Kate Rorick

The first half of this book is hard to get through. Not because it's boring, but because it's painful. At the end of LBD, we feel so good about the progress Lydia has made, about her growth, and about the place she is at the end of the show. We're certain she's going to be okay. But life doesn't follow neat little narrative arcs. People don't change quickly or neatly. Pulling a life back together is a hard series of two steps forward and one step back. The first half of this book focuses on show more the steps back. We see Lydia fail, sometimes on accident sometimes because of her choices. We see her get discouraged. We see her almost give up. And I didn't want that. I wanted my happy ending back. But that wouldn't have been true to Lydia's character. She does pull forward again in the second half, and her growth by the end of the novel feels real and earned and that story is well told, but dang it Lydia, I just want you to be happy.

And I love that Ricky offers Lydia a job as a sign waver in Winnipeg, Manitoba. show less

Like any good fan of the Lizzie Bennet Diaries, I had bought The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet and loved it. I was therefore super excited to see that there was going to be a second book from Lydia’s point of view which takes place after the end of the series. SQUEE. I knew immediately I needed the book in audiobook form, since Ashley Clements had done such a fabulous job narrating the first one. I hoarded one lone Audible credit for months long after I had declined to renew my show more subscription just to purchase this book in audio.

Totally worth it. Mary Kate Wiles is a skilled voice actor and created different voices for each new character, and mimicked the ones we already knew from the web series. She definitely added a depth that I would not have gotten from just reading the book myself.

The book follows Lydia as she tries to move on past the events of the web series and regain her confidence and sense of self. She starts out optimistic on finishing her classes and transferring to college in SF. She even has plans to share an apartment with cousin Mary, who has moved in with the Bennets for the summer until then.

But in Lydia fashion, things don’t go as planned and she has to hit bottom again to truly move on and grow. Lydia shows that we can be our own worst enemies, both in our actions and our thoughts. But by getting through her new troubles, she grows and matures in a way that she never did post-Wickham, and I'm glad for that.

True confession time: I hated Lydia in the web series. She was annoying, bratty, self-centered, and egotistical. Even while I felt for her after Wickham, I still did not like her very much as a character. This book changed that. It got me inside her head so I understood that yes, she's a flake and selfish, but I understood her a bit better, and that at her heart she does care for other people and wants to do what is right. Plus, she stopped being so everything I disliked in this book and started growing up.

Hopefully there will be a third book in the near future focusing on Jane. One can dream. :-D show less

I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book.

What a fun read. It reminded me a bit of Big Little Lies, but funny and without a death in the plot. The story circles around a group of young mothers and their toddler children who all attend the Little Wonders Preschool. The writing is laugh-out-loud funny and the scenarios are real and current. This is a clever commentary on the pressures felt by young mothers/career women to be perfect and successful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet, which is based on the web series The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, was an absolute delight to read. The novel is a modern-day retelling of Jane Austen's beloved Pride & Prejudice, one which I think does justice to Austen's original characters and story. The star of the book is communications graduate student Lizzie Bennet, whose thesis project involves making video diary entries chronicling her life and that of her family, and posting them on the web with the help show more of her best friend, Charlotte Lu. Lizzie's path soon crosses with that of William D'Arcy, an arrogant and standoffish businessman who arrives in town when his friend, Bing Lee, rents a home near that of the Bennet's. What follows is a tale familiar to any fan of Pride and Prejudice, albeit one told from a 21st century perspective.

I've read a few great retellings of Jane Austen's novels, but The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet has to be my favourite. I love how faithful the authors are to Austen's original story, and how they develop each of the characters to be representative of Austen's yet unique and memorable on their own. I had not watched The Lizzie Bennet Diaries prior to reading this book, but I definitely plan to do so now.

Highly recommended to Jane Austen fans. show less