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The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride & Prejudice Novel

Pamela Mingle (Goodreads Author)

3.73 · Rating details · 1,983 ratings · 354 reviews

A tale of love and marriage, society balls and courtship, class and a touch of scandal, Pamela Mingle's The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is a fresh take on one of the most beloved novels of all time, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

Growing up with four extraordinary sisters—beautiful and confident Jane and Elizabeth, and flirtatious and lighthearted Lydia and Kitty—wasn't easy ...more

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Paperback, 302 pages

Published November 26th 2013 by William Morrow Paperbacks

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Aug 16, 2014 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it did not like it

Shelves: why-do-i-hate-myself

“I stared at my sister, who seemed grotesquely large. A cow about to calf.

For the Lord’s sake, how much of her simpering was I to endure? Have a care, Kitty. A good dunking would be just the thing for you.”

This is the tale of the bitchiest, boringest, stupidly self-sabotaging, sister-hating, sanctimonious cluck of the Bennett sisters. She is judgmental and hypocritical. A self-made social disgrace. A thief who would steal a sister's potential mate.

"“Was I willing to risk their censure by

...more

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Oct 23, 2013 Jaylia3 rated it it was amazing

I can’t resist a well written book that takes a less prominent, somewhat maligned character from one of Austen’s novels and convincingly rescues her (it’s usually a her) from the shadows with a plausible alteration of manners and a fitting happy ending. On all these accounts, The Pursuit of Mary Bennet delights.

Since Lizzie and Jane have gotten married Mary Bennet is much improved, though it took soul searching and hard work, and when upset she sometimes slips back into old patterns. Her singing ...more

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Oct 12, 2013 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: Jane Austen Fans Who Aren't Too Picky

Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by: LibraryThing Early Reviewers

Shelves: historical-fiction, fiction, novels, romance

Meh. Two Stars feels a bit stingy but Three Stars to indicate I actively liked it too generous. I pounced upon this book when I saw the giveaway in the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program because I was in dire need of comfort reading and I thought this might hit the spot. I'm a big Jane Austen fan. I've read not just the completed six novels but her two unfinished ones and some of her juvenalia--and reread them. And it's not enough. As Mingle wrote in the afterword an "intense longing for more Meh. Two Stars feels a bit stingy but Three Stars to indicate I actively liked it too generous. I pounced upon this book when I saw the giveaway in the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program because I was in dire need of comfort reading and I thought this might hit the spot. I'm a big Jane Austen fan. I've read not just the completed six novels but her two unfinished ones and some of her juvenalia--and reread them. And it's not enough. As Mingle wrote in the afterword an "intense longing for more of Jane Austen is what compels the sequel writer and reader." Moreover I have a soft spot for Mary Bennet of Pride and Prejudice. Mary is the middle daughter left out of the closeness the older and younger pairs form with each other. Although a comic figure in Pride and Prejudice, Mary has none of the malice evident in other such characters as Lady Catherine de Bourgh or Mr. Collins. I was also disappointed to learn that Colleen McCullough's book centered on Mary, The Independence of Mary Bennet, was a work of revisionist history showing Elizabeth unhappy with an arrogant jerk of a Darcy. That's not what I want in a Jane Austen pastiche, and that predisposed me to pick up a book that I hoped would have a more congenial take.

Mind you, I've found it's a tricky genre. I despised Linda Berdoll's Mr Darcy Takes a Wife beyond the telling--I couldn't recognize the characters. For me Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen Mysteries tried too hard to reproduce Austen's style, only underlining Barron is no Austen. I enjoyed Carrie Bebris's Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries, which captures the personalities and voices of the characters without trying to imitate Austen's style. Mingle in the afterward wrote she knew she "could never try to write in the voice of Jane Austen" and it's part of why she chose to tell the story in first person in Mary's own voice. Mind you, I've seen modern authors create some really good period voices that aren't jarring in their homage: Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (despite finding the novel tedious) and Patrick O'Brian in his Aubrey-Maturin series, even Novik's Temeraire fantasy series are examples of authors whose period voices are pitch perfect, if not Austenesque. And Marie Dobbs in her completion of Sandition does a lovely job, even if she's more Heyer than Austen in quality. I never found Mingle convincing in that regard. The voice of Mary struck me as too contemporary at times, and I wasn't convinced I was inhabiting the Regency period. And there just wasn't any phrase, any line in the book I'd be tempted to underline or bookmark. And there was one scene in the book where I was a bit weirded out.

