The Second Mrs. Bennet
Genres: Historical Romance, Regency
Release Date: April 26, 2024
Pages: 311
Get from: Amazon | Kobo
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆ (-1 for errors)
When Charlotte Lucas becomes the new Mrs. Bennet, taking charge of the household after her predecessor’s untimely death, she guides the fates of the five Bennet sisters with a steady hand. Even Mr. Darcy can find little to criticise in the elegant family, and much to admire in the witty, clever Elizabeth.
However, rumours and scandals brew when the charming but deceitful Mr. Wickham arrives in Meryton. Jealous Caroline Bingley fans the flames against the Bennets, but level-headed Charlotte manoeuvres each challenge with grace.
As Elizabeth warily forms a complex acquaintance with the aloof Mr. Darcy, Wickham’s schemes threaten to tear them apart. But with Charlotte’s wise counsel, Elizabeth unravels Wickham’s lies and protects the vulnerable Georgiana Darcy, earning Darcy’s undying respect and admiration.
Follow the romantic adventures of the Bennet sisters as Charlotte’s steady guidance steers them towards happier fates than they ever imagined possible. With resilience and compassion, love finds a way, demonstrating the enduring power of family.
Review
NOTE: This review is based on an eBook I purchased from Amazon.
There are **SPOILERS** in this review.
The underlying story arc of The Second Mrs. Bennet (TSMB) — Charlotte has been Mrs. Bennet since the first died in childbirth 10 years ago — has promise. After all, I’ve read several books where she makes a huge difference. But in TSMB, this main story alteration doesn’t seem to matter.
Jane and Elizabeth aren’t particularly changed, although Charlotte does give them gentle nudges here and there. And, of course, having been their mother, rather than their friend, for the last decade, their relationship is completely different.
Mary is the most changed of the sisters, having seemingly abandoned, or never picked up, her habit of parroting scripture and dressing severely. But, she plays a minimal part in this story.
Lydia is as brash and inappropriate as ever, with Kitty mostly following despite also getting minimal page time. The book opens with Charlotte correcting Lydia’s behavior — she throws a strawberry with a squaw of indignation in response to Lizzy’s teasing — which leads you to think the blurb text is true and the family is elegant and refined. However, you soon learn that the author has instead chosen to leave Lydia outrageous, somehow engaging in all kinds of objectionable behavior without Charlotte correcting her — or even learning about it in some cases.
I can’t wrap my head around sensible Charlotte allowing Lydia and Kitty — who are not out in TSMB — to walk to Meryton unchaperoned. We are also supposed to believe that the officers flirt with girls who are clearly not out — given they would be dressed as such. This leads me to believe that the author does not understand Regency society and expectations in the least. This is backed up by Bingley announcing his engagement to Jane without speaking to Mr. Bennet first.
Generally, when reading a Pride and Prejudice variation, I try to ignore historical inaccuracies, especially with good stories. I tend to read them as “alternate universe” stories. However, with TSMB, they only added to the list of problems I have.
I’ve seen several reviews refer to plot holes in TSMB. However, they strike me not as plot holes so much as errors in continuity that an editor — or possibly even just some beta readers — would easily catch.
Among the most egregious errors are Georgiana’s and Lydia’s reactions to Wickham. It becomes clear, as the book progresses, that Georgiana’s visit to Ramsgate occurred just as it did in canon. This would mean she would be fully aware that Wickham was only interested in her money and harming Darcy. However, Georgiana still grants him a private conversation and even considers eloping with him, as though the Ramsgate debacle never happened.
Lydia, on the other hand, complains about the amount of attention Wickham pays to Georgiana when he first sees her. Then, Kitty mentions that Wickham and Anne plan to elope, which must mean Lydia knows, too. But, rather than mention either, when Wickham declares he loved her “from the moment I first beheld you” she falls into his arms. Even if we assume she’s stupid, which this Lydia doesn’t seem to be, she would at least still be jealous and mention his attention to and plans with Georgiana and Anne.
TSMB has multiple other things that fell into either the historically inaccurate or continuity error categories, but I don’t want to go on much longer. The book wasn’t wholly bad, though. There were some good moments, so I can’t say I hated it. But, there were enough problems that I preferred to stop and add notes on the errors rather than read straight through, and that says a lot.
About the Author
Catherine Bilson grew up in a 14th century manor house in North Wales and spent most of her youth making up stories about the people who might once have lived in it. She ran off and married a handsome Australian a few years later and lives with him and their two sons in the permanent sunshine of Queensland.
Catherine writes original Regency romance, Austen-inspired variations, and Pioneer American romance. She also writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense as Caitlyn Lynch.
You can find her at catherinebilson.com or caitlynlynch.com
Author links: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon Author Page
Have you read The Second Mrs. Bennet? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.
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