Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen's Unsung Characters

by Adriana Trigiani, Diana Quincy, Audrey Bellezza

Celebrate Jane Austen’s classic novels with this short story anthology starring forgotten characters as they experience their own happy endings.

In honor of her 250th birthday, eight authors have come together with wildly imaginative reboots of the lives of several of Jane Austen’s minor characters. Written with plenty of love and wit, these clever stories star everyone from Pride and Prejudice’s snobbish Caroline Bingley to the modern descendant of Sense and Sensibility’s Eliza Williams and much more. Blurring genres and taking us across the oceans, Ladies in Waiting is a heartfelt celebration of Jane Austen and her timeless masterpieces.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Romance, Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance, Audiobook

384 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2025

About the author

Join Adriana Trigiani and the great authors and luminaries of our time on the YOU ARE WHAT YOU READ PODCAST! Available wherever you listen to podcasts: https://linktr.ee/adrianatrigiani

Beloved by millions of readers around the world for her "dazzling" novels (USA Today), Adriana Trigiani is "a master of palpable and visual detail" (Washington Post) and "a comedy writer with a heart of gold" (New York Times). She is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty books of fiction and nonfiction, including her latest, The Good Left Undone- an instant New York Times best seller, Book of the Month pick and People's Book of the Week. Her work is published in 38 languages around the world. An award-winning playwright, television writer/producer and filmmaker, Adriana's screen credits include writer/director of the major motion picture of her debut novel, Big Stone Gap, the adaptation of her novel Very Valentine and director of Then Came You. Adriana grew up in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where she co-founded The Origin Project, an in-school writing program serving over 2,700 students in Appalachia. She is at work on her next novel for Dutton at Penguin Random House.

Follow Adriana on Facebook and Instagram @AdrianaTrigiani and on TikTok @AdrianaTrigianiAuthor or visit her website: AdrianaTrigiani.com.

Reviews

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. Like any short story collection some of these Austen re-tellings were better than others, but I liked how it fleshed out some secondary characters from the novels. My two favorites were both about "silly" Miss Hetty Bates from "Emma", which while quite different both had this much maligned character finally getting her own HEA.

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a long time fan of Jane Austen I loved this!! It's a collection of stories by romance authors that highlight a background character from Austen's work. Some are in that time period, some move to a different time and place, but I think they all capture something special about what makes these women interesting and worth noticing. Some reframe history in a thought-provoking way. Two of them give poor Miss Bates her own happily ever after and unpack the power structures that impacted spinsters during the time. Disliked women such as Caroline Bingley are reexamined through a different lens. Truly this feels like a love letter and beautiful homage to Austen, but in a really fresh way. Definitely recommend to fans of her books! I received a copy of this book for review from the publisher, all opinions are my own.

[mikaela (spinebreaker) · Rating 3 out of 5]

My biggest, most major complaint is that of all the women in Austen's canon 2/9 of these stories are about the same one. We didn't get a single woman from Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, or Mansfield Park, but two about Miss Bates? And one was TERRIBLE? Other than that, this anthology is very much a mixed bag, and maybe that's because I didn't know what to expect, but only the last half really felt like people who love these women of Austen's worlds and want to see them with affection and care.

Miss Bates Gets a Bob- ⭐⭐- aka, Emma manipulates this sad woman (into a better situation? maybe) so she can leave her dad with someone else
The Bennets of Jane Street - ⭐⭐ - aka, Mary is still just sad and lonely until the last 3 pages, also her sisters are totally ignorant
What Georgiana Wants - ⭐ - aka, let's romanticize a child predator and grooming
Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons - skipped because i do not care and these stories were just awful up to this point
The Elizas -⭐⭐⭐⭐- aka, taking a sad story but actually giving power back to these women SOMEHOW
Lydia's Story ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - aka, a great take on Lydia finding her way and her happiness. with maturity, without losing her sparkle
Lace and Larceny - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - by far the best. aka, Caroline puts her talents to use, gets shaken up a bit (in a good way) and uses all that power for good (in the Wild West!!!)
The Triumph of Hetty Bates ⭐⭐⭐⭐ - aka, Persuasion but make it Emma. Sarah MacLean never fails me

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

I am always on the lookout for a good Austen adaption, and I especially love those that focus on the side characters. While all of the stories were amazing, my absolute favorite was Lydia's story by Diana Quincy. I really think most people forget that Lydia was a fifteen year girl when she married Wickham. All they remember is her being a silly girl who almost ruined the family. Not that she was a young girl who was taken advantage of by an adult man. I definitely will be looking into more books by these authors.

Definitely would recommend this book of short stories to any fan of Jane Austen!

[Sophia]

Like a delectable box of chocolates, an anthology dedicated to Jane Austen’s 250th birthday is a decadent temptation unable to be missed. The authors came together to write a collection of short stories representing secondary characters from three Austen novels after a brief introduction from Adriana Trigiani.

My full review will post at The Quill Ink TBA.

[Sherwood Smith]

I think the audience for this anthology would be the readers who enjoy TV like Bridgerton, with its mix of great period costumes and settings and modern dialogue and attitudes.

The idea was a good one--fanfic focusing on minor characters in Austen's novels, but the execution is a tad sparse--two stories about Miss Bates that didn't seem to catch her character, though the second one drips with plenty of melo, if you like that--and several based on P&P characters.

The one that worked least for me was the idea of Mary Bennet in New York. None of the characters, including Mary, seemed even remotely like Austen's characters, and it was sorely missing Austen's wit and stylish narrative expertise.

I liked some of the one about Margaret Dashwood, though the editor sure failed the author on fact checking. I was tossed out of the story when we read about all Paris drinking Pernod a few years before the company was even invented; from what I've gathered in letters and diaries, it was a popular drink a generation later. Such stuff is easy enough to check. Otherwise the story was fun.

