The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet: The Electric Queer Retelling of Pride & Prejudice from Mary's Point Of View

by Melinda Taub

Frankenstein meets Fingersmith in this brilliant, queer reimagning of the most most ignored sister in Pride & Prejudice , Miss Mary Bennet

Mary Bennet has always been ignored by her family—her beautiful, perfect sisters, her nervous mother, her disinterested father—but she lives a rich life nonetheless. Inspired by the great men of science of her day, she hides herself away in the attic and carries out experiments, hoping that she might discover or invent something that will allow her to live independently, without having to worry about marriage or entailment.

When an unscrupulous actor takes advantage of Mary's naivety, she responds in the only way she knows by burying herself in her work. And then, a chance combination of a bird's corpse, the right chemicals, and a lightning strike find her considering the she may have just brought the dead back to life.

Mary knows she won't be able to carry out her work alone. And she certainly can't turn to her family for assistance. Happily for her, she has a single truly trustworthy correspondent with whom she can discuss anything—even the principles of reanimation.

But her experiments may do more than bring the dead back to life. If she's not careful, Mary just might find herself in that most puzzling of human falling in love.

A witting, thoughtful reimagining of Pride & Prejudice from the perspective of a truly daring, extraordinary young woman, THE SCIENTIFIC JOURNALS OF MISS MARY BENNET is sure to delight even the most hard-hearted of listeners, alive or dead.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Romance, Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBT, Adult

Audible Audio

First published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I ran out of books on my trip and ended rereading bits of The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet rather than pay another $10 for hotel wi-fi (seriously? in 2025?) for my last night there. I still don't like it as much as its predecessor, the effervescent The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch. The OG Mary Bennet and I have way more in common (bookish, socially awkward, unmusical) than Lydia, yet I found Taub's Mary a bit dull. I mean, resurrection of the dead and questionable alchemy aside!

I think one of the joys of this book's predecessor was that the events were happening at the same time as the familiar ones of Pride and Prejudice, and Lydia's perspective gave a whole new spin to key events like her elopement with Wickham. The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet takes place mostly after the events of P&P, and so there's less creative interpretation (apart from the Mr. Collins fiasco that she never realizes is partly Lydia's meddling) and more original story.

It's a story that at times strays into P&P + zombies territory with Mary's experiments into electricity, leeches, and buckets of blood (all turned into serums with mysterious powers). I think Mary's earnestness translates to a certain lack of humor throughout, and while I didn't hate her story, I was never totally rooting for her, either. Also, do I have to give up my woke card if I admit that the sapphic romance didn't do much for me?

I did like Mrs. Bennet's hidden depths and the explanation for how Mary Bennet came to be such sanctimonious stick in the mud - which she does transcend. But I don't feel any particular need to own this book, so I'm going with three lukewarm stars.

[Jamie (TheRebelliousReader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars. I will always pick up P&P retellings especially if Mary is in the forefront and she’s queer. I love that so I was super excited to read this but unfortunately I found it really dry and not the most interesting read. Great plot, but the writing didn’t work for me. It kept me at an arms length and I never did grow to care about what was going on. Mary was fascinating here but everything else fell flat.

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Taub’s takes on the P&P universe!

Mary Bennet is always portrayed as the “boring” one so I absolutely loved this reimagining. I enjoyed that she had her own adventures hidden away while the “main characters” had their time in the sun. And Mary’s adventures!!!

I enjoyed so many elements of this book. I liked that it was told in a collection of letters and diary entries. I liked that it gave us just enough science talk to follow along but not enough to overwhelm. I liked the dastardly villain (and he WAS dastardly!!!). And I loved Mary & Georgiana’s relationship, especially their inner monologues about it.

I don’t know if there are any more stories we can get from P&P but I would definitely love something else in the Austen world (maybe the youngest Dashwood sister?????).

Thank you to NetGalley, Melinda Taub, and Grand Central Publishing for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

[Emmaline Savidge · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gotta say I’m utterly baffled by the random third act wereowl (?????) reveal. By the end of this book I was also confused why the author didn’t just write her own original regency characters. We’re deviating so much from the idea of a comedy of manners romance, so why not just do your own thing. I think what really made this a two star for me though was the clunky climax. Why were there so many fires? I think P&P sequels/spin offs just work better for me when they’re grounded in a genre like romance or mystery.

[Lisa Wolf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounding up from 4.5 stars. Terrifically entertaining mashup; great storytelling.

[Karyl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too long ago I read Taub’s earlier book The Shocking Confessions of Miss Lydia Bennet, Witch and absolutely loved it. While this book is quite good, I still prefer Lydia’s story just a wee bit more.

I admit that for the first third or so of the book, I wondered if I would DNF it. I’m not the biggest fan of epistolary books, though this one is less letter-like than most. But I still wasn’t feeling it. I kept going, and am glad I did.

