cover image I’m Not Charlotte Lucas

I’m Not Charlotte Lucas

Kasey Stockton. Covenant, $14.99 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-1-524-41951-6

The upbeat latest from Stockton (Pleasantly Pursued) follows the eponymous heroine as she seeks a happier ending than her Pride and Prejudice namesake. “Charlie” Lucas is 26, leads a ho-hum love life, and has recently moved back in with her parents. She works at a bank and spends her free time drinking Diet Coke, watching period romances, and running errands for elderly neighbor Vera. When Vera asks Charlie to accompany her grandson to a charity ball, she reluctantly agrees. Though she falls for him, she’s convinced Liam is out of her league: he dates movie stars, is gorgeous, and manages to live a life of service as head of his own charity. To forget him, she gives her humdrum dentist ex, Andy, another shot. But as her friendship with Liam deepens, she realizes she, like Austen’s Charlotte, may be settling rather than striving for true love. The zippy narrative makes up for what it lacks in surprise with a charmingly flawed heroine and lots of Austen references. Stockton’s fans will delight in this. (Feb.)