The Other Bennet Sister (by Janice Hadlow)

I was going to start on the ToB shortlist, I swear, but then this popped up in my library holds and I couldn't resist! It's a retelling and continuation of Pride & Prejudice focusing on Mary Bennet.

This is absolutely fanfiction, though of course this version of Mary is easy to root for and her London adventures and romantic plot are delightful. I liked Hadlow's take one some characters (Mr. Collins, the Gardiners) and less so others (Charlotte, Elizabeth, Caroline Bingley) but almost all of them felt out of character. Hadlow borrows plot elements and references from other Austen novels, which makes it feel even less organic.  

But that being said I enjoy fanfiction, especially in a case like this, where Hadlow really nails the narrative voice and the milieu. I would love to see her take on Sanditon (it needs a decent ending). I should probably have saved this for 2021 and counted it as "fanfic" for the Read Harder Challenge, but I've got a Villaneve fic ready to go.

If you're an Austen fan and don't mind fanficcy interpretations of all your characters, you could do worse!