I also enjoyed Caroline Bingley from New Orleans. It had quite a bit of dash, and the author gave Caroline an intriguing reason for being the way she was.

In summary, it was uneven for me, though I did like the idea of giving these characters more agency than they got in the origin story. Even if we had to jump to modern mores to do it.

[Heather Moll]

This is a great collection of some lesser known and lesser appreciated Austen ladies finding their well-deserved happy ever after. It was strange to me that out of 9 stories there were none from Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park, or Persuasion and there were two stories about Miss Bates. The stories span different time periods and, like any anthology, are hit or miss.

I enjoyed modern Mary Bennet’s setup, although the love interest was undeveloped even for a short story.

The one about Georgiana moves her near elopement from Ramsgate to Margate, and I found it slow and sad.

I enjoyed Margaret Dashwood’s friends to lovers story, even though it’s set in 1804 and Margaret is inspired by Jane Austen’s novels that first appeared in 1811.

The story of the Elizas finding happy ever afters on their own terms was great, and also with a few tweaks to canon.

Lydia had a great story with the character arc and happy ending she deserved. It also has a change to canon, with her reputation further lessened after her marriage. And it seems to forget that Darcy tried to bring Lydia home, but she refused to go.

Nikki Payne’s Caroline story was excellent, but is anyone even surprised by this? This alone is worth the price of admission.

The first Miss Bates story I’ve already forgotten, but the second Miss Bates story and final one in the collection came through clutch. Justice for Miss Bates.

Austen fans will enjoy this one.

I received an arc from NetGalley

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this collection of stories by nine favorite authors who bring splendid HEAs to Austen's lesser known characters. I cheered and guffawed and cried tears of joy, and so will Janeites and fans of histfic and contemporary romance. Hurrah!

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

—Jane Austen retellings

—unsung heroines

—different time periods! different angles!

The Basics:

Exactly what it says on the tin! This anthology takes a look at some of Austen's unsung supporting ladies, giving them their moments in the sun with the help of authors like Nikki Payne, Diana Quincy, Sarah MacLean, and more!

The Review:

I sit in the middle of Austen fandom, wherein I love and admire her work, but I'm also not against fucking with it through adaptation and different spins. (And my takes always seem out of step with true Austen fangirls, which is fine, but does make it harder to go "Well I FOR ONE LIKED MR. KNIGHTLEY" at this current moment in time.) But the thing is—I actually have found myself thinking about a few of the Austenian also-rans, and I was curious to see what such a wide variety of authors would do with them.

I've read (and liked) many of the writers here, and they're all quite distinct from each other. And guess what? Their takes on these characters, even when they write for the same ones, are very, very different. That keeps it interesting for someone like me—but I think almost any Austen reader or historical romance fan could find something for themselves here.

A few of the authors here are notable historical romance standouts—Sarah MacLean, Diana Quincy, and Eloisa James come to mind. But you also have writers like Adriana Trigiani (who I think of in a more contemporary women's lit way, sometimes mixed with historical fiction), Nikki Payne (who writes fab contemporary romances), and writers I'm less familiar with, like Elinor Lipman, Audrey Bellezza, Karen Dukess, and Emily Harding. The length and approach of their entires vary, and I'll keep my breakdowns quick.

Elinor Lipman's "Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair" is short and sweet, and it comes across in a very stream of consciousness manner, reminiscent of the newfound heroine's way of speaking. It's really different from what I was expecting in its style, even if the story—Miss Bates takes the town at last—is more like what you'd think she'd get. But it grew on me, and I ended up finding it quite endearing and artistically unique.

"The Bennets of Jane Street" by Adriana Trigiani is a modern Mary Bennet story. She's giving quarter-life crisis as she tries to figure herself out in the midst of family upheaval, and... This wasn't super memorable for me, if I'm being honest, but that may be because it's more on the women's lit side. That said, Trigiani fans will like it, and I'm sure many others who prefer the romance on the lighter side will as well.

"What Georgiana Wants" by Karen Dukess sees a grown-up Georgiana Darcy look back on what could've been as a married mother. It's a little melancholy, if ultimately optimistic, and I found it quite well-written and interesting. It's more a pondering than a story, borderline meta, but I quite liked it.

"Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons" by Eloisa James is Margaret Dashwood's turn in the spotlight—will she find love? This is a classic Eloisa James story, whimsical and funny and fluffily romantic while also being quite witty. Margaret Dashwood was the PERFECT choice for her.

"The Elizas" by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding is a look at the Eliza Colonel Brandon loved and lost, and her daughter, taken advantage of by Willoughby but perhaps not completely without hope. It's another moodier, more realistic entry... but again infused with an optimism in the end. Very much liked it.

"Lydia's Story" by Diana Quincy is just that—a story of redemption and depth for the once-wayward Lydia Bennet, now a widowed Lydia Wickham. She's happy to have that husband gone, but still feels like a pariah.. but a vicar who knew her when they were kids has a different take on her entirely. This is romantic and lovely, and I loved seeing Lydia get the happy ending she so deserves. Her changing relationship with Darcy was also a great touch. Diana Quincy is one of the best.

"Lace and Larceny" by Nikki Payne reimagines Caroline Bingley as a white-passing Creole woman from New Orleans who responds to the "Elizabeth Bennet ruined my life" thing by heading out to Colorado to be a mail order bride in the 1890s. It's by far the most unique spin here, and it's one of the strongest entries. Nikki was the perfect writer for a headstrong woman who gets a lot of shit for knowing her own mind and worth. Caroline gets her HEA, and it's great.

"The Triumph of Hetty Bates" by Sarah MacLean is a longer, more classical take on Miss Bates, and in classic Sarah MacLean style, she gets her day in the sun... and kisses. This is another case of the author being a great match for this woman—because who does "women who think their moment have passed and discover their own courage and brilliance" like Sarah? Please. It's fun, and romantic, and the perfect escapist fantasy.