For all that, others less picky might enjoy the book. Mingle doesn't do a bad job at all at getting into Mary's head, making her self-aware enough that with maturity she's able to grow and change. It's a pleasant enough Regency Romance and Jane Austen pastiche--but the truth is I've found better Jane Austen fanfic on the internet, and I just plain enjoyed Bebris' mysteries more when it comes to Austenesque comfort reading. ...more

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Oct 13, 2013 Misty rated it liked it

3.5 stars
A warm, charming continuation that follows the P&P formula with a few surprise twists. Mary gets a makeover, an attractive acquaintance named Henry Walsh, and a rush of maternal impulses. Fans of Austen and the sequels will enjoy Mingle's Austen-like touch and the chance to wander through the pastoral English countryside with familiar characters who behave exactly as we would expect them to.

Review from Femmeliterate excerpted below.

Mary is, in many ways, the least appealing of the Benne 3.5 stars
A warm, charming continuation that follows the P&P formula with a few surprise twists. Mary gets a makeover, an attractive acquaintance named Henry Walsh, and a rush of maternal impulses. Fans of Austen and the sequels will enjoy Mingle's Austen-like touch and the chance to wander through the pastoral English countryside with familiar characters who behave exactly as we would expect them to.

Review from Femmeliterate excerpted below.

Mary is, in many ways, the least appealing of the Bennet sisters. She lacks Lizzy’s wit, Jane’s gentleness, Lydia’s insouciance, or Kitty’s harmless silliness. Pamela Mingle gives Mary a book that reveals a sweet and tender-hearted interior life, but doesn’t stray far from the formula that makes P&P so beloved to fans of Austen and Regency romance alike.

Three years after the end of the original novel, Mary has undergone her own humbling and become self-conscious about her flaws; piano lessons, a self-directed course in literary studies overseen by her father, and visits to the happily-married Jane and Lizzy have been very improving. But Mary is tired of the expectation that she shall be the spinster sister, the one who takes care of everyone else. Even more than she resents being expected to attend Lydia during her confinement, she resents Kitty’s impending engagement to Henry Walsh, a gentleman friend of Bingley’s. Once upon a drawing room, Mary caught Mr. Walsh gazing fixedly at her, and she’s felt unsettled about him ever since.

Jane Austen famously worked her little bit of ivory, two inches square; Mingle, more domestic and less artistic, seems to have an embroidery hoop, not much larger, in which each stitch is delicate and precise. The effect is charming and pleasant, with nothing to mar the pattern. Mary is introspective and sensitive, and Mingle draws out the poignancy of her longings without making her tedious or depressing. Mingle’s loves as a librarian and teacher sneak through, however, in Mary’s reading list; there are shouts out to Southey, Shakespeare, Milton, and even Samuel Richardson.

Mingle doesn’t attempt the broader, near-omniscient third-person narrator that makes Austen so capable of simultaneous compassion and cutting exposure of her characters’ foibles. Like most continuators, she sticks with the more sentimental and narrower first-person point-of-view. The result is that the reader doesn’t see much more depth in the surrounding characters than Mary does. As is so often the case with sequels and spin-offs, the figures we know and love from P&P dwindle more or less to stereotypes of themselves. Mrs. Bennet is a bundle of nerves; Mr. Bennet hides in his library; Bingley and Darcy are brave and strong; Jane and Lizzy are brave and motherly; Lydia is spiteful and self-centered, and Wickham, who at least is an appealing rogue in P&P–-even Lizzy is almost taken in–-is more of cad than ever.

Mingle makes an abrupt departure from the world of Austen about midway through the book, in her introduction of two new characters: one is Henry Walsh’s secret, and the other is Lydia’s possibly illegitimate offspring. Here Mingle makes the project fully her own, and the stamp is a decidedly maternal one. Arousing Mary’s mothering instincts makes her a relatable character, but the problem with small infants in fiction is that it is very hard to render them as full and engaging characters. Little Felicity, like most real-life infants, is more interesting to her chief caretaker than to anyone else. Much of the book's emotional charge, however, rests on the reader's identifying with Mary's devotion to her niece. If that doesn't happen, the book loses a great deal of its previously lovely momentum and delicious interest in the competition between Kitty and Mary for Mr. Walsh's attention and approval, which leads to some very funny as well as painful moments.

