I absolutely adored this book! I am a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice and I was both excited and anxious to read this book. I’ve always gotten queer vibes from Mary Bennet and have always thought Charlotte was such an underrated character. When I read the blurb I was so excited because I knew they could make an excellent pair, but I was wary it wouldn’t live up to the potential. I needn’t have worried. This book gripped me from the beginning. As in, I had trouble working and sleeping because I just wanted to keep reading. I thought the voices of the characters came through beautifully, and their slow burn friends to lovers romance made me inwardly squeal over and over. I just really really really loved it. I can’t wait to preorder a physical copy for my collection.

If you read Pride and Prejudice and thought Charlotte Lucas deserved a better ending, this book is for you. If you never read Pride and Prejudice, but love an historical queer love story, I recommend this book for you, too! When Charlotte's husband dies after only 4 years of marriage, she writes to her best friend, Elizabeth Darcy. Elizabeth is stuck at home with a sick child and suggests that her sister Mary visits instead. Charlotte finds Mary much changed from who she was 4 years ago and feels a nearly immediate connection with her. When Charlotte visits Canterbury with Mary, she learns some things about herself and the world, but will she have the courage to grab what she wants?

I loved this book. I read it 2 times in 2 days because I wanted to absorb it again after I finished it the first time. Charlotte and Mary, as well as the cast of supporting characters, are complicated and full of their own unique qualities. The love story is full of such unabashed longing. It was truly lovely.

I love a good pride and prejudice retelling, especially when it comes to bringing LGBTQIA+ characters to light. So when I saw that Mary Bennet and Charlotte Lucas were getting one, I was very excited. But I have to say that I was disappointed with this book. It had a really strong first chapter but after that it felt like things were dragging on. I also find it odd that Mary Bennet would be so invested and interested in science when, if anything, I think from the books she would be more interested in philosophy and theology. But I can put that aside as a personal critique.

I think if this story held more substance and a stronger B story to run parallel with the romance plotline, I think I would've liked it better. I would skip a chapter just to see where the story progressed and felt like I was in the same space as before.

I am a massive Jane Austen fan so I'm incredibly picky with adaptations of her work. This book was everything I didn't know I needed! It was an absolute delight to watch Mary and Charlotte find a person who appreciates them after they both experienced a lifetime of being sidelined and underappreciated. The amount of yearning in this book was absolutely delicious. I ate it up. I went feral for the "friendly" hand holding and bed sharing and smelling each other perfumes. The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a slow burn but if you're prepared for some simmering tension then you'll most likely have a great time. This story made my sapphic heart very happy and I believe many other Austen fans will be similarly delighted with what this adds to the Pride and Prejudice universe.

Mr Collins has died after only 4 years of marriage, leaving Charlotte Lucas Collins a widow with no real plan for her financial security. She's had four satisfying if not passionate years of marriage, taking solace in caring for her garden and running her small household. She can't call on her best friend Lizzie Bennet Darcy, but middle sister Mary Bennet is inclined to call instead. Charlotte accompanies Mary to Canterbury, where she meets a wide range of interesting people, including those who take alternative approaches to love, awakening something in Charlotte herself.

I really loved this beautiful, introspective queer awakening. Lindz McLeod stays true to the original characters we meet in Pride and Prejudice, but gives them new life through Charlotte's eyes. Charlotte has made herself smaller all her life to fit neatly into the expectations of others. Her blooming relationship with Mary allows her to take up more space - stretching her outside of her comfort zone - and imagining a bigger life. The people she encounters spanning different classes help her see alternative paths to living.

The prose is simply lovely, and I appreciated the choice to keep the book in Charlotte's POV the entire time. Ordinarily I want a limited omniscient narrator, but the third person single POV acts as a long form character sketch of a minor character from the original who steps into her main character role and falls for the oddest of the Bennet sisters.

As with all queer historical romances that I read, I look for a resolution that suits the characters, and I was immensely satisfied with this HEA for Charlotte and Mary. Because the story is entirely from Charlotte's perspective, we see her growth and understanding of herself, and it isn't until the end of the novel that she's ready to take happiness for herself.

