My latest Cross stitch #Litsycrafters @curiouserandcurioser @Catsandbooks - a fun quote from a fave movie. Got the pattern from Etsy and really enjoyed doing it 😀

My little one is about to turn 7 months and already he likes a good book! We recently read the tagged book and loved it - and we‘re on track with our #1000booksbeforekindergarden journey📖📚

#Pemberlittens What a great continuation to our beloved P&P. Mary is a great character and deserves to have her story told. The author did a great job of immersing us into Austen‘s world. Thank you to @sprainedbrain for allowing me to lead our read through and thank you to those who read along with me! See you all for the next Austen-esque read!

#Pemberlittens Ch.93-95 Whew, we did it! Finally, our prayers are answered and Mary and Tom actually speak to each other honestly about their feelings, and he proposes! Thank heavens because they‘re perfect for each other and I really wanted to see Mary happy. We hear that Ryder ran off with Caroline (😲), Mrs.B gets the satisfaction of seeing all her daughters married, and I think we can safely say that Mary and Tom get their HEA. A great ending!

#Pemberlittens Ch.91&92 Mary knows she can‘t marry Ryder when she is in love with Tom so she turns him down - Mrs.B is pissed and leaves in a huff. Mary is so depressed, and to make things worse she runs into Caroline who tells her that Ryder is now going to be rich and can Mary promise she‘ll never marry him? The nerve! At least Mary stands up for herself well. Tomorrow we finish the book and see if Tom finally makes us (er..Mary) stop waiting.

#Pemberlittens Ch.89&90 Well, Ryder comes back and apologizes for his free love no marriage idea. He actually proposes for real, the way a lady deserves. But Mary still loves Tom and doesn‘t accept right away. Her mother is badgering her to accept, no surprise there, but even her aunt says…maybe accept Ryder and be secure. Although I wonder how much money he‘d still get from Lady C de bourgh if he married Mary…either way, big decision for Mary now

#Pemberlittens Ch.85-88 - Back in London, Mary waits desperately for Tom to make contact but he‘s MIA. She does see a lot of Ryder, though, and unfortunately her mother comes for a visit. Mrs.B senses prey in Ryder and attacks - trying to get him to propose to her last unmarried daughter, even when Mary begs her to stop. Ryder does tell Mary he wants to run away with her- and thank heavens she declines because it isn‘t marriage he‘s looking for😳

#Pemberlittens Ch.81-84 A storm‘s brewing on the mountainside. The guide and Tom insist they must head down but the rest of the party (ugh - Mary included) resist. They stay, get soaked and Tom is angry - and rightfully so. Why must Mary be so stubborn? Tom leaves their holiday with nothing but a note and Mary is heartbroken. Can she repair the damage done? Or is it too late for them?

#Pemberlittens Ch.79&80 Mary and Tom climb a mountain- literally and figuratively- it seems as though their romance is an uphill struggle and it‘s all self inflicted! Can they get over themselves and the restrictions society imposes upon them in time to save their budding romance and put us readers out of our misery?

#Pemberlittens Ch.73-78 Sorry for being MIA! The Gardiners, Tom & Mary are joined on vacation by none other than Ryder, Caroline 😬 and the Hursts. Their idyllic little party is sadly interrupted by snobbery and of course, Ryder - a competitor for Mary‘s attention. Tom is jealous and instead of simply talking to Mary about his feelings, he gives up. And Mary, instead of declaring herself, gets mad. Gah these two! So frustrating!

#Pemberlittens Ch.71&72 Mary, Tom and the Gardiners are having a spectacular time going around the countryside. Mary and Tom are feeling closer than ever and Mary realizes she‘s in love with him! And she thinks maybe he loves her too! Everything is coming up roses-but wait, there‘s a midnight arrival at the inn. Whoever could that be? 🙄 I think storms are in the forecast.

#Pemberlittens Ch.69&70 The Gardiners leave on their journey to the Lake District and stop in at The Bingleys‘. Mary is at first worried about returning, but Jane greets her warmly and her mother…isn‘t terrible. They continue on their way and stop at an inn to meet up with Tom. Mary and Tom admire the scenery and he says her first name! That‘s a big deal back then! If this was a 90‘s sitcom, the audience would be saying “Oooooooooohhhhhhh!”