Of course a sequel won’t give us back Austen, and each author has her own story to tell. What’s disappointing, in the end, is due to the nature of sequels themselves: that original and surprising spark can be copied, can be imitated, but can never leap to life again in precisely the same way. The reader’s expectations have already been constructed, and Austen sequels, now, can only be formulaic. Still, Mingle’s book is more pleasing than most of its kind and, like the embroidery samplers manufactured by genteel nineteenth century ladies, one can admire the capable execution and quiet, sweet, quite unobjectionable effect. ...more

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May 15, 2013 Jaclyn rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, revised-classic-literature, romance, edelweiss, arc

In this sequel to Pride and Prejudice Mary Bennet finds herself the focus of the attentions of a young gentleman, Henry Walsh. A few years have gone by since the events of Pride and Prejudice; Elizabeth and Jane have both settled into married life and Kitty and Mary spend their time visiting their sisters. Mary has spent the years taking a hard look at herself and has changed dramatically from the hard and judgmental person that she was in Pride and Prejudice. Despite these changes, Mary is fair In this sequel to Pride and Prejudice Mary Bennet finds herself the focus of the attentions of a young gentleman, Henry Walsh. A few years have gone by since the events of Pride and Prejudice; Elizabeth and Jane have both settled into married life and Kitty and Mary spend their time visiting their sisters. Mary has spent the years taking a hard look at herself and has changed dramatically from the hard and judgmental person that she was in Pride and Prejudice. Despite these changes, Mary is fairly certain that she is destined to a life of spinsterhood and as a result, she is completely at a loss when Henry Walsh seems to be courting her with the intention to marry.

I think it was very risky of Mingle to take on one of romance fan’s favourite books and in the end I did enjoy reading this sequel to Pride and Prejudice. It’s been quite some time since I read P&P, unless you want to count Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, so I didn’t feel like Mingle was committing sacrilege by trying to mimic Austen. While I don’t think Mingle’s style was exact to Austen’s, I did feel that Mingle gives us an updated version of what contemporary readers would like to see. There is more explicit discussion of character’s feelings, which I appreciated. For example, readers are made completely aware of how Mary feels towards Henry and towards her family. This slight change in emotional depth was well executed and I think it will encourage readers who are not fans of the classics.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick peek back into the lives of some beloved characters. While I think there will be readers that complain that Mingle doesn’t stay completely true to Pride and Prejudice I think people need to remember that this is a writer in the twenty-first century and her perspective is going to be different from Austen who was writing in a different time. I think anyone who likes fan based explorations of the classics, will be sure to enjoy this ode to Pride and Prejudice.

*Review copy provided by the publisher via Edelweiss.
...more

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Sep 18, 2013 May rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads

Who remembers Mary Bennet? You know, the least-thought-of Bennet Sister from "Pride and Prejudice"? The one no one was particularly fond of? Well, Mingle's taken her and turned her into a heroine, giving her her own moment in the Sun.

I was pretty impressed. Mingle took Jane Austen's writing style and combined it with her own unique voice. She stayed pretty true to the Bennet sisters' characters, though she did take some liberty with Mary. Of course, as there was little about Mary in the original ...more

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Nov 20, 2013 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: pride-and-prejudice-influenced, austen-influenced, for-review, historical-romance

Oh, Mary Bennet. What is there to say about her? Unfortunately, the most pedantic, priggish and un-proprietous Bennet sister from Pride and Prejudice has not received the attention from Austenesque authors that her sisters have enjoyed so regularly: Jane is known for her beauty and kindness, Lydia and Kitty for their rambunctiousness, and of then of course there is the spirited and witty Lizzy. But where does poor Mary fit in? Perhaps you could say, “there’s something about Mary,” and now we hav Oh, Mary Bennet. What is there to say about her? Unfortunately, the most pedantic, priggish and un-proprietous Bennet sister from Pride and Prejudice has not received the attention from Austenesque authors that her sisters have enjoyed so regularly: Jane is known for her beauty and kindness, Lydia and Kitty for their rambunctiousness, and of then of course there is the spirited and witty Lizzy. But where does poor Mary fit in? Perhaps you could say, “there’s something about Mary,” and now we have The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle to find out just what that something is.

