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The Clergyman's Wife
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
23 posts | 19 read | 28 to read
For everyone who loved Pride and Prejudice--and legions of historical fiction lovers--an inspired debut novel set in Austen's world. In this Pride & Prejudice-inspired novel, not everyone has the luxury of waiting for love. Charlotte Collins knows it well . . . Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, is the respectable wife of Hunsford's vicar, and sees to her duties by rote: keeping house, caring for their adorable daughter, visiting parishioners, and patiently tolerating the lectures of her awkward husband and his condescending patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Intelligent, pragmatic, and anxious to escape the shame of spinsterhood, Charlotte chose this life, an inevitable one so socially acceptable that its quietness threatens to overwhelm her. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr. Travis, a local farmer and tenant of Lady Catherine.. In Mr. Travis' company, Charlotte feels appreciated, heard, and seen. For the first time in her life Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart--and how breakable that heart can be. With her sensible nature confronted, and her own future about to take a turn, Charlotte must now question the role of love and passion in a woman's life, and whether they truly matter for a clergyman's wife.
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humouress
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley

When Elizabeth rejected Mr Collins in Pride & Prejudice he turned to her best friend Charlotte. We do get a glimpse of her married life in P&P but this is her (supposed) story. It‘s possible to read this without reading P&P; the few relevant details are filled in. I always start Austen continuations with a healthy dose of scepticism but apart from questioning Mr Collins‘s height and first name, which I don‘t remember from P&P, it‘s good.

humouress I‘m a third of the way through but I‘m finding it addictive 2y
humouress ... although I think that has a lot to do with being back in Jane Austen's world. The author does a good job of evoking it. 2y
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eeclayton
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

It's been three years since Charlotte Lucas got married to Mr Collins. The honeymoon phase -- if they ever had one -- is certainly over. She doesn't exactly regret her choices, but she's definitely started to ask some “what if“ questions.
[...] I felt sorry for her and I desperately wanted nicer things to happen to her, but deep down I also felt that this story was real. And while it broke my heart, I was also ... ⬇️

eeclayton ... grateful for the author for putting Charlotte in centre stage and showing that not all regency marriages were created equal.
Read my full review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3510299316
This was my #doublespin for July @TheAromaofBooks
ETA: #pemberlittens
(edited) 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
21 likes2 comments
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LeahBergen
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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An impromptu rainy weekend binge of the 1995 Pride and Prejudice miniseries has reminded me that:

1. I love the odiousness of Mr. Collins‘ character, and
2. I still needed to read this novel about poor Charlotte Lucas‘ life after she becomes Mrs. Collins.

I‘ve VERY pleasantly surprised, thus far!

(And thanks again to @CrowCAH for this lovely #AVeryAustenHolidaySwap gift 😘).

CrowCAH You‘re welcome ☺️ Glad you‘re being surprised by this author‘s take of events for married Charlotte! (I still haven‘t read it) 3y
sprainedbrain I LOVED that book. 🥰 3y
Ruthiella Me Collins is a wonderfully odious character. I find covers where a person‘s head is cut off disconcerting...🤔 (edited) 3y
See All 15 Comments
Cathythoughts I‘m watching it at the moment ... Collins is really well played. We have the Kiera Knightly movie available at the moment too ... ( I find her hard going ... so staying with the 1995 BBC series 👍🏻 3y
rubyslippersreads I haven‘t read this yet, but I enjoyed 3y
LeahBergen @CrowCAH I think you‘ll enjoy it, too. 😊 3y
LeahBergen @sprainedbrain I‘m not finding any of the characters disconcertingly different from the originals (unlike in so many other pastiches). 👍🏻 3y
LeahBergen @Ruthiella I know! And I purposefully cut even more of the head off with my bookmark placement. I‘m not a fan of this cover art. 😆 3y
LeahBergen @Cathythoughts The later movie sure has its fans but (for sticking closest to the original novel) nothing can beat the 1995 series! 3y
LeahBergen @rubyslippersreads Oh, good to hear! I‘d been eyeing that one. 3y
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts @LeahBergen I‘ve only seen snippets from the Kiera Knightly version but I don‘t think I could manage to watch it because I want to brush their hair in every scene ! I know they didn‘t have hair spray back then, but COME ON! 😆 3y
LeahBergen @Ruthiella Yeah, it‘s definitely a “feral” Pride and Prejudice. 😆😆 3y
Cathythoughts @Ruthiella 😂 😂🤣 3y
rubyslippersreads @LeahBergen @Ruthiella Is that the one where we see Mr. & Mrs. Bennet being, um, more intimate than Jane Austen ever depicted? Certainly too feral for me. 😏 3y
Ruthiella @rubyslippersreads oh gosh! Now I REALLY don‘t want to see it. 😂 3y
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Schlinkles
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Now onto this month‘s Jane Austen book club pick for Tuesday

review
DanaManiac
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

4 ⭐️

I really enjoyed "rereading" P & P from Charlotte Lucas' perspective. I always liked her character for how pragmatic she was, but always wondered how she would have managed once life was up and running with Mr. Collins. The portions dealing with her home life, motherhood and her reflections on her own childhood felt very realistic to me. The scenes with Mr. Travis, not so much.