So when I got this book, all I really looked at was the cover. So I thought, "sapphic Mary Bennet, this sounds cool!" Imagine my surprise and delight when I realized that this is from the perspective of a widowed Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas! Like, my mouth actually dropped and then I got a big ol' smile on my face.

As the book opens, Mr. Collins has recently died. Charlotte writes to Lizzie Bennet to see if she might want to come stay a bit, but instead Lizzie sends her sister Mary. And boyyy, does Charlotte get a major crush on Mary! Charlotte may be 31 and widowed, but she's quite naive in that no one has ever spoken to her about queer relationships. Mary is out to her family and friends, but Charlotte can't quite articulate or understand her own feelings, or what pursuing a sapphic relationship would look like to her or to her family. Also, how can Charlotte pursue something she literally didn't know about until, say, 7 days ago...?

Much of the early plot hinges on miscommunication, although it's less "why don't they talk?" and more, "Oh, poor Charlotte, she has no idea what to say!" I found the third act conflict very believable (especially considering Charlotte's past relationship choices), although the reconciliation was a bit more drawn out than it needed to be. (Also I'd have loved a final letter from Lizzie as part of the HEA - maybe channeling a little of Emma's matchmaking??)

I also really loved the prose: this feels a bit more Austen-y than your usual HistRom, for obvious reasons. The tight 3rd person single POV from Charlotte also worked really well for me. Sometimes a single POV romance can feel like it's lacking something, but here it felt perfect for the characters and the conflict.

As a final note: I said this was more Austen-y, but I want to be clear that it is an open door romance for everyone who wants to know!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet (publication day April 29, 2025) by Lindz McLeod is for Austen fans that wanted a better ending for Elizabeth's best friend Charlotte than being married to the pompous Mr. Collins.

As the book opens, Mr. Collins has just passed, and Charlotte is faced with having to figure out her next steps as a widow, since she's living in the house provided for the vicar at Rosings. Elizabeth cannot come to stay, as their child is mildly ill, so she sends her sister, Mary Bennet. Charlotte, of course, knew Mary as one of Elizabeth's younger sisters, but they've not spent time together as adults. Mary surprises her, as she is interested in science, attending salons for its discussion, and leads a somewhat independent life thanks to an aunt who spends a lot of time in the United States with her American husband. Charlotte is most happy in her garden, and teaches Mary about the hidden meanings associated with various flowers.

Charlotte is expected to either remarry or go back to live with her parents, who would welcome her, but her long-term options are few, as when her parents are gone she would have to live with another relative who would be kind enough to support her. And it took so long for her to find Mr. Collins she doubts she would be able to find another match. And then there are those feelings for women that Mary seems to be re-awakening in her.

It's a really sweet romance, and I loved how McLeod did not shy away from the issues faced by queer people (who have always existed and will always exist) in the early 1800s, and how they created found family within the confines of society at the time.

Charlotte has to figure out what she wants for herself before she can fully be with Mary, though, and I loved how she grew in her own self-assurance through the book.

I highly recommend if you are looking for a sapphic regency romance primarily focused on one character's inner life and transformation into independence. And it was weight-neutral; there were no negative descriptions of body size.

I love a good Pride & Prejudice variation, and while Mary is a favorite character for further exploration, I've read few novels exploring Charlotte's future after marrying Mr. Collins. In this version, her marriage is exactly the chore she has resigned herself to but is cut short after only a few years. This leaves Charlotte, without resources, with the options of remarrying quickly or returning to her parents' home indefinitely- until Mary appears. Mary is now a botanist, financially secure through her connection to a mysterious aunt, and a lesbian. Her personality also bears little resemblance to that of the not-so-long-ago Mary from the books.

The love story between Mary and Charlotte is sweet, and this rewriting of the story gives them a lovely and well-deserved ending at nobody's expense (except the unfortunate Mr. Collins). Janeites willing to entertain some diversion from canon will enjoy.