In Mingle’s new Pride and Prejudice sequel, we meet a Mary that has begun to change and move away from her lack of social graces displayed so humorously in P&P. Now older, she has become more mature and composed, but unfortunately her singing voice has not improved with age, much to the chagrin of those around her. Things soon change as the wild, thoughtless Lydia returns to the Bennet household pregnant and scandalously estranged from her husband. So, both Mary and Kitty are soon dispatched to their married sister Jane Bignley’s home to give Lydia more room to deal with the situation. There, Mary is introduced to Henry Walsh, a friend of Charles Bingley. Taken unawares by his attentions, and completely out of her element, she is quite uncertain of how to proceed. However, this may be the outlet and door to self-discovery that Mary desperately needs. How will she handle this new and exciting romantic opportunity?

First off, I’m so glad that we finally a book that focuses on Mary. I know she has gotten the short end of the stick as far as attention is concerned (well, Mr. Collins may actually have it worse, but I digress), so I’m glad that she can finally come into her own as an independent woman. Before I began reading, I had read that a few readers were slightly put off by Mingle’s choice to write the work in first person. After the first few chapters flew by, however, I was fully immersed in the story and not bothered by its format in the least. In fact, it was interesting to see things from Mary’s point-of-view directly, and I believe it added to her characterization and interactions with Henry and others. Speaking of Henry, he’s swoon-worthy for his love and defense of Mary. I love how mad he gets when he hears others speaking ill of Mary. He’s a perfect mate for her.

I think Mingle handled Mary’s characterizations in a fantastic way. I always love journeys of self-discovery and empowerment, and this one was a joy to read. The way in which Mary transforms from a woman who is only beginning to understand her new maturity to someone who is fully enveloped in love with another person is heartwarming. I couldn’t help but think that Austen and her penchant for happy endings would have been satisfied by this tale for Mary. We’ve seen so much praise heaped on Lizzy and Jane especially, so if you were as curious as I was about how a work centered on “plain” Mary would shape up, wonder no longer. This is definitely one to try!

Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
Originally Posted: http://austenprose.com/2013/12/14/the... ...more

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Sep 30, 2013 Alex rated it liked it

Shelves: edelweiss, romance, historical, for-review

At First Sight: Used to being the ugly duckling of her own family, Mary Bennet spends most of her time alone. Knowing fully well that her sisters don't really like her, and that she has embarrassed her family on more than one occasion, Mary has started to change, becoming more thoughtful and acquiring some decorum. Even if she's still left alone most of the time -while Kitty is more often invited to visit their elder sisters Jane and Elizabeth - at least her relationship with her father is impro At First Sight: Used to being the ugly duckling of her own family, Mary Bennet spends most of her time alone. Knowing fully well that her sisters don't really like her, and that she has embarrassed her family on more than one occasion, Mary has started to change, becoming more thoughtful and acquiring some decorum. Even if she's still left alone most of the time -while Kitty is more often invited to visit their elder sisters Jane and Elizabeth - at least her relationship with her father is improving bit by bit.

But then, her youngest sister Lydia shows up heavily pregnant and announcing she has left her husband and -after some proving - admits she isn't 100% sure that her husband is even the baby's father.

Fearing for their reputation, Mary and Kitty are sent off to Jane's home. There Mary is in for more changes, Jane has noticed the changes in her and is showing her both approval and affection, Kitty - away from Lydia's influence- is a bit less of a brat; and one of Bingley's friends by the name of Henry Walsh starts to show some interest in her.

Too bad that Kitty has shown interest in Mr. Walsh as well.

Second Glance: For me, The Pursuit of Mary Bennet was a bit of a mixed bag of nuts. The story has a great rhythm and the pace is brisk. The story is told completely from Mary's POV and I think the author did a good job of capturing her voice: Mary is smart but naive, has lots of mixed feelings toward her family, is a little bitter but she's not unlikable. It's actually kind of sad to hear how badly she thinks of herself because her family has always marked her as the least favored child.

