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linderrbee's review
3.0
I love the classics by the Brontë Sisters and I was looking forward to reading this take on the classics. This is not a retelling but a story where Athena, a literary professor, has to publish a book to keep her job. She decides to write a biography about a bestselling anonymous author who writes retellings of the classics with a sexy twist. To write the book and uncover the true identity of this author, she returns home where she runs into her old flame, Thorne.
This rom-com had it’s fun moments and was an easy read. My one complaint is that with all the talk of the erotic retellings Athena was researching, this was a closed door romance, that felt at odds with the storyline.
I recommend for fans of second chance romance, dual pov and a small town setting.
Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
This rom-com had it’s fun moments and was an easy read. My one complaint is that with all the talk of the erotic retellings Athena was researching, this was a closed door romance, that felt at odds with the storyline.
I recommend for fans of second chance romance, dual pov and a small town setting.
Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.
readingwithjessica_w's review against another edition
4.0
A solid 3.5 ⭐️, rounded up to 4.
I fell in love with the nosy little town of Laurel, IL somewhere not far from St. Louis. A small town is the perfect place for a second chance romance to blossom, and that is just what may happen between Athena Murphy and Hawthorne Kent who find themselves back in each other’s lives after having a sudden falling out years ago. Athena is back in her hometown trying desperately to find the true identity of the mysterious C.L. Garland, author of the LitWit series (novellas of the imagined sex-life of literary figures) after discovering Garland is from her birthplace. Using Garland as research for a book she plans to write while on sabbatical and also to help save her career as an English professor, Athena finds herself needing a job to help supplement her income. This is where she encounters Thorne, who is back in town and now the owner of As You Like It Cafe.
I enjoyed the banter between Thorne and Athena and getting little glimpses into their past. Once the golden couple, very much in love, it seems that each has harbored hurt feelings and finds it difficult to admit them to each other let alone be around one another without feeling some kind of want or desire. The cafe provides a space for Thena and Thorne’s interactions and also serves as a place for us to meet the townspeople of Laurel. Blame it on the Brontës is just as much a mystery as it is a love story as Thena tries to uncover Garland’s identity. I found myself going back and forth trying to figure out who Garland might be and kind of figured it out early on. It didn’t affect the storytelling for me though as the story naturally lends itself to Thena chasing different leads. (The uncovering of C.L. Garland’s pen name/identity is very cute and worth the wait). At times I found parts a little repetitive and the miscommunication trope between Thena and Thorne became a little bothersome—I just wanted them to be honest with each other and say how they felt. each character has their reasons for not being vulnerable, but at times the reasons felt a bit stretched to me. But there’s something about rekindling a first love that warms the heart and makes for an enjoyable romance. I especially enjoyed the costume party scene, as I felt like a got more of a glimpse into Thena and Thorne’s past attraction. And the other matchmaking and romances that are created in As You Like It Cafe add to the sweetness of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Hachette Book Group for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
I fell in love with the nosy little town of Laurel, IL somewhere not far from St. Louis. A small town is the perfect place for a second chance romance to blossom, and that is just what may happen between Athena Murphy and Hawthorne Kent who find themselves back in each other’s lives after having a sudden falling out years ago. Athena is back in her hometown trying desperately to find the true identity of the mysterious C.L. Garland, author of the LitWit series (novellas of the imagined sex-life of literary figures) after discovering Garland is from her birthplace. Using Garland as research for a book she plans to write while on sabbatical and also to help save her career as an English professor, Athena finds herself needing a job to help supplement her income. This is where she encounters Thorne, who is back in town and now the owner of As You Like It Cafe.
I enjoyed the banter between Thorne and Athena and getting little glimpses into their past. Once the golden couple, very much in love, it seems that each has harbored hurt feelings and finds it difficult to admit them to each other let alone be around one another without feeling some kind of want or desire. The cafe provides a space for Thena and Thorne’s interactions and also serves as a place for us to meet the townspeople of Laurel. Blame it on the Brontës is just as much a mystery as it is a love story as Thena tries to uncover Garland’s identity. I found myself going back and forth trying to figure out who Garland might be and kind of figured it out early on. It didn’t affect the storytelling for me though as the story naturally lends itself to Thena chasing different leads. (The uncovering of C.L. Garland’s pen name/identity is very cute and worth the wait). At times I found parts a little repetitive and the miscommunication trope between Thena and Thorne became a little bothersome—I just wanted them to be honest with each other and say how they felt. each character has their reasons for not being vulnerable, but at times the reasons felt a bit stretched to me. But there’s something about rekindling a first love that warms the heart and makes for an enjoyable romance. I especially enjoyed the costume party scene, as I felt like a got more of a glimpse into Thena and Thorne’s past attraction. And the other matchmaking and romances that are created in As You Like It Cafe add to the sweetness of this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Hachette Book Group for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
booknerd315's review
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review! This adorable book is set to come out the beginning of May!
