A Less Agreeable Man: A Pride and Prejudice Variation: Volume 3 (The Queen of Rosings Park) Paperback – 31 Aug. 2017

Mary's story. Mary is betrothed to Rosings steward Mr Michaels so when the rest of her family leave Hunsford she stays with Mr and Mrs Collins. She seems to be able to manage Lady Catherine better than anyone and is frustrated when Fitzwilliam and Michaels ignore her advice. Mr Collins turns out to be a nasty bully leading Fitzwilliam to invite her to stay at Rosings in charge of Lady Catherine. A tragedy on the estate causes decisions which can affect her future.

This book is the conclusion to The Queen of Rosings Park series and is a very fitting end to the series. The series itself is based on a most unusual premise for the Bennets and in this one the character of Mary Bennet is both like and most definitely not what you have come to expect from portrayals of Mary.I think this may be my favourite out of the series. I highly recommend the series and this book in particular.

Well, Maria Grace is 3 for 3 as far as I'm concerned. This is the third and final book in her Queen of Rosings Park trilogy, and once again it earns 5 stars from me.Book 1 told the story of Elizabeth and Darcy, and Book 2 related Lydia's tale. This one goes back and forth between Mary Bennet and Colonel Fitzwilliam.If you choose to read this as a stand-alone, note that this is a somewhat altered Pride and Prejudice universe established in the two previous books in this series. Rosings is the center of this universe, and Lady Catherine is the Queen. By this time, though, she's lost her grip. Her daughter Anne has died, and Lady C. is suffering from Alzheimer's. Anne was, technically, the Mistress of Rosings (despite her mother's dictatorial rule), and she left the estate to Colonel Fitzwilliam in her Will. Lady C's deteriorating mental state doesn't comprehend this at all, making Fitzwilliam's attempts to get a grip on estate management that much more difficult because servants keep quitting. Fortunately, he has an excellent steward, Mr. Michaels, who also happens to be betrothed to Mary Bennet. She is staying at Hunsford with Mr. and Mrs. Collins until their wedding.There are so many different topics woven ingeniously into this plot. There's the challenge that Lady Catherine presents. She's easily confused and agitated, requiring careful care that only Mary seems to know how to give. There are times when Colonel Fitzwilliam would love to just send the old lady to Bedlam, but the scandal this would bring to the Fitzwilliam family makes this impossible. Regency era's assumption that women are not as intelligent as men is examined. Mary is obviously smarter than most of the men around her, and she chafes at how blind they can be. She and the Colonel must deal with a situation involving domestic violence. Rosings servants, not yet certain how to approach the Colonel, quickly turn to Mary when household problems arise. And when there's a major crisis on the estate, Mary instinctively reacts in a way that leads to shocking gossip about her.The two major characters are developed beautifully. Mary almost always appears calm, but her thoughts reveal a mind that is constantly churning despite the unflappable facade. She does have a temper that she usually keeps under control... but not always! Mr. Michaels is her prudent, practical choice for a husband and she is determined to be content with him. She is aware that she tends to be overlooked, as it has been so all her life, so she's grateful she was able to attract a like-minded man. She tries not to be jealous of her married sisters, though, and wishes she could experience the same passion they seem to inspire in their husbands.We learn how completely over his head Colonel Fitzwilliam feels. His military-like approach to problems doesn't always serve him well in this environment, and Mary is the only one to call him on it. At first he underestimates her, but eventually he comes to rely on her as heavily as he does Mr. Michaels. The estate is deep in debt, and he feels he must marry a rich heiress in order to keep Rosings afloat. Naturally, his mother has a number of suggestions.This is a fast-paced story that keeps moving while still painting a clear picture of these two major characters as well as the secondary ones. (Charlotte Collins is not particularly likable here.) The writing just flows, with smooth shifts from Mary's POV to the Colonel's. And yes, there's plenty of romance and yearning and miscommunication and all that good stuff, too! (No graphic sexual content, though.)It's a great book to finish off this excellent series.

