The Second Life of Mrs. Charlotte Collins

By Miranda Markwell

From the world of Pride and Prejudice comes an exhilarating story of a woman finding her own voice and happiness and pursuing love on her own terms.

When her awkward but serviceable husband dies ten years into their marriage, Charlotte Collins — née Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Bennet’s close friend in Pride and Prejudice — is suddenly granted a level of independence and freedom that few of her peers have. She moves into Longbourn Estate with her son, Henry, and for the first time considers how she might serve her own happiness. The frank interest of Hertfordshire’s young minister stirs exciting feelings of attraction in Charlotte, but she is not eager to remarry.

Meanwhile, an Italian friend of her neighbors the Bingleys, Mr. Ossoli, tutors eight-year-old Henry in drawing and encourages Charlotte to find her own calling. Charlotte’s desire to write a book for young women about the reality of marriage scandalizes her friends but brings her closer to Mr. Ossoli. Can Charlotte find love without the associated confines of marriage? She is determined to find out.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bryant Street Shorts
• Release date: Oct 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781094414317

Book preview

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Reviews for The Second Life of Mrs. Charlotte Collins

[Adeola I. Eleri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the new Charlotte but dislike how the Bennett girls were portrayed.

[Robin Bailey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love the independence, the intelligence and the heart of Charlotte.

[Elisabeth · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Not at all in the style of Jane Austen. It is a modern romance in regency costumes: people are on first name basis after two conversations, Charlotte says « honestly » more often than a shallow reality show contestant pretending to have deep thoughts... Other than Charlotte, the characters from Pride and Prejudice have a completely different personality, and not for the better. It also manages to be repetitive in how often Charlotte justifies her marriage to Mr. Collins and tells herself that she doesn’t want to remarry. Fans of modern romances in historical settings who don’t care for Pride and Prejudice may (will) like this book more than I did.