I even liked Henry Walsh for the most part, even though he was polite to the point of driving me mad, he even hurt Mary (unintentionally) to avoid being impolite to Kitty in public, which made him seem like he didn't have a backbone sometimes.

It was an interesting sequel to Pride and Prejudice, but it wasn't without it's issues -like I said, it was Mixed Bag of Nuts. Mary does put herself down a little too much, Kitty is very hurtful sometimes and the whole subplot with Lydia's daughter and now attached Mary gets was a little weird for me.

Plus, I often felt like something big was about to happen but then it never quite did.

Bottom Line: All in all, I do recommend The Pursuit of Mary Bennet, specially if you're a fan of Miss Austen, and enjoy retellings. The author does seem to capture the family and the story was quite interesting in it's own right. ...more

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Dec 07, 2014 Cheri rated it it was ok

Shelves: romance

Pride and Prejudice is social satire; The Pursuit of Mary Bennet is chick-lit. Austen never developed Mary as a character and I've always thought something interesting could be done there, but this book didn't do it. So disappointing. The plot was modeled on Pride and Prejudice in all the non-essential ways, missing completely the essence of the story. ...more

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Sep 24, 2015 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: bennet-mary, austenesque-2019, austenesque, favorites

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.

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Dec 01, 2013 Sandra rated it it was amazing

Shelves: austen-related, austenesque-tbr-challenge-2015

I have owned this book for awhile and have put off reading it because I had so many other Austen Variations to read and frankly, Mary just was not a very interesting character in Pride and Prejudice. She perplexed me. She studied sermons, but not the bible and did have some sense of decorum but behaved a little foolishly in public. So, who wants to read about Mary when Elizabeth is there?

But, from the onset, this book surprised me and amazed me. Mary has grown up three years since we leave P&P w ...more

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Oct 15, 2017 Amalia Carosella rated it really liked it

A quick, easy and enjoyable read about the most overlooked Bennet sister, poor middle-child Mary. Her romantic hang-ups are well thought out and addressed and her ultimate HEA quite satisfying! It's exactly what Mary deserved after so many, many years of neglect. ...more

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Nov 05, 2013 Anna added it

Shelves: austenesque

Check out my review on Diary of an Eccentric ...more

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Jan 12, 2019 Ghost of the Library rated it really liked it

From time I need to literally "clear my mind" and so I choose a couple of books that normally I would stay WAY clear of.
That was the case here, partly curiosity partly wish to see if something could be done out of middle sister Mary Bennet, I came across this one at my local library.
I can safely say I wouldn't go out of my way to buy a copy , but I have to admit to very much enjoying the read.
Easy breezy read with some inconsistencies of language in regard to the period but all in all a decent e ...more

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Jul 01, 2013 Anna rated it really liked it

Really enjoyed it! Review to come later, closer to publication. :)

Full Review

Mary Bennet has always been the black sheep in her family. As the middle sister, she's on the outside of things while Elizabeth and Jane stick together and Lydia shares everything with Kitty. Now with three of her sisters married and Kitty on her way to being engaged, Mary is feeling more on the outs than ever. She has improved very much in the past three years, overcoming many of her youthful faults but everyone st Really enjoyed it! Review to come later, closer to publication. :)

Full Review

Mary Bennet has always been the black sheep in her family. As the middle sister, she's on the outside of things while Elizabeth and Jane stick together and Lydia shares everything with Kitty. Now with three of her sisters married and Kitty on her way to being engaged, Mary is feeling more on the outs than ever. She has improved very much in the past three years, overcoming many of her youthful faults but everyone still thinks Mary is destined for spinsterhood and only good for attending Lydia while she's confined before childbirth; in general Mary is expected to cater to everyone else's conveniences and lives. But when Mary begins to feel the start of something between herself and Mr. Henry Walsh (Bingley's friend, whom Kitty has set her cap for), things begin to go into a tailspin. Is she able to genuinely understand what Henry's true feelings towards her are? And can Mary bring herself to act upon them, even if it means stepping out from the shadows and fighting one of her sisters for something that is rightfully hers?

