Published By: Hodder & Stoughton
Pages: 320
Released On: 06/11/2025
Charlotte Lucas has never been a romantic. Practical to a fault, she accepted Mr Collins’s proposal with clear eyes and a steady heart, trading passion for security. Life at Hunsford Parsonage may be quiet and predictable, but it is hers to manage – and she’s determined to make the best of it, whatever Elizabeth Bennet may think.
That is, until an unexpected guest at Rosings Park turns Charlotte’s careful world on its head. He sees her, challenges her – and a spark is lit. But true contentment is not only about who you choose to love, but who you choose to be. For the first time, she wonders: has playing by the rules kept her on the sidelines of her own life?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I am always a little nervous about books like this, when a secondary character from a classic is given their own book, because I do wonder if it’s really needed. And I must say, I’ve never really given much thought to what happened to Charlotte after Pride and Prejudice ended. But this is really rather good.
I do know Rachel as a comedian, and I believe this is her debut novel, and so I had no expectations upon her writing going in, but I know I wanted it to be good.
She has taken what makes Jane Austen’s book so beautiful, and given it enough of her to ensure it’s not a carbon copy, because there’s no point trying to copy Austen because you’ll always come second best. But I liked how she’s balanced the traditional elements but in a newer book.
Again, Charlotte Lucas was not a character I really thought about, but my first instinct is that Rachel seems to have found her correct voice. She feels like a real person. And yes she might be a girl set in the early 1800s, but she still feels really recognisable.
I didn’t like Mr Collins, but I didn’t like him in the original, so in that sense, Rachel has depicted him perfectly. And what’s quite funny, is if I imagine him, he always takes the form of Tom Hollander in the 2005 film adaptation, and that’s all I could see and hear whilst reading this, and it did make me giggle to myself a few times.
In keeping the original heart of the story, it means it is heavy on the description and scene setting, which is how I feel most classics are. This can take a little time to get into, especially if you’re not one to read classics all that often and expect it to get stuck straight in, but overall I didn’t mind it too much. I did think some parts were too slow, even for this kind of story, but I suggest you stick with it because it’s worth it.
Now, if you’ve read Pride and Prejudice or watched any adaptation, then you’ll obviously get much more out of this book, but I think it would still be enjoyable for those going in new.
This might be Rachel’s first novel but it’s a triumph. You can’t compare it to the original so please don’t try because you’ll always be disappointed. This is its own story with its own merits and is really very enjoyable. I wonder if she will continue writing in this vein – adaptions – or if she’ll stretch her wings, but either way, she is definitely ging to be someone I keep an eye out for.
Books By Your Bedside 