Kitty Bennet's Diary

Pride and Prejudice Chronicles #3

by Anna Elliott, Laura Masselos (Illustrator)

A story of hope and second chances in Regency London... Kitty Bennet is finished with love and romance. She lost her one-time fiance in the Battle of Waterloo, and in the battle's aftermath saw more ugliness and suffering than she could bear. Staying with her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London for the winter, Kitty throws her energies into finding a husband for her hopelessly bookish sister Mary, and discovering whatever mysterious trouble is worrying her sister Jane. But then she meets Mr. Lancelot Dalton, a handsome clergyman with a shadowed past--and discovers that though she may be finished with love, love may not be at all finished with her. Kitty Bennet's Diary is Volume 3 of the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles. It can be read alone, but refers to events from Volumes 1 and 2. Kitty Bennet's Diary is appropriate for all ages. The Pride and Prejudice

Genres: Romance, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical Romance, Regency, Historical, Regency Romance

268 pages, Paperback

First published March 15, 2013

About the author

Anna Elliott is an author of historical fiction and fantasy. She enjoys stories about strong women, and loves exploring the multitude of ways women can find their unique strengths. She was delighted to lend a hand with the Sherlock & Lucy series, and thrilled to continue a new spin-off series featuring Becky and Flynn. Her first series, the Twilight of Avalon trilogy, is a retelling of the Trystan & Isolde legend. She wrote her second series, The Pride & Prejudice Chronicles , chiefly to satisfy her own curiosity about what might have happened to Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and all the other wonderful cast of characters after the official end of Jane Austen’s classic work.

WEBSITE: http://sherlockandlucy.com
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/sherlockand...
FACEBOOK READER GROUP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/77782...
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Anna-El...

Anna lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and five children.

Reviews

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

What can I say? I read the 3 books in this series in 3 consecutive days. My house is a mess and I have nothing ready for dinner. I've had a lot of stress in my life and needed a mental vacation. I would say the ridiculous behavior where all the Austen characters avoid talking and have soap opera drama seems far fetched, but I have 2 daughters and unnecessary drama happens a lot. I can relate to Mrs Bennet and her frazzled nerves!

[Bubbly · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed in Kitty Bennet's Diary. :( I liked the start of the book a lot; the preview of Kitty's first diary entry was really funny and it made it seem like Mary would play a large role in the story. However, after the first few entries, the writing and direction of the story sort of fell apart. The writing seemed forced and choppy, especially with Mr. Lancelot Dalton showing up everywhere and Kitty being shocked every time he appeared. It wasn't as well-written as Georgiana Darcy's Diary and Mary was only briefly mentioned and acted very scatter-brained throughout; it was almost as if she was just thrown in for another underdeveloped side story. She -- along with Jane and some of the other original Pride and Prejudice characters -- acted very unlike themselves, and there were a couple of semi-distracting typos (ie. changing character names). Also, I think the author took a lot of liberties of what could be done during the time period -- for example, I don't think Kitty would have been able to run around the poorer dangerous districts of London alone!

[Robyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love to read stories of what others think about what happened to the characters in Pride and Prejudice. And this was a cute story- however, at times this authors makes the characters respond and act in too modern of a way. Also there are parts that do not stay faithful to the period. A family like the Gardiner's, although not gentry, were wealthy. They would have employed a nurse for their baby- not their niece to watch her. Nor would Jane have had her daughter sleeping in her dressing room and not had a nurse for her as well. Also, it was poorly edited- the soldier who came and asked for money of Kitty was named Mark Chamberlayne- but in several places he is called Ben. It made me start to wonder if I missed something. All of these and other similar incidences detracted from the story.

