This is not the type of book I typically read (I tend to stay away from stories centered on romances and I don't read historical fiction all that often) but I was intrigued because I'm a big fan of the Bronte sisters and any book that pertains to them in any way tends to catch my eye. Overall, I didn't find the story overly engaging, and I didn't find myself connecting to any particular character. However, it is clear that the author did her research. The location and time period were represented so well and I found myself fascinated by these aspects of the story. It was a very atmospheric tale that left me with a surprising feeling of unease throughout, which doesn't happen too often for me. Because of these things, I can definitely see myself suggesting this book to others, even others who I would not normally suggest a book such as this. While I wasn't fully engrossed in the characters or the story, the atmosphere presented made me want to keep coming back.

I received a digital Advance Readers Copy of Bronte’s Mistress by Finola Austin from the publisher (Atria Books). Bronte’s Mistress is scheduled for release on August 8, 2020.

Bronte’s Mistress is a novel inspired by bits of truth. The Bronte in question here is Branwell, the perhaps least well known and only male Bronte. Branwell served as a tutor in the same household as his sister Anne (who was a governess). A young 25, and under the influence of alcohol and drugs, he fell in love with the lady of the house, Lydia Robinson. What he left behind are snippets of poetry and an ocean of rumors.

Austin takes these pieces of history and weaves them together, imagining the story from the perspective of Lydia. What would lead a lady in her forties to have an affair with a much younger man, in a society where women were not allowed to have desires of their own? Austin explores the expectations heaped on Lydia, from her husband, her children, her extended family, and society in general.

The characters throughout are well established. While the cast is relatively large, I never felt lost in a sea of bodies. Even the Bronte sisters (who spend very little time on the page) are clearly represented. Lydia’s own trio of daughters are equally well differentiated, each having individual personalities and drive. Lydia in particular was well written. It was not difficult to understand how her situation would have led her to the choices she made. I was rooting for her to find happiness in the story, wherever that might be.

Like all well-written historical fictions, this novel had me constantly questioning where the line between known history and imagined story was drawn. I am not well versed on the Bronte family, or on this time period, so for me, the line was well hidden. For me, the story line was clear and cohesive. Austin did include a note at the end that discussed what was truth and what she had imagined on Lydia’s behalf. While reading the novel, I wished I had read more of the Bronte’s works (sad confession: I’ve only read Wuthering Heights). The author’s note reinforced that wish. Throughout the novel, I kept feeling nudges of references I wasn’t quite grasping. In her note, Austin discussed weaving the themes of the Bronte’s into Lydia’s story. I would have had a better appreciation for the full tapestry of the novel if I had a bit more Bronte background in my pocket.

Overall, Bronte’s Mistress is a well-written historical fiction exploring the conflict between societal expectations and personal desires. If you are not a Bronte fanatic, it will read as an enjoyable Victorian novel. If you are a Bronte fan, I would expect this novel to feel like a homecoming, with familiar objects and memories at every turn. If you are well-read in the works of the Bronte’s, let me know what your experience of the novel was like! Off to read Jane Eyre….

I was really interested to read this debut novel about an alleged affair in the 1840's between Bronte brother, Branwell, and Lydia Robinson, the mistress of a Thorp Green Hall. Lydia had lost her mother and youngest daughter within the space of a year and her husband neglects her and her mother in law thinks she can’t do anything right. Anne Bronte is governess to her teenaged children who she has a tempestuous relationship with. The book is written from Lydias pov which provides us with a unique view of her life and what challenges/options were available for a women in her time. They both desired love and passion but when they weren’t discrete enough that the servants knew what they were up too, Branwell was dismissed from his position. And while Branwell still sought Lydia out even after his dismissal because he loved her, she turned back to her husband and when he died she married someone else who was older and rich. Thus leaving Branwell broken hearted and he died soon after as a result.

I really enjoyed reading about this time period and what was going on with the Bronte family at the time. Very excellent writing, good character development and very well researched about the Bronte sisters and Branwell who I didn’t really know a whole lot about.

Thanks to Atria and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

This is a tale of Branwell Bronte and Lydia Robinson, the mistress of Thorp Green Hall. It is 1843 in Yorkshire and Lydia has suffered not one but two devastating losses this year. Her mother and her youngest daughter.

She doesn't get much sympathy from her husband, who all but ignores her and the children, and to be honest, she isn't a very sympathetic character. 

She already has one Bronte sister tutoring her teenage daughters but now has hired a tutor for her only son. And Branwell is the lucky chap. Down on his own luck, at loose ends and fighting his own demons while dealing with his own rather odd family.

