A review by ardentlyelle
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Lindz McLeod

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

You can ask pretty much any person in my life, regardless of how close or not we are, and they will be able to tell you that Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book. I own 12 different copies, multiple adaptations, have a tattoo, and various Jane Austen/Pride and Prejudice merchandise from puzzles to purses. My social media handle is a reference to Pride and Prejudice. My cats are named Darcy and Bingley. Few people are as prepared to judge "The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet" like I was.

I loved this book so, so much. From the very first line I was hooked, and I read the entirety of it in less than two days cumulatively. Lindz McLeod nailed the tone of the original novels while adding a new voice in the form of Charlotte Collins (formerly Lucas). The characterization of Charlotte felt appropriate to the source material while still breathing new life into a much beloved story. As a very loud and proud lesbian, I am not new by any stretch of the imagination to the lesbian!Charlotte theories that exist in Pride and Prejudice fandom spaces, but to see a (soon to be) published telling of that story made my gay little heart sing. This book felt like it was written for me, and maybe that means I'm biased, but I truly could not put it down.

I cannot wait to own a physical copy and shove it into the hands of all my friends.