As Pride and Prejudice is my favourite book of all time, I was excited by the premise of this book. Unfortunately, it fell somewhat flat for me. Moffett is clearly a competent writer and I think she was able to capture some of Austen's voice while adding a contemporary spin for easier reading by modern readers.
However, the main failing of this book in my opinion was the characterisation of Charlotte. Many of her actions seemed out of character, particularly her interactions with Rosenstein. I enjoyed seeing Charlotte's perspective of Mr Collins and it endeared me to him. The flashback scenes showing Charlotte's thoughts at the start of their marriage showed a new side to Mr Collins and I would have liked to see more of their early relationship.
I also enjoyed what Moffett did with Anne's character and she was the highlight of the book. It was nice to see her given some agency and her friendship with Charlotte was heartwarming.
There were some inconsistencies with the plot of Pride and Prejudice but the author does explain this choice in her author's note at the end.
Overall, there were elements of this book that I enjoyed but it felt like an unnecessary sequel which at times read too much like a historical romance (not that there is anything wrong with that genre, it just isn't what I wanted from the story) and didn't fully capture the wit and social commentary of Austen's work.
However, the main failing of this book in my opinion was the characterisation of Charlotte. Many of her actions seemed out of character, particularly her interactions with Rosenstein. I enjoyed seeing Charlotte's perspective of Mr Collins and it endeared me to him. The flashback scenes showing Charlotte's thoughts at the start of their marriage showed a new side to Mr Collins and I would have liked to see more of their early relationship.
I also enjoyed what Moffett did with Anne's character and she was the highlight of the book. It was nice to see her given some agency and her friendship with Charlotte was heartwarming.
There were some inconsistencies with the plot of Pride and Prejudice but the author does explain this choice in her author's note at the end.
Overall, there were elements of this book that I enjoyed but it felt like an unnecessary sequel which at times read too much like a historical romance (not that there is anything wrong with that genre, it just isn't what I wanted from the story) and didn't fully capture the wit and social commentary of Austen's work.