The premise of this fan fiction book is intriguing and the character development of Mary Bennet both imaginative and plausible. Some of the plot stratagems are not as plausible, though, but let's put that down to poetic license and the needs of the story. Harder to accept are the turns of phrase and vocabulary that ring false ("fixed your tea the way you like it", "diapers") and hew far from Austen. A discerning editor could have taken care of those, but alas, this is not the case here, ( )

In this P&P sequel the story begins three years after the end of Pride and Prejudice where we find Kitty and Mary still unmarried.
But Mary has changed, and when once again Lydia and Wickham cause a scandal they are both sent to visit the Bingleys. Where Kitty is re-introduced to the gentleman she believes wants to marry her. But what about Mary. Some new characters are introduced into this lovely story.
A delightful well-written story, an enjoyable re-read. ( )

In this P&P sequel the story begins three years after the end of Pride and Prejudice where we find Kitty and Mary still unmarried.
But Mary has changed, and when once again Lydia and Wickham cause a scandal, Kitty and Mary are both sent to visit the Bingleys. Where Kitty is re-introduced to the gentleman she believes wants to marry her. But what about Mary. Some new characters are introduced into this lovely story.
A delightful well-written story, an enjoyable re-read. ( )

Most readers are familiar with the five Bennet girls from Pride and Prejudice. Most came to love fiery Elizabeth and sensible Jane and cheered at the end when these two got their happily ever afters. I admit that Lydia always bothered me in the novel and I felt that in the end she was not really impacted by how her behavior could have ruined her family. Kitty seemed to just be giggly and Mary was a non-entity. There really was not much to Mary in Pride and Prejudice except that she acted like a prig and was annoying to me. I was then wholly surprised to see that author Pamela Mingle decided to do a sequel to Pride and Prejudice with the focus on Mary Bennet.

I have read a few other spin-offs from Pride and Prejudice but I think this is the the first one that really worked for me on all levels. At times I felt as if Pamela Mingle was channeling Jane Austen. I really loved the character of Mary and liked how Ms. Mingle added depth to what to me was always a very shallow character in Pride and Prejudice. Frankly it made sense to me that Mary as a middle child was often ignored and overlooked due to her two older sisters who were beautiful (Elizabeth and Jane) and her younger sisters who were spoiled rotten (Lydia and Kitty).

It was great to see her falling in love and despairing at times that the man she had fallen for may not love her back. It was interesting to see a romance develop just between people having conversations with one another and just a look are a piece of music being played could make someone's heart dance.

The only thing that really did not work with me was the storyline with Lydia and Mary and why I gave this novel 4.5 stars instead of 5. I don't want to spoil potential readers so will speak of the storyline in general terms. At first I sympathized with Mary and all of her interactions with Lydia. However, there was one scene that was so weird to me and seemed out of place in this novel that for a moment I thought I had started to read another novel. Everything else as written in this novel was fresh and really seemed to evoke Jane Austen to me. That scene that was included really did not work and it actually messed up the flow of the novel in my eyes.
( )

The serious bennet daughter has been overshadowed by her sisters for her whole life. When most of her sisters married and gone, Mary finally comes into her own. Can she find love in spite of her sister Lydia's best attempt to drag the family into a scandal?

As much as I adore Pride and Prejudice, I'm always a bit skeptical when it comes to continuations and variations. So many fail to capture the wit and brilliance of Jane Austen's characters. Often, I find the storyline unbelievable.

That is not the case with this one. I very much enjoyed following Mary through her ups and downs, as she tries to understand herself and her family. It is well written and kept me glued to the page from start to finish.

For readers who enjoy imagining what happened after Jane Austen ended her novel, this would be a good choice. ( )