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inthegreensandblues
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

I loved this look into Charlotte Collins's life a few years into her marriage, especially after recently re-reading Pride and Prejudice. I was satisfied with the way the author filled in bits of Charlotte's backstory, Lady Catherine was properly vexing, and Mr. Collins exasperating. Charlotte's own story is poignant.

#PemberLittens
@Laughterhp thank you for sending to me! 🤗

rubyslippersreads I‘ve been wanting to read this one. 4y
inthegreensandblues @rubyslippersreads this is the first post-P&P one I've read, I'm really interested in some of the others I've seen around, like the ones about Mary Bennet. 4y
LitStephanie Love the sleepy kitty! 4y
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MaureenMc
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Enjoyable Pride-and-Prejudice-adjacent sequel, focusing on Charlotte Lucas Collins‘ life after marriage. I‘ve always liked Charlotte, and Greeley did an admirable job of fleshing out her character. #PemberLittens

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kspenmoll
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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#bookspin #bookspinbingo #August

I only read 3 books, so I plan to keep this list until I finish. I do have a bingo board, but no luck there! Happy to be doing this @TheAromaofBooks , even if its my own version of the game! .so thank you!!‘

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Sometimes you gotta make the game work for you! 😂 4y
65 likes1 comment
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kspenmoll
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

#Pemberlittens #chapteraday #RegencyEngland #bookspinbingo

Focusing on Charlotte Lucas & her role as a vicar‘s wife to William, whose “manner at once endeared him to me and irritated me thoroughly”, this spin off, seen through Charlotte‘s lens, is engaging.Women had only two options then:to marry for security or be unmarried and a financial burden to her family.
I

sprainedbrain I loved that book! ❤️ 4y
kspenmoll In Austen style, this novel fleshes out Charlotte daily life, her struggles at acceptance of her choice, her efforts to grow into her role as a vicar‘s wife. The startling discovery that she can be both seen and heard makes her question love, passion, and her role in her world. 4y
kspenmoll @sprainedbrain I did too- the writing was so descriptive of both the environment and her inner life. I never thought much about Charlotte- so glad this author wrote this -a wonderful social commentary as well! I never would have read it if not for #Pemberlittens Thank you!!!. (edited) 4y
TheAromaofBooks I have been meaning to read this one, so I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed it!! 4y
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JeffyRoo
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
Pickpick

"I long ago determined to live my life not in noisy discontent but in quiet acceptance"

#Pemberlittens
This is a first person narrative of Charlotte Lucas's life with Collins, a few years after they married. It feels so real, so like the lives of women throughout the ages, in marriages they had little choice but to accept.

I very much enjoyed this book. Well written, with a beautiful melancholy of the reality of Charlotte's situation.

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inthegreensandblues
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Only #Bookmail in the box today🤸🏻‍♀️ Thank you so much for the birthday treats, Mikala! @Laughterhp

umbrellagirl Those both sound great! 4y
Laughterhp Yay! Glad they made it there and sorry they were a little late. 😬☺️ 4y
30 likes2 comments
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Scochrane26
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

I took a detour from my planned books for this quick read. I love the cover and the concept, & Littens have seemed to enjoy it. I‘m giving it a pick because I enjoy most Austen-related books, & I liked spending time with some characters again. I thought I would enjoy Charlotte‘s story more though—maybe it was the large doses of Lady Catherine & Mr. Collins. 3/5 ⭐️

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Jas16
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

If it touches on Pride & Prejudice I will read it and then likely complain about it for days after.This book surprised me by exceeding my expectations and being something I will recommend to friends that are even more serious Janeites. The depictions of characters we know and love feel true to the original as Greeley shows us Charlotte‘s marriage to Mr. Collins and the consequences of her prudent decision to gain security through a loveless union.