Pamela Mingle impressed me with her young adult novel, Kissing Shakespeare. So when she messaged me to ask if I was interested in reading her new novel, I took a peek at what it was about. Imagine my surprise when I found out it's an Austen sequel! I have an extreme addiction to them, always searching for one that has the quality of the original novel. I have read good sequels and bad ones, but only two others that centered around the often neglected middle sister, Mary. I was immediately intrigued, and agreed to review the book if Pamela had the publisher send me a copy. Always having wondered what was actually going on in Mary's mind throughout Pride and Prejudice, this was definitely an interesting take on her personality and feelings.

This novel is told in first person perspective, which as such gives us more insight into Mary's slightly bitter feelings toward her family and her realizations about her own character/personality. I liked knowing that Mary has purposely improved her appearance, become better read and taken piano lessons. The best thing in the world is when an obnoxious (even if they are pathetic because of it) character realizes it and changes things for the better. I do agree with some other readers that the change to first person from Austen's original third person omniscience did sacrifice the insights into the other characters, and quite a bit of their depth. In that respect this novel was pretty contemporary, as classics tend to get you into everyone's head versus individuals (yes, there are exceptions) and vice versa about contemporaries. There was some truly interesting subplot regarding Lydia and Mary, who become counterpoints for one another when Lydia returns home pregnant and unsure who the Father is. Mary becomes her keeper for the duration and when the baby is born (Felicity), Mary pretty much takes over as her Mother in the face of Lydia's selfish immaturity. But as a reader, you do see the flip side in Mary dominating Felicity to the point where Lydia can't even attempt motherhood anymore.

Henry Walsh's attentions to Mary were pretty straightforward, but as we only have Mary's perspective there are misunderstandings as to whether or not he prefers her or Kitty. I have to say that Kitty reminded me of Louisa Musgrave in Persuasion - so caught up in the idea of marriage that she really didn't care who it was with. She fancied herself in love with Henry, even though she barely knew him. Mary and Henry have some interesting interactions, but I did feel that a revelation about Henry's past (a secret he's been keeping) was like something from a Gothic novel, rather than an Austen novel. That said, as much as I liked the sweet naivety of the first romance Mary has ever had, it was her development as a character through her love and devotion to Felicity that made this book for me. Even when Mary is no longer part of her life, she's been changed by the unconditional love and forced to think about her own wants and needs. It takes away a little of her bitterness. There are a couple unsettling moments, but overall this is fairly high up on the list of Austen sequels that I've read. The prose is beautiful without being overwrought and the plot is enjoyable. If you don't mind Austen reboots, revisions or sequels I'd recommend it. Interested to see where Pamela goes next in her writing! :)

VERDICT: 4/5 Stars

*I received an ARC from the author. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book's expected publication is November 26th, 2013. Also, thanks to William Morrow Paperbacks for my ARC in conjunction with the author.* ...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Kathleen (Kat) Smith rated it it was amazing

Shelves: christian-historical-fiction, historical-fiction, romance-fiction, chick-literature, traditional-regency-fiction

If you are a Jane Austen fan of Pride and Prejudice, you will love this novel. If you haven't seen Pride and Prejudice, watch it and then deeply immerse yourself in the richness this novel offers when it picks up where the original leaves off. It had been quite awhile since I had read or even watched the movie and in order to reacquaint myself in the characters of the Bennet girls I spent some time watching the movie. Since this novel takes a look at life from Mary Bennet's point of view I had t If you are a Jane Austen fan of Pride and Prejudice, you will love this novel. If you haven't seen Pride and Prejudice, watch it and then deeply immerse yourself in the richness this novel offers when it picks up where the original leaves off. It had been quite awhile since I had read or even watched the movie and in order to reacquaint myself in the characters of the Bennet girls I spent some time watching the movie. Since this novel takes a look at life from Mary Bennet's point of view I had to remember who she was. Since she isn't addressed much I wondered why Pamela Mingle chose this particular Bennet girl to write a sequel on, but trust me when I tell you, she needs to be applauded for her efforts. Jane Austen would be proud!