Like I said—there's something for everyone here! And just in time for your break between Pride and Prejudice rewatches.

The Conclusion:

If you're Austen fan, get into it. If you're not an Austen fan? Still, get into it!

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Mama Needs to Read Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars overall, but each story is unique and has its own rating from me (below).

It's a pleasure to read these stories by nine powerhouses of historical romance, imagining the happily ever afters of beloved side characters we know from Austen's novels. The stories take place at various places and times, some staying close to the original works, while other venturing into places like present day New York City! These are fun to read, whether you're new to Austen...or an expert!

Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair, by Elinor Lipman
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Miss Bates, of "Emma", gets her own chance at happily ever after with Mr. Woodhouse, Emma's father. Lipman takes regency England into largely uncharted waters by having her protagonists look for help within the Jewish community. It was really interesting to see the Jewish culture represented during the regency period! This story felt like the bonus Emma epilogue we all needed, told in first person by none other than Miss Bates herself! ❤️

The Bennets of Jane Street, by Adriana Trigiani
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I adored the way Trigiani moved the beloved Bennet family to the present day New York City, yet found a way to stay true to the characters themselves. As an adult daughter who also takes a large a large role in caring for her parents, I found Mary's position so relatable. The story felt real! Mary is the last Bennet daughter left. Her sisters have married and moved away, which has left Mary to care for her aging parents. Trigiani found creative ways to bring new characters into the story without weighing it down. Mary's happily ever after was so satisfying, too. She finds a man who really understands her passions and character, and will care for her like she's always cared for others. Just lovely!

What Georgiana Wants, by Karen Dukess
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was soooo powerful. It calls to mind some of the prose I've loved by classic author Kate Chopin. Georgiana never makes it into a scene in Pride and Prejudice, but is talked ABOUT. Dukess decides it's time to check in with Georgiana, who, after nearly eloping and having her heart broken, is now married to another man and has two children. Her longing and regrets are TANGIBLE. The epiphany of our heroine is nothing less than outstanding.

Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons, by Eloisa James
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Eloisa James brings the first twist on Sense and Sensibility (after the first three stories, which are all based on Pride and Prejudice). I loved hearing how James' early experiences with literature shaped her feelings about the characters in this story. James suffuses her novella with the sharp wit that we know so well. Her childhood friends to lovers trope is fresh and fun. I never thought I'd fall in love with a character named Squibby, but James, as always, can do the impossible! 🤣

The Elizas, by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This INCREDIBLE story follows two Elizas who are integral to the plot of Sense and Sensibility, despite the fact that they're never actually IN the novel. I loved seeing first-hand the struggles and dreams of this mother, and later, her daughter. Then, Bellezza and Harding go one step further and create yet another generation in the line of Elizas. This was at times terribly sad, but at other times, really encouraging. Soooo many highlightable lines!

Lydia's Story, by Diana Quincy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I loved the themes of perseverance and overcoming the negative views of society in order to live life to the fullest and get what you really want. It was fun to see Mr. Darcy and Lizzy help her sister, Lydia, in this Pride and Prejudice spin-off story. Lydia, who'd largely given up on her dreams and forgotten to believe in herself, is encouraged to entertain the attentions of a gentleman who is actually worthy of her hand (this time). Lydia story goes from cautionary tale to happily ever after, and I'm here for it!

Lace and Larceny, by Nikki Payne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was SO much fun!! Payne turns Caroline Bingley into Caroline Bliguet (pronounced Bli-GAY). It's set in New Orleans in what I presume to be the earlier half of the 1900s. The writing is FANTASTIC. I felt the stifling summer heat of Louisiana, until, that is, our heroine boards a train out west. Caroline, an African American woman who can pass for white, has QUITE the adventure on the train, moving between class/race cars with ease. The characters were so fun! The romance was first rate. And the voice with which Payne writes draws you right in.

The Triumph of Hetty Jane Bates, by Sarah MacLean
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
How many of us remember when Emma is terribly rude to poor Miss Bates by allowing her only THREE boring things to say? Well, MacLean remembers, and she has decided to use her story to give Miss Bates a lost (and found) love story for the ages! We see our heroine as a pitied spinster in her forties before going back in time to see her loving...and losing. The final act is one of triumph that brought me to tears! Well done!!

I'd like to thank Kaye Publicity, Eloisa James, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[Sharlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

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Why You’ll Love Ladies in Waiting
Ladies in Waiting is not just a tribute to Jane Austen—it’s a fresh, inventive celebration that breathes new life into beloved literary landscapes. With each short story, readers are invited to rediscover familiar worlds through unexpected viewpoints, especially those of characters often left in the margins. This anthology delivers variety without losing its focus, offering a dynamic reading experience that honors Austen’s timeless appeal while pushing beyond convention.

Who Should Read This:
- Devoted Jane Austen fans eager for imaginative expansions
- Historical fiction lovers craving something clever and emotionally rich
- Readers who appreciate depth, subtlety, and character-driven storytelling

Don’t Miss It:
Ladies in Waiting is a thoughtful and captivating collection that masterfully blends nostalgia with innovation. If you’re looking for a read that surprises, resonates, and reminds you why Austen continues to inspire generations—this is it. Highly recommended for anyone who treasures meaningful fiction.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely collection! The second I heard about it, I knew I'd need to snag as part of my December celebration of Jane Austen, and it was the perfect book to kick things off!

The only contributing author I'd read before was Elinor Lipman, and so I loved this sampling of many authors writing as an intro to their voice, because I know now that I'll likely pick up their books in the future.

I will say, after I finished the Introduction, I was a bit bummed to see that across the eight stories in the collection, characters were only chosen from three of Austen's works—Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Emma. Obviously, these are the jewels in the crown sometimes, but c'mon we can give the other three some love! But once I dove into the stories, I was able to look past this, because each one is so unique and inventive.

