Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

by Lauren Gunderson, Tala Ashe (Narrator), Will Brill (Narrator)

Step into the warm holiday glow of Pemberley Estate and witness an unexpected romance unfold in Miss Christmas at Pemberley. At last, bookish middle sister, Mary Bennet—forever eclipsed by her sisters’ romantic escapades—takes center stage.

Mary’s world brightens with possibility when a surprising gentleman arrives for Christmas at the Darcy residence. Their shared intellectual passions and endearing social awkwardness create immediate sparks. Capturing the essence of Jane Austen's beloved masterpiece while infusing it with crackling contemporary wit and humor, this delightful continuation breathes new life into the cherished characters and world of Pride and Prejudice.

Available in Dolby Atmos on Audible.

Genres: Christmas, Historical Fiction, Audiobook, Short Stories, Humor, Historical Romance, Regency

Audible Audio

Published December 4, 2025

Reviews

[Lynsey McDaniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, justice for Mary & senses for Lydia. 👏🏻

[Shelby Cranor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jane Austen is literally my favorite classic author, and I love Pride And Prejudice. To find that someone gave Mary Bennet a happy ending as well makes my heart so happy, I loved this book so much! This will probably become an annual listen around Christmas for me, it was just so cute.

[Jaclyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a surprising joy!! This was a fantastic production and perfect for any fan of Pride and Prejudice!

[Quinn's Quippy Quotes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not going to lie, I adored this!! This was fun and whimsy and sooo Mary. I loved that she got her perfect match and HEA. I would’ve loved to have Kitty thrown in the mix. It was so cozy to have the Bennet sisters back together again.

[Maria Merced · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww so cute this continuation of Pride and Prejudice.
Glad that Mary had her happy ending!!❤️❤️❤️ and Lydia 🙄 patience with her, but she reaped what she sowed.

[J.C. Plummer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short, but I enjoyed it. It's a bit of Christmas fluff.

I liked the full cast narration a lot. Free to borrow with Audible membership.

[Angel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Austen spin-offs are always a hit or miss, but this one fell somewhere in the middle. This Audible original is just a short little novella. It was about Mary, who even in Austen spin-offs, usually gets neglected. The author ran with the fact that Mary was much improved by her older sisters marrying well, and we have a Mary who is still bookish but no longer awkward - in fact she has developed an incredibly dry wit. And though I felt this took Mary Bennet out of Austen’s portrayal of her character, it was actually quite funny. There is a new De Bourgh relative. One of the parts I laughed out loud at was Mr. De Bourgh talking with Darcy and Bingley about falling in love. I did not care for the portrayal of Anne De Bourgh. It was way too far off for me to even find it believable. So basically hits and misses both in this little novella, but I’d say it was not time wasted.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this play nearly a decade ago at the Round House Theater in Bethesda, MD. It was a treat to revisit it in this audiobook.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ Every year, I think I should read some Christmas stories and watch more Christmas movies and every year December gets too busy. This year I’m determined to consume more Christmas media. 😆 This was a fun short story and better than most P&P spinoffs I’ve tried.

[Shade Shaffer · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very cute novella about Mary Bennet’s finding love. I love a different view where the least boastful sister gets a spot light and an equally matched partner. It was fun to see the brotherly banter of Darcy and Bingley but I do think Ann’s character was too far of a divergence from the sickly character so carefully displayed in the original Pride and Prejudice novel.

[Grace Batterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one made me happy. I wish it were longer; it fit with the true vibe of Pride and Prejudice, and I thought each character was represented well.

[Leah Delcamp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short novella that incorporates many of the characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I was glad to see Mary get her happy ever after and hear some fun updates on the other sisters as well, but this did feel a bit too short and needed more time to let the story truly develop. I didn’t love some of the unnecessary drama either. It’s a quick audio listen and the cast did a great job, so if you’re looking for something short and sweet during the busy holidays, this might be a good pick.

[Janine Wijn · Rating 2 out of 5]

An in-between folly. Spending Christmas at Pemberley and seeing Mary Bennet falling in love, finally.

[Sassy Mystic Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed this regency romance, it was a sweet story.

[stella✯⁷ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i love all things jane austen and christmas, so of course i had a wonderful time listening to this!! i felt like i was watching a play, so fun

[Leticia Trujillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a short and cute story and we get more of Mary 🙂.

[CelKat_reading_hea · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Classic Christmas with The Darcy’s 🎄❤️🎄

Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth “Lizzy” Darcy are hosting the Christmastides holiday celebration at his Pemberley Estate with their families: the Bennetts, Bingleys, as well as several other uninvited guests arrive and stay.
Mary Bennet has arrived and has an unexpected meet with a man in the library and finds that the two of them have much in common.
She is very direct with her thoughts and speech without sugar coating anything. She deals in facts and loves studying plants and botany. She is deep in studying Mr.Darcy’s maps in his vast library when she happens to meet Lord Arthur DeBurgh, a distant cousin of Mr.Darcy, who has the same disposition and mind as her own and has recently inherited Rosings Estate with the passing of his Aunt, Lady Catherine DeBurgh.
They both find themselves with a strange and strong connection to one another and then a plot twist happens with a miscommunication between the two in their missives to each other where they both try to convey their feelings toward each other.

