When I discovered that Rachel Parris (of Austentatious) had written a novel centred on the ever-practical Charlotte Collins, I couldn’t wait to read it.

This episode of Pemberley and Beyond dives into a delightful reimagining of that Austen fans won’t want to miss. Introducing Mrs Collins offers a fresh and entertaining perspective on one of Austen’s most infamously unromantic characters. Known for her sensible outlook, Charlotte’s carefully ordered life at Hunsford Parsonage is suddenly thrown into disarray when a charming and unexpected gentleman visits Rosings Park.

Join me as we unpack the three main tropes in this clever continuation of Pride and Prejudice and muse on the romantic potential of Mr Collins.

In this episode, we are delving into The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub.

Published in 2023, this epistolary novel picks up where every scene ends in Pride and Prejudice, à la Rosencratz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Weaving together tropes galore with wit and witchcraft, this is an exciting new voice within the Jane Austen Inspired literary world!

As regular readers/listeners of Pemberley & Beyond will know, my last experience of stepping outside my comfort zone of Pride & Prejudice retellings ended in disaster. Nonetheless, I fell head over heels for the beautiful cover of Emma of 83rd Street when I saw it in my local library. I know that there’s that old chestnut about not judging books by their cover, but what can I say? I'm a sucker for a fun cover!
When I beheld it, I thought to myself… could this book break the curse of terrible non-Pride and Prejudice retellings?