The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet

'A triumph of a book, and an utter delight from start to finish' Thomas D. Lee, the Sunday Times bestselling author of Perilous Times Jane Austen meets Bridgerton in this slow-burn sapphic romance between Charlotte Lucas and Mary Bennet, taking place four years after the end of Pride and Prejudice. It is a truth universally acknowledged that love always blooms in the unlikeliest of places. When Mr. Collins dies after just four years of marriage, Charlotte is lost. While not exactly heartbroken, she will soon have to quit the parsonage that has become her home. In desperate need of support, she writes to her best friend, Lizzie. Unable to leave Pemberley, Lizzie sends her sister, Mary Bennet, to offer support in her stead. To Charlotte's surprise, Mary Bennet is nothing like she remembers. Mary's discovery of academia and her interest in botany (as well as getting out from under her mother's thumb) have caused her to flourish. Before long, Charlotte is enraptured - with Mary, and with the possibilities that lie beyond their societal confines. With each stolen glance and whispered secret, their friendship quickly blossoms into something achingly real. But when her time at the parsonage begins to dwindle and potential suitors appear, Charlotte must make a choice - the safety and security of another husband, or a passionate life with Mary outside the confines of the ton's expectations. Set in the beloved world of Jane Austen, The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet is the swoony sapphic regency romance that readers have been waiting for.

Lindz McLeod is a queer, working-class, Scottish writer. Her short work has been published by Apex, Catapult, DIVA, and many more, while her longer work includes the award-winning short story collection TURDUCKEN (Spaceboy, 2023), as well as her books SUNBATHERS (Hedone Books, 2024), QUEEN O'NINE TAILS, (Hedone Books, 2025), THE UNLIKELY PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET (Harlequin/Atom, 2025), WE, THE DROWNING (Android Press, 2026), and the collaborative anthology AN HONOUR AND A PRIVILEGE (Stanchion, 2025). Her work has been taught in schools, universities, and turned into avant-garde opera. She is a full member of the SFWA, the club president of the Edinburgh Writers' Club, and is currently studying for a PhD in Creative Writing.