Rachel Parris, founding member of touring comedy improv group Austentatious and presenter of Austenstibly Feminist, knows and understands Jane Austen’s iconic characters almost as well as Jane herself. Her new book Introducing Mrs Collins, which is published in the same year we celebrate 250 years of Jane Austen, is a tale of love, loss and second chances and is for anyone who wondered if there was more to the sensible character of Charlotte Lucas we meet in Pride and Prejudice.

Charlotte Lucas wrote herself out of her own life believing she was not destined for love or passion, plumping instead for stability, predictability – in short, a dull future.  Elizabeth Bennet, as all the world knows, despises her former friend’s mealy-mouthed decision, heading instead for the heart-stopping excitement and romance of passion. So when Mrs Charlotte Collins receives an unexpected visitor at Rosings Park where she has built herself a life of duty, routine and quiet contentment, all preconceptions fly out of the window.  A spark is lit and an impossible longing awakened. Will Charlotte have her happy ending after all?