I did gasp audibly when it was revealed who Holzmann truly is, and I felt that was masterfully done. Honestly, you’d think a mashup of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein would too strange for publication, but this book works really well. I only wish there were a little more clarity in certain things, like is this a continuation of Lydia Bennet, Witch, hence Mary being able to change lead into gold easily? I assumed this was a standalone until I read some of the earlier reviews that suggested that they are part of the same universe.

Of course, a sapphic storyline is always going to appeal to me, and the line near the end where Mary discusses the fact that the cottage in which she lives is so snug they must share a bed was so adorable. Of all the Bennet sisters, Mary truly deserves a happily ever after, even as insufferable as she is in the original.

[Rach · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Thoughtful and outrageous and heart-wrenching and gruesome and lovely, this reimagined story of the least-thought-of and least-liked Bennet sister, Mary, is the perfect companion to author Melinda Taub’s previous book about notorious bad girl and youngest Bennet sister, Lydia. Mary is often seen as overly severe, awkward, and plain, but what if that’s not who she really is? Or rather, what if it’s not ALL she is? What if her awkwardness is born from her neurodivergence, from the discomfort of trying to fit in to what everyone expects but simply not knowing how? In this story (and perhaps in Austen’s original), Mary just wants to be loved and appreciated by her family, and to have the freedom to pursue the things she finds fascinating, even if they aren’t typical female interests. Part of Mary’s journey is realizing that life isn’t about pleasing others and living up to the public’s expectations, but about building a life and home where you can be your true self and be happy, whatever that might look like. And also realizing you probably shouldn’t bring people back from the dead, especially when you can’t anticipate the consequences.

When I started reading this one, I didn’t realize it was connected to Taub’s Lydia book because they aren’t listed as or referred to as a series in the promo materials, but the second Georgiana Darcy and her mysterious illness showed up I knew they were set in the same world. I was so excited to see this version of Georgiana again, and see her thrive with a friend who truly understood her on a basic level. Of course, there’s the magic of her illness standing in the way, and that definitely puts a damper on Mary and Georgiana’s relationship, but there are also other issues to deal with. Class differences might seem minor when we read historical fiction, but Mary is quite right when she tells Georgiana that their situations and experiences in life have been quite different, and because of that, they have different fears and needs. Mary struggles with the expectation that she must find a husband or risk being either destitute or a poor relation for the rest of her life - it’s not just that she can’t find a husband who both suits her and she him, but also that she doesn’t want a husband at all, she wants a Georgiana.

When talking of husbands, of course I have to mention Mr. Pike, Mary’s nemesis-fiancé-creation. Taub was clearly inspired by Mary Shelley and her Frankenstein, but not just in the monster-creation aspect. Mary Bennet is obsessed with the natural sciences, as Victor was, and also has a contentious relationship with her creation, eventually chasing him around the country until they have one final confrontation. The major difference is that Pike can blend in and excel in society in a way Victor’s monster could only dream of. Also, for Pike, which came first, the monstrous body or the monstrous personality? There’s an argument to be made for Frankenstein that his monster might not have become so villainous if Victor hadn’t immediately abandoned him after creation, but the same can’t be said for Pike and Mary. While Mary had been experimenting with reanimation for a while, she would not have attempted it with Pike had he not broken into her lab, tried to steal from her, and been killed in the process. And he had already proven himself to be vindictive, jealous, and angry before his reanimation, so, despite Mary’s attempts to adjust his character with various serums, Pike clearly continued to be his own terrible self.

Not being a science person, I have no clue if any of the alchemy and chemistry in this book is accurate, but it certainly sounds plausible to a layperson. The idea that each person’s blood could be diluted into one specific aspect of their personality seemed a like too far-fetched at first, but I liked what eventually came out of Pike’s terrible research - that the effects of the serums are much more nuanced than just “intelligence” or “sweet-natured” or “nervous.” They are more of a true blend that matches the person’s real nature, and can change over time, just as people do. I hated that Mary was in a terrible spiral for so long, with all her regret and responsibilities, and the moments she had with both her mother and father at the end made me cry because she had wanted their love and approval for so much of her life. In the end, I think they all settled for loving each other without understanding each other, but sometimes that’s enough, and the years Mary spent with her parents alone let them see the parts of each other they could appreciate and treasure. I was angry at Mary’s father quite a few times during this book, mostly when he dismissed her interests and ignored her intelligence, but I was most angry to find out his error set Mary on the course to deny her true self and interests for so long. How much happier of a childhood and youth might Mary have had if she had known that her beloved cousin thought she was wonderful as is, no changes necessary? At least Mary is there to step in for her nephews and nieces to make sure they all know how much they are loved, no matter what.

I’d definitely recommend this one for anyone who is a fan of historical adaptations, cozy sci-fi/fantasy, and regency restrained romance vibes. Fair warning, there is some fairly descriptive body horror descriptions, specifically describing scientific dissections of bodies, leeches, and cutting (not self-harm but could potentially be a trigger). I’m most grateful for my lack of ability to picture things in my mind during passages like the Pike rib scene - you’ll know what I mean when I get there. Yay aphantasia!

Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday books for an advance copy of this book for review purposes. It came out this fall, so you can pick up a copy today! (But be sure to read The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch first!)

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this novel, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the other Bennet novel this author wrote. I am now a huge fan of their writing, and I loved everything about this novel. It was firmly right up my alley!

Amy Hoggart is absolutely the most perfect narrator for this audiobook. No one else on the face of this earth would have been more perfect for this job. Thank you Grand Central Publishing, and everyone involved in the making of this audiobook! It was sublime.

4 huge stars, and recommended.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Mary Bennet has always been different from her sisters. Considered the ugly sister by society and the odd one by just about everyone, she’s never fit in. As a scientist, what other people think mostly doesn’t matter as long as she is able to find ways to learn about and practice it. Everything changes when Mary finds a friend in Septimus Pike after striking a business deal with him. When her hard work becomes extremely fruitful, Mary discovers that Pike isn’t what she believed him to be, and he discovers that she can raise the dead.

This is among the most interesting Pride and Prejudice retellings I’ve read because it’s also a Frankenstein retelling! Told through a series of letters, and later diary entries, we follow the ultimate middle child: Mary Bennet. The story truly brings the forgotten sister to the forefront and we get to watch her fight her way to get around what society will allow a woman to do. During her journey, we also see her figure out how to bring the recently deceased back to life and how that quickly goes south.

You have no idea how excited I was to read this book! It was almost everything I’d hope it would be. I was completely absorbed in the story until the very end, which is when it started to fizzle out. My only real complaint is that Mary’s early letters sound more like they came from her memoir, and the rest of her letters were really just diary entries before they actually became her diary entries later on. Otherwise, I really enjoyed the story.

[Jennifer Sveda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't actually expecting to read this whole thing in one sitting, but once I started, I really got sucked in! This is definitely more of a companion novel that a direct sequel to The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, and you don't necessarily have to read that one to understand this book (though some of Georgianna's plotline will be a bit confusing without that background). Of those two, this is by far the stronger novel. It's a cross between Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein, while still maintaining a wholly original voice and plotline. While I thought Scandalous Confessions never really fleshed out the magic system of the world it was trying to establish, Mary's story feels much more contained and grounded, making the supernatural elements blend more seamlessly with the established world of Longbourn. Granted, I do think this novel plays pretty fast and loose with certain aspects of science and chemistry, but weirdly, I am more willing to handwave unexplained science than an unclear magic system.

I really loved this exploration of Mary Bennet's character, and I think Taub did a good job of balancing her established character traits with new insights and nuance. Her relationship with Georgianna was handled really well, too. My only real critique is that it felt like Georgianna and Mary's fight was resolved way too quickly and off-screen. When Pike appeared to have died in the mill fire, I was surprised how many pages were left in the novel - I didn't think we needed another 50 pages to tie up the remaining loose ends. However, when it was revealed that Pike was still alive, this plot quickly ate up the remaining novel, leaving only a couple of pages for Mary and Georgianna to reconcile after a fight, two years of not speaking, and both women getting engaged to men. Since their relationship had been handled so well up to this point, I was a little disappointed and their story ended with "and they moved past everything and moved in together and it was all fine, the end." Still, I felt like this was a pretty solid read, and one of the few P&P adaptations/sequels/spinoffs that I would actually recommend to other people.

[Diane Wilkes · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly loved The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub. I am particular about my JA fan-fic, very judgmental, but Taub's retelling is truly unique and funny and I was delighted with it. I bought The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet quite a few months ago and just decided to read it because I had a momentary lull in my eLibrary trove (now I'm behind again!).

Taub was faithful to the Austen canon in the Lydia Bennet book, but is a bit more amorous in the Mary Bennet novel--she extends her love not just in terms of a gay relationship (which I like--her romantic partner is named Georgiana, after all) but to the author, Mary Shelley. I read Frankenstein when I was in high school (it was assigned) and it was fine, but I'm not really a sci-fi girl (fantasy is a different matter). For me, there were too many bizarre and gory experiments.

So while Lydia Bennet was full of satiric commentary about society, there's bloodletting and electric shocks and colors of blood (which stay remarkably potent sans refrigeration) and while I read it all and liked it, it didn't have the charge (yes, that's a pun) of the Lydia book for my tastes.

The character of Mary Bennet has also gone an undeniable transformation from pedantic prig to angry/hurt genius. Austen wouldn't recognize her, but I felt that a bold choice rather than an unacceptable deviation. I wouldn't have enjoyed reading a whole book about Pride and Prejudice's Mary Bennet, but Taub really makes her fully dimensional. That's not a criticism of Austen; Mary served her purposes, but Taub's were different.

Still. So many science experiments. When I left school, I never looked back on my nightmarish days of Biology and Chemistry. I don't read science-centered books now.

Let the reader beware (or be inordinately intrigued), depending on the gentle or not-so-gentle reader's taste.)

