Audio Narration: 4/5 Solid Narration, great pacing and inflection!

<b>Four years after the events of Pride and Prejudice Mary and Charlotte are reunited, and it turns into something quite magical! </b>

I have a small confession. I’ve never finished Pride and Prejudice - I have seen the movies, and the mini series. Don’t be mad at me!

So here is the thing, when I saw this book, I was obsessed with the cover, the title was so f-ing cute, and its sapphic so I jumped right in… without reading the synopsis…

It took me an embarrassingly long time to connect the dots that these were the same characters from P&P. So really it’s me - I am the problem.

I did thoroughly enjoy this one, but I am positive I would have LOVED this one if I was an Austen or P&P fan.

I absolutely loved that these two heroines got the love story they deserved and really enjoyed the language of flowers aspect to this novel. It feels like it would be the perfect read to take to the park and devour surrounded by roses. I did wish there was a considerable amount more angst and yearning. I also think most of the drama could have been resolved with a bit of communication.

Overall a fun read, definitely a must for lover of P&P and those who don’t mind a little less angst in their romances.

It has been far too long since I last read Pride and Prejudice (I'm talking probably over 2 decades, and even then-I was never Jane Austen's Biggest fan), but I really enjoyed the re-imagining of the characters of Mary Bennet and Charlotte Lucas. There was a lot of heart here. I love a queer re-imagining!

Fans of Austen and P&P will fall for this sapphic love story.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for access to the audio of The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet in exchange for my honest review.

A sweet queer continuation of Pride and Prejudice that will leave fans of Jane Austin wanting more.

After Mr. Collins dies early in their marriage, Charlotte is left to ponder the rest of her life as a widow. To lend support and companionship, Lizzie sends Mary to stay with Charlotte, and our love story begins.

I loved the internal monologue of Charlotte as she begins to discover her true feelings (that have been there all along) and discover a world broader than she once knew.

Thank you netgalley for letting me listen to the e arc of the audiobook for this lovely story! I’m going to say I did tune out in some spots. In theory a regency romance is totally my thing but the one con of a regency is HOW formulaic it is. I love a nice calm cozy story but sometimes listening to a cozy audio book kind of gets TOO cozy. Now about the story itself. Mary and charlotte are the perfect characters to choose (also the most criticized and joked about characters in the movies) so they chose the most believable to end up in a relationship(though together is a surprise). I loved the exploration of these two and the development of their relationship. My only downside was that I chose audiobook instead of a regular or ebook. I would have been able to pay far more attention to it that way.

A tender and spicy Pride & Prejudice inspired Sapphic romance that will have you demanding the next season of Bridgerton be queer.

While Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy are living their happily ever after, Elizabeth's best friend Charlotte isn't faring so well. Charlotte's loveless marriage ends when her husband dies after only four years, leaving Charlotte feeling unmoored. Elizabeth can't leave her children, so she sends her sister Mary Bennet to comfort Charlotte.

This book is so well written. I love that our main characters are fully defined humans even within the confines society has locked them into. The conversations between Charlotte and Mary are so genuine I could actually imagine sitting beside them on a bench in an English garden.

The themes of this book are so tender and beautiful as we follow Charlotte navigating the complications of being a widow in regency England. She is immediately at risk of losing her home, her station and her sense of self.

The spice is used to tell the story and growth of our two main characters together.

Read this if you want
🌹 FF historical romance
🌹 Queer-awakening
🌹 One bed
🌹 "Teach me"
🌹 Fancy balls
🌹 Beautiful dresses
🌹 The meaning of flowers

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ALC.

This book is best read while gathering flowers for your beloved. Remember, the perfect bouquet cannot be rushed.

