Coming November 4, 2025 Introducing Mrs.Collins. A Pride and Prejudice continuation story about Charlotte, who chose a marriage of convenience and tries to be happy with the lot she has been given. Until she meets someone who makes her feel things she never thought she would feel.
I have to confess I am not a huge Jane Austen fan, but I have enjoyed the screen adaptions of Pride and Prejudice and I did read the book. All that being said this is a well written book but ultimately not for me. I don’t really like love triangles to begin with and I didn’t particularly enjoy the direction this story went. I do think this is definitely something that would appeal to someone else. I did enjoy getting to see someone’s take on how events might have progressed after the events of P&P ended, and that aspect of the book I enjoyed.
Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for letting me have an advanced copy for review.
#bookreview #introducingmrscollins #readmore #readersofig #prideandprejudice

I liked this book, but I didn't love this book. I found it quite fun to read the story from a different perspective. It was well done and interesting to think about. However, I think I may have read to many re-trllings/creative tales on P&P by this point, because I know the story a little TOO well, and so I get a little bored. But again, I think that's a me problem, not this book's fault. The book is well done.

This was the Pride & Prejudice continuation I didn’t know I needed!

I absolutely adored it. I love that Charlotte finally got her moment, and that her story was complex, emotional, and romantic. These are things we didn’t get from Charlotte’s characterization in the original P&P. I’m so happy we got it in Introducing Mrs. Collins.

It was such a pleasure to read this, and to see the world and characters of P&P in a new light. I truly appreciated reading from Charlotte’s POV. It reignited my love for P&P and Regency romance in general.

If you are a fan of P&P, Jane Austen, or Regency romance, you do not want to miss this. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrown for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Introducing Mrs. Collins - Rachel Parris

Pub. Date: Nov. 4, 2025

After his marriage proposal is rejected by Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Collins sets his sights on Charlotte Lucas. As she does not appear to have any other prospects, she accepts and looks forward to an uninspiring marital life. She lives a quiet and dutiful existence as the clergyman’s wife until a visitor arrives at Lady Catherine De Bourgh’s Rosings Park, introducing her to a new world.

For those familiar with Pride and Prejudice, this recounts the life of Charlotte Lucas after her marriage. It is an endearing story with mostly endearing characters. Perhaps a bit spicier than the writing in Jane Austen’s time, the tale is told with biting humor and witty social observations, especially concerning the plight of women. Flashbacks provide insight into the backstories of the main characters, helping to understand their journey. I must admit that my reactions to Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine were somewhat softened as their lives, thoughts, and feelings were revealed.

If only for a little while, this book allows readers to travel back to that world of Regency England, Jane Austen, and Pride and Prejudice. However, one does not have to be familiar with the original book to enjoy this read.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot! I'd give it 4.5/5 stars if I could, but as it stands, 4 will have to do. The tone was impressively Austen-like, with the writing just modern enough to make it easy to read, without pulling you out of the Pride & Prejudice mindset. There were moments where the quality of writing dipped just a little, but those were few and far between. The characterization was really well done-- it's difficult to take such well-known and well-loved characters and breathe new life into them while retaining their essence.

Mild spoilers here, but if you've read the description it's not such a huge leap. If you have a problem with cheating, this book is not for you. That being said, try to consider the constraints and expectations that women like Charlotte were faced with at the time. Know that the book doesn't attempt to glorify her actions. Know that she suffered plenty as a result. But also, try, if you can, to be a little more forgiving of your fictional characters. They're here to entertain you, not always to guide you.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves regency-era stories, love stories, Jane Austen, and/or complicated but lovable female characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!!

I loved this well written and emotional book.
Ms Parris breathed new life into to a familiar collection of characters.; creating realistic, complex and sympathetic characters from ones I previously disliked. A hopeful and satisfying read.

I never know I needed this book until I read it! This book is for anyone that has read pride and prejudice and wanted more!

I had trouble getting into this one and it ended up being just okay. Charlotte can be hard to root for and her relationship with Fitzwilliam while at times sweet wasn't enough to make me love this story.

It's not an easy thing to pick up Jane Austen's characters and make them your own as an author. P.D. James admitted that in Death Comes to Pemberly and most would acknowledge PD James strength as an author. It becomes doubly so when you choose Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins. How do you make one ordinary woman and one obnoxious man interesting? Charlotte chose the expected, predictable, safe but unromantic marriage. The one that many of Austen's readers were either in or facing in their own time. How do you make the practical choice the interesting choice? Rachel Parris has made the extraordinary out of the ordinary. She's even managed to make Mr. Collins a sympathetic character. Still very flawed and irritating in his ways, but with the very real human conditions that explain why he is the way he is. I cried twice in this book for reasons that I won't go into or else give the plot away. That is how well this author has made the reader fall in love with these characters.

Introducing Mrs. Collins is written alongside the events of Pride and Prejudice. You don't have to have knowledge of the original to enjoy this book. It follows Elizabeth's best friend, Charlotte, through her marriage and beyond.

I quite enjoyed the first part of this book. I loved how the author gives insights into the characters, describing their demeanor and personality so well. The author paints a vivid picture of the scenes, it's easy to envision exactly what is unfolding.

I did not enjoy the second part. The romance was the first disappointment, since most of it happens off the page. The plot lost itself towards the end. I was not excited to finish... Sadly, it felt like a chore.

If you're looking for a slightly more modern book in the Pride and Prejudice realm, with very little romance, then I would recommend this.