#Pemberlittens Ch.67&68 The Gardiners are set to go on their vacation to The Lakes and Mary is very happy to hear Tom is joining them. He writes her a sweet note which proves he hasn‘t forgotten her. But before they can leave, Mary runs into Ryder who talks her into getting ices with him - and proceeds to charm her. I hope Mary doesn‘t get too confused! Stay on the path to Tom, Mary! It‘s what you/we really want! Right?

#Pemberlittens Ch.65&66 - Tom gets a clue that Ryder is interested in Mary, and gets the impression that maybe Mary likes Ryder back! Mary likes Tom but feels good at having Ryder‘s charming attention, and wants to stick it to Caroline. But will Tom stay away now that he thinks Mary isn‘t interested in him? Will Ryder keep pursuing her? Oy, this love stuff is tricky business. Can Mary handle it? Or will she go back to the rational side of life?

#Pemberlittens Ch.63-65 Mary and the Gardiners go to Ryder‘s for dinner and Mary is exiled to the wrong end of the table by the conniving Caroline Bingley. Caroline is determined to keep Mary away from her man (poor Ryder) and goes so far as to warn her off! But our Mary doesn‘t cower-no, she stands up tall and gives it right back to the b—ch! Yay Mary! We‘re so proud of you! Keep it up - but try to go for Tom…that‘s where your heart is happy.

I had three really good reads this month and it was hard to choose a favourite! But Salem, the newest release by Sandy Alvarez and Crystal Daniels took top spot. They also wrote my January pick Until Easton. They‘ve been killing it recently - I love them. Can‘t wait to see what my favourite month of the year, April, brings!

Unfortunately I can‘t add these two books to Litsy to review because of a glitch, but I wanted to post my last two March entries for #roaringwolf : Grace for “Green or Gold” and Home for “Rainbow”. Both books were excellent ends to their respective series. @Littlewolf1 @Roary47

#Pemberlittens Ch.59-62 (I think I‘m caught up now) - on a few fun outings (to Vauxhall Gardens and St.Paul‘s) Mary has run-ins with a new gentlemen, Mr.Hayward‘s friend Mr.Ryder. Ooh I sense a bit of trouble from him, especially since he seems to be Caroline Bingley‘s new target…That woman is just the worst! Can Mary hold her own against this vile shrew? If she keeps seeing Ryder will that jeopardize what she‘s building with Tom?

#Pemberlittens Ch.55-58 Ah Poetry, the language of love! Mary and Tom exchanged books and had some wonderful discussions over their choices. Mary realizes she can feel and has the heart for poetry. And perhaps she has the heart for Tom as well. Romance could be in her future after all. But is Tom just being friendly? Perhaps she should keep her feelings to herself.

#200PnPCovers @CrowCAH @mabell In #Pride & #Prejudice, Mrs.Bennet is desperate to receive #proposals from #rich men for all the Bennet #siblings, so much so that she risks Jane‘s health by making her go to #tea at Netherfield Park in the rain, hoping her #sickness will catch her a husband. Lydia and Kitty hope to catch the attention of the #soldiers stationed in Meryton, so they often #travel on #walks to meet them. (I think I got each prompt in!)

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell Let‘s see if I can catch up on what were supposed to be daily posts…when #parents were raising gentle ladies, they were accomplished if they could play #music. Another acceptable past time was reading #novels - but not too much and nothing too intellectual! In The Other Bennet Sister Mary much prefers “smart” books and her mother, who reads novels, disapproves.

A sweet contemporary sports romance with just enough angst to make it interesting. #roaringwolf “Luck” @Roary47 @Littlewolf1 #wickedwords “luck/lucky” @AsYouWish

#Pemberlittens Ch.51-54 As we reach the 1/2 way mark, if anyone wants to be removed from the tag list let me know - I know some of you have finished the book already🙂 Mary decides to accept Lizzy‘s gift of new clothes and she gets to go shopping with Mrs.Gardiner. They have a great time much to her surprise and they meet Mrs.Gardiner‘s cousin‘s son, Thomas Hayward. Dare I say sparks fly between Mary and Tom? Especially at her first dinner party.