I ended up listening to this whole book in a day. This was really just a good, sweet, solid romance. I did love that it revisited Pride and Prejudice but it could easily have been an original story (Mary Bennet was a bit ooc). The flower language was a nice thread throughout and I enjoyed the characters and how they grew towards one another. I guess my one complaint was that this was very much a beat for beat romance novel. That's not exactly good or bad (you know what you are getting) but I thought that maybe there wouldn't be the 'classic third act'...but it was pretty straightforward. Clare Corbett did a nice job with the narration. I would certainly recommend this as a lovely sapphic romance, even without prior knowledge of Pride and Prejudice. Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The 150th anniversary of Austen's birth is the perfect time for a new Sapphic historical romance that takes place 4 years after the end of Pride & Prejudice and has a widowed Charlotte Collins (nee Lucas) falling for Mary Bennet. This slow burn was spicier than anything Jane would have ever written but I enjoyed it! Good on audio and recommended for fans of authors like Claudia Grey or Emma R. Alban. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

(disclosure: I am also a Harlequin author) This is honestly the best Jane Austen spinoff I've ever read! It takes two characters, Charlotte and Mary, who don't get a lot of on-page time in P&P but who are nonetheless very memorable, and it fleshes them out beautifully. They are true to their characters from the original, and the growth that they show is delightful to see. I love how this book affirms that queerness has been around forever and people have long had ways of making queer partnerships work. I really loved the final gesture, too, I am such a sucker for the language of flowers!

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for my gifted review copy. My opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Mr Collins has died leaving Charlotte a widow at 31. Lizzie is unable to visit and sends Mary Bennet in her place. Mary is nothing like what Charlotte remembers.

My thoughts:
This is for the Jane Austen lovers, particularly those who love the idea of a queer bent to the beloved characters of Pride And Prejudice, who act within societal rules (there were an awful lot of close friends). I really enjoyed the slower pace of this story and the massive intense character shifts that Charlotte goes through as she figures out she’s not alone in her feelings. Mary was an absolute delight to read, I loved that she wasn’t subtle but Charlotte doesn’t pick up on the hints from anyone, and when Charlotte finally does, the relief that the reader and the other characters go through is palpable.

Clare’s narration was lovely, I loved the subtle voice changes that were done for the different characters so you understood who was speaking. The humor is fabulous and perfectly delivered.

Highly recommend for Jane Austen lovers.

2.5 stars rounded up

Unfortunately I think I liked this book a lot more in theory than in practice. I do agree that Charlotte and Mary both could have been queer and deserved better, so Mr. Collins dying after 4 years and the two of them finding sounds great.

It started off strong, but I found both a lack of felt yearning (we're told that it's there, but you don't really feel it), too much of a quick emphasis on sex over emotions which feels discordant for an Austen adjacent novel (though I'm not opposed to steaminess when it's done in a way that fits), and too much drama around lack of communication for characters who are supposed to be very grounded and realistic. I wanted more hand-clenching and less fanfic. It's okay, but sadly not what I was hoping for.

The audio narration is done fairly well. I received an audio review copy via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

Delightful is the perfect word for this book. A sweet continuation of the classic Pride and Prejudice centering on Mary Bennet and Charlottes Lucas (Collins). Following the death of Mr. Collins, Mary is sent to stay with Charlotte as a companion during her period of mourning. Having never been close Charlotte is worried it will be awkward, but quickly the two women realize they have grown and changes and have similar interests. An ease develops between them and soon Charlotte is wanting to spend as much time with Mary, as close as possible. This sapphic retelling is charming, romantic, and very entertaining. An already lovely story was made even better with excellent narration. I highly recommend!

I appreciated that the author attempted to recreate the pacing and style of narrative to Austen. I am a huge fan of Pride & Prejudice and generally eat up anything in its likeness.
The overall concept that Mary would be gay or even ace feels like it could be cannon. She never sought out men’s attention like her sisters and family. And Charlotte definitely married for convenience and safety, not a deep love for her husband, so it could be possible for her affections to lay elsewhere.
I found the pacing of the story to be unexciting and Charlotte’s inner voice’s self loathing to be off putting. The story became a bit repetitive and boring with Charlotte constantly doubting her self worth.