[Emily Poche · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sometimes I deign to remove the stick of ‘being an almighty high art book snob’ out of my ass for a few minutes, and in this case it benefitted me.

This book is cute, engaging, and draws two unrelated similarly timed authors together in a lively reimagining. And why wouldn’t Mary Bennet be a sapphic necromancer in her spare time? If everyone’s too busy worrying that’s going on with Lizzie and Jane, then nobody will be the wiser as the “homely one” is busy reanimating birds in the attic.

The book is a little inconsistent with its pacing and sometimes works itself around in circles before the plot moves on. I think that the story could have used a little bit of streamlining to make things a little sharper.

Additionally, the whole “twist” about Georgiana was a little weird. I feel like the world that is established (that some science fiction of the past elements are real, that social conventions are consistent, etc) and that this felt like a little outside the created parameters. In the end it’s like “sure, why not” but it does veer things from science fiction into fantasy/science fiction. I just thought that this was weird. It also isn’t fully explored and this lack of exploration is used as a plot point lager, which I didn’t find satisfying.

At the end of the day, it’s a little bit silly, but it’s a pretty fun story. It’s a 3.5/5 for me, but I’d easily recommend it to anyone I know who likes Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein and spunky reimagining.

[Lindsay pinkcowlandreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series from Melinda Taub is my favourite retelling/continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. She continues to develop the characters truthfully, while injecting, a fresh flair, and fun magical elements to the story. author Melinda Taub manages to pull this off so well by writing these lesser characters tales in between the lines of the original text.

In The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet, she tells a story of Mary Bennet and she awkwardly tries to find her place within the family and society and ends up, creating her own Frankenstein mate, that she doesn’t fit in the square hole like the rest of her family and needs to adjust her course and attempt perhaps another shape… and she finds that with Miss Georgina Darcy, a fellow scientist and scholar with her own mysterious secrets.

I found this book absolutely untenable! I love how she writes in an epistolary style and she is telling the story of her exploits and adventures to various other characters. I was happy to find that this style was used again as it was in the first book, and then it was so successful again the second time.

This book provided plenty of emotions and in general, a lot of fun as Mary tries to create the life she wants and control the monster she made!

Thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy.

[Erin Hawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another Pride and Prejudice retelling for the semiquincentennial (250th) of Jane Austen's birth! Mary Bennet, the overlooked middle sister of P&P, gets to star in this science fiction Frankenstein-influenced Regency tale with a side of Sapphic romance. I was never quite sure what was going to happen next at any point in this book. I was very engaged for the first half, but the momentum seemed to wobble in the last half, especially with a few years' time skip in the last third. The epistolary/diary narrative style just wasn't as well serving in the last half.

Mary was a good main character, and I did root for her happiness and success. Mary doesn't get much focus in the source material beyond annoying and baffling her family, but Taub does an excellent job explaining away her irritating aspects. The relationship between Mary and her love interest is definitely not the focus of this book, but I think it helped humanize her, too. LGBT relationships are always nail biters in historical fiction, and I'm content with how this story concluded.

If you're looking for an offbeat Regency retelling with Gothic vibes, I think this will be of interest to you! I am interested in reading Taub's Lydia retelling now, too.

Thank you, Grand Central Publishing, for the arc!

[BONNIE SMITH · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unique and fun, you've never seen the Bennet sisters like this!

I love a good mash up of stories, and taking Pride and Prejudice and adding Frankenstein vibes made me laugh and clap. Great book if your fans of the originals!

[Pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seem to have accidentally become somewhat of an expert on Pride and Prejudice retellings focused on Mary Bennet, and this is definitely one of the most fun ones I've come across. Women in STEM, lesbians, Frankenstein experiments, alchemy, all sorts of fun!

[Adrienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun that I could not put it down once I started it! I'm picky about my Pride and Prejudice re-tellings but I love what Melinda Taub is doing with side characters from the novel. First, she gave us an alternate story for Lydia in "The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch" and now she's giving us an explanation for Mary Bennet and why she is the way that she is. Turning some of literature's most irritating or disagreeable characters into beloved heroines seems to be a special talent for Taub and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Mary's story is a mashup of background scenes from P&P, Frankenstein, and Taub's own wild imagination. It 100% should not work, but it 100% does. You don't have to have read Lydia's book first, but there is a smidge of background information that might be helpful.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance copy for review.

[Muriah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice meets Frankenstein! Mary is a queer scientist in this slightly unhinged retelling. A fun read!




📚P&P themed book ranking so far...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Pride and Prejudice

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Well written and memorable!