This was a great contemporary romance - Book 3 in this series and my favourite so far. I loved Isaac and BJ as a couple - their romance was unexpected but so great to read. #roaringwolf @Roary47 @Littlewolf1 - my pick for “cheers”. Also my 2021 pick for #19822022 @Librarybelle

#Pemberlittens -sorry I‘m a bit behind (baby is teething!) Ch.47-50 Mary loves being at the Gardiner‘s, a warm house filled with love. Mrs.Gardiner is wonderful and wants Mary to think better about herself. She also notices how dowdy Mary dresses on purpose and suggests some new clothes - Lizzy offers to pay for them as a way to make amends! But can Mary accept such a gift? Are we about to get our movie makeover moment?

#Pemberlittens Ch.45&46 - Mary decides to visit the Gardiners in London, her aunt and uncle. She is warmly welcomed by the boisterous family and taken on a tour of Gracechurch street near Cheapside where you can buy anything if you have the money! Surprisingly Mary enjoys the crowds and shop windows - but she also had a great companion in Mrs.Gardiner. Perhaps Mary will find a kindred spirit in her friendly aunt.

#Litsycrafters #Acrylicbookmarkswap @peanutnine thank you so much for this lovely bookmark - it is so me! @aperfectmjk @LiseWorks @Catsandbooks @Readergrrl @MaleficentBookDragon @Charityann

#Litsycrafters #Acrylicbookmarkswap @LiseWorks I love this bookmark, and the thought behind it - thank you! @Catsandbooks @Charityann @MaleficentBookDragon @Readergrrl @aperfectmjk @peanutnine

#Pemberlittens Ch.43&44 - The snotty Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives, and points out that Mary should be a governess - after all what else has she got going for her? Charlotte encourages this and even goes so far as to tell Mary (finally) that she‘d better leave HER house and let her work on her marriage. Mary needs to find another situation for herself and quick, to avoid the prospect of miserable gainful employment.

#Pemberlittens Ch. 41&42 - Mary has it pointed out to her by Mrs.Hill how it might look that she spends so much time with Mr.Collins in the library so Mary sadly has to put a stop to it. Mr.Collins understands but opens up that maybe he regrets not marrying her instead because they are likeminded scholars and could have been happy. Ugh. Poor Mary - that‘s what she said all along! I‘m surprised she didn‘t pack her bags right away and leave.

@sprainedbrain @Chrissyreadit @DinoMom #springequinoxswap #ostara — Sharon! So much care went into this box I‘m in awe! I absolutely love the dish towels used as wrapping. What a fantastic idea! I loved everything you picked, but especially the tarot book and the crystals, and the letter seals…oh and the spoon! Oh who am I kidding it‘s all fantastic! Thank you 😊

#200PnpCovers @CrowCAH @mabell I decided to put #marriage and #money together since they so often went hand in hand. They were constant thoughts in daily life in Jane Austen‘s world.

#Pemberlittens Ch.37-41 Double Entry today! Mary continues her study of happiness, Mr.Collins finally notices her and the two start studying and discussing and dare I say flirting (for two people who don‘t know how to flirt) - and Charlotte is about to pack Mary‘s bags and show her the door.

#Pemberlittens Ch.35&36 Mary as usual tries to understand the world around her. While there should be no reason for the Collins‘ to be unhappy, it seems they are - at least Mr.Collins is. Why? Mary decides to turn to her old friends - her father‘s philosophy books - for answers. Does anyone else wonder how long these visits typically lasted? Was it rude for the mistress of the house to be like-you‘ve been here way too long?

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell #mail I love that this book of recipes was inspired by Jane‘s letters.

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell When I think of #laughter I think of Kitty Bennet, probably because of her portrayal in the 2005 movie where she was so so giggly. Here she has her own book - I wonder if it‘s amusing?

#Pemberlittens Ch.33&34 - Mary arrives at Pemberley and is happy and bonding with Lizzy until Darcy returns with his sister Georgiana-Lizzy‘s new BFF. Mary realizes there‘s no place in their bliss bubble for her so she heads to Longbourne to visit Charlotte Collins. Maybe the former spinster can give her advice on her future. Maybe, after she gives Mary the tour of all the improvements she‘s made to her former home - kinda rude, no?