Maria Grace finishes the Queen of Rosings Park series with this compelling story of Mary’s growing self awareness and insight as she battles difficult obstacles at a debt ridden Rosings. I found it engrossing to watch the butterfly emerge from her chrysalis and tentatively take the first steps to autonomy. She is intrepid in the face of tragedy, organised in the face of chaos, and courageous in the face of danger. Her relationships change as her perspective changes until she reaches her HEA. Note: these books are not standalone. They are sequential, each building on what we already know and illuminating characters and events from different POV.

My Rating: 4.5*This is the third and final book of Maria Grace's trilogy on the The Queen of Rosings Park. It is a series that I highly recommend you read from the beginning with Book 1 'Mistaking Her Character' (Elizabeth) and then Book 2 'The Trouble to Check Her' (Lydia). There is a definite twist in this series as the Bennet family are not from Longbourn and Mr. Bennet is a doctor.This is Mary Bennet's story, the most overlooked young woman of all the sisters. But still waters run deep and all are about to learn what Mary is truly made of.Mary is engaged to Mr. Michaels, the steward of Rosings Park, which is now owned by Colonel Richard Fitzwilliam. He is a serious and dedicated young man."He always intended to keep his promises. Nevertheless, there was a better than average chance he would fail at the endeavor... If only he were so dedicated to her." (quote from the book)I loved being inside Mary's head and knowing her thoughts. She is more than just the pedantic young woman she portrays. She is more aware of what is going on than others give her credit for. Her ability to deal with Lady Catherine is a godsend for the Colonel...if he would only listen.The Colonel is dealing with massive retrenchment in order to keep Rosings Park afloat. His frustrations and drinking are not helping matters either. Lady Catherine's descent into madness has everyone at their wits end. Mr. Collins is as obsequious as ever but with a definite edge when crossed. Mrs. Charlotte Collins starts showing her true colours.This is a fast-paced story that holds your interest and has you wishing so much more for Mary than what lies ahead. Her doubts start hammering at her heart...I just wish that there was an epilogue to this story to give us insight into what the future held for Mary as well as Elizabeth and Lydia as their lives unfolded.

Mary Bennet – practical, dependable, dull, unappreciated Mary Bennet.As we begin, Mary is planning her wedding to Mr. Michaels, the steward at theonce-great Rosings Park. Mary respects Mr. Michaels. She believes his feelings are similar to hers.Their marriage will be practical, dependable, dull and unappreciated.Mary’s upbringing has taught her to expect nothing else but her heart envies her sistersElizabeth and Lydia whose love stories are told in the first two books of this series.Elizabeth has married Mr. Darcy. Lydia was abandoned by all her family except theDarcys who sponsored her at a strict school for wayward girls where she eventually met the love of her life.Love is no respecter of age or practicalityNeither morality: unabashedShe enters where she willUnheeding that her immortal firesBurn up human hearts...~Phillip PulfreyLady Catherine has bankrupted the estate, which has passed to Colonel Fitzwilliamafter the death of Anne de Bourgh. Mr. Michaels has developed a long-term plan forcost-cutting and rebuilding. The Colonel, also an unappreciated middle child,has no training, no experience, no feeling for managing an estate; especially not a bankrupt estate.The estate problems are further complicated by Lady Catherine’s increasing dementia.Colonel Fitzwilliam drastically increases his alcohol consumption. His downward spiral is slowedwhen he encounters Mary Bennet in the woods and begins to see her nymph-like qualities.Mary is living at the Collins’ parsonage until her marriage but she is abused by Mr. Collins.The Colonel insists she move to Rosings to assist with management of the house and Lady Catherine.Hearts will never be practical until they can be made unbreakable. ~ L. Frank BaumLady Catherine, in a moment of delusion, creates a situation resulting in two deaths and many injuries.Mary, although injured herself, must pull the household together, tend to the injured and arrange the funerals.Her reputation suffers from her care of an injured man.Charlotte is a very unlikeable character here; I could barely recognize her.I also thought the ultimate solution for Lady Catherine should have been shown, not just planned.The story has no epilogue so a few loose ends still exist. Since this is the third of three stories,a look back from ten years in the future would have been more satisfying.Overall – a very good story ending with a Mary Bennet who is still practical and dependablebut not dull and definitely not unappreciated!I'm not romantic; I'm very practical. There are lots of fish in the sea; so whoever gets struck with your rod,one is as good as another. ~ Twinkle Khanna