- Manga Classics: Pride and Prejudice (Manga)
- The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch ( Different perspective, Lydia, magic)
- Puck and Prejudice (Time Travel)
- The Jane Austen Project (Time Travel, stopping her early death)
- Most Ardently (trans lead)
- A certain Appeal (modern retelling at a burlesque show)
- Pride (Modern, gentrification in Brooklyn)
- Ayesha at Last ( modern Muslim retelling)
- Mr Collin in Love (Mr Collins perspective, queer)
- Such Happy Manners (Retelling, Wickham is good)
- Spellbound at Pemberly & The Magic of Pemberly (Fantasy)
- Miss Bennett's Dragon (Fantasy)
- The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh (Different perspective - Anne)
- The Other Bennett Sister (Different Perspective - Mary)
- The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet (Different Perspective- Mary, queer, Frankenstein vibes)
- Elizabeth of East Hampton (spicy, surfer retelling)
- Tolerable (Modern retelling)
- Mum's the Word (Modern retelling)
- Debating Darcy (Modern retelling)
- Allworld Online: Pride & Prejudice (Fantasy, VR)
- Longbourn (Different perspective - servants)
- The Mistress of Longbourn (Retelling - changed plot)
-The Stage Kiss (modern spicy retelling, theatre setting)
- The Unlikely Pursuit of Mary Bennet (Spicy Queer, Charlotte’s perspective)
- Jane in Love (time travel to modern era)
- The Secret Life of Miss Mary Bennet (Mary is a spy)
- Mrs Wickham (Lydia’s perspective)
- Pride and Premeditation (cozy murder mystery)
- The Mistress of Longbourn (retelling with plot changed; an epidemic)
- Mr Darcy’s Enchantment (Fantasy)
- Engaging Mr Darcy (modern, American retelling)
- Bring Mary Bennet ( young adult, modern retelling from Mary’s perspective)

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - something unique or if this is your genre.

- Accomblished (young adult, modern Georgina)
- London Holiday: A Pride & Prejudice Romantic Comedy (Retelling - prequel plot change)
- Most Ardently (Modern retelling, LGBTQ)
- The Secret Diary of Lizzie Bennet (Modern retelling)
- Lola at Last (Modern retelling, different perspective - Lydia)
- 1932 (Retelling, changed plot, set in Great Depression)
- Jane Austen Cannot Marry (Time travel)
- Most Ardently (Modern, queer retelling)
- Bitten by Mr Darcy (Vampire variation)
- Trouble at Pemberly (Extension, Kitty, ghosts)
- The Murder of Mr Wickham (Murder mystery, many Austen Characters)
- The Perils of Lady Catherine de Bourgh (cozy murder mystery)
- Meet the Benedettos (Modern, Hollywood retelling)
- Pride and Preston Lin (Modern, Asian American retelling)
- Accomplished (YA, modern Georgiana Darcy perspective)
- Return to Pemberley (Expanded P&P)
- The Bad Miss Bennet (Different perspective - Lydia)
- The Particular Charm of Miss Jane Austen(Time Travel)
- Mr Darcy and the Governance (Retelling, changed plot)
- Proper Darcy Christmas (Murder mystery, continuation of story)
- Pride and Paper cuts (modern retelling, New York)

⭐️⭐️ - okay but probably best to skip, you can do better

- Unmarriageable (modem Pakistan retelling)
- Death comes to Pemberley (Murder mystery, continuation of story)
- An Unpleasant Sort of Man (Retelling, changed plot)
- Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh (Time travel, LGBTQ)
- Heir Apparent (Jane as a male)
- The Wrong Mr Darcy (Modern retelling, basketball journalist )
- Mr Darcy’s Bad Day (funny addition to story)
- Dating Mr Darcy (modern retelling, dating show)
- Dangerous Magic (Fantasy)
- Coming up Roses (modern, gender swap with focus on Lydia/Luke)
- Austenland (modern, as a resort)

⭐️ - ugh. I tried to like it and couldn’t.

- Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe (modern, gender swap)
- Jane Austen Society (Austen fan club)
- Pride, Prejudice and Poison ( Murder mystery)
- Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict (Time travel)
- Mr Darcy's Bad Day: A Pride and Prejudice variation (Retelling, changed plot, Different perspective - Darcy)
- Dangerous Magic: A Pride and Prejudice variation ( Fantasy)
- Austen, Party of Two (vague modern retelling)
- Falling slowly (retelling, plot changed with 2 falls)
- Austenland (Modern retelling)
- Scandal at Pemberly (Continuation of story, Georgina finds a husband)
-Danger at Pemberly (Continuation of story, spies)
- Kitty Bennett’s Ruin (Continuation of story, Kitty and Lydia’s story)
- For Pemberly (Retelling, plot changed)
- Finding Colin Firth (modern, vague references)
- Eligible ( Modern retelling)

[Cat {Pemberley and Beyond} · Rating 5 out of 5]

As detailed in my breathless post about ARCs, and Melinda Taub‘s series of Jane Austen retellings, I received a copy from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Please note, that a more detailed dive into the main tropes of this novel (complete with spoilers and a lot of excitement about references to Regency Gothic Literature) will follow next week on my podcast, Pemberley & Beyond.

Review with no spoilers
Melinda Taub’s The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet is a delightful blend of Regency manners and gothic science fiction, offering a fresh perspective on Jane Austen’s world. Three standout tropes emerged over the course of this inventive retelling, that not only captivated my imagination but also added depth to the narrative.

