities cause her to push Liam away. The question then becomes whether or not Charlotte can love herself and take a chance on happiness.

I absolutely loved this book and finished it in a day! Liam was probably too perfect, but I did not care one bit. It was a delightful read after a long week that I will absolutely revisit again. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a light, clean romance story or anyone who loves Pride and Prejudice. I thought it was so fun to have a P&P story that focused on Charlotte Lucas' character.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

As an ardent Janeite, I was excited to finally get to review this book. As with most romance novels, I found the plot somewhat predictable, but in other ways it was quite refreshing. The communication between the characters about their relationships is open, clear, and honest, so we don't get the misunderstanding tropes that usually drive me insane. Stockton's insight about the original Charlotte Lucas is also very interesting and something that I don't know holds up to a Regency interpretation, but does work well for a modern-day woman. My only complaint would be that the epilogue felt a bit too rushed. I wanted to spend more time with these characters by the end, and it almost made me cry once or twice (though that may have been my hormones, too).

This is a clever and modern remake of Jane Austen's most underrated character. Charlotte "Charlie" Lucas' dislike of her namesake is based on a misassumption that a lot of Austen's readers still share: that Charlotte Lucas was practically a spinster aka a boring female character that didn't deserve a meaningful arc. I love that this novel brings attention to this underrated character in a surprising way. It's not exactly a retelling, but Charlie is very similar to Charlotte. Think of her as a modern Charlotte who actually has options and opportunities. If you've always adored Elizabeth Bennet and Charlotte Lucas' friendship - and believed that Charlotte deserved a better hand than the one that she was dealt with Mr. Collins - then this is the story for you. A must-read for any Austen fan!

I loved this one. I can’t wait to see the cover! I think this will be a popular choice for any and all book clubs.

I have to say I thought I was burnt out on Pride and Prejudice like retellings. But I enjoyed this one. I think it's do in part to the fact that heroine is more Charlotte like than Elizabeth and quite frankly that's refreshing.

"I'm not Charlotte Lucas" was an excellent surprise! I love Regency romances, old and new, but I'm not always the biggest fan of chick lit. Here, on the contrary, I was really drawn into the story and couldn't put the book down!

The main protagonist is Charlotte Lucas, a 27-year-old that is afraid of ending up like her namesake from P&P: a spinster. As a consequence, she tends to date guys that are not great, and, as she is a kind person, she even agrees to go on a date with the grandson of her lovely old neighbour. Liam Connell is a very successful guy, president of a trust, owner of a big mansion, etc. but most of all, he is gorgeous. (There was much emphasis on physical appearance in this book.) This is why Charlie feels inferior to him and keeps repeating that he is "out of her league" for the whole book, which got a bit annoying. Yes, she had many insecurities, but sometimes she was pushing it a bit far, and she got over it at the end of the book a bit quickly.

What I liked the most about the book was perhaps how "normal" it felt. The relationship between Charlie and Liam didn't feel forced (apart from the first couple of scenes), they mostly hang out at his grandmothers' house and don't go on extravagant dates. Charlie lives a normal life, navigating between her job as an assistant banker, helping her neighbour and supporting her little sister. It was nice to just tag along, as if we were a friend, without toooo much drama.

Overall, I really enjoyed it, and I'd give it 4.5 stars !

*I received a complimentary e-copy and this is my honest opinion*

I’m a fan of Kasey Stockton’s regency era/historical romance books, so I was excited to read one of her contemporary books. I really appreciate that her books are clean, and I never have to worry about content. The beginning of this one felt a little forced, but it evened out quickly and I enjoyed the story - especially Liam. What a sweetie! There were many many Pride and Prejudice references - a few too many, in my opinion. I’m sure others will disagree with me on that though. I also thought Charlie’s insecurities became a little tedious at times, but not terribly so. She’s still very likable and relatable. Who wouldn’t be insecure in this situation?! Overall, an enjoyable read.

Thank you Netgally for the e-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved this book. I could not stop reading it. The actual tension comes at like 75% of the book and I still loved it. Maybe cause it felt like a realistic story and didn’t have the MC doing stupid things just to further the plot. I thought it was a cute short read and I will definitely keep my eye out for this book and this author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

I throughly enjoyed this novel. In fact, it’s one of the few lately that has held my attention throughout the entire story. While I could see a few things coming, I never felt like rushing though it. I would definitely recommend it to friends.

NetGalley provided me with an electronic ARC for honest feedback.

Holy. Shitballs.

I’ve never DEVOURED a book so fast. This was fabulous.
I will admit, some of the negative self talk was a little too much - and then I reminded myself that is what goes on in my head and then deemed everything super accurate.

I absolutely loved the plot. I loved the characters. I thought the growth and development of the plot was chef’s kisses.
Seriously, I could see this playing out on the silver screen. It’s cute, flirty, romantic, along with a heaping amount of realism.
This was perfect.

