I’m not sure if you all know this, but I’m a former English Lit Major. So I felt duty bound to read Blame It on the Brontes. Gotta support my fellow Literature fans. And this one is a joy for those who love books! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
English professor Athena Murphy is an authority on the novels of the Brontë sisters. But as they say in academia, publish or perish. To save her job, Athena decides to write a biography of C.L. Garland, the author heating up bestseller lists with spicy retellings of classic literature. Tracking down the reclusive writer and uncovering her secret identity, though, means Athena must return to her small midwestern hometown where Garland—and her ex-boyfriend, Thorne Kent—live.
Seeing Thorne again reminds Athena that real life never lives up to fiction. He was the Heathcliff to her Catherine, the Mr. Rochester to her Jane. Not only did their college breakup shatter that illusion, but they also broke each other’s hearts again a second time. Now she has to see him nearly every…single…day.
The only solution is to find C.L. Garland as quickly as possible, write the book, and get the heck out of town. As her deadline looms and the list of potential C.L. Garlands dwindles, Athena and Thorne bicker and banter their way back to friendship. Could it really be true that the third time’s a charm?
Athena and Thorne have a love story only a Brontë could write, and the chance for their own happily-ever-after, but first, they’ll need to forgive the mistakes of the past.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Blame It on the Brontes is a dual POV third chance romance. Yes you read that right! If two is not enough for you, then this book is for you. One of the most fascinating parts of the book is to see Athena and Thorne explore this chance. There’s so much history behind them. Could sparks ignite again? Or were they never truly extinguished? While I expected to like Athena over Thorne – even though I don’t love Jane Eyre like she does – I ended up liking Thorne more.
Even though it’s dual POV, which is good because there are tons of secrets being hidden, I do feel like it’s mostly centered on Athena. So while we need the dual POV to figure out what they’re hiding from each other – and their true history – it still felt a bit skewed. I enjoyed their interactions and chemistry, but I think I became more involved in the mystery element of the plot – the unrevealing of the author. I do think there’s a bit of drop off in terms of pacing around the middle.
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Blame It on the Brontes is full of memories. I enjoyed this one, even though I wish there had been a bit more Thorne. If you like characters who have water under the bridge that causes a flood – this is for you. Another element I enjoyed was the sibling relationship. Siblings get me every time. In general, this book focuses on our ideas of who we have to be and what our future looks like. I think we can get so caught up in a way we think our story goes. But what if we could rewrite the ending? For fans of romance stories with literature obsessed characters and third chances, find Blame It on the Brontes on Goodreads, Amazon, Indiebound, Bookshop.org & The Book Depository.
Okay, I didn’t realize it was a 3rd chance! Now I’m really going to have to get my hands on this one. Great review!
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