1. The Mad Scientist Archetype
At the heart of the story is Mary Bennet, traditionally the quiet, bookish sister of Pride and Prejudice. In Taub’s reimagining, Mary transforms into a determined scientist, challenging societal expectations. Her pursuit of knowledge and autonomy leads her to experiment with reanimating the dead, embodying the classic “mad scientist” trope. This portrayal not only adds intrigue but also highlights themes of agency and the quest for identity.

2. Found Family and Queer Romance
Mary’s journey introduces her to a brilliant young woman (again no spoilers, but I promise you will scream when you work it all out) who becomes more than just a friend to her. Their relationship gradually blossoms into a passionate romance, offering Mary acceptance and opening the door to a whole new world. This beautifully highlights the trope of found family, explored in a refreshingly different way from the most recent novel I reviewed featuring a queer Mary Bennet.

Through this connection, Mary gains the understanding and belonging she has longed for, providing a poignant look at love and identity in a society that often sidelines unconventional relationships.

3. The Gothic Science Fiction Mashup
The novel seamlessly integrates elements of gothic horror with science fiction, reminiscent of Frankenstein. Mary’s experiments lead to unintended consequences, unleashing chaos that she must confront. This fusion of genres creates a narrative rich in suspense and moral complexity, inviting readers to ponder the ethical implications of scientific discovery.

Summary
Taub’s novel masterfully intertwines these tropes, creating a story that is both engaging and thought-provoking. For those who appreciate inventive retellings that challenge traditional narratives, The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet is a compelling read.

If you have not already read the first book in the series, do not worry at all. Both stories are completely separate from one another with only one real overlap. I guarantee that you will enjoy these in any order.

[Jana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frankenstein meets Pride and Prejudice in this witty reimagining. Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for my gifted copy!

I adored my first Melinda Taub book, The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, and was excited to hear that she was writing another Bennet sister book! I wasn’t sure if adding scientific experiments and Frankenstein-esque issues was going to be *for me* but this absolutely was. I think if you particularly loved the 1995 A&E Pride and Prejudice, you’ll recognize some elements of that adaptation in Taub’s world. While the two books are set in the same world, Mary and Lydia interact so little that I think you can read them in any order.

In The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet, we get to know Mary, the “middlest middle child of all time”. This Mary learned to read at 3, but was banished from her father’s library because he thought she was just playing with the books. (And, perhaps, was intimidated by her intellect as she aged.) Her scientific interests were developed with the help of her favorite cousin, but when he passed away when she was 8, he left her a book of sermons that she chose to base her personality around. I found it so interesting to see her fight her nature with her desire to fit in with society.

My favorite part was her relationship with Georgianna Darcy. Like Mary, Georgianna is shy, but unlike Mary, her family does pay attention to her. She has the same scientific interests, but is independently wealthy and doesn’t have the same concern about marrying so she doesn’t become a “poor relation”. The romance was the slowest burn, and not the central focus, but was so good!

🎧 While I’ve been meaning to read this since the day I got it, I was waiting for my Libby hold for the audiobook to come in. Turns out, the narrator was very much not for me, and I ended up reading this with my eyes instead. The narrator’s choices made sense for the character, and really reminded me of the the actress in the A&E Pride and Prejudice, but I did not enjoy listening to her. I usually listen at 2x, so this may have affected my experience. (2x sounds conversational to me.)

You can read this book without reading Pride and Prejudice, and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes character-driven historical fantasy. But, I think this book was written for lovers of Pride and Prejudice who want to see Mary get her own HEA!

[Sarah Jensen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review: The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet by Melinda Taub

Melinda Taub’s The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet is a daring and inventive reimagining of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, infused with gothic horror and queer romance. By centering the oft-marginalized Mary Bennet, Taub crafts a narrative that interrogates themes of agency, societal rejection, and the pursuit of autonomy through the lens of scientific ambition. The novel’s fusion of Austenian social satire with Frankensteinian horror creates a fresh, subversive commentary on gender and power in the Regency era.

Mary’s transformation from a sidelined spinster to a fiercely independent scientist—driven to reanimate the dead as a means of securing her future—is both macabre and poignant. Taub’s prose balances wit and darkness, weaving a tale that is as much about the horrors of unchecked ambition as it is about the redemptive power of queer love. The novel’s climax, which forces Mary to choose between societal acceptance and personal fulfillment, resonates deeply in contemporary discussions of identity and belonging.

How I would describe this book:

- A brilliant, genre-defying mashup of Pride and Prejudice and Frankenstein—with a queer twist.
- Mary Bennet like you’ve never seen her: a mad scientist battling societal constraints and her own heart.
- Melinda Taub reinvents Austen’s most overlooked Bennet sister with sharp wit and gothic flair.
- A tale of forbidden love, monstrous creations, and the price of defiance.