LiteraryinPA Great review! 5y
Eyelit Your first sentence is me in a nutshell, 😂 5y
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BookNAround
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

If it‘s Pride and Prejudice adjacent, I will read it. Greeley has done a beautiful job in this novel about Charlotte Lucas Collins‘ life. It‘s true to the character Austen drew, offers a look at what this marriage founded on practicality rather than love would look like, and the poignancy of finally understanding what she‘s given up. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2019/12/review-clergymans-wife-by-molly-greeley...

umbrellagirl Sold! You had me at Charlotte but your review was excellent. 5y
kspenmoll Wonderful review! Want to read. 5y
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mklong
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

This was so much better than I was expecting. I‘ve read lots of Pride and Prejudice inspired novels and this is by far the best I‘ve found. Greeley manages to give additional depth to these characters while maintaining the spirit in which Austen created them. A delightful way to start the year.

LeahBergen I‘ve been curious about this one! 5y
sprainedbrain Great review! I agree completely. ❤️ 5y
50 likes2 comments
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Lauren.Archer
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
Pickpick

This will likely be the last book of 2019. Enjoyed this story in the P&P universe, this told by Charlotte after she marries Mr. Collins.

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sprainedbrain
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

I really liked this continuation of Pride and Prejudice from the perspective of Charlotte. The author does a good job capturing the general feeling and humor of an Austen novel, and I love the added depth to Charlotte‘s character. Mr. Collins and Lady Catherine are just as annoying as ever and the little glimpse of Lizzie and Darcy had me sort of starstruck. The end was sad, but it really couldn‘t end any other way and be true to Austen.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Librarybelle I‘ve been interested to read this! Thanks for the great review! 5y
mklong Great review! I hope to get to this this week. I‘m having a little Pride and Prejudice withdrawal now that the 25 days are over! 5y
sprainedbrain @mklong I‘m having a bit of withdrawal, too! Who would have thought after so much of the miniseries. 😂 5y
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HOTPock3tt My favorite part was the lizzy and Darcy! I was starstuck too!! I was like ===>😃😍!! It literally moved this book from a so-so to a pick for me! 🤗 post wedding Lizzy and Darcy!! ♥️🎉🤩 5y
sprainedbrain @HOTPock3tt ❤️ And I thought she wrote them so like Jane might have done. Loved it. 5y
HOTPock3tt @sprainedbrain she REALLY did! It felt like true Austen! ☺️ in some of the continuations, the characters don‘t feel like the same characters 😶 5y
sprainedbrain @HOTPock3tt The ending made me sad, though... poor Mr. Bennet. And poor Charlotte. 😔 5y
HOTPock3tt Me too. I really wanted Charlotte to at least get to experience love in SOME way 😞 @sprainedbrain 5y
HOTPock3tt @sprainedbrain and poor mr Bennett‘. 😭 5y
mklong Right? I can‘t believe I‘m not sick of it. I didn‘t get to do the full binge on Christmas Day because I had too much family stuff going on, so I think I‘ll do an NYE binge tomorrow. 5y
sprainedbrain @mklong I watched the 2005 movie on Christmas Day... we had to go see Star Wars so I didn‘t have time for the full series. 😊 5y
79 likes4 stack adds11 comments
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Laughterhp
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Already doing my planning for #NewYearWhoDis ! All the books on your list look great @BookNAround ! I‘ve never heard of a majority of them!

My library doesn‘t have 4 out of the 19 and of course it‘s the 4 I really want to read 😂

These are the ones I want to start with! And I‘ve added the rest to my TBR to enjoy for the rest of the year!

I hope you are just as excited for the books on my list! 😬😊

Lovesbooks87 Red, White & Royal Blue was one of my favorite reads of the year! 5y
Laughterhp @Lovesbooks87 I‘ve heard so many great things about that book! I‘m looking forward to it. 5y
sebrittainclark I've noticed Red, White & Royal Blue on a lot of lists this year 5y
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BookNAround I have a spare copy of The Clergyman‘s Wife I‘d be happy to send you if you email me your address. whitreidsmama@yahoo.com 5y
Laughterhp @BookNAround Oh that‘s so nice of you! I appreciate it 😊 5y
CarolynM I loved The Fragments and Red, White & Royal Blue too. 5y
Laughterhp @CarolynM The Fragments is one I haven‘t heard of but now really want to read! And of course my library doesn‘t have it! 🤪 5y
CarolynM Let me know if you can't get hold of it. I'd be happy to send you a copy🙂 5y
Laughterhp @CarolynM I appreciate the offer, but I wouldn‘t want you to pay all that shipping to send it over to me! I‘ll probably use one of my Christmas gift cards to get it! 🥰 5y
CarolynM I love sharing Australian books with readers overseas. The offer holds for anything from here you can't get. 5y
55 likes10 comments
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CrowCAH
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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#BookishBox

Received my Ardently Austen Bookish Box!
Book
Pin
Necklace
Mug
Mug coozie
Tarot cards
Candle

Can‘t wait to read the P&P inspired novel!!!