This book was fine—pleasant in parts, but overall a bit slow-moving. Charlotte’s post-marriage uncertainty feels realistic, but her constant self-doubt dragged for me after a while. Mary is a lovely character, and I appreciated the depiction of her queer community, which eventually embraces Charlotte too. Still, I found myself more ready for the story to wrap up than eager to keep turning pages. Thoughtful, but not particularly gripping.

ALC Review: The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Linz McLeod
Narrated by: Clare Corbett
Pub Day: April 29th

Charlotte Lucas has been married to Mr Collins for four years when he dies after a short illness. Facing possibly returning to her parents home, she writes to Lizzie Bennet asking for a visit. While Lizzie is unable to visit, she sends her sister Mary in her stead. Mary isn’t what Charlotte remembers and the two strike up a friendship and soon Charlotte realizes that she is drawn to Mary in a way that isn’t entirely platonic.

My goodness gracious I loved this book! Queer historicals are really my bread and butter and this just hit everything I love about them. This one in particular has a delicious amount of yearning and a queer awakening that was so satisfying to see.

While I typically prefer POV in my books, this book absolutely needed to be in single POV so that we could really see Charlotte move through her realization of her queerness and moving beyond her comfort zone and taking what she desires most. Kudos to the author for making the absolute right decision there!

I also loved the narration by Clare Corbett which kept me engaged and invested the entire time.

Thank you to @harlequinbooks @htp_hive @htpbooks_audio for the eARC and ALC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily

This was an engaging sapphic Regency romance. As a fan of Pride and Prejudice and its various adaptations, I found this book to be quite enjoyable, consistent with my positive impressions of the genre. I appreciated the depiction of Charlotte and Mary’s relationship and found the romantic elements to be heartfelt and well-crafted, including moments of emotional tension and longing. The more intimate scenes were also thoughtfully executed. Overall, it is a charming and concise romance that I would recommend to those who enjoy Pride and Prejudice and Regency-era sapphic fiction.

This was a charming cottagecore lesbian Regency romance...just not sure it also needed to be a Pride & Prejudice retelling. While Charlotte is somewhat believable, the characterization of Mary is so far off from the books that it distracted my enjoyment unless I just pretended this isn't a retelling. We don't see a lot of the other characters, which is just as well. The narration is well done and I recommend it as an audiobook.

The book starts out with the death of Mr. Collins. Mary goes to comfort Charlotte as Elizabeth is busy and they find that they share a love of the natural world, flowers in particular. Slowly, Charlotte starts to wonder if she might have more than just friendly feelings for Mary...

One of my main gripes is that I wish we had more time with their relationship in full bloom. The ending after the inevitable third act miscommunication/lack of communication break up just seemed rushed. I really did enjoy the side characters relationships with Charlotte and Mary and the love they had for the two women. Overall, I couldn't listen to it fast enough.

The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod offers a unique twist on the world of Jane Austen, blending it with elements reminiscent of Bridgerton. The story unfolds four years after the events of Pride and Prejudice, focusing on Charlotte Lucas. When Mr. Collins passes away, Charlotte's life takes an unexpected turn, leading her to reconnect with Mary Bennet.

McLeod crafts a narrative that explores themes of self-discovery, societal expectations, and the blossoming of an unlikely romance. The book delves into the challenges faced by women in the 1800s, and the complexities of navigating personal desires within those constraints. It presents a fresh perspective on characters from Austen's classic, offering readers a story that is both sweet and sensual.

The audiobook edition, narrated by Clare Corbett, enhances the listening experience. Corbett's performance captures the nuances of the characters and the subtleties of their evolving relationship, drawing listeners into this reimagined world.

We all knew Charlotte from Pride And Prejudice was a late in life lesbian and finally someone wrote us the sapphic adaptation we’ve always deserved.

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. 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.

I'm so grateful to The Hive for access to the audiobook because that was the superior way to experience the book for sure. All the pining and humor were magnified in the narrator's voice. I had a marvelous time listening to her performance.