so-soI liked the characters in this book and the trajectory of their romance, and I loved the language of flowers aspect—that was really well done. I was also interested in the depiction of people living under-the-radar queer lives in Regency England. But Charlotte frequently annoyed me and I was very frustrated with this book as P&P fanfic. There were a lot of little ways it differed from canon, plus one big one, a convenient wealthy eccentric aunt.
I spent the weekend at the shore with my family—here‘s proof of reading on the beach!
I really want to like this book—sapphic! Jane Austen! Language of flowers! And there are some parts I love. But there are other parts that drive me nuts. Such as the consistent misspelling of Longbourn as “Longbourne” 🙃
To coincide with the big Best Books of 2025 (So Far) list, here are some of the best historical fiction books of 2025 so far! I would wholeheartedly add Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, which I read shortly after writing this.
Some new crafts to do while I listen to my audiobook 🎧📖 So far I‘m enjoying this sapphic take on Austen 😊
pickThis is a lovely historical romance retelling / follow-up to Pride and Prejudice in which Charlotte Lucas Collins and Mary Bennet get a chance at love. I loved the development of Chatlotte and Mary as characters and the exploration of queer life during the Regency period as well as the language of flowers.
pickI quite enjoyed this sapphic Pride and Prejudice continuation. With every book that begins in JA‘s world I always look for authors to stay true to the characters I know and love as well staying true to time and place. And McLeod does that while giving me a story of exploring Charlotte‘s awakening to who she is and finding the courage to be herself.
Her post showed up on my IG feed so I commented and she responded. Fun!
#WeeklyFavorite
The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet | 