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Conclusione di questi bei sequel di Pride and Prejudice scritti dalla penna di due dei personaggi secondari più amati: Georgiana Darcy e Kitty Bennet.
Quest'ultima, soprattutto, segue un percorso tortuoso, già cominciato nel precedente libro della serie, ma alla fine avrà il finale che Jane Austen aveva deciso per lei; anche se per questa giovane frizzante e spericolata, appena un pelino meno spregiudicata della sorella minore, Lydia, sembra strano che il marito scelto per lei da Jane Austen fosse proprio un ecclesiastico.
Comunque, la Kitty di Elliot nel precedente romanzo ha attraversato la Manica con Georgiana - anche se per scopi tutt'altro che nobili - ma poi ha ricevuto una durissima lezione e adesso è diventata una ragazza molto matura, tanto da trasformarsi in una super-eroina, che in questo diario si trasforma in salvatrice sia per la sorella Mary - vittima del suo medesimo errore, che Kitty tenterà di far rinsavire con metodi poco ortodossi, anche se a sua insaputa - sia Jane, coinvolta in un intrigo con una collana che fa quasi ripensare ai Tre Moschettieri. E in un D'Artagnan in gonnella, in effetti, si trasforma Kitty, sempre pronta a vezzeggiare nipotini e cuginetti, con cui improvvisa giochi sempre divertenti, conquistando un Mr. Darcy tutto suo, che la sorprende sempre nelle situazioni più improbabili, e che si innamora di lei proprio per il suo carattere solare, sbarazzino e altruista.

[Audiobook Accomplice (Gillian) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4-stars and a Fave!
Move over Lizzie B. Kitty has morphed into an AWEsome heroine here!!!
My Full Review →

[GG · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice ending to the series. Kitty was a nicer person than I originally thought.

[K Whatsherface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cheesy little series. I would probably be a lot harder on if it hadn't been a while since I read pride and prejudice. It's far from perfect but fun

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this one also had its period inaccuracies (proper, well-to-do maidens would certainly not have been assisting with a birth), it was an enjoyable read. She created a Kitty that was both likable and relatable and who grew over time. I found Mary’s development and transformation less believable,

[Mickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one too. I liked the first two more, since I like Georgiana's character better BUT Kitty does come around and isn't so silly, flirty and selfish. She comes to her senses to be a sensible girl and I liked reading her love story as well. She married for love instead of just to be married which is good and it all worked out in the end (of course). Mary even gets married, it was fun to read her bit of a story as well. It was a good little series to read in between books.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all three books in this series in 2.5 days and this final book in mere hours. I could not put it down once I started reading (which resulted in finally going to bed at 2am, but it was worth it).

Kitty Bennet is one of the "forgotten" Bennet sisters - she is not the pretty eldest sister, Jane, nor is she her witty and fun-loving sister, Elizabeth, both of whom made wonderful matches and have true love and wealth. She is not her plain, priggish sister, Mary and she certainly is not her vivacious and flighty (to be nice) youngest sister, Lydia. Kitty is the fourth of five and is frequently remembered as being silly and following Lydia's lead. When Pride & Prejudice ends, we get a hint that she spends time at Pemberley and becomes much less silly, but Jane Austen told us what her fate is, through a nephew: she marries a clergyman and Mary marries one of her Uncle Philips' clerks. How did Kitty go from the silly, flighty girl to a woman who marries a clergyman - a fate that she and her younger sister feel would be worse than any other in P&P? Anna Elliott shares how Kitty grew from the girl we got to know in the previous book in the series to a sober shadow of herself after viewing the horrors of Brussels during the Waterloo campaign and helping in the aftermath.

This book, as the two previous, are told in a diary format. The diary format allows for more introspection from the characters, but at times the writing can feel stilted - there is a lot of "overhearing" private conversations between other characters to convey information to the audience. That said, the format is engaging and made it hard for me to put the book down.

I needed a "fluffy" book to read and came across this series - I definitely recommend to any fans of Pride & Prejudice! I only wish there was a series from the characters in Persuasion (my favorite Austen novel).

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we left Kitty Bennet at the end of Pride And Prejudice, she was a silly, empty-headed girl, although the Epilogue explains that she eventually matured without the influence of her younger sister. In this continuation of Pride And Prejudice, we get to see her as the intelligent young woman we know she becomes.

In the third book of the series, Kitty has lost her first love at the Battle of Waterloo. She is visiting her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner in London with her sister Mary. She has no intention of falling in love again until she meets Mr. Lancelot Dalton. Written as her diary, we follow her adventures in London as she works through her feelings for Mr. Dalton, and helps her sisters.

The plot moved at a fairly decent pace, and I greatly enjoyed the diary format. I did feel as if the characters occasionally acted more ‘modern’ than they would have during the time period. Some of the story lines were conveniently wrapped up, and I wish more time had been spent on them. All in all, it was a light, fun read, and, as an Austen fan, I enjoyed seeing the romance evolve throughout the story.