Charming with romantic turns of phrase. This is my favorite Austen tribute because it feels like a missing chapter to a beloved story. This wish fulfillment gives Charlotte (and Mary) a well-deserved happy ending.

I don't know how to put my feelings into words over this story. On one hand, I absolutely adored Charlotte and Mary's romance, even though it starts off feeling like instant love turned slow burn. On the other hand, other than the mentions of characters in the Pride and Prejudice novel, I didn't feel the connection throughout the rest of the book.

Once again, this is another story where I feel more drawn to the side characters than I do to the main characters. I adore the staff at Mary and Aunt Cecily's residence. I love how Cecily made it a safe space for other queer people, and I honestly found myself wanting to delve deeper into the lives of the staff and how they came to end up at the residence of Cecily.

Overall, while it was a slightly slow read for me, I still enjoyed the romance between Charlotte and Mary. I loved the way Charlotte described to Mary the meanings of flowers and how it applied to their relationship as their romance unfolded. I like that while others were able to perceive Charlotte's sexual orientation as a lesbian before she knew herself, they were happy to see her finally figure out her feelings and finally allow herself to be who she is and take what she wants in life.

I definitely plan to recommend this book to those who are looking for more queerness in Regency or historical romances and find myself looking forward to hopefully more novels like this from the author.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳, 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦-𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺.

Pride & Prejudice is one of my all time favorite books. And I love both retellings and continuations of P&P. This is the latter.

Set five years after P&P, this story follows Charlotte Collins, née Lucas, who swooped in to scoop up the unfortunate Mr. Collins after Lizzie rejected him. After four years of not-so-wedded-bliss, Charlotte finds herself a penniless widow. She fears she’ll be left to languish in her parents’ home, when Lizzie’s sister Mary (the one always reading sermons and badly performing on the pianoforte in P&P), shows up for a visit. Mary has grown up and matured into a science minded independent woman, and Charlotte finds herself experiencing feelings she definitely never had for Mr. Collins!

I really liked Charlotte’s character in this story. I felt like the author kept her very true to the original. I could totally see her having a lesbian awakening! Her thoughts and fears felt very authentic. I did not however like Mary’s character. I just couldn’t see the Mary of P&P in this book. Yes, people change, but it was too great a change for only four years time. I would have liked the book better if it had been a completely new character not tied to the Bennett family.

Their relationship was a very slow burn. And I do feel like that was realistic to the time period. To out oneself could bring consequences. But I did get irritated with the fact that even after they admitted their feelings for each other, there was so much miscommunication and mistrust. And an entirely unnecessary third act breakup.

So overall, I liked the idea of this one, but not all the details.

Thank you to @Netgalley and @harlequinbooks for the chance to review this ARC.

This was a perfectly serviceable sapphic regency romance. But despite the main characters being from Pride and Prejudice, there wasn't much else Austenish about this book at all. The tone, the concerns, the society, even the characters—just about all were brand new and not even tangentially related to the original novel. So if you want a sapphic regency romance, read this one, but if you want one firmly grounded in the world of a Jane Austen novel, this doesn't really scratch that itch.

Charlotte’s widowhood leaves her lost and alone, until Mary arrives for a visit. Transformed by academic pursuits and newfound freedom, Mary captivates Charlotte, sparking an unexpected romance. Now, Charlotte must choose between a safe marriage and a life of passion with Mary, defying social expectations.

This is a quiet yet compelling character-driven story. It’s a character study of Charlotte and how she evolves through her relationship with Mary. Emotional and beautifully written, it’s a satisfying read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

5 out 5 stars

Rep: Lesbian MC, lesbian LI. Gay, lesbian, bi, and poly SCs

Content Warnings: Deaths of partners, internalized homophobia, period-typical sexism, mentions of past emotional manipulation, sex

I’m a simple person: I see a queer Jane Austen retelling, I read it. And as much as I enjoy reading them, most the time they don’t really feel like anything special. But this? A game changer. It only took me two days to finish reading it because the book sucked me in so strongly, and now I can't stop thinking about it. From the lovable cast to the gorgeous prose to the swoonworthy romance, "Unlikely Pursuit" is so delightful that I immediately pre-ordered a physical copy.