He is very passionate about life, the theater, and music and regales them with tales of his sisters, but under the surface, you can just feel the rather manic energy and short temper. As the two begin an illicit relationship, he gets more and more erratic and Lydia knows she must end things to keep her own reputation intact and before those pesky sisters get involved.




NetGalley Review/ August 4th 2020 by Atria Books

What a fun, entertaining yet frustrating read! Lydia Robinson is the mother of three daughters and a son. Her husband hires Branwell Bronte to be her son's private tutor, they begin an affair. This story is so much more than a love affair and focuses on more than just that. Lydia was a character that at times I was heartbroken for and routing for but at other times I strongly disliked her. The oppression of women during this time is so frustrating!

A well told story based on evidence of a real affair. I highly suggest reading the author's note etc at the end of the book. If you're a fan of the Brontes & historical fiction - pick this up!

Bronte's Mistress was not what I was expecting. I thought it would have more about Lydia Robinson and Branwell 'Bronte's relationship, when in fact it was mainly about Lydia, which makes sense for the title. The book was well written and the characters were pretty well rounded. This happened in 1840's when women didn't have property and had to rely on a man to survive.

Wharton unleashed upon her readers the calculating selfish Undine Spragg, Flaubert gave us the ever indecisive Emma Bovary, Tolstoy immortalized the name of Anna Karenina and the Brontë's even filled their pages with cold driven female characters that are hard to forget. All these antiheroines (and if you wish to debate antagonists) have a few things in common, they are reportedly based on actual personalities involved with public (or inner family) scandal and still spark a lively discussion when mentioned. With that said, let's be honest, everyone loves a little disgrace to distract from modest life and a good villain. So what happens when all those perfect ingredients and a naughty romp into history are promised then added to impressive debut writing that would make the above greats nod in approval (especially concerning the attention to research and details); you get an unconventional sweeping novel to recommend and quite possibly the best read of 2020 as I can't stop thinking about this title months later after turning the final page. Brava, Ms Austin!

With many thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley who sent me an advanced copy of Brontë's Mistress.

3.5. I love the Bronte sisters' novels, and even took a pilgrimage to Haworth in Yorkshire, so I was really intrigued to read this debut novel about an alleged affair in the 1840's between Bronte brother, Branwell, and Lydia Robinson, the mistress of a large manor. Branwell has been depicted in history as the black sheep of this illustrious family. He was retained to be the tutor for Lydia's son, while his sister Anne was the governess for Lydia's daughters. The novel is written from Lydia's perspective so it provides a unique insight into her life--a loveless marriage, tragedy, blackmail, passion, and the few options available to a woman at that time. Most of the characters for me are generally unlikeable, particularly Lydia and Branwell. Excellent research on the time and the very lonely position of women then, even in well to do families. However, I had difficulty getting engaged in this novel. I thought it went too slow to keep me captivated. Excellent writing, generally good character development, and a good depiction of the times.

Yorkshire 1843. I wanted to read this book because I loved Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Fiona Austin has done excellent research of the rumors of an alleged affair between Branwell Bronte, brother of the famous sisters, and Lydia Robinson, Mistress of Thorp Green Hall. Branwell was a tudor for Ned Robinson, Lydia's son. He was 25 and a passionate poet and Lydia was 43 with a cold marriage which turned her into an adulteress. They both desired love and passion but Lydia left the relationship as a scandal was brewing. Branwell died from a broken heart and Anne and Emily died soon after as a result of the stress of Branwell's affair.

I enjoyed Austin's debut novel and look forward to reading other biographies about the Brontes that Austin mentions in her Author's Notes that show that this affair was possible. I would recommend this book to those who love historical fiction. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for a free copy for an honest review.

Compared to his sisters eventual notoriety, not much is known about their brother, Branwell Bronte. History has portrayed him as something of a rogue, a drifter, a drunkard. However, in this story, we meet Branwell, a poor misunderstood young man searching for love in what seemed to be an austerely poor, emotionless environment.

When he is hired to tutor Lydia Robinson's young son, where his sister is governess to Lydia's other children, he finds himself attracted to the much older Lydia. He is a young man struggling to find his way in a family where his sisters are so intelligent and trying to make their mark in the world. All the happenings in this book occurred before the Bronte sisters make their forage into the world that would one day come to acclaim their work.

Lydia herself is struggling. She has lost in the space of a year, her mother and youngest beloved daughter. She is married to a cold unfeeling man, whose mother is a thorn in her side. Her other children are distant and emotionally detached from her. She is ripe for the attention and possible love that Branwell seems to offer.

