The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub is a whimsical and magical retelling of Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice. The story is told from the perspective of Lydia Bennet, the youngest and most troublesome Bennet sister, who reveals the real events and aftermath of the original story. Taub has done an excellent job of combining the charm and wit of Austen's writing with the magical elements of the story.

Lydia is a charming and delightful protagonist, whose antics and mischief are a constant source of entertainment. Her love interest, Wickham, is revealed to be a demon, which adds an interesting twist to the story. Darcy, on the other hand, is portrayed as an uptight and somewhat intolerant character who struggles to come to terms with the existence of magic in the world.

The plot is well-paced and full of intrigue and mystery, with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. Taub has woven in a rich and fascinating magical world that feels both authentic and unique. The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, is a delightful and charming read that fans of Austen and magical realism will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to read rage and review this arc which is available Oct 3,2023.

This reimagining of a classic story was a fun fun read. It has the charm of the classic but the sensibilities and humor of modern day. I was cackling so hard whimsy reading this book.

I love a good retelling of pride and prejudice. This book was very well done and I highly enjoyed it. The book was very interesting and it kept me entertained. I highly enjoyed the authors writing style and will definitely pick up more books by her.
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Though I have a deep and abiding love for P & P variations, I will admit to avoiding those that place either Mary or Lydia in the spotlight. I don't like them, I don't want them to be humanized, and I may even disproportionately enjoy disliking them. Well friends, I've been quite wrong. This is clever and charming and, no, let's go all the way with it and say - enchanting.

Everyone is living their own story, and you only get to read the part that you’ve been given.

In this utterly perfect remix of Pride and Prejudice, Taub gives us the story of Lydia, as we’ve never seen her before. Witch Lydia bounces through the narrative with irrepressible spirits, tangles in supernatural shenanigans, and displays a depth of emotion and intelligence and complexity that forever seals this novel’s place in the extended Austen universe.

I have to be honest, I picked this book up not expecting much. I’ve read and watched Austen-takes that were bad, and some that were just fine but I read anyway because they were comforting. A few others were good, actually. And then there’s this one. Every time, every single time, I spotted an overused trope, Taub flipped it on its head. Every time I was uneasy about the direction the story was going, I found myself zipping up a completely different path.

A rollercoaster, a waltz, a love letter to literature’s powerful women. Simply delightful.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this eARC.

This was an interesting retelling. I really love Pride and Prejudice retellings as well as the original story, and I loved this unique take. It was a fun read and it held my attention. Some parts felt a little slow/boring and some details weren't fleshed out enough for my personal taste, but this is easily a 3.5 or 3.65 star book!