When Miss Lady Anne DeBurgh, the late Miss Catherine DeBurgh’s daughter, arrives from Rosings Estate and then boasts a betrothal, she throws an even greater twist into the plot.

This was a very enjoyable short story and humorous audible production with a full stellar cast, I definitely recommend to any fan of Jane Austen🎄❤️🎧🎄❤️🎧🎄.
“Jane is the sunshine to my shade”

[Alesay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars.

A short, charming, and slightly humorous Regency holiday romance that delivered exactly what I wanted. Even though I have very little Austen experience and no nostalgia for the Bennet family, I still found the setting fun and the story surprisingly engaging for its length. The language strikes a great balance between period style and modern accessibility, making it easy to follow without feeling weighed down by old-fashioned phrasing. The full-cast audio performance really brings the characters to life, with music and lively delivery that made the whole experience feel like a festive stage play. It is definitely insta-lovey and not deep, but for a quick holiday listen, it’s sweet, cozy, and genuinely enjoyable.

[Sarah Hope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the variety of narrators with sound effects in this Audible production. It was great to pick up a year or so I guess from where P&P left off, in terms of everyone but Kitty and Mary being married. Some twists and turns give the tale a real Austen flair, especially when Anne de Bough appears at Pemberley and some letters get placed in different books. I loved seeing Mary evolve into a more complex character than portrayed in the original novel, and Lydia finally gets some sense about her in her treatment of her sister and others at the holiday house party the Darcys are hosting, including a newfangled decoration from Germany: a Christmas tree.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Based on a play out of Illinois, this audio play was a humorous, touching, short, and only mildly anachronistic story based on Little Women's character, Mary, the bookish, academic, and so-far uninterested and unmarried middle daughter of the Bennet family.

Quite enjoyed this listen. It was free with my audible trial. I recommend reading Pride and Prejudice in order to enjoy this follow up storyline.

It is mildly like Importance of Being Ernest (though not nearly as hysterically funny or satirical).

Cute and was worth the 1.5 hours of listening.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

My daughter and I were recently talking about how Mary Bennet's life would have ended up; perpetual middle child, likely pressed into service caring for her parents and then eventually turned out out of her home by Mr. Collins.

This is the time of year when I am a few books behind my reading goal, so I find some shorter audiobooks to help get me over the finish line. Audible suggested this, and I absolutely loved Lauren Gunderson's interpretation of Mary! Not to mention, her faithful representations of Lizzie, Jane, and Lydia.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say it took me forever to read pride and prejudice but after reading this adorable little short story I feel like I want to give it another chance.
This was a quick story but I love old English and want to just jump into the scenery and have someone dote on me.
There were of course I eye-rolled but that comes with many books nowadays. But for a short story I was fun even though there were parts near the end that I didn’t feel like they needed to keep going.

[Susannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

This was utterly charming! I very much enjoyed getting to spend more time with these characters this year and to see a happy ending for Miss Mary.

If you’re a fan of Pride and Prejudice I highly recommend checking this out. The full cast makes it feel even more like the original play created. It was a great holiday time!

[Andy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining listen. I did enjoy the premise and the story for the most part. I thought Mary and Arthur had chemistry, and I liked their interactions. I wish more time had been spent with the two of them rather than with the Anne misunderstanding. Other than that, a quick, enjoyable, entertaining story.

[Brittany Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and funny. It’s very short though and suffers a little bit for it. I’m also not wild about a certain development toward the end that felt ooc and a tad unnecessary. But not overthinking it, this was cute.

[Shaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable short story about Mary Bennet finding a happy ending. Getting to see some of my favorite characters a couple years removed from Pride and Prejudice was so fun. I know it’s not real Austen but I loved it.

[Angie Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a simple and lovely way to spend an afternoon! The overlooked middle bed at Sister finally gets her own little story and it’s matched up with the most perfect awkward gentlemen. A sweet little Christmas romance.

[Abbey Laird · Rating 3 out of 5]

adorable. i need to read more books that focus on mary bennet. the voice acting in this was fantastic (and made some of the stilted dialogue actually work). particularly loved mr. darcy's voice. very fun christmas novella.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this cheerful audio drama, the Bennet family gathers for Christmas at Pemberly, where Mary Bennett has a chance for a romance all her own. A delightful holiday treat; well written and performed by a full cast.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so cringe at times and none of the characters felt true to the originals. Still, it was a fun little twist on Pride and Prejudice and a lovely way to spend an hour or so recovering from the flu.