As they come together, Lydia realizes she is besotted with Branwell for he is passionate, a writer of poetry, and someone she can cling to. And so the affair begins.

As she becomes deeply involved with Branwell, she begins to see how flawed he is, how needy, how erratic. The servants in the home are abuzz with rumor and innuendoes about the couple, and the relationship of passion soon fizzles out on Lydia's part as she tries to contend with the knowledge that others know she is an adulteress. Life does indeed fall apart for Lydia as her husband is gravely ill and at his death, she learns she is left penniless. Branwell himself is eventually banished and left to fall deeper in the dark quagmire of his heart and mind.

However, Lydia is a schemer and she has a way of ridding herself of Branwell as well as securing herself a future of wealth.

Much of what is written by the author is conjecture. There is no solid proof that indeed this affair did take place, but there seems to be various clues that might attest to its veracity.

In the end, I couldn't help but feel empathy for both Branwell and Lydia. Both were lost souls who could never seem to find that love and passion they both so desired.

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book due out August 4, 2020.
3.5 stars

I really liked this book! It was an interesting interpretation of facts written into a plausible explanation of the events surrounding the rumored scandalous affair between Lydia Robinson and her son’s young tutor, Branwell Brontë. Yup, THOSE Brontës, and an affair that has captivated the interest of English majors and Brontë enthusiasts for almost 200 years, from a perspective that has never been heard from before: Mrs. Robinson.

I’m still not certain, in the end, whether I felt Lydia was a completely likable character or not, but she was certainly a compelling one. She is a woman who feels increasingly more and more alone. She feels unneeded, unwanted, superfluous, trapped, and stifled, when she feels like she still has so much left to give. She yearns for the passion and attention she had with her husband at the start of their marriage. She misses the days when she dazzled at parties, when people would beg to hear her play the pianoforte.

Lydia wants what many women want at this juncture in their lives, to feel desirable, seen, heard, important. She wants to be more than just a mother, wife, sister, and that is immensely easy to sympathize with. Sadly, she lives in 1843, and opportunities for women were pretty few in those days: make an advantageous marriage, have babies, preferably boys, run the household. And just when she is feeling these things most, she comes home to meet her son’s new tutor.

With passionate, young, poetic Branwell Brontë, Lydia starts to feel desirable again. She revels in the the power she has over Brontë, doling out her affections or withholding them throughout the flirtation she has started with her young employee. But then it becomes something more, particularly for him. And when servants begin to talk, Lydia begins to find out that actions have consequences.

This novel is put together so well. Honestly, I was just so impressed with how the author took her research into the lives of the very real people, places, and circumstances and wove together a story so rich in nuance that it made quite a plausible example of how this point in history could have played out.

You can’t help but empathize with Lydia’s motivations, even as you want to throttle her for the things she says and does, particularly where her children are concerned. But that’s just part of what makes her such a compelling character.

On a side note, the entire time I was reading this book, I kept thinking of that old Simon and Garfunkel song “Mrs. Robinson,” which was written for the film adaptation of The Graduate. Admittedly, I never read the book or saw the movie, but after doing a little digging, I found it very interesting that the author of The Graduate, Charles Webb, chose to name the married woman chasing the son of her husband’s colleague as “Mrs. Robinson.” I also found it rather interesting that the protagonist of the story is named Benjamin Braddock. The same initials as our Branwell Brontë, hmmmm…. Maybe that’s all just coincidental, but it is cause for speculation. Perhaps we should ask Mr. Webb, but I digress.

If you enjoy historical fiction highlighting untold viewpoints around real-life people and well-known events, I highly recommend this book. I really enjoyed this debut novel and I look forward to reading more from Ms. Austin.

*Thank you to Atria Books and Finola Austin, who provided me with an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Bronte family history is filled with so much drama it would make a bingeable television mini-series. Charlotte, Emily and Anne are well known. Their only brother Branwell is not.

Branwell felt the loss of his mother and two older sisters keenly. Branwell and his younger sisters created an alternate reality, detailed in books and drawings. His father homeschooled him with a Classical education while his sisters went away to school.

Branwell was a product of the Romantic Era, and inspired by poets and painters, he hoped to make his mark as a poet or artist.

As too often happens to precocious geniuses, Branwell never achieved his best at anything. In fact, he failed in everything. His last years were spent in ill health, alcohol and drug addiction complicating his tuberculosis, despairing over unrequited love while his sisters cared for him. Charlotte Brontë wrote in a letter, 'the faculty of self-government is, I fear almost destroyed in him.'

Famously, Branwell painted a group portrait of his sisters and himself