Austen Reads: Charlotte Collins by Jennifer Becton

If you have not read my book review policy (link is at the top of the page) then you may not know that since I do write Jane Austen Fan Fiction I do not review Austen sequels unless requested by the author. It is a new policy, but I feel it is a fair one. However, that does not mean I cannot recommend Austen related books that I have read.

I will be posting an Austen related recommendation every Monday as a nice follow up to a Hot Regency Find.

I recommend Charlotte Collins and its accompanying short story Maria Lucas as a great Austen related read. Jennifer Becton is the fabulous author of these works. I always felt Charlotte Collins got the short end of the stick. Being married to Mr. Collins could not have been full of happiness. Jennifer Becton has done a extraordinary job giving Charlotte Collins the love and happiness she deserves. In addition, her sister, Maria Lucas, finds happiness too.

Jennifer Becton’s next book is going to center on Caroline Bingley and I cannot wait.

Charlotte Collins: A continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice



 Publisher: Whiteley Press (August 25, 2010)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1453740473

ISBN-13: 978-1453740477

Available formats: Paperback of E-book

When Charlotte Lucas married Mr. Collins in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, she believed herself to be fortunate indeed. Her nuptials gained her a comfortable home and financial security. If she acquired these things at the expense of true love, it did not matter one whit. To Charlotte, love in marriage was nothing more than a pleasant coincidence.


As the years of her marriage dragged by, Charlotte began to question her idea of love as she suffered continual embarrassment at her husband's simpering and fawning manners. When Mr. Collins dies, finally relieving everyone of his tedious conversation, she must work feverishly to secure her income and home. She gives no further thought to the prospect of love until her flighty sister Maria begs her to act as her chaperone in place of their ailing parents. Hoping to prevent Maria from also entering an unhappy union, Charlotte agrees, and they are quickly thrust into a world of country dances, dinner parties, and marriageable gentlemen.


But when an unprincipled gentleman compromises Charlotte's reputation, her romantic thoughts disappear at the prospect of losing her independence. As she struggles to extricate herself from her slander, her situation reveals both the nature of each gentleman and of true love.

 Maria Lucas: A Short Story in the Personages of Pride & Prejudice Collection





Format: Kindle Edition

Publisher: Whiteley Press (March 5, 2011)

Sold by: Amazon Digital Services

Language: English

ASIN: B004QTOETO

After a great deal of romantic strife, Maria Lucas finds herself married to Mr. Jonas Card in a desperate attempt to extricate herself and her sister Charlotte from a dire financial situation. Mr. Card, however, truly loves Maria and has vowed to woo her. Alas, she views him only in friendly terms. But when it seems that Mr. Card’s feelings have changed, Maria sets out to discover why. And through a series of unexpected events, Mr. Card succeeds in wooing his wife without saying a word.

“Maria Lucas” is a post script to the novel Charlotte Collins: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. As such, it contains minor spoilers, but it can be read as a stand-alone piece.

This is a short story (approximately 5,000 words) and was formerly titled "Maria's Romance."

I hope you will enjoy this blog feature as well as Sundays Hot Regency Find.