Mein Leseerlebnis

Lasst mich mit meinen positiven Eindrücken vom Buch starten. Der Beginn war einnehmend und hat Lust auf mehr gemacht. Ich war sehr gespannt mehr über Charlies Leben zu erfahren.

Außerdem ließ sich der Roman aufgrund des angenehmen Schreibstils insgesamt gut zu lesen und die Dialoge hörten sich für meine Ohren authentisch und unterhaltsam an.

Im Verlauf der Geschichte tauchten allerdings ein paar Elemente auf, die mir auf die Nerven gingen. So wirkten Charlies Unsicherheiten auf mich zu überzogen und zu konstruiert, dies traf auch auf ihre Verbindung zur Romanfigur Charlotte Lucas zu.

Die Charaktere wirkten auf mich größtenteils nett, sie waren aber leicht zu vergessen, da es ihnen etwas an Tiefgang fehlte.

Die Liebesgeschichte bzw. ihr Potential konnte mich anfangs überzeugen, je weiter sie voranschritt, umso weniger berührte sie mich. Am Ende war nicht viel Interesse übrig.

Blicke ich auf mein Leserlebnis zurück, so war dies größtenteils ganz nett und kurzweilig.

Für wen?

Wen Klappentext und die Leseprobe ansprechen, kann einen Versuch wagen. Erwartet inhaltlich nur eine leichte Anlehnung an die Romanfigur Charlotte Lucas und eher leicht zu vergessene Geschichte.

If you're a fan of Jane Austen and "Pride and Prejudice", there is a high possibility you will like this book. So many references to person who never read this novel. 
Blind date to a neighbor's grandson.  Charlotte Lucas is willingly to help him be his +1 in a charity ball. And avoid his gorgeous ex. Even if she could think about dating him, he is so out of her league. But fate brings them together more and more. How can they resist?
Despite the wonderful moments, I have my red flag in this book. Chapter 28 and scene in school. And as an insecure person in the past, I want to say - I'm not believed. You can't learn how to believe in yourself over a few conversions after you have self-doubts in the past 8 years. I know, it's for the book, for the story. But c'mon, in real life - it will not be working. I'm still learning to do it. Liam needs to choose a different gesture, not this. You could be not agreed with me, but this is how I feel about it.

Thank you to Covenant Communications and NetGalley for an electronic ARC of this novel.

Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite books, so I'm always up for a retelling/reimagining/spinoff/Alternate Universe story - some with more success than others. I would put I'm Not Charlotte Lucas, by Kasey Stockton, into the successful one.

Charlotte Lucas, nickname Charlie, has always been aware of her namesake in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. She wonders if she is destined to have the same fate as the character in the novel - having to pick an unsuitable husband to escape "spinsterhood". Driven away from her true passion in college, she has a steady but unfulfilling job at a bank and spends her days taking care of her family and neighbors.
Her friend asks her to go on a blind date with her grandson, who just went through a bad breakup - enter Liam Connell. She is drawn to him even though she thinks he is out of her league. Being friends first may turn into something more if Charlotte can get over her pride and prejudices.

This was a very entertaining and fun novel. I really enjoyed reading it and it was different enough from Pride and Prejudice that I didn't know what was going to happen. I would say it was nice that Stockton didn't try to force her characters into situations that mirrored or slightly mirrored the plot of the source novel as sometimes that can fall flat. I would recommend it to fans of Pride and Prejudice but also to people who are looking for a quick and fun novel.

I can never get enough of Pride and Prejudice retellings and when I saw this latest one by Ms Stockton, who is one of my favorite authors, I just could not pass this up. I especially liked the references by the main character to the different movie/tv adaptations. Made me want to go back and rewatch them again (in addition to the multiple times I already rewatched throughout the year!)
Charlie Lucas is a lover of Regency and all things Jane Austin. She hasn't had much success on the dating scene and is terrified of ending up single and sharing the fate of her namesake. When she is set up on a blind date for a charity event with her neighbor's grandson, despite her apprehensiom. she can't bring herself to say no, even though part of the reason for the date is for her to be a sort of buffer for the grandson since his ex will also be at the event. She never expected said grandson, Liam, to be so handsome and so nice, but totally out of her league. Despite Charlie trying to forget about him and carry on as normal afterwards, he seems to turn up everywhere. How can she let go of her fantasy, when the object of her fantasy seems to be everywhere she turns?
A delightful fun and entertaining book for sure which I truly enjoyed reading Ms. Stockton never disappoints!
I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

To read a contemporary romance by this author was so fun!

Charlotte loves regency romances (and diet coke). But even more, she's afraid she's going to end up as a spinster.
She can't say no, however, when her elderly neighbor asks her to go on a blind date with her grandson to a REAL LIFE ball.