Acknowledgments:
Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing an advance review copy of this thrilling and unconventional retelling. Taub’s bold reclamation of Mary Bennet’s story is a gift to fans of Austen, Shelley, and feminist speculative fiction alike.

Final Thoughts:
This novel is a must-read for those who enjoy literary reinventions that challenge canonical narratives. Taub’s Mary Bennet is a heroine for the ages—flawed, brilliant, and unapologetically herself.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5/5) – A standout in the retelling genre, blending sharp social critique with visceral storytelling.

[Pooja Peravali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Bennet is famously the odd one out among her bright, vivacious sisters - an awkward show-off and a bore. But in this book, it's what Mary's doing off the page that deserves attention.

This book is part-sequel, part-companion to the fabulous The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, which I read and greatly enjoyed last year. You haven't got to read that book to enjoy this one - Mary and Lydia are after all not exactly close - but there's definitely some things which happen in this book which don't make much sense unless you know what's happened there.

Mary's stiff, repressed voice is very different to Lydia's bubbly one, but is no less compelling for it. She's a intricate character - intelligent but very lacking in insight at the same time, and her struggle between the propriety she feels she must display as the least of the Bennet sisters and her true nature and inclinations is compelling. The central conflict between Mary and the man she ends up raising from the dead - both before and after his resurrection - is dark, thorny, and thoroughly, truly Gothic. 

I enjoyed the romance between Mary and Georgiana, but I did think it arrived a bit late in the game and definitely played second fiddle to the intense and destructive relationship between Mary and Septimus - I'm pretty sure the latter character thought he was in a retelling of Wuthering Heights, not Pride and Prejudice! It does make sense for Mary to need a more low-key and gentle relationship, but it definitely needed more legs to stand up to the Mary-and-Mr.-Pike show. The 'science' is also a bit hand-wavey, but I guess that's true in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein too.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Aliya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Bennett is an awkward lesbian and I'll die on this hill. Have you, by chance, ever wanted this awkward lesbian to be a secret genius and have a laboratory in her attic and create an ill-advised Frankenstein and fall in love with Georgiana Darcy? Yes? Well, good. It now exists in the form of this book.

I haven't read the first entry in this "series" and don't think it's necessary, although I may have missed some Easter eggs without it. This stands on its own. I would, of course, recommend reading Pride & Prejudice first. In this retelling, Mary Bennett becomes an interesting character who I felt compassion and pity for, and even her sanctimonious preaching that we all know and hate love has a good, somewhat tragic reason behind it. The villain is equally interesting but evillllll! If you want a sympathetic antagonist, that's not in this book. Feel free to hate him to your heart's content!

I did want a bit more from the romance and more from Georgiana. Georgiana's "secret" was abrupt and felt a bit dissonant in this world (although it may make more sense having read The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch, I cannot confirm). We were flowing merrily along with hand-wavey pseudo-science that I was quite happy to chug, and then Georgiana's secret promptly switches us from sci-fi to fantasy. If we were to go in that direction, I would've enjoyed more of an explanation, but it still remains mostly a secret.

This book is silly and fun but also touches on the difficulty women faced in those days when trying to make a life without a man's support. The happily ever after is still believable. I, for one, can easily see Mr. Darcy supporting his sister and having her live next door with her lesbian lover/his sister-in-law.

[Rachael Hamilton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a fun and cute book. I enjoy picking up retellings which weaves two classic stories together. In this novel, we get the regency period with a bit of gothic as we see Pride and Prejudice merged with Frankenstein.

Mary Bennet is often overlooked as the middle child, and a bit more plain than her sisters. I have always wondered if this was the case, or if she might actually be pretty cute but maybe not in the same way as her sisters who seem to always be in the spotlight or favored. I do feel bad for her and the way she has been treated by her family. Well, her sisters find matches and now it is expected of Mary to make a good match but she doesn't seem to attract the same attention and often finds herself alone in her own mind.

In an attempt to find her place in the world, she decides to turn to her books and brains to "create" a partner. As with the original story, this does not go to plan and Mary has to try and rectify what she has done. I really enjoyed getting to know these new sides of Mary and giving her a mad scientist sort of personality was really fun. I also though the forbidden love aspects were great and it is certainly a read I would recommend to fans of the original Austen work.

If you are looking to pick up a book where we get to focus on an overlooked character who has her own story to tell, this may be a great one to try. I'm going ahead and rounding up to 5* because it's fun.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been burned by some bad Pride & Prejudice pastiches before, so I had my reservations, but this was fantastic! I loved Mary's narrative voice. This version of Mary is still very true to who she was in Pride & Prejudice, and we watch her grow into the kind of person who has sci-fi adventures across the countryside instead of making Lizzy's POV in the original book out to be inaccurate. I loved being inside her head. Historical fiction is overrun with plucky female protagonists who decry corsets and rebuke the mental load and talk about feminism in a Deeply Online way, so it was nice to watch Mary rebel from some social standards but really cling to others. She felt really real, even in the midst of Doctor Who-level antics.