Below are my thoughts on each story:

"Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair" by Elinor Lipman
Like I mentioned, Elinor Lipman's work is the only one I was familiar with before picking up the novel, and it was delightful to read her prose again! I was struck by just how great an opener this one was. Short, sets the stage, inventive but doesn't stray too far from Jane's works so you can get your feet wet with the concept. I'm a big fan of analyzing first stories in a collection, and I thought this one did a great job.

"The Bennets of Jane Street" by Adriana Trigiani
Is there a way to describe prose that's sharp, but in a word that doesn't feel as sharp as the word sharp? A warm sharp? Anyways, if there is, that's how Adriana Trigiani's writing felt as she examined what Mary Bennet's life would look like, if Mary Bennet and the Bennet family grew up in Greenwich Village in the present day. I loved the scene work of this one, especially. This also simultaneously reminded me of and made me great a new goal: befriend an Italian (family) from New Jersey. (2026 bucket list item, perhaps?!)

"What Georgiana Wants" by Karen Dukess
The most meditative story in the collection. I love Georgiana, and especially Tamzin Merchant's Georgiana, and I think because of that she is the hardest Austen character to visualize outside the pages of the book, but I thought Dukess did a good job of building that out.

"Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons" by Eloisa James
My favorite from the whole collection! It's absolutely not because I have a soft spot for the forgotten Margaret Dashwood (justice for Margaret!) and wrote an absolutely abysmal essay about her (JUSTICE FOR MARGARET, I'm sorry Margaret I really tried). I've followed Eloisa on Instagram for forever, but hadn't read any of her books, and now I'm seriously rethinking all of my choices there, because I loved how fun and voice-y this story was, and how it really took the stakes of the Regency era but infused it with the energy that a modern day reader can appreciate and make it unputdownable. Would read a long-form book of Eloisa's Snaps and Squibby.

"The Elizas" by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Another one that leans more meditative, but not as meditative as Dukess's, I'd say. I liked the parallelism within the story (ugh! it was so good!) and the hopefulness of the ending. I think because Dukess's story preceded it and felt similar in tone, the twist at the end was especially jolting, in a good way. I'm glad that this one came after "What Georgiana Wants" in that regard.

"Lydia's Story" by Diana Quincy
If I absolutely had to pick a second favorite, I think it would be this one. It just really surprised me! I feel like every reimagining I've read for Lydia doesn't have Elizabeth and Lydia as friends in the way Quincy depicted them, and that struck me deeply here. I also think that we often forget just how young Lydia was (or at least, I definitely do!), so getting to see the possibility of her growing and changing and regretting and hoping was moving. (Yeah, I think this would have to be my second favorite one.)

"Lace and Larceny" by Nikki Payne
I've been meaning to read Nikki Payne's work for forever, and I loved this intro to her style! "Lace and Larceny" was just so fun! I'm all for justice for Margaret Dashwood, but also you know what, justice for Caroline Bingley, too! Payne's intro to her story was striking, because I'd not thought of Caroline's character in that way before, so her reimagining of Caroline going on this journey was thought-provoking in so many ways. I'm rereading Pride and Prejudice a bit later this month, so I'lll definitely be taking a closer look at Caroline then. (Also, obsessed with how Payne's Caroline is obsessed with Eliza's hem, that was everything to me.)

"The Triumph of Hetty Jane Bates" by Sarah MacLean
Just as much as I love analyzing an intro story in a collection, I also love analyzing a closing one, and this one felt perfect to round out the group. Opening and closing with Miss Bates feels a bit cheesy on the surface, but MacLean's and Lipman's stories couldn't have been more different (of course, retaining the same heart) so it works. The Introduction called this a "romance fantasy" which of course made me think we were getting a romantasy Miss Bates story, but in actuality it's more of a centralizing of Miss Bates in her youth, in order for her to have an almost Persuasion-like arc by the end. MacLean is also a writer I've been wanting to read for a while, and this story convinced me to check out her books, too!

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for Wit and Sin

“Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair” by Elinor Lipman
Lipman keeps it short and sweet with the chatty Miss Bates finally getting her chance at love (and security) by catching the eye of Mr. Woodhouse. It’s a cute story, though perhaps a less charitable read of it is Emma and Isabella Knightley are looking to offload some of the attention their father requires onto poor Miss Bates. However, all’s well that ends well and though I thought both Miss Bates and Mr. Woodhouse could have used more depth it was a likeable read.


“The Bennets of Jane Street” by Adriana Trigiani
Set in modern-day New York, Mary Bennet is the last unmarried Bennet sister and the only one residing in the family home, taking care of her aging parents. Of all the stories in this book, this one held my attention the least and I kept putting the book down because of it. Mary goes about her life and we follow her, with not much really jumping out at me until the climax of the story. It was fine and Trigiani did a good job of putting the Bennets into modern times, but overall this wasn’t the story for me.


“What Georgiana Wants” by Karen Dukess
Georgiana is grown up and a married mother of two, but this story follows her for a day where she thinks of her past with Wickham and what might have been. It’s a quietly contemplative tale that wouldn’t normally be my cup of tea but the short format worked in its favor. Dukess’s writing was interesting and her take on Georgiana and what she thought of her past was something different.


“Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons” by Eloisa James
This is where the book picked up for me. James takes grown-up, would-be writer Margaret Dashwood and gives her her own happily ever after, much different than that of her sisters. Margaret’s story is a friends-to-lovers romance and it’s both fun and funny, with endearing characters and buoyant dialogue. Squibby and Snaps cracked me up and Margaret’s writing efforts let James’s sense of humor shine.