#Pemberlittens Ch.31&32 Two years have passed and all the Bennet daughters are married except poor Mary. Mr.Bennet dies and the dreaded entail comes to pass, leaving Mrs.Bennet and Mary homeless. Mrs.Bennet is perfectly happy to stay with Jane forever, but Mary is quietly tortured by the horrid Caroline Bingley who puts the Mean in Mean Girl. When Mary can‘t stand the abuse any longer, she decides to escape to Pemberley, and contemplate her future

#Pemberlittens Ch.29&30 - End of part 1 and Charlotte lands Mr.Collins much to Lizzy and Mrs.Bennet‘s dismay. Charlotte imparts advice: “I caught him because I went for it and really chased him, pride be damned. Also, how can you expect anyone, let alone a man, to like you if you don‘t like yourself?” I hate to say it but she‘s right. Mary sees what her future holds and it is bleak…will she have the courage to change her path?

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell This book is, in my humble opinion, the most romantic of Jane‘s works. #Love

#Pemberlittens Ch.27&28 - I‘m not trying to be funny with that kitten meme. I genuinely feel sorry for Mary. She tries and tries and keeps getting kicked around. She tries to impress Mr.Collins but the clueless moron still proposes to Lizzy - who of course says no! And Mary is too distracted and distraught to swoop in and make her move. Good thing Charlotte is there - you know, such a good friend keeping Mr.Collins busy and all.

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell When I think of a woman in #hysterics I think of Mrs.Bennet, and the fact that Mr.Bennet must roll his eyes #hundreds of times a day…

#Pemberlittens Ch.25&26 It‘s the Netherfield Ball and the Bennets come crashing through polite society like the Kool Aid man crashes through a wall - it‘s messy, and there will be a lot to clean up afterwards. Mr.Collins oversteps, Mrs.Bennet loudly gossips - Elizabeth is ashamed, Mr.Bennet is amused - but don‘t worry, Mary‘s singing will surely win the night and smooth ruffled feathers. Right?

#Pemberlittens Ch.23&24 - Mary is certain she would make the most rational match for Mr.Collins. Despite Mrs.Bennet telling Mary to stay out of her matchmaking schemes (ugh!), Mary decides to take any opportunity she has to try to woo the clueless Mr.Collins. When he doesn‘t react much to their shared tastes in books, Mary thinks music will impress him. We‘ll see if her efforts are successful at the upcoming ball.

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell I‘ve yet to read Lucy Worsley‘s book on Jane but I‘m sure it talks about her #houses, or rather where she lived. Another for the TBR!

#200PnPcovers @CrowCAH @mabell How did gentle and high ranking regency women keep busy? This book describes some #hobbies they had. Ah to be so accomplished.

#Pemberlittens Ch.21&22 Welcome Mr.Collins! While he gets busy making a fool of himself and being dismissed or made fun of by most of the family, Mary starts to see that perhaps marrying him and securing her future and the finances of her family is the rational thing to do - he can‘t be that bad, can he? And if he is, she can fix him right? So now she just has to catch him - I‘m cringing already.

#Pemberlittens Ch. 19&20 -sorry for late post! We see the true genius matchmaking skills in Mrs.Bennet as she sends Jane out in the rain in hopes she will be forced to stay at Netherfield Park. Her plan works! Poor Jane takes ill and can‘t leave for like 2 weeks. Lizzy goes to check on her, Mary advises against it and Lizzy snaps, and Charlotte hopes Jane makes good use of her time to secure Mr. Bingley. We also find Mary is a closeted romantic.

@Catsandbooks #Litsycrafters #acrylicbookmarkswap Leila, I just love this bookmark! So pretty! Thank you so much! @aperfectmjk @LiseWorks @peanutnine @Readergrrl @Charityann @MaleficentBookDragon

@aperfectmjk #Litsycrafters #Acrylicbookmarkswap - Malina your bookmark and sweet message really made my day. Beautiful! Thank you 💙. @Catsandbooks @LiseWorks @peanutnine @Readergrrl @Charityann @MaleficentBookDragon