Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.09 AVERAGE
3.09 AVERAGE
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This book took me way too long to read. It was slow. And the romance was slower, with the main characters uniting, having a conflict, and reuniting all at the very end of the book. There were a lot of literary references in this book and maybe if I was a fan of the classics I would have appreciated this book more. I didn’t find Athena to be all that smart, although she is said to have a PhD. I did like all the random side characters in a town that reminded me of the Gilmore Girls.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Got me out of a reading slump, but generally written sloppily. The good parts read like a cozy romance set in a cafe but the worst parts read like an obvious mystery trying to sound smart and failing.
i don't even know what to say. i kept reading it because it truly was a bit of a trainwreck but here are some highlights (kind of more like lowlights) from the text:
"And he lifted her like the hero he was and carried her to his bedroom, leading the way with his triumphant penis, swelling like every throbbing member in every bodice ripper ever written."
"Feminists forbid him, but Thorne did like a woman with an ample bosom. Regressive maybe, but Athena's bountiful breasts had imprinted on him forever."
the queer characters felt EXTREMELY two-dimensional and throw-away. the mystery of who CL Garland was and the fallout was obvious and took forever. the FMC spent a solid 10% of the book waking up hungover.
this book meandered and wandered and was so close to being okay-to-good, and then you'd just get a sentence like above and rethink your entire life.
"And he lifted her like the hero he was and carried her to his bedroom, leading the way with his triumphant penis, swelling like every throbbing member in every bodice ripper ever written."
"Feminists forbid him, but Thorne did like a woman with an ample bosom. Regressive maybe, but Athena's bountiful breasts had imprinted on him forever."
the queer characters felt EXTREMELY two-dimensional and throw-away. the mystery of who CL Garland was and the fallout was obvious and took forever. the FMC spent a solid 10% of the book waking up hungover.
this book meandered and wandered and was so close to being okay-to-good, and then you'd just get a sentence like above and rethink your entire life.
Athena is a literature professor who's passionate about the Brontë sisters, and teaching their novels. She once thought she had her own literary hero, Thorne Kent, her college boyfriend and the love of her life. But when she moved to San Francisco and he chose a different path, it wasn't meant to be. Now Athena is stuck in a job she hates, having to publish something in order to keep it. With no other choice she takes a leave of absence, returns to her hometown, and sets about trying to find the identity of the reclusive C.L. Garland, a writer who eroticizes the classics, so she can save her job. What she finds is former boyfriend, Thorne, running the local cafe.
As a fan of Wuthering Heights, I enjoyed this one. Athena's brother was a great bonus to the story. Her dad, and mom? Not so much. I figured out the twist right away so it got frustrating having to wait for the reveal. But overall, a decent story with some great banter.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.
As a fan of Wuthering Heights, I enjoyed this one. Athena's brother was a great bonus to the story. Her dad, and mom? Not so much. I figured out the twist right away so it got frustrating having to wait for the reveal. But overall, a decent story with some great banter.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC.