Rating: ★★★
I received a copy of this book for free from Books Forward for promotional purposes.
I was very excited to read this book because I love the premise (I love books about books/literature and I love the Brontes). Unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations.
My main critique is that the book is too long. The book is roughly 370 pages (not including title pages, acknowledgments, etc.), but could have been whittled down to around 300. The book is very light on events that drive the plot forward. After the main character, Athena, moves back to her hometown to work on her book, not much really happens until the end. As for the romance aspect, there weren’t many fun rom-com moments to keep the book interesting.
The mystery surrounding the identity of C.L. Garland (the subject of her book) was also not very exciting. I was expecting there to be a lot of crazy hijinks from Athena while she tries to uncover the truth, but those moments were also very limited.
I did like some things about the book. I liked the small town vibes, especially with Athena working at the cafe. It felt very cozy. The townspeople made great supporting characters and added some humor to the story. I also enjoyed the literary references made throughout the book and the Bronte quotes that headlined every chapter.
Overall, the book didn’t work for me. However, it might work for you if you want a second chance romance with some literary references and cozy vibes.
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