This book is a very fun modern twist on Pride and Prejudice that I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me to read this amazing novel in exchange for an honest review!

'This was not going to be like all those chick flicks where one perfect man was interested in me and I dated another guy who never measured up.'

Except that is exactly what this is.

Charlie Lucas is 26 years old and terrified of sharing the same fate as her literary namesake... spinsterhood. Sweet, agreeable, and willing to literally give the shirt off her back to a stranger, Charlie finds herself roped into a blind date escorting her neighbor's grandson to a charity ball. Prepared to act as a buffer between the man and his ex, Charlie is not prepared when she finds herself on the arm of the hottest man she has ever seen. What's worse? He's genuinely a nice person and so far out of her league it's not funny.

Once the fairytale night ends, Charlie becomes determined to keep her feet firmly on the ground and decides to give her ex another shot. Except, the wonderful man she went to the ball with seems to be showing up everywhere. What is a girl to do when her real life starts to mirror the fiction she loves so much?

This book was a lot of fun to read. Full of some of my favorite tropes and enjoyable to the last page!

Charlie is a very insecure character and knows it. She actively tries to work through it, but it seems to get the better of her not only in her romantic life, but in her professional life as well. Her true growth starts about halfway through the story and I really enjoyed seeing her progress. Liam... Oh words cannot express how much I loved him as a love interest. Confident, straightforward and knows what he wants. He managed to call Charlie out on her judgmental nature without throwing it in her face, and all he wants to do is help her through her insecurities. The man seems perfect, and the fact that he won't make any sort of move without consent from Charlie is probably the hottest thing about him. The secondary characters including Charlie's best friend and Liam's grandmother are a hoot.

The world building was in depth enough to hold up the plot, which managed to hold my attention to the very end. As for individuality? This novel focuses on the Charlotte Lucas's of the world, rather than the Elizabeth Bennets. A lot of women want to be Lizzie, but it's refreshing to see Charlotte get the spotlight because I always identified with her more. The pacing was steady and the writing style was engaging and fun. The only complaint I have is a formatting issue on my Kindle, but that is something that will more than likely be fixed before this book is released.

All and all I have to give this book a solid 4 stars.

Tropes include the 'Oh no! He's Hot!', Emotionally wounded love interest, and the fan favorite 'Man doesn't magically fix everything, Girl can fix herself.'

This book held so much potential to be one of the best retelling of pride and prejudice, but I think the author just didn't luck out with some aspects.
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First of all, I LOVED the writing style, seriously the author could've wrote a 400 page book and I'd still feel committed, the whole thing was finished in half a day. I was that engrossed!!
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The plot at the beginning was really promising, it wasn't complicated and kind of didn't have any subplots, which was fine by me, but at the half point, you could just see how weak the storyline is, the author kept tweaking and kind of patching it with many cliche scenarios, but it wasn't enough, and it wasn't done smoothly for it to go unnoticed.
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The main characters were..okay? Like, Liam was too good to be true, even for a fictional character, he was just so smitten with her, that I truly sympathized with Charlotte being anxious.
Charlotte though, was kind of disappointing, the whole insecure heroine wasn't a cliche I'm apposed to, but the amount of insecurities and low self esteem was excessive, even for me.
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Not the best book out there, but definitely open to reading more by the same author.
* I received an ARC of this book through netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

This was such a fun book. I loved Charlie’s story of self discovery. She is a smart, strong and talented woman but just has a hard time seeing what others do. Kasey Stockton is a phenomenal author and she did not disappoint!

A sweet modern romance about self-esteem, Diet Coke, and Jane Austen.

Charlotte Lucas ( our heroine, not the Pride and Prejudice chick) is forced to move back home because her roommate moved and the rent on her apartment is too much for one person. Charlie, as she’s known, works in a bank, is a people pleaser, and has an affinity for all things CL-related, which included watching P&P numerous times on DVD.
Charlie hasn’t had a date in over a year ever since she broke up with her emotionally immature dentist boyfriend. Enter a quirky next-door neighbor, Vera, who has a grandson who needs a last-minute date to a charity auction.
Reluctantly, Charlie agrees.
Who knew the blind date would be Darcy-handsome? Or sweet? Or someone she’d already met when she ran over his brother with her car in a parking lot?
This was a really sweet story about a girl with self-esteem issues and the guy who tries to convince her she’s worth so much more than she thinks she is.
I’ve never read anything from this author before, but will again because this was a well-told story I could sink my teeth into.
Plus…Jane Austen, lol!
4.5 stars
Thanks, Netgalley for a sneak peek.

I adore Kasey Stockton and when I randomly saw this pop up, I requested it immediately which I'm so glad I did because shortly after it disappeared.

I love Pride & Prejudice and it was interesting seeing it as a retelling but from a POV we don't always get. I loved seeing the modern mix with the old. The characters drew me in slowly but I did not want to put it down.