“The Elizas” by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding
Bellezza and Harding give three generations of Elizas their tale. From the tragic first love of Colonel Brandon to her daughter, deceived by Willoughby but whose fate was not sealed, and finally a modern-day Eliza at a crossroads in her life. There’s melancholy and hope in equal measure in this tale but it was compelling, empowering, and incredibly sweet.


“Lydia’s Story” by Diana Quincy
Who hasn’t been annoyed by Lydia Bennet? Quincy challenges opinions of Lydia by telling her a story through an adult, widow with four children’s version of the youngest Bennet sister. I liked that Quincy focused on how young Lydia was during Pride and Prejudice. Yes, she was a brat, but she was also forced to pay a lifelong price at just fifteen years old. In this story Lydia is a pariah still, but then a handsome vicar comes along and propels change. Michael is sweet and kind and honorable and I loved that he was head-over-heels for Lydia. I enjoyed watching Lydia claim a new life, changing her relationship with her family, her home, and herself.


“Lace and Larceny” by Nikki Payne
Speaking of not-so-beloved Pride and Prejudice character, Payne takes Caroline transforms her into a white-passing New Orleans woman who is grabbing her destiny by the reins and heading west as a mail-order bride. This is the most unique spin on a character in this anthology and I could have read a whole book about Caroline and her journey. Rather than try to control the chaos that erupts around her, Caroline learns to adapt and finds her own inner strength. She also finds love in a man who truly cares for her which was just lovely.


“The Triumph of Hetty Bates” by Sarah MacLean
Hetty Bates gets the happily ever after she deserves in the anthology’s final tale. I absolutely loved this take on the chatty Miss Bates, showing that she is certainly not what others take her for. She’s a vibrant, interesting woman with a past but no one has seen beneath the surface for years. Then that past shows up in Highbury and Hetty gets to take the spotlight. MacLean did so much with Miss Bates without changing her from the character in Emma. I loved it and – even though this story was satisfying on its own – I wanted more because it was so good.


Ladies in Waiting features eight different takes on some of Jane Austen’s most famous supporting characters. I do wish that for Austen’s 250th birthday the anthology had covered more of her work, but there’s nothing to be done for that. The stories span a variety of styles, so not all the stories will be for everyone, but there is so much to delight. What came through most of all was every author’s enjoyment of Austen and the focus on keeping the heart of the characters the same, no matter how close or far they strayed from the original text. If you like Jane Austen, Ladies in Waiting is an absolutely charming read.


FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Jody Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exploration of some of Austen's lesser knows characters by some of our favorite authors. It's so interesting to see how creative people pull at threads to make something new. A few of these stories (the Bennets of Jane Street, parts of The Elizas) take place in modern times, but the rest are fully historical. I appreciated Diana Quincy and Nikki Payne's contributions particularly for bringing some diversity into the Austenworld.

In The Bennets of Jane Street there's a glimpse into issues like eldercare, and who assumes or is assigned that burden and responsibility. In What Georgiana Wants, Darcy's sister is in a good marriage, but is in a multi-week funk thinking about the bad-but-oh-so-good mistake of her youth. If she were in modern day she could FB or IG stalk her old lover George Wickham, but instead she moons in the garden and suffers tea with a disagreeable relative, until she realizes "This is about me and what I want and will let myself have." In The Elizas, we see Eliza Brandon, the colonel's first love who was in an unhappy arranged marriage to his brother, and also her descendants making and avoiding the same mistakes. I love the imagery of a "generational muscle" at one point steering an Eliza from a potentially wrong path.

My favorite in this anthology might be Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons. Eloisa James brings her usual confident and clueless heroine (Marianne's little sister Margaret). She doesn't know what to do about her lifelong friend Squibby, (or Hugh, Lord Vaughn). The reader quickly grows suspicious of the way he always notices when she needs her tea refilled, or the constant letters and inside jokes they exchange. The story is told via the diary/writers notebook of Margaret, and her confused jealousy when he dances with someone else, or his when she is courted by others is fun to piece together. When the truth finally comes out? Delicious.

Diana Quincy and Sarah MacLean both tell stories of second chances. Quincy's Lydia Bennet has had her life ruined by her patched-up marriage to George Wickham. There is a moment of revelation here, when we see how Lydia's life could have gone another way, how she, a child of 15, could have been sent home to her family. Instead, she was forced into a loveless marriage for her family's name. "He [Darcy] sacrificed my happiness and well-being to ensure that his future wife's reputation would remain spotless." In steps handsome Vicar Haddad who was childhood friend of the Bennet girls, and always had a thing for Lydia. There's a lot of work with reputation and the old stories we and others tell ourselves about us. I loved it, and I did cry.

MacLean also has a second chance, Letty Bates from Emma isn't a spinster as much as she found true love during her season and he never came back for her when he promised. She's 40 and "it had been Hetty who had waited. While her whole life had passed her by." Edward comes back a wealthy baron, and misunderstandings are cleared up and broken hearts have to be repaired, and the missed decades mourned. Loved it and I did cry again!

The strongest and most original entry into the collection comes from Nikki Payne. Her readers know her interpretations of Austen classics set in Black culture in the modern time. In Lace and Larceny she imagines Caroline Bingley and the rest of P&P as the New Orleans Black elite, her long understood betrothal to Toussaint (Darcy) was upset by the arrival of Eliza Benoît. Caroline sets out to by train to Colorado to be essentially a mail order bride. Her intended's correspondence doesn't have spelling errors and his mother is "dearly departed" and "If that isn't the foundation of a strong marriage, I don't know what is." Along the way she meets the brother of her fiancé, learns some things about herself, and has plenty of adventures. This story has the most romantic declaration of intent and swooniest proposal. I mean, "I can't make you the wife of the richest man in town. But I can make you the wife of the happiest." COME ON.

