Perception

By: Terri Fleming

Narrated by: Lucy Scott

Perfect for fans of Pride and Prejudice, Perception continues the adventures of the Bennet sisters in the Regency world we all know. For lovers of Austen and sequels Longbourn and Thornfield Hall to reimaginings like Eligible and Death Comes to Pemberley, this is a sweeping historical epic to savour.

Mary Bennet does not dream of marriage. Much to her mother's horror, Mary is determined not to follow in the footsteps of her elder sisters, Jane (now Mrs Bingley) and Lizzy (now Mrs Darcy). Living at home with her remaining sister, Kitty, and her parents, Mary does not care for fashions or flattery. Her hopes are simple - a roof over her head, music at the piano, a book in her hand and the freedom not to marry the first bachelor her mother can snare for her.

But Mrs Bennet is not accustomed to listening to her daughters. When one of Meryton's wealthiest residents reveals her son is returning home, Mrs Bennett is determined to hear wedding bells ring for one of her girls. Thrown into society, Mary discovers that promises can be broken, money can conquer love, and duty is not always a path to happiness. But by the time she realises her perceptions might be false, might she have missed her chance at a future she'd never imagined?

©2017 Terri Fleming (P)2017 Isis Publishing Ltd

Critic reviews

A charmingly written evocation of what might have happened to the remaining Bennet sisters. Very enjoyable (Katie Fforde, Sunday Times Number One bestseller)

Splendid Mary and Kitty Story

Lucy Scott is another new-to-me narrator for the JAFF genre. Her performance is emotive and smooth, ensuring the personalities of all the characters were perfectly portrayed.

This Pride and Prejudice sequel focuses on the lives of Mary and Kitty—the two remaining unmarried Bennet daughters. It begins a few years after the weddings of the other three sisters. Both sisters have matured somewhat, but still struggle in overcoming their faults. Mrs. Bennet hasn’t changed much and is still determined to find husbands for her two still unmarried daughters. Mr. Bennet still leans on the indolent side, yet still participates socially, including the occasional travel. There are quite a few new characters, all well portrayed by the writer for their particular roles. We also get a very nice glimpse of the Darcys and the Bingleys living their HEAs in Derbyshire.

Mary is a young, unfashionable bookworm who is rarely asked to dance, is shy and lacks confidence in social situations. When an heir returns to the neighborhood, he asks her to assist in cataloging his library. When she finds herself more interested in just a friendship, she begins to lean on Kitty’s fashion advice and takes her into her confidence. Later, even Elizabeth and Jane will have a hand in this. She is eventually transformed into a conversant woman who is beautiful, fashionable and confident. Mary faces what she believes is an insurmountable problem, however; her potential mother-in-law dislikes her and wants an heiress for her son.

Kitty on the other hand has been missing the companionship of Lydia, since married to Wickham and now living in America. She has no real interests in common with Mary until they begin sharing confidences and advice. Kitty has learned some lessons from Lydia’s near ruin, but will she forget them when a potential rake gives her attention?

As the title depicts, the story is about perceptions. In fact, I perceived it was the many misperceptions which occurred that formed the plot. In Mary’s case especially, so many that her HEA is threatened when she almost gives way to them.

I especially loved the genuine love and camaraderie that developed among the sisters, but especially Mary and Kitty. The book is very well written with good dialogue and introspection.

Highly recommend.

amazing story

very well imagined sequel to pride and prejudice. a wonderful story of the younger bennit sisters.

The depth of Jane Austen's writing.

I found the story very interesting. The book goes into a lot of detail about the personalities and character of the protagonist and many other characters. In this way it reminded me of Jane Austen's writing.

I liked seeing all the sisters becoming closer, and Mary growing and maturing without losing her essential character. The narrator really brought the story to life.