The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

It is a sad fact of life that if a young woman is unlucky enough to come into the world without expectations, she had better do all she can to ensure she is born beautiful. To be handsome and poor is misfortune enough; but to be both plain and penniless is a hard fate indeed.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Mary is the middle of the five Bennet girls and the plainest of them all, so what hope does she have? Prim and pious, with no redeeming features, she is unloved and seemingly unlovable.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! Mary Bennet known as the 'plain' sister, the ' unsocial' sister, the 'boring sister, the 'undesirable' sister, gets a new life in this novel by Janice Hadlow. The first part of the book re-tells the story we all know and love in 'Pride and Prejudice' but from Mary's point of view which was really wonderful to read. It then follows Mary and her life. I really loved this book, and truly admired Mary. This book gave her the story she deserved! There was romance, adventure and of course lots of pride and prejudice. I found myself constantly being disappointed in the other sisters and I now have very different views towards them, they were so annoying at times! I have to admit that Mary is now my favourite Bennet Sister.

I loved the section of the book about Mr. Collins and the insight I got into his life, but would have loved a bit more character development on Caroline Bingley. I really enjoyed the story and had a great time reading it, however it took me a longgggg time to get through as it was extremely long!! There were definitely some parts that could have been shortened. The ending made me beyond happy, and I 100% recommend this read.

I was privileged enough to receive an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Comments

The Silk House by Kayte Nunn

Australian history teacher Thea Rust arrives at an exclusive boarding school in the British countryside only to find that she is to look after the first intake of girls in its 150-year history. She is to stay with them in Silk House, a building with a long and troubled past, where the shadows hide more mysteries than she could ever imagine. In the late 1700s, Rowan Caswell leaves her village to work in the home of an English silk merchant. She is thrust into a new and dangerous world where her talent for herbs and healing soon attracts attention. In London, Mary-Louise Stephenson lives amid the clatter of the weaving trade and dreams of becoming a silk designer, a job that is the domain of men. Arriving in the market town of Oxleigh, she brings with her a length of fabric woven with a pattern of deadly plants that will have far-reaching consequences for all who dwell in the silk house. The Silk House was such a gorgeous story, and I was so blessed to receive an ARC

A Sparrow Alone by Mim Eichmann

1890's Colorado. Desperate following her mother's sudden death, thirteen-year-old Hannah Owens apprentices as domestic help with a wealthy doctor's family in Colorado Springs. When the doctor declares bankruptcy and abandons his family to finance his mistress Pearl DeVere's brothel, however, Hannah is thrown into a vortex of gold mining bonanzas and busts, rampant prostitution, and the economic, political and cultural upheavals of the era. Two of Cripple Creek's most colorful historic characters, Winfield Scott Stratton, eccentric owner of the richest gold mine in Cripple Creek, and Pearl DeVere, the beautiful madam of The Old Homestead, come to life as this old-fashioned, coming-of-age saga unfolds, the first of two historical fiction novels by debut author Mim Eichmann -- a tribute to the women who set the stage for women's rights. I love nothing more than curling up on the couch on a rainy day, and being transported to another time in history, which is exa

Anxious People by Fredrick Backman

Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths. From the #1 New York Times bestselling author comes a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined. On the surface this looks like such a simple book. I was tricked into believing that myself, but the more pages I read the more I realised that this book was anything but simple. I think that the author does this on purpose because it reflects the message that on the surface human beings are all simple, or 'idiots' as he often refers to them! But underneath, we are so so so so complex. Basically this story is

The Book Mermaids

Search This Blog