Thank you to the publisher for an arc.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been enjoying all the books coming out to celebrate the 250th birthday of Jane Austen. Ladies in Waiting features stories based on Austen’s more minor characters. Nine novelists chose a favorite character and made her the center of a new story.

Each author tells why she chose her character and the story begins with a quotation from Austen’s novel the character appears in.

The diverse stories are entertaining.

The women in Sense and Sensibility who were betrayed by George Wickham are featured in several stories. In one, Lydia Wickham is relieved when her husband dies, while in another she finds true love later in life. In a third story, Georgiana gets her revenge on Wickham. From the same novel, another story portrays Margaret Dashwood as determined to have a romantic adventure, while another story offers a history of Colonel Brandon’s first love, Eliza.

The Bennet family from Pride and Prejudice are brought into contemporary Greenwich Village, and in one of my favorite stories, Caroline Bingley is a New Orleans free black woman who travels west to find a husband.

Miss Bates from Emma appears in several stories. In one she is transformed by a hair cut, and in another one of my favorites, inspired by Persuasion, an old lover returns.

Every Austenite will delight in these stories.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

[Elizabeth McFarland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half of this book was 5 stars and the other half was 3 stars so I'm splitting the difference and giving it 4 stars. I'm not going to give each story a full review but I'll list them in the order that I liked them and say a few words about each.

1. The Triumph of Hetty Jane Bates by Sarah Maclean

This was everything I love about a second chance romance with an awkward heroine finally getting her HEA! I truly fell in love with these characters!

2. Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons by Eloisa James

This one was sweet and funny and definitely felt like something I would love to see written into a full length novel. As always Eloisa James writes a charming and delightful story!

3. Lace and Larceny by Nikki Payne

I loved this! It reminded me of what I've always loved about western romances and mail order brides in particular. It was very well done!

4. Lydia's Story by Diana Quincy

A fitting happy ending for an often maligned character. Lydia was no more than a child when she made her mistakes and didn't deserve the lasting repercussions. I loved getting to see this older wiser version of her!

5. Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair by Elinor Lipman

This one was super short but very sweet!

6. The Bennett Sisters of Jane Street by Adriana Trigiani

I liked this one but it truly felt more like I was reading an updated and adult version of Little Women than Pride and Prejudice. The sisters of this story seemed significantly more like the March sisters than the Bennett sisters.

7. What Georgiana Wants by Karen Dukes

While I was very pleased for Georgiana I was also bored.

8. The Elizas by Audrey Belazza and Emily Harding

This just didn't feel like much of anything happened except rehashing the original storyline and then jumping ahead to the present day to a character I didn't care about.

Many thanks to Gallery books for this complimentary paperback edition. I enjoyed this very much!

[Jen B · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a unique and intriguing collection of stories of the less prominent characters from some of Austen's novels. Perhaps that's a bit of a misnomer, they are pivotal to the plot and development, yet they had very little page time. I very much enjoyed this - even the Emma stories (and that is my least favourite JA novel) with the Georgiana story, which was admittedly melancholic being my favourite. Well done
Do give this a read - you'll find something from this collection that is appealing.
I received a free copy of this book via Edelweiss and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen's Unsung Characters, and am glad to have read the stories and reimagined fates of secondary characters in Jane Austen’s canon.

I read romance books and stories. One of this collections best stories takes the biggest risks and liberties by placing a multi-racial version of Caroline Bingley in 1890s New Orleans headed to the American wild west. This was a reimagining well-worthy of the reading.

3.4 stars out of 5.

[Kelvin Buck · Rating 3 out of 5]

the first three stories are some of the most heinous and lazy writing ive ever encountered. im not confident the authors read the austen novels their stories are based on, or reread their own words after writing them. i found them fundamentally untrue to the characters and themes austen put on the page. whats even the point of playing with janes world if your creation is utterly lacking is wit, romance, and social commentary? (and no, telling mary bennet that shes “pretty—for a writer” doesnt count as romance) and just to add insult to injury the writing was clumsy

BUT THEN THE FOURTH STORY IS A SIX STAR READ. this is the best friends to lovers ive ever read. this is the best first person pov romance ive ever read. eloisa. my girl. GO RAMMMSSSSSSSSSSS

and then everything after that was various levels of good to great what a wild ride. happy birthday jane

[Rebekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ladies in Waiting in an anthology of short stories, about the lesser-known women on the side in various Jane Austen novels, being published now in celebration of Jane's 250th birthday. As a lover of both Jane Austen as well as Eloisa James and Sarah MacLean, I eagerly requested this book on NetGalley. Each author selected a side character from one of Jane's novels and their short story focuses on giving this character more substance, and in some cases a Happily Ever After treatment as well.
For me, some of these were better than others, and I most enjoyed the entries by Eloisa James, Sarah MacLean, as well as Nikki Payne. The weakest entries for me were the first two by Elinor Lipman and Adriana Trigiani. In addition, a criticism I would supply is that only a handful of Jane's books are represented, including 2 entries about the same character. Perhaps more guidance to the authors on a novel to choose from to avoid duplication was necessary, but all in all, this was a fun entry into the very large world of Jane Austen adaptations.
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

[Addie Yoder · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was a fun look at unsung women in Austen novels from some of the brightest romance authors we know. I enjoyed getting these perspectves on characters that we already know in a way that was fresh and unexpected. As with any anthology, some hit differently than others but it sure was a good time.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I am always here for imagining the lives of minor characters in Jane Austen's work. It is, perhaps, one of my favorite subgenres of Austen retellings, so I was intrigued to see what new perspectives these short stories would bring to the table. As with all short story collections, I liked some stories more than others. I found "The Elizas", "Lydia's Story", and "The Triumph of Hetty Bates" to be the most interesting, while "Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair" was too short to accomplish much of anything with the story threads it introduces. "The Bennets of Jane Street" just plain scared me, playing to many of my fears as a single woman in my 30s living at home and with dementia in my family history. Overall, I liked the concept of this collection and some of the stories achieved their intent. Do with my thoughts what you will.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely collection of stories about various side characters in Jane Austen’s original stories, some of them continuations of the stories, some of them reimaginings, all of them thought and engaging. There are so many rich characters in Jane’s books, and I love the spotlight being shone on the ones who’ve been left on the sidelines or in the footnotes of the original stories. Whether it’s littlest sister Margaret Dashwood or perpetually despised Caroline Bingley, or child bride Lydia Bennet or verified spinster Miss Bates, each of these women truly come to life in these pages, with rich emotional depth and a new lease on life. While the collection as a whole is excellent, here are some thoughts on my favorite stories.

Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons
*the one that made me cry
I’ve always felt that Margaret Dashwood got the short end of the stick in Austen’s original, because she’s enough younger than her sisters that she’s not really a part of their duo. While I would say this Margaret doesn’t exactly see the whole truth of Marianne and Elinor’s love for their husbands, she does recognize her own love when it finally becomes apparent she’s been hiding from it, for fear it wasn’t real. I loved this style of writing, part journal, part letters, part descriptive notes. The progression of the story was perfection, slowly unfolding and unveiling their true relationship until it was obvious that Squibby and Snaps loved one another dearly. That love was so strongly felt that it seemed they were each afraid if they showed how much they cared, they’d scare the other one off, and perhaps risk losing their best friend. Thank goodness everyone around them could see how much they loved each other and gave them time to figure it out, because when they actually started being honest with one another about their misconceptions and true feelings, I was swooning along with Margaret. I loved her quote about Love being the person you can’t wait to go home with, and I love that Hugh kept a journal throughout his travels of every time he thought of her. Margaret claims not to be a romantic but how could you be anything else with a love like hers? I could reread this story forever, especially the end. Also Feodora is the best and I love her so much. She deserves a large thank you for giving Margaret her honest observances of Hugh’s love, which finally gave Snaps the hope she needed that Squibby truly did love her. As much as I would DIE for a full novel of yearning covering Margaret’s season and the two years of traveling and letters (and kissing other people???) that followed, this story is truly perfection as is.

Lace and Larceny
I never thought I would ever read a story that made me like Caroline Bingley, but Nikki Payne has proven otherwise. I love the setting, from New Orleans to the wilds of Colorado, and I love the transition Caroline goes through as she slowly figures out what actually matters to her in life - love, happiness, and the freedom to do what brings her those things. I could read this over and over.

Lydia’s Story
I loved this story, with Lydia finally getting the marriage and happy ending she deserves, and Lizzy and Darcy finally putting to rest her “scandalous” reputation. Honestly, they ought to have done that long so. Lydia makes such a great point that she was a literal child when she ran off with Wickham - surely there was a better solution than shackling her to a terrible, abusive, cheating husband for the rest of her life? I loved her seeing her open up to Michael, and realizing that she deserved to be happy. Also, Michael’s comeback that his family descends from some of the original Christians in Palestine is *chef’s kiss* perfection.

The Bennets of Jane Street
What a perfectly lovely and real story that truly modernizes the Bennet family, while keeping their essential nature in tact. I sympathize deeply with Mary, someone who loves her family deeply but is starting to fall apart with all the weight she is carrying. Part of what she comes to realize is that it’s good to ask for help and expect those you love to step up. And part is that, it’s ok to want love, and hold on the hope that the life you want is around the corner. And I love that Mary finds that person who truly sees her, maybe better than she sees herself. Joe can sense her authenticity and care for others, and it’s what draws him to her. Mary might feel inconsequential, unnecessary, overlooked, but Joe looks at her and sees someone who everyone wants to be near, someone who is always honest about her feelings, good or bad, and he loves those things about her. I could have read hundreds of pages of this family.

The Triumph of Hetty Jane Bates
Despite my newfound respect for Emma, it is still my least favorite of Austen’s novels, but I love this version of it, where Miss Bates isn’t actually the tedious, chattering fool Emma thinks her to be, but a woman who fell deeply in love, was disappointed in that love, never settled for anyone else, and was resigned to a life alone with only her mother, other people’s charity, and her own walls of emotional protection for company. I’m so glad her Edward finally came back and wasted no time in telling her he still loved her, but I’m also extremely sad that her parents’ pride kept them apart for 2 decades. How hard would it have been for them to be honest with Edward that he had broken Hetty’s heart? How hard would it have been for them to write to her and say, “come back home, Edward has come for you and has an excellent excuse for his absence.” There is part of me that’s like, he should have written to tell her he had been delayed. But also I don’t know how shipwrecks and conscriptions into war work, and whether he’d have the time or options to write such a letter. I’m going to settle for being delighted that he returned and Miss Bates finally gets her happily ever after.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only thing my stepmother ever gave me that was worth any value was a love of Jane Austen. She gave me Pride and Prejudice when I was eleven, and the rest is history. It’s the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth, so we’ve seen plenty of tributes, analyses, and—let’s be honest—unnecessary new adaptations of her novels. Ladies in Waiting is the first short story/novella compilation I’ve seen based on Austen’s work, and I was very excited to dig in, especially because some of my favorite romance authors participated.

Thanks to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the complimentary early copy of Ladies in Waiting.

The collection includes eight short stories and novellas that take supporting characters from Austen’s novels and give them reimagined happy endings. Austen famously completed six novels and left several fragments behind, so you’d expect to see representation from all of her works—but that’s not the case here. We only see Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma represented.

Now, I’m probably in the minority of Austen fans, but I really do not like Emma, and I think Sense and Sensibility is one of her weakest novels. We can thank amazing screenwriters like Emma Thompson and Andrew Davies, as well as the buff breeches worn by Hugh Grant, Alan Rickman, and Dan Stevens in the adaptations for its continued popularity. I was really hoping to see all of Austen’s novels represented. If you want to have a conversation about race and class, Mansfield Park is the only Austen novel doing any real work around both topics. And Persuasion, which happens to be my favorite, boasts a large supporting cast of women—it would have been a logical choice for this project. But alas, we only have three novels in this collection.

For the most part, these novellas were fine. There were bits and pieces I liked from each, but I wished they had something more to say about the source material. The standouts for me were Eloisa James, Nikki Payne, and Sarah MacLean—not surprising, since I already love all three as romance authors.

Eloisa James tackled Margaret Dashwood, the quiet little sister from Sense and Sensibility, in her story “Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons.” If you haven’t read the book in a while and only remember the movie adaptations, you might be surprised to realize Margaret doesn’t really do much in the novel—she’s far more active on screen. That’s how they get you to like that POS Edward Ferrars in the movies—they make him nice to the kid. In Eloisa's version, Margaret is a debutante with a large dowry provided by her brother-in-law, but it hasn’t helped her find a husband. This is a charming childhood-best-friends-to-lovers story where Margaret slowly realizes she’s been in love with her friend Squibby (a nickname, obviously) all along, and he’s been in love with her, too. It’s a giggle-worthy, sweet romance where I completely believed they’d live happily ever after—honestly, more so than Elinor and Edward, because Edward did NOT deserve her.

Nikki Payne reimagined Caroline Bingley from Pride and Prejudice as a white-passing Black woman in 1890s New Orleans in “Lace and Larceny.” Talk about doing something interesting with the character! In this story, Caroline answers a letter from a wealthy Black man in Colorado looking for a wife, and they become engaged. She boards a train west—and pretty much everything that can go wrong, does go wrong. I loved how Payne reimagined Caroline within the hierarchical world of Black New Orleans society. It makes perfect sense that she’d be so rigid and obsessed with propriety, and that she’d clash with someone like Elizabeth Bennet in a less forgiving world. The journey Caroline takes to Colorado also draws on the historical context Nikki and Adriana Herrera discussed in their podcast Unbound.

Sarah MacLean wrote the single best novella in this collection: “The Triumph of Hetty Bates.” I need to restate—I do not like Emma. I cannot stand the main character, and the book is entirely too long. But I do like many of the supporting characters, especially Miss Bates. In Sarah’s reimagining, Hetty Bates had a love affair with a young man who left to make his fortune in shipping when she was only nineteen. He promised to return for her by Michaelmas, but when he never did, she had to move on with her life. Now she’s a forty-year-old spinster, caring for her aging mother and living off the charity of others—a devastating fate for someone once so ready to begin her life. Sarah can write a damn book. This novella was heartbreaking, hopeful, and full of feeling.

If you’re an Austen fan—especially if one of these three novels is your favorite—Ladies in Waiting is worth the read. ★★★★☆

[Rox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to @kayepublicity for the ebook! I don't read anthologies often and am so glad to have gotten the chance to read this one early. It publishes November 4!

If you are a Jane Austen fan, you will enjoy this anthology. A bunch of amazing romance authors take on Austen's side characters and tell their story and their HEA. Fun, right?

While I found all of the shorts enjoyable, there were three standouts:

- Eloisa James' Sense, Sensibility and Snapdragons which is about Margaret, Marianne's Little Sister. It's got childhood friends and second chance and is full of pining and swoon. I've already reread the last few scenes 3x - this is especially perfect if you love romances where the MCs have nicknames for each other (I'm obsessed with Snaps here just like I was obsessed with Lemon from The Seven Year Slip and Plum from Beautiful Player).

- Lace and Larceny by Nikki Payne reimagines Caroline Bingley as New Orleans society. It's got opposites attract and road trip as tropes and it is a clever retelling. This is likely the only universe where I'm Team Caroline so kudos to Nikki for a compelling argument for her in her author's note and a deft execution in this story.

- The Triumph of Hetty Bates by Sarah MacLean. It's got love at first sight and second chance as tropes and is gloriously achy and swoony at the end. Sarah knows how to write a low point and then to properly deliver on an earned hea. She was my gateway to historical romance and this cements why I continue to be a fam.

All three of these are five stars and make this anthology something you should check out. And then once you love these, go check out these authors' other works!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of short stories by some big name authors reimagines many of the side characters from Jane Austen's novels. Standouts for me were the ones by Nikki Payne, Sarah Maclean and Diana Quincy. Lydia's story especially struck for me as she is one of the arguably most unlikeable Austen characters and in this version she is an older widow now getting wooed by the local vicar who has had a crush on her since they were children. It was a beautiful second chance at love and life story and it was easily my favorite! Great on audio and a must read for all Austen lovers!

[Ariel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a hard one to rate. I am not usually the biggest fan of short story collections and I thought I would give this one a chance because I love Jane Austen. I cannot help but to think that some of these authors do not even like Jane or her characters, while others obviously love them. As I have come to expect this collection was full of some high highs and many lows.

Miss Bates Bobs Her Hair **
The Bennets of Jane Street *
What Georgiana Wants *
Sense, Sensibility, and Snapdragons ****
The Elizas **
Lydia's Story ***
Lace and Larceny ***
The Triumph of Hetty Jane Bates ****

Overall Rating 2.5 stars

[Amy North · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think overall this was a fun collection. Some of the stories were far stronger for me than others - the highlights were from Diana Quincy, Nikki Payne and Sarah MacLean. This was still a fun way to celebrate Jane Austen's big birthday!

** I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Bailey Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this set of short stories to be much more fun than I expected. Loved the range of perspectives and characters. Would recommend! 4.5 stars

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clever concept. Well written. Inspired by Jane Austen characters. Crafted by a cast of modern female authors. A great addition to Jane Austen inspired sequels, prequels, and retellings.