Mary Bennet has never had the grace and charm of her sisters, Jane and Lizzie, or the confidence of her other sisters, Lydia and Kitty. Instead, she is the serious and often awkwardly blunt one whom even her parents never see getting married. However, when scandal with Lydia erupts and Mary goes to visit Jane, she meets Henry Walsh, a man who may or may not show her what love really is.

THE PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is beautiful, deep, and so Austen-esque in narration and style that it has to go on my favorite book list. Mary Bennet absolutely soars to life in this book. Her character is shown in a fresh light while somehow keeping her non-conventional attitude and displaying how lovable she really is. The details that go into her thought process from the books she's read to how she sees the world are superb and are complimented by the excellent descriptions of the world around her in society. The style of writing by Pamela Mingle shows nothing less than high talent in bringing together the Jane Austen like prose with modern syntax.

Henry Walsh could never replace Charles Bingley or Fitzwilliam Darcy in my heart, but he proudly stands next to them. The character development he brings about in Mary, as well as the development she brings to him, sends their obvious chemistry off the charts. He, too, is serious as Mary is while being one of the kindest male love interests I have ever seen in a historical romance. He will not cease to be a highly enjoyable character to read about.

Whether you are a die-hard Austen or someone who watched the movies about her books, THE PURSUIT OF MARY BENNET is something you don't want to miss. It now has a secure spot on my shelf, and I am eager to see what else Pamela Mingle has and will create as a writer.