The writing of this book was enjoyable and if you like regency this is a good one. But if you are a diehard Jane Austen/Pride and Prejudice lover I would skip this book. Our FMCs personality and choices were so out of pocket for who Jane Austen wrote her. Also if you dont want to read a romance with cheating this is not for you. All this said, due to how enjoyable the author's writing is i look forward to whatever she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! This one’s a hard one for me. Overall I enjoyed the writing and insights into Mr Collins - but I just can’t root for cheaters. Disappointing to be put in that position.

Introducing Mrs. Collins is a charming reimagining of Charlotte Lucas’s life after Pride and Prejudice. Instead of Lizzie’s sparkle, we get a quieter, more reflective story, closer in tone to Persuasion, and it works beautifully. Rachel Parris captures the Austen world with warmth, wit, and just enough modern flair to feel fresh.

Charlotte’s second chance at happiness is heartfelt, tender, and more layered than I expected, even giving Mr. Collins surprising depth. It’s a cozy, engrossing read that made me smile throughout. Perfect for Austen fans, but also welcoming to readers who haven’t met the Bennets yet.

Absolutely beautiful! I loved this book. I had just finished reading Pride and Prejudice when I received this ARC. It was perfect timing. If you would have told me Jane Austen had written it, I would have believed it! The passion, the character development, perfection!! This is going to make a great book for book clubs. Thank you so much for this read and I WILL be ordering myself a trophy copy when it is released. I reviewed this on TikTok and instagram.

Am I a sucker for the retold classic? Yes. Is this a good one regardless? Yes. Charlotte is a great candidate for a retold story - a minor character with emotional import. This retelling obviously gives her life more hope than Austen does, but it feels true to the character of the world.

Trigger warnings for miscarriage, attempted sexual assault, cheating, death of a spouse

Before you begin, be warned that this is not Jane Austen’s Charlotte. This is a Charlotte who is a bitter hot head, prone to outbursts of temper and whiny emotions, possessing no humor or wit. The Elizabeth in this book — always Elizabeth and certainly not Jane Austen’s Lizzie — exists as a villain in Charlotte’s head, looking down on her, entitled and arrogant while in the actual text Elizabeth is confused; true, she’s not nice in either, but Charlotte paints her in her thoughts with such a black brush it’s a wonder she even talked to Elizabeth in the first place, let alone called her a friend.

So long as I remember that this is just a book borrowing names, that it has nothing to do with Pride and Prejudice beyond the most superficial, publishable gimmick and see it as someone’s OC in Jane Austen’s world, maybe I can tolerate it.

This Charlotte is aware that her marriage is looked down on by her family and friends, but having made her bed she will lie in it. And while not happy, she is at least content. When her husband’s patron, Lady Catherine, asks Charlotte to visit her estate in the hopes of cheering up her nephew — recently wounded in battle — Charlotte is flustered but willing. The nephew, a Colonel called Fitzwilliam, is more than happy to flirt with a married woman in his aunt’s house, but Charlotte gently brushes him aside by informing him she’s pregnant and that seems to be that … but of course it isn’t.

They keep meeting, and keep flirting, end up having an affair and then are obliged to end it when other people remind them: Hey, you’re a married woman and being far from discrete. Really, the book doesn’t feel like it takes place in any particular time — let alone Regency England — but it makes attempts to add a feel to the world, so I’ll give it that.

I think this book works best if you’re not a fan of Pride and Prejudice, but instead maybe just a casual acquaintance, knowing just enough of the story to know who the characters are but not so much that you mind how out of character they are. The writing is fine, the pace is fine, and I think it’s a solidly adequate read.

Thank you very much to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC.

I loved it! It was a great addition to the Pride and Prejuidce world. I like how Rachel Parris kept within the timeline of the 1800's but included a modern spin. This is different from the books I normally read, but I really enjoyed it!

Thank you NetGalley & the publisher for the ARC!

This is a retelling involving Charlotte from pride and prejudice. I loved her and having her perspective in this book made me feel like she is a strong woman in spite of the time period. I loved it and would highly recommend!

I felt an unexpected connection to Charlotte Lucas while reading Introducing Mrs. Collins. Even though the story takes place in another time, it struck me how relevant her situation still feels today. Women, even in our modern era, are often defined or judged by their marriages, and that made it easy to understand her desperation and the choice she made.

What I really loved about this story is that Charlotte walked into her marriage to Mr. Collins knowing it wasn’t about love but in a way, that decision ended up saving her life. The subtle way she begins to develop feelings for her husband (not quite love, but something genuine and tender) felt very honest and real. And then, of course, the way the right man finally came into her life gave me such a satisfying sense of hope.

This book reminded me that happiness can come in unexpected forms, and that sometimes what looks like a compromise can become the path to something greater.
I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Rachel Parris and the publisher for letting me read and review "Introducing Mrs. Collins"!

I'm not usually a huge fan of Pride and Prejudice sequels, but I liked this one a lot. It was sweet, with a couple of touches of turmoil that still adhered to the basic Austen formula of the women winning, and it was well-written. I love a good happily ever after, and it gave me exactly what I wanted. This story features Charlotte Collins (née Lucas), Elizabeth Bennet's close friend and confidante, who marries Mr Collins after Elizabeth rejects his proposal in the original Pride and Prejudice. There were some times when I wanted to smack Mr Collins upside the head, but ultimately, he was a kind and gentle person who truly adored Charlotte. The book delves into their individual youths, various aspects of their marriage, and the interpersonal issues and triumphs that extend beyond Pride and Prejudice, including how society shaped various choices made. The only small complaint I had was that sometimes the verbiage felt a touch modern, which is understandable, but sometimes drew me out of the story as a whole briefly.