sprainedbrain Ooooooh! 😍 5y
CrowCAH @sprainedbrain did you order one? 5y
sprainedbrain @CrowCAH I didn‘t, but only because I suspect one was ordered for me for Christmas. 😬 5y
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CrowCAH @sprainedbrain oh, I see 😉 5y
LeahBergen Fun! 👏🏻👏🏻 5y
CrowCAH @LeahBergen more Austen bookish goodies for the JA shrine corner to display! ☺️ 5y
44 likes6 comments
review
HOTPock3tt
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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Pickpick

😶 Ok...being a Jane Austen fan, I am intrigued by these continuations but it‘s difficult to capture the original feel of the characters. This author did that VERY well. It‘s a continuation of P&P with the focus on Charlotte which gave her a few more layers. The story was quite slow and yes at times it was boring. Between a pick/so-so. I chose ‘pick‘ due to some pleasant surprises!! But it wasn‘t a memorable read.
⭐️ ⭐️1/2 out of 5

sprainedbrain I had *just* put this one on hold at the library after @mklong mentioned she had downloaded it. I should have it in 2 weeks. 😊 (edited) 5y
HOTPock3tt @sprainedbrain I‘m curious what you‘ll think of it! Tag me so I can discuss it with you. My fave part is a spoiler so I can‘t mention it lol 🤣 5y
CrowCAH I agree, some Jane Austen fanfic pieces fall short, due to they aren‘t JA‘s, but there are some nice ones out there. 5y
sprainedbrain @HOTPock3tt will do, my dear! 5y
sprainedbrain Ok I just finished it. What was your favorite part that you couldn‘t mention? 5y
31 likes5 comments
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BookNAround
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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With the kid at the orthopedic urgent care. Luckily I brought two books because I finished the first one and have started this one about Charlotte Lucas Collins from Pride and Prejudice. I might get far in this one because it‘s an easy read and there‘s not really an end in sight for this visit. 😝

Sace Oh my! 😱 I hope everything is OK! 5y
TheAromaofBooks I hope your young one is okay - and I'll be interested to hear how the book turns out, too. I'm a sucker for P&P variations/sequels! 5y
Soubhiville I hope everything is alright! 5y
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BookNAround Thanks @Sace @TheAromaofBooks and @Soubhiville He doesn‘t have stress fracture so that‘s good but he‘s been put on no activity for 3 weeks, which is not sitting well with him since the season‘s meets start on Wednesday. 5y
BookNAround @TheAromaofBooks So far I‘m liking it (and I‘m more than half finished because we were there for so long!). 5y
Sace @BookNAround Oh ugh! So sorry! 😔 5y
TheAromaofBooks That's sad about the no activity, but at least he doesn't have the stress fracture. Those are so long to recover from!! And I'm going to stack the book. :-) 5y
LeahBergen This sounds like a fun read. 👍🏻 5y
50 likes8 comments
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sprainedbrain
The Clergyman's Wife | Molly Greeley
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I can‘t remember the last time I posted about a book subscription box, but I can‘t remember the last time I was tempted to buy one again. 😂

This one has my attention, and I thought I would share for any fellow Janeites that may also be interested. 🥰

Tagged book is adult choice, there‘s also a YA!

https://www.bookishboxinfo.com/?mc_cid=7f2cf0958a&mc_eid=fc2c1e1ffa

Tagging a few Austen fans off the top of my head...please tag anyone I missed!

wanderinglynn Thanks! This looks interesting. 👍🏻 5y
Chrissyreadit Ohhhh!!! I‘m going to keep that on my radar for after the holidays! Thanks for sharing! 5y
rubyslippersreads 😍😍😍 Thanks for sharing! 5y
See All 15 Comments
CrowCAH Eeek yes will have to purchase the Jane Austen box!!! 😍 5y
Daisey Thanks for tagging me! @sammisho Have you seen this? 5y
Librarybelle Awesome! Thank you for tagging me! 😍 5y
mabell That‘s cool! Thanks for sharing! ❤️ 5y
OriginalCyn620 Awesome! Thanks! 😉 5y
LeahBergen Ooo, fun! 👏🏻👏🏻 5y
quietjenn That is very interesting ... 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Ooo, very nice! 😍 Thanks for the tag! 5y
alisiakae Looks good! 5y
Avanders Thanks! 😍♥️ 5y
Elisa I have been considering this because I love their tees and I‘d love another Jane Austen one, but their book boxes have been letdowns in the past year IMO, and I don‘t like the alternate cover art. Still considering it though because duh, Jane Austen merch 😁 LitJoy is doing one too! 5y
sprainedbrain @Elisa It‘s been a long time since I subscribed to any of them. Thanks for the heads up about LitJoy. I may even take a chance on a YA box to get that Austen theme. 😃 5y
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