[Barbara K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a lot of fun to read after the much more serious second in the series. I came to love Kitty Bennet and her ability to really take a look at herself and her past behavior. Then, she has all these encounters with this handsome man, and she manages to wind up feeling so clumsily exposed around him that it's difficult for her to take herself too seriously.

The story has its serious moments, but overall it's lighter reading, and I loved the plot that Kitty and friends came up with to help her sister Jane out of a jam. The humor here is delightful. The romance kept me turning pages, and I'm very glad now that I held out and finished the series.

I think my favorite thing about this series is that there was such a variety in plots while at the same time such consistency in the characterization. Where growth took place over time it was completely believable. Bravo to the author for three very satisfying reading journeys.

[Rosemary Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title. (Audible)

I have been a fan of this author since I first began buying books on Amazon in 2016.
I have read both the books and listened to the audiobooks of each title.
On purchasing this title, I had to go back and revisit the other titles in this series, and I am so glad I did.
Based on Pride and Prejudice, the characters we encounter in that epic tale are then given a new life within these titles. What hadn't been explained as to what happened to those characters and their lives are now known and applauded as a final outcome for our Elizabeth and Darcy legendary tale.

[Deb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not think I would enjoy this book, even though I really enjoyed the first two in the series. You see, Kitty Bennett was not someone I cared about. Like her sister, Lydia, she was an airhead & cared WAY too much about the soldiers in her town. However, Kitty went through a life changing experience. Could she really change? This tale also has side stories involving Kitty’s sisters Mary and Jane. I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this book very much.

[Charles Mooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice end to the series

I enjoyed reading this, the last novel in the Pride and Prejudice Chronicles. We finally get to see all of the Banner sisters married off. There is the usual and expected drama and problems that go with people trying to maintain respectability by not saying what they are really thinking. But, this is still a good conclusion to the story of the Banner sisters and we'll worth reading.

[Regan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I did love this re-read of the series, I did wish that there were more of a wrap up in some of the characters from the other books, especially what happened to Caroline and Frank Fitzwilliam. I know they were supposed to be happy together but I would have liked to know at least the name of the baby. I also wish that Wickham would have gotten more justice than exile in France.
However I did enjoy this book and would recommend this series to everyone.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kitty grows up. She learns more about her sister Mary and Mary is quite funny and full of surprises.
Caroline Bingly isn't nearly as wicked as Louisa and Kitty finds a way to help her sister Jane.

'kissing him, was like kissing a sheepdog!'

I also liked the author's note at the end of the story.

[Teresita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever wondered what happened with Kitty?

This narrative gives you a very credible version in an interesting story that will surely keep you turning page after page.

This whole series is wonderful, just give it a chance.

[Craftyhj · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

A lovely end to this story as Kitty comes into her own as she learns more abilities herself and seeks to help Mary in her hunt for a husband.

There are a small number of anachronisms but this is too delightful to allow them to damage the reading experience.

[Kimbolimbo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I hope there will be one more book after this one. So much fun. I have no idea if Jane Austin was a very jealous author, but I hope she'd be honored to have so much fan fiction written about her characters, I really hope she'd like what this author has done to expand the P&P world.

[Frida Wåger · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I could read it fore the first time again, I would. Kitty have always been a forgotten character amongst the Bennet sisters. Having this connection with Kitty and seeing her struggles and se her personal growth. It makes me want to be a better person too.

[Viveka · Rating 5 out of 5]

as great as the previous two books in the series!

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series!

[Scarlett G. Novack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much better work then expect ed.

Some very interesting twist and turns. However very heart warming. I enjoyed the further revelations about the family at large. Good reading.

[amypete · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good for P and P fan fiction.

[Jayme Nelson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always wondered what happened to Kitty and Mary. I love seeing their stories played out!

[Ariane · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 probably the most enjoyable for me out of the series.

[Dawn Timan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I liked that Mary's character was flushed out and how Kitty handled the situations. Kitty's character showed a lot of maturity and I enjoyed her HEA.

[JBReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to see more into the life of Kitty and Mary. Kitty is the perfect redemption story. We know she married a clergyman, and this story tells the how and why.

[Lorraine Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kitty

Loved this book,even though is was by a different author,I still loved the follow up to the original Pride and Prejudice.