Mary Bennet was the middle of five Bennet girls and one that most of her sisters and often times parents ignored. She wasn't pretty or even possessed any real talent a man looking for a suitable wife would find worth turning his head for. In fact, in Pride and Prejudice, Mary is chastened by her father for her lack of musical talent at playing the pianoforte or even singing. Now after spending time working at music, she possess a fine talent in those areas, but lacking the self esteem or even being bold enough as her sisters, she prefers to read alone or take walks, much like the wall flower she sees herself as.

Even her parents know that Mary will undoubtedly be an old spinster lacking in finding a suitable husband and her best outcome in life will be the governess for her older married sisters Jane or Elizabeth. But deep down inside Mary wants more but isn't sure how to find it. She is constantly reprimanded whenever she offers an opinion in any situation because she lacks the experience in such areas that her opinion isn't considered from love to marriage or even raising children. When her younger sister Lydia returns home while expecting a child from her husband Mr. Wickham, it throws the Bennet household into more scandal. In fact it turns out that Lydia isn't sure the child she is carrying is even her husbands and she has left him.

Mary is taken to her sister Jane's while the family decides how to best handle Lydia's latest predicament and to avoid having the rest of the daughter's tainted in the process. As only one of two sisters now left unmarried, Mary finds herself drawn to Mr. Henry Walsh. He seems genuinely interested in her as well but when Kitty, Mary's youngest sister deems that Henry is off limits, will Mary once again fade into the shadow or will she fight for what she wants in life?

I received The Pursuit of Mary Bennet by Pamela Mingle compliments of William Morrow, division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review and did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review. However, this one was so worth taking the time to spend with Mary Bennet. I think out of all the Bennet daughters, I myself, relate to her more than the rest of the girls. Pamela Mingle did such a flawless job, I felt Jane Austen herself had written this one. I can easily give this one a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars and was so thrilled to be able to review this one. This is such a treat and to spend time savoring each page was well worth curling up with on a rainy cold evening. A MUST HAVE for any fan of Pride and Prejudice! ...more

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Oct 20, 2014 Obsidian rated it it was amazing

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 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.
...more

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Aug 26, 2013 Maureen rated it liked it

This is a light and cute imagined sequel to Pride and Prejudice, that tells the story of everyone's least favorite Bennet sister. Maybe not *least* favorite, but probably most annoying or least noticeable. Anyway, in this story, Mary has matured and tried very hard to overcome her youthful obnoxiousness. So when circumstances force Mary to the home of her sister Jane and Mr. Bingley, she is much more open to the idea of a romantic overture from Henry Walsh. Elizabeth and Darcy make an appearance ...more

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Feb 10, 2014 Bekka rated it it was ok

Shelves: uk, historical

Thanks to Edelweiss and William Morrow Paperbacks for early access to this title.

2 1/2 stars - Its probably me, and maybe I should just quit trying to read the Jane Austen take-offs. For me, at least, they almost always disappoint. Like most Janites, I long to see a continuation of the story. However, this one in particular was a disappointment in the complete disregard of the Regency time period it was supposedly portraying. I realize modern audiences need different plot points, but having char ...more

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Apr 12, 2014 Rae rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I have always believed there was a story for Mary Bennet - and this is a wonderful one. I recommend it highly.

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Feb 27, 2015 Aradhna rated it really liked it

Shelves: category-adult, genre-romance, type-austen-variations, rating-4-stars

This is everything I wanted in a Mary Bennet story. A story not just about Mary falling in love, but about her finding herself in the process.

Full review will be up on my blog soon.

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Oct 15, 2017 Amalia Dillin added it

my review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... ...more

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Jul 14, 2019 Joan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Avid Reader

Loved this book about Mary. As the often overlooked sister Mary has married Mr. Collins, a Viscount, Colonel Fitzwilliam, other vicars, and now a gentleman of means. The competition between Mary and Kitty was no competition since Henry Marsh really didn't care for her. However, his allowing Kitty to claim the first set was wrong when he had already asked Mary was just plain wrong! His explanation the following day was just plain wrong! Yes, I probably sound like Mary at this point, bu ...more

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Nov 18, 2014 Christina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

Pamela Mingle writes with the eloquence and charm that reflects that of Jane Austen's own writing.

It has been around three years since the events that took place in Pride & Prejudice. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have settled with their 2-year old twin girls and Jane and Mr. Bingley are still quite smitten with one another in addition to their 6 month old son David.