This author maintained such a good balance of historical detail with wacky sci-fi adventures. There was sort of a lighter gravity of consequences overall, but it was balanced enough that when things did go wrong, they didn't feel mismatched with the rest of the novel's tone.

If I were to make one critique, it's that occasionally antagonistic characters veered a little into cartoonishly villainous territory at times, but that only stuck out to me because the rest of the novel was so consistent with its tone.

Also oh my god I LOVED GEORGIANA'S ENTIRE WERE-OWL SITUATION SO MUCH

Just such a fun time overall. I highly recommend this, for Pride & Prejudice fans and historical sci-fi fans and queer romance fans alike.

[Alanna Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book because I LOVED The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch SO very much. And this book was fine, but I just didn't love it like the other, and I'm having a hard time figuring out why...

I think part of it is that the magic in Lydia's book was so fun, but the chemistry and blood experiments in this book didn't make any sense to me and left me cold. I KNOW that that's a really stupid complaint-- but it's how I felt. I just couldn't get excited about any of it.

I did like that Georgiana's story picks up from the previous book. I would have liked for there to have been more references to Lydia's story (like when Mr. Collins comes, Lydia should have tried to help Mary with a love potion!).

I liked that Taub was trying to make Mary likable, but her character swung so quickly from being pitiable to being annoyingly smart... I didn't dislike her (like one does in Pride & Prejudice but I'm not entirely sure that she ever captured my heart, either...

I dunno. Maybe the problem is that I'm not the book's target audience? Maybe the problem is that I've never been particularly interested in Frankenstein stories... I also hate the back-and-forth of Mary and Georgiana both wanting each other and then pushing each other away-- it gets so tiresome. It's my least favorite trope in ALL books.

And maybe this one just wasn't as good.

[Joelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you #netgalley for the review copy.

After borrowing the “Scandalous Confession of Lydia Bennet Witch” from the library and devouring it in close to a single sitting (or as close to that as one can manage with a very active small human and a full time job) I eagerly awaited what I was sure would be the next book and would cover Georgiana’s story. I was not disappointed although this is more Mary’s story than Georgiana’s and while it’s clear it resides in the same world as Lydia’s book there isn’t much reference to the events in that book other than a few here and there and as such you can definitely read this one without having read the other and not be lost at all. For both of these books however, it’s assumed one is familiar with “Pride & Prejudice,” which feels fair considering who likely would be drawn to a P&P reimagining.

Regarding the source material, this book deviates more it feels from it than its predecessor which makes sense considering the story and how little Mary and Georgiana have to do in P&P. Of course unlike Lydia’s book this one also seeks to bring in another classic tale into the P&P world and that is “Frankenstein.” Because of this, it’s definitely darker than Lydia’s story but still I think should be considered a fun read.

Not sure which story will be told next in these delightful P&P inspired series, but I’ll definitely read it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a lot of Pride and Prejudice retellings or explorations of different characters’ perspectives out there, but this one was particularly interesting. This blended Pride and Prejudice with Frankenstein and that was a fun combination!

We follow Mary Bennet, the quiet, awkward and misunderstood middle sister. Her family don’t really know what to do with her, she’s bookish and so intelligent she baffles her father. However while her family overlook her, she finds a hidden room in her house and starts using it as a laboratory. Initially hoping to create dyes as a way of securing a level of financial independence, she soon finds herself in a precarious situation when people don’t behave as she’d hoped. Her experiments become more dangerous and uncontrollable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this, I thought the author blended the scientific experiments with Austen’s romance extremely well. I was completely riveted and equally impressed with and frustrated by Mary as she manages to be both incredible intelligent and naive at the same time. I was horrified at the abysmal treatment she gets from some of the people around her and it’s easy to sympathise with her.

This isn’t a regency romance, it’s got more of a gothic and science fiction lean, though with that beautiful regency setting. It has a level of respect and affection for the original book which is clear throughout. This was a fun and exciting read and one I’m happy to recommend.

[ancientreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember, or possibly misremember, Taub's "Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet" as leavening its darkness with a solid dose of larkiness and humor, so I was expecting much the same from "Shocking Experiments" and ahahahaha no: this is something like a mashup of "Frankenstein" with "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde," plus a Jack the Ripper vibe.

Don't expect a rescue project like Lee Welch's (brilliant, by the way) Mr Collins in Love: Mary Bennet isn't wholly unsympathetic -- I suppose you'd have to see her as doing her best under conditions that, while genteel, are desperate -- but she's driven, she can be ruthless, and the consequences of her actions are often grotesque. Though she's not herself a killer, they lead to many, many murders.

There is a love story with a happy ending -- Georgiana Darcy's character and condition will be familiar to readers of "Scandalous Confessions." You can even think of it as romantic, as long as you make allowances for the general atmosphere and remember that both parties are not only scientists but single-minded about it.

A good time, assuming "deeply creepy" is your idea of a good time, marred by only a few instances of anachronism in the vocabulary. Thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.