Mary Bennet Finally Gets Her Due

Expected Publication:  November 26th, 2013

The Pursuit of Mary Bennet: A Pride & Prejudice Novel

By: Pamela Mingle

William Morrow Paperbacks

ISBN-13:  9780062274250

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 for an awkward bookworm like Mary Bennet. But with nearly all of her sisters married and gone from the household, the unrefined Mary has transformed into an attractive and eligible young woman in her own right.

When another scandal involving Lydia and Wickham threatens the Bennet house, Mary and Kitty are packed off to visit Jane and her husband, Charles Bingley, where they meet the dashing Henry Walsh. Eager and naïve, Mary is confused by Henry's attentions, even as she finds herself drawing closer to him. Could this really be love—or the notions of a foolish girl unschooled in the art of romance and flirtation?

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.*

Full Moon Crazy

Published: December 10th, 2011

The Heiress and Her Fake Fiance

By: Kimberly Hope

Gateway Reads, LLC

ASIN:  B006KSVXVG

When her father starts manipulating her life again, Jessica Heymore needs an escape and time to determine her next move. She runs to Blakely and the safe haven of her grandmother’s house. Except Grandma didn’t mention the house was occupied. Now she finds herself living with the star of her high school fantasies. Matt Lawson has moved back to Blakely to prove he’s more than they thought the son of the town drunk could ever be. An accomplished landscape designer, he’s looking for a wife who will stay in the small town and help him set down strong roots on the right side of the tracks this time. But Jessica’s grandma has a penchant for matchmaking and now the whole town is talking about the future for these unlikely roommates.

Review

   Jessica Heymore thought her life was pretty good.  She had a great boyfriend turned fiance, the perfect job with an advertising agency and she got it all without the help of her family's influence - that is, until she finds out her Dad is conspiring with her fiance to sign a contract with their ad agency.  To escape from the disappointment and a broken heart Jess runs away to Blakely and her Grandma's empty house.  At least that's what Grandma led her to believe.  In reality her high school crush, Matt Lawson, is living there and taking care of the property for Jess' Grandma.  At first they are fighting over who gets to live there and who needs to leave, but when Jess' Grandma (known for her pranks and mischievous nature) begins showing possible mental deterioration, they band together to learn once and for all if it's just a prank or Grandma needs serious help.  Along the way Jess and Matt finally come to terms with their feelings for each other.  But will they be able to give up their stubborn denials for a happily ever after?  After reading the book (which is pretty funny) I was left a little disappointed.  I share the same complaint as some other readers - it should have been longer.  One hundred and thirty-six pages was not NEARLY long enough to truly flesh out the characters, give a detailed history of their past relationship and resolve all the conflict preventing them from connecting romantically.  It was a very cute romance and the idea was worthwhile. It just could have used more expansion.  I identified with Jess' devotion to her Grandma, determination to make her own way in life and her way of dealing with the originally unrequited love for Matt.  On the other hand, her blatant lack of reasoning is obvious when at the beginning of the book she's about to marry a man she doesn't love.  SAY WHAT???  And she knows it!!!  Matt came across as hot, kind, understanding and the perfect man for most of the book.  Except for the fact that he was undeniably sexist in his expectations for a relationship.  Plus his wife hunt was slightly hard to stomach.  Grandma was probably my favorite character and even she wasn't that developed as an individual.  She was really funny though.  Overall a cute, funny romance but it needs to be edited and expanded a little bit more.  I'm interested to see what Kimberly Hope does next! :)

VERDICT:  3/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published December 10th, 2011.*

I'm So Over It

Expected Publication: September 18th, 2012
Burn for Burn
By: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9781442440753

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.

Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Review

   Lilllia has always been pretty, popular and has a great family life.  She manages things well until the night she has too much to drink at a party, and a boy goes to far even though she says 'no.'  Not to mention her younger sister seems to be having sleepovers with one of Lillia's guy friends (Alex Lind), lying and sneaking around.  She can't seem to count on her best friend Rennie, who seems more mean girl than friend lately.  So Lillia decides to get revenge on Alex herself - with the help of outcast Kat and not-so-new girl Mary.  Kat wants revenge on Rennie herself.  A long time ago they used to be best friends, until Rennie decided to ditch her and spread nasty rumors about her that ruined her seputation.  Now Kat is fed up and wants her to pay for what she's done.  Mary also wants revenge.  She came back to Jar Island specifically so that she could get back at one of the most popular boys in school, Reeve, who drove her to try committing suicide in the seventh grade and turned everyone against her.  Now she wants him to feel the pain that she's felt all of these years.  At first the girls are united under a drive for revenge and things run smoothly, just a little fun.  But when things get taken too far and someone ends up in the hospital, will the girls be able to live with themselves?  I thought the idea for the novel was intriguing and I loved Jenny Han's Summer series.  I'm not such a big fan of Siobhan Vivian, but I felt like with two writers it would easily overlooked.  I loved the narration for Lillia.  The poor girl was trying to please everyone in her life, while still keeping something for herself.  My main complaint would be that the rape was majorly glossed over.  It didn't affect Lillia nearly as much as I thought that it would.  Also, her entire 'revenge' issue could have been settled by simply freaking TALKING TO ALEX!  All the same, for me she was the most sympathetic.  With a horrible best friend like Rennie, sympathy is in order.  Second in my mind was Kat.  I identified with her ostracization, the rumors and the somewhat poor upbringing she had in comparison with her classmates.  I definitely understood her motivations for revenge and why Rennie was the target.  I mean, it wasn't enough to just ditch Alex she had to ruin her life as well, on the heels of the loss of her Mom.  The one character I didn't connect to AT ALL was Mary.  I felt like she was part of an after-school special, not a book.  She was very one-dimensional.  I never felt like I, as a reader, got much insight into her mind.  She was far more of a telling character than a 'showing' one.  The situation with Reeve felt very untrue and not very realistic (at least in my experience).  The plot was a little slow to unfold, but once it did it went really smoothly.  All except for a really abrupt and in my honest opinion, ridiculous ending.  Even if there is a sequel I don't forsee myself reading it.  The ending ruined any good feeling for the rest of the book on my part.  The hint of supernatural thrown in on the last few pages didn't fit in at all.  It was the Waldo of the 'Where Is Waldo' book series.  Not a book I will re-read or recommend.

VERDICT:  2.25/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie. No favors or money were exchanged for this review. It will be available for purchase on September 18th, 2012.*

Not Quite Epic, But Plenty of Fun

Published: August 2nd, 2011
Epic Fail
By: Claire LaZebnik
HarperTeen
ISBN-13: 9780061921261


Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?
At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.
When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

Review

  Elise Benton has just been moved from a perfectly average life in Massachusetts with her parents and three sisters, to California.  She is living among children of movie stars and going to school with them because of her parents' jobs as Principal and a teacher at the exclusive private school.  Immediately her older sister Julianna starts crushing on popular Chase and Elise is forced to spend lots of time with him and his best friend Derek.  She mistakes Derek's hesitance to trust people for snobbishness and the belief that he's above everyone else.  This leads Elise to get involved with social pariah Webster Grant, who knows all the right things to say, but may not be all that he seems.  All the while, she's trying to corral her younger sister Layla and stop her reckless behavior.  Will Elise be able to set aside her first impressions and realize that Derek is not as bad as he seems?  Can there be more than friendship blooming between them if she allows it to happen?  I went into this book not realizing that it was a retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  But the minute I realized this I was taken in completely.  I love Austen retellings, and devour them like no other!  This book was no exception to that hunger.  I loved Elise's playful humor, but her density when realizing Webster's true colors and Derek's good nature was slightly annoying at times.  It felt like it took to long at times and was unnecessarily dragged out.  But I adored the interactions between Elise and Julianna, they were like real sisters in the way the talked to each other.  Their relationship wasn't overly idealized.  Layla was just as bratty in this book as Lydia in the original, but there was more of a cause for it.  You could tell that she felt left out and stuck in the middle of her older sisters and the little sister, Kaitlin (who in the original is much closer to her in age).  It was a cute book and I enjoyed the romance and all of its minor obstacles.   But I wouldn't suggest it to people who are looking for a deep book to read.  This is more of a fluffy book, for fans of the original or those who can look on it as its own book.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores and online.*