The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride and Prejudice Novel by Pamela Mingle

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The enthralling story of Pride and Prejudice‘s middle sister, Mary Bennet—an enchanting modern sequel to the beloved classic.

For most of her life, Mary, the serious and unpolished third daughter of the Bennet family, has been overshadowed by her sisters—beautiful and confident Jane and Elizabeth, and flirtatious and lighthearted Lydia and Kitty. But with nearly all of her sisters married and gone from the household, awkward, unrefined Mary has blossomed into an attractive young woman with a quiet poise of her own.

When a very pregnant Lydia unexpectedly returns to the Bennet home and scandalously announces she’s left Wickham, Mary and Kitty are packed off to visit Jane and her husband, Charles Bingley, in Derbyshire. Yearning for the solitude of home, Mary is dismayed to discover Bingley’s handsome and eligible friend Henry Walsh everywhere she turns. Unschooled in the game of love, Mary finds Henry’s warm attentions confounding. Is his interest genuine or does she foolishly mistake friendliness for something more? With her heart and her future at risk, Mary must throw caution to the wind to find the truth—a journey of discovery that will teach her surprising lessons about herself and the desires of her heart.

my thoughts:

Terrific story about the middle sister of the Bennet family - Mary.  Always considered to be the forgettable Bennet sister, the one most likely to be a spinster, Mary Bennet has grown up quite a bit since Jane, Elizabeth, and Lydia have left home.  She's blossomed into a more outspoken and engaging woman, who no longer sits quietly by and allows her sisters to mock her.  In fact, she's even met a young man named Henry Walsh, whom appears to have taken an interest in her.  Of course, according to her sister Kitty, Walsh is in love with her, leaving Mary feeling a bit deflated and unsure of her self.  Resigned to her fate of taking care of her sister's children, Mary is set to head toward the Wickham household and help her sister Lydia.  However, plans are dashed once Lydia arrives and announces that she and Wickham are no more.  Mary and her sister Kitty are sent to the Bingley household to spend time with their sister, Jane; while their parents handle the Lydia situation.  Once at the Bingley household, she once again runs into Mr. Walsh and begins to notice him noticing her - in spite of Kitty's insistence that he loves her.  As their friendship deepens, Mary falls deeper and deeper in love with Henry Walsh.  He's captured her heart and Mary is over the moon.  Will she get her happily ever after, just as her sisters' Jane and Elizabeth have?  Or will a new scandal threaten to ruin everything and leave her once again resigned to a fate of spinsterhood?

Talk about unputdownable!!! I spent all day Sunday reading this fantastic book and getting lost in Mingle's story.  I loved reading about familiar, beloved characters and the ways in which their lives had changed since we last left them in Pride and Prejudice.  Mingle's story reintroduced us to the Bennet family via Mary - she made us care about the overlooked middle sister and root for her.  She took us  on Mary's journey of self-discovery and love.  She made me want to read P&P again!  I think that The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is the perfect mix of old and new ideas.  Fans of Austen and P&P will love this book! I would happily recommend it to anyone and everyone looking for a fun, new read.

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: The Pursuit of Mary Bennet

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!