I see so many of my own experiences as a late-blooming-lesbian mirrored! Lindz McLeod absolutely nails the various emotions that realizing something new and important about yourself can bring. As deeply sad as it makes me to think about queer people having to hide their relationships, it's simultaneously sweet and fascinating to reflect on our resilience throughout the centuries.

To my pleasant surprise, this book also contains a good deal of humor. It's difficult (in my opinion) to pull this off in historical fiction: you run the risk of either sounding pretentious or sounding so modern that it takes you out of the story completely. The author strikes the perfect balance here. Additionally, McLeod does a marvelous job capturing the vibes of Austen's original in a way that feels completely natural. I've never wanted to go wander around a rose garden so badly.

**HUGE thank you to Carina Adores for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin Romance & Audio, and Lindz McLeod for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

Listen-- if when you read (or watched..) Pride & Prejudice you wanted more for Charlotte Lucas
(Although she was 27, no money, no prospects & a burden, she found Mr.Collins, but that didn't seem like enough, did it?) and Mary Bennet (all miserable there on the pianoforte, surely there was more to her?) then look no further than this sapphic romance tale! Taking place 4 years after the end of P&P when Mr. Collins has suddenly passed!

This was such a well done story that, perhaps, shows us how queer people lived in the early 1800s, using a cast of beloved characters already so well known to us. It was an appropriate slow burn as Charlotte discovered about herself what Mary already knew.

I loved the narration, particularly when the narrator cover the correspondence pieces and did lovely inflections for each character! (Especially Mama & Papa Lucas' letter that alternated line by line!)

I really enjoyed this book. It was a well written story about Charlotte finding herself and love. I never thought about a spin off to Pride and Prejudice but it is a genius idea! I thought the relationship between Charlotte and Mary was very sweet and supportive. I also enjoyed the spice! My only complaint was that at times Charlotte seemed deliberately obtuse. I understand her character being naive in this time period but she seemed to need constant reassurance despite Mary being pretty upfront.

Overall, I loved it and would definitely read more by this author. Thank you to Harlequin Romance and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest opinion.

I've read other novels that imagine a future for Mary Bennet, including one by Colleen McCullough, but this is the first queer reimagining that I've come across. It's also the first novel that I've read involving Charlotte Lucas Collins as a protagonist. I was intrigued by the premise and I think the author did a good job with Charlotte's character. Mary Bennet, however, wasn't really recognizable. It's like her character changed completely in just a few years. That being said, it was still an enjoyable queer historical romance. I would have liked to see more of Mary's queer found family and I liked how accepting Charlotte's family was. I think this would appeal to readers who like Bridgerton and have at least watched a Pride and Prejudice adaptation if they haven't read the novel.

I really like when authors take side characters and give them a main story. I've never given any thought to what would have happened to Charlotte if Mr. Collins died so this was interesting. Also left me wondering 'Who gets Longbourn?'

Mary Bennet of this story is totally different from original. Found it a little hard to believe that she changed that much, but I can go with it. One thing did bother me. Charlotte writing her sister and asking if their aunt's companion was more than a 'friend'. Charlotte is way too practical to put something so scandalous, for the time, in a letter. A letter that could have been lost or anyone could have read.

All and all a sweet love story that I enjoyed. Happy to have read ARC

An interesting story, I wish that I would have read Pride and Prejudice before reading this to I had more context for the story line and more of an understanding of the characters.

Having a book pitched as a follow up to Pride and Prejudice means you have some pretty big shoes to fill and overall the execution of this was solid. Having Mary and Charlotte be lesbians expands and recontextualizes their characters from the source material in a really wonderful way. Their relationship feels quite sweet and natural. I loved the many scenes of people perceiving Charlotte as a lesbian and her not even realizing it yet. I do wish that Charlotte would have had a friend that she could have confided in. I think expanding Anne could have worked really well to meet this need. But even with that little gripe I think this was very tender and I’m interested in checking out more of this author’s work.

Thanks to the publisher for providing me with a free e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.