I would have to rate this 3 stars. I was very conflicted when it came to how I wanted to rate this book. I loved all the references to the Brontes throughout the book and gave me a feeling of "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell and "The Bookish Life of Nina Hill" by Abbi Waxman.
I wouldn't classify this as a rom-com per say; there was some romance but very sparsely sprinkled throughout the book. There wasn't much plot other than the attempt at "enemies to lovers" trope. I struggled trying to like Thena and Thorne but since there wasn't much development, I couldn't get attached. The writing tends to get repetitive and it felt the author was trying too hard to add humor.
Overall, this was a cute fluff story and would be perfect for a beach read. Plus, the author's writing was easy to follow adding on extra fluff. Sereno will be an author on my radar for sure.
I would have to rate this 3 stars. I was very conflicted when it came to how I wanted to rate this book. I loved all the references to the Brontes throughout the book and gave me a feeling of "Fangirl" by Rainbow Rowell and "The Bookish Life of Nina Hill" by Abbi Waxman.
I wouldn't classify this as a rom-com per say; there was some romance but very sparsely sprinkled throughout the book. There wasn't much plot other than the attempt at "enemies to lovers" trope. I struggled trying to like Thena and Thorne but since there wasn't much development, I couldn't get attached. The writing tends to get repetitive and it felt the author was trying too hard to add humor.
Overall, this was a cute fluff story and would be perfect for a beach read. Plus, the author's writing was easy to follow adding on extra fluff. Sereno will be an author on my radar for sure.
danidsfavereads's review against another edition
3.0
This one didn’t quite work for me. I am not sure what it was exactly, but I found myself skimming some chapters and kinda just wanting it to progress faster.
I liked seeing Athena and Thorne reconnect. But the way the story was laid out - with some flashbacks to their prior relationship - just had me a bit confused.
I think my favorite part of the book were all of the small town residents and how Athena developed relationships with them. It felt cozy and sweet.
Overall, this one was just fine for me.
I liked seeing Athena and Thorne reconnect. But the way the story was laid out - with some flashbacks to their prior relationship - just had me a bit confused.
I think my favorite part of the book were all of the small town residents and how Athena developed relationships with them. It felt cozy and sweet.
Overall, this one was just fine for me.
christinavarela's review
2.0
Audiobook, which was probably a mistake because the way the narrator presents the character of Athena. Athena got on my nerves from the very beginning of this book. Incredibly predictable from start to finish including the identity of the mystery author. I was entertained enough because of some of the side stories.
mt_books_bravo's review
4.0
I’m a sucker for a second chance romance but I’ve never read a third chance romance before! Blame it on the Brontës is the story of Athena and Thornes third chance at love. Athena is attempting to revive her academic career while also giving her old relationship a new chance. I thought the main characters had really good chemistry and I enjoyed their banter back-and-forth. Athena is tough to root for at times, she’s grumpy and annoying (but honestly so am I). It’s kind of nice to read a character who is not perfect and adorable all the time! Blame it on the Brontës is a dual point of view (which is my favorite) and was a really good, well-paced read. There were a lot of classic literature references, hello Brontë sisters, that readers of classics definitely will enjoy.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
_basicbookworm's review
3.0
Athena is an English professor who has reached a point in her career where she needs to publish or lose her job. She decides to write a biography on the elusive author CL Garland and uncovering her secret identity. This means she needs to return to her hometown, which means seeing her ex almost every single day.
This was a sweet slow burn, closed door, second chance romance with a lot of literary references. This had a lot of potential to be a really cute book, but it was almost too much of a slow burn for me, and didn’t always hold my attention when reading.
I switched between ebook and audiobook for this one and enjoyed Katie Schorr as a narrator. For me, the audiobook actually held my attention better in this case and I believe that was thanks to Katie’s narration.
Thank you to Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.
This was a sweet slow burn, closed door, second chance romance with a lot of literary references. This had a lot of potential to be a really cute book, but it was almost too much of a slow burn for me, and didn’t always hold my attention when reading.
I switched between ebook and audiobook for this one and enjoyed Katie Schorr as a narrator. For me, the audiobook actually held my attention better in this case and I believe that was thanks to Katie’s narration.
Thank you to Forever Publishing, Hachette Audio, and NetGalley for the advanced copy.