This was a well thought out peek into Charlotte's life post P&P. A little heart-breaking, but also an engaging story that deserved to be told. A bit more full of description of gardens and woods than of dramatic story, this is a gentle read nonetheless. ( )

{follow on from Jane Austen's [Pride and Prejudice], historical fiction}

*** WARNING: There are spoilers ahead for Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, on which this book is based. ***

This is a continuation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice focussing on Charlotte Lucas - Lizzie's best friend, who married Mr. Collins - after her marriage. Though not exactly blissful she does live in domestic harmony. I enjoyed being back in Jane Austenā€™s world and the environs of Rosings Park. I would recommend reading Pride and Prejudice, if you haven't already, to give context to this story although I think it would be possible to read it without having done so.

I always approach an Austen continuation with a healthy dose of scepticism since modern writers canā€™t capture the essence of what, to Austen, were contemporary times and events. Greeley writes well and maintains the ambiance of Pride and Prejudice without intruding modern sensibilities on the story. For the most part. About a third of the way through I suddenly thought that the author had done well in sticking to Austenā€™s style of writing and just then, of course, a phrase jumped out and hit me. (If you want to know, it used the word ā€˜visitā€™ which always throws me in the way it is used it differently). But once I was back in stride it was fine, though I did wonder about some instances of propriety, or rather impropriety, and some less than happy circumstances. I donā€™t remember Austen having any other than lack of fortune. Or manners.

However, the story itself; I was disappointed with the ending which Greeley (who states Charlotte is one of her favourite Austen characters) envisions for the character. Charlotte in Pride and Prejudice made an eminently practical decision at 27 that she knew she could live with but in this story she struggles with it at 30. On reflection, Greeley's Charlotte is less mature, less self confident and less pragmatic than Austen's Charlotte. There were glimpses of something more hopeful for her but they hadnā€™t materialised by the end of the story - though I suppose it was left open enough that it could happen further down the road.

It's an interesting enough story and Greeley gets the feel of Austen's world quite well and adds some period detail but Charlotte's and Mr. Collins's characters were not, quite, as I pictured them. And, unfortunately, it's missing Jane Austen's trademark humour.

July 2022
4 stars (on the strength of the writing which maintains Austenā€™s gentle ambiance) ( )

Charlotte Lucas knew what she was getting into when she put herself in the path of Mr. Collins, Elizabeth Bennett's pompous cousin. Now, as a clergyman's wife with a lovely little daughter, Charlotte Collins' life, while beset with minor irritations, is generally pleasant. When her path crosses that of Mr. Travis, a local farmer, Charlotte starts to consider what she might have been missing by choosing security rather than love in her marriage.

This Pride and Prejudice spin-off does a good job of holding true to the characters as Austen wrote them, while expanding their circumstances and imagining what might have happened in the years following the original novel. This book stays very much in Charlotte's head, making for a gentle, quiet story for the most part. Recommended to readers who have wondered what life might be like for Charlotte after marrying Mr. Collins. ( )

The Heiress, this author's second novel about Anne de Bourgh kept my interest more than this, her first novel. Although, I was eager to go back and read The Clergyman's Wife I found it often slow and boring, much like Charlotte's life. It gives insight into Charlotte Collins's continuing life after Elizabeth Bennet's marriage to Mr. Darcy. As could have been guessed, her life was predictable and dull for the most part. Charlotte did strike up a friendship with a local farmer, which in her heart, and his, was more than friendship. It gave her a taste of what she had given up, namely true love, in order to marry sensibly and secure herself financial stability with Mr. Collins. The Clergyman's Wife introduced a daughter, Louisa, into her life and saw Charlotte making strides into performing the duties required of her as the wife of the local parson. Both Lady Catherine de Bourgh and William Collins remain true to their form as found in Pride & Prejudice, though William's background with his father is explored slightly giving insight as to why he acts with fawning, flattery, and excessive deferment to Lady Catherine. Three stars for remaining faithful to Pride and Prejudice and the genre. ( )

I don't remember where I learned about this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am a big fan of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, and Molly Greeley does a fine job exploring the character Charlotte after her marriage to Mr. Collins from the original story. Setting, pacing, character development, voice and writing were all done very well. Recommend to readers who enjoy P&P fan fiction and/or are curious about the lives of other characters from the original story. ( )