BEING MARY BENNET is a standalone novel by J.C. Peterson. I would consider this a “New Adult” novel. The protagonist, Marnie Barnes, is legally an adult but is in school and dealing with a few family issues, a tangled romantic life, and an unintended path to self-discovery. Reading this book was very personal for me because I strongly empathized with the main character. This is a good book for readers who enjoy a well-written, character-driven story.

At the opening of the story, we see that Marnie is a little socially awkward, but with a school roommate who tries diligently and sweetly to be her friend. She needs a friend. From Marnie’s perspective, her large family treats her like the “Mary Bennet” of the group. She forever feels like she must prove she’s equal to her attractive and overachieving sisters, and worthy of attention from her academic father and positive rather than negative attention from their dramatic and judgmental mother. It strikes a nerve when her roommate Adhira makes the comparison and labels her a “Mary” as well. These perceived jabs by family and a new friend inspire Marnie to lose some of her “Mary” ways and adopt a slightly different, and more inviting persona. Perhaps predictably, there are mixed results. Adhira just cautions Marnie to make changes for the right reasons. J.C. Peterson writes a compelling story with multifaceted and realistically flawed characters. As far as her burgeoning, and confusing love life goes, longtime romance readers and watchers of romcoms will immediately see which suitor is the real deal and which is the jerk. It takes Marnie a beat or two before making the same determination, but she learns to trust her gut feelings. The fireworks and butterfly feelings of an early attraction are a nice contrast to the uneasy feeling of discovering that you were completely wrong about somebody you thought you cared for.

BEING MARY BENNET is a nuanced story about self-acceptance and trusting the right people. I think there’s a balance between angst and drama, along with the humor and flirtations. Adhira is adorable and an entirely suitable candidate for BFF. Personally, I would have liked to see a bigger mea culpa from Marnie’s parents, but I was ultimately ok with their responses in the end. In addition to the PRIDE AND PREJUDICE parallels, I liked the ANNE OF GREEN GABLES allusions as well. I look forward to reading J.C. Peterson’s next book.