Life for 21 year old Mary Bennet has been pretty much the same; she still lives at home with her parents and Kitty, who has been increasi Pamela Mingle writes with the eloquence and charm that reflects that of Jane Austen's own writing.

It has been around three years since the events that took place in Pride & Prejudice. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have settled with their 2-year old twin girls and Jane and Mr. Bingley are still quite smitten with one another in addition to their 6 month old son David.

Life for 21 year old Mary Bennet has been pretty much the same; she still lives at home with her parents and Kitty, who has been increasingly more annoying as of late now that she's head over heels in love with Bingley's close friend, 29 year old Mr. Henry Walsh. Mary has only seen Mr. Walsh once, when she was playing the piano at a party. He stood outside the door, observing her play, which made her irritated and self-conscious. Her first impression of him was that he was handsome yet indifferent, at least to her.

The book starts out with Mr. and Mrs. Bennet discussing Kitty's possible engagement to Mr. Walsh, since Kitty has made countless remarks about how Mr. Walsh has directed his attentions to her. Mrs. Bennet also makes an offhand comment about how Mary is not marriage material, and how she's better suited as a governess.

Everything changes when the heavily pregnant Lydia Wickham unexpectedly leaves her husband to come back home in Longbourn, claiming that Wickham's adultery led her to flee. In order to prevent any scandals from arising (and to increase Kitty's chances of getting Mr. Walsh to propose), the Bennets send the unmarried sisters Mary and Kitty to stay temporarily with Jane and Bingham at High Tor, where other guests are also currently residing like the mysterious Mr. and Mrs. Ashton and the charming and benevolent Mr. Walsh.

As Mary's feelings towards Mr. Walsh develop, she tries to bury them for the happiness and expectations of others (also due to Kitty's jealousy), but most of all because of her fear to love and be loved.

This is such a great book! I couldn't put it down - honestly - I read it for a day and a half straight with only breaks inbetween to sleep and go to class. I typically don't like reading books that have romance in them because they're always either too predictable or too cheesy/unrealistic. However, I found myself swooning over the romance in this book 99.99% of the time. It's just soooo cute! While I have been a huge (obsessed) Darcy fan for years now, I can almost say with confidence that I love Mr. Walsh even more than Darcy. Almost. ...more

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Sep 16, 2018 Talia rated it it was ok

I would have given this 4 stars if not for the disturbing part. Let's just say that I liked it well enough until a certain point and then, I couldn't like Mary any more. I definitely would not want her as my daughter's babysitter. Pretty gross now that I am thinking on it more. Bumping it down to 2 stars. Just ick. ...more

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Jul 26, 2017 Suzanne rated it really liked it

Loved this book!! Granted it was literally a page out of Austen's book, but that's what made it so endearing! Loved picturing the characters and finding them as they should be a few years after Pride & Prejudice. So good! ...more

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Sep 09, 2017 Deepspice9 rated it it was ok

Though an entertaining read, this book read very much like fan-fiction (with the storyline actually not unlike Pride and Prejudice itself, sigh). However, the main character was conveniently changed into a more socially acceptable person, while the other characters stayed exactly the same. I especially had some issue with the language - it was modern interspersed with some of the more famous terms from the Jane Austen books. If you're going to do a JA novel, go all the way.
Not a bad book at all ...more

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Jan 15, 2019 Jo LeGare rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: empty-shelf-2019

A sweet book about the lesser loved Bennet sister. I enjoyed reading about her and found some similarities in her manner. My only reservation to recommend this — the middle chapters were a tad dull. . . and then it ramped back up again in scandal, mutual understanding, and sweetness. 3.5/5 stars.

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Oct 15, 2020 Elle Denise rated it did not like it

I couldn't finish this book. Mary wasn't likeable at all. ...more

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Nov 02, 2020 Penny Poppleton rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2020

Thoroughly enjoyable!

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About Pamela Mingle

Pamela Mingle

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Pamela Mingle is a former teacher and librarian who was fortunate enough to choose writing as a third career. Or maybe it chose her. :) She loves to create romantic tales that play out against historical events and always includes some humor in her books.

Pam and her husband enjoy walking in the UK--even though she's done her share of whining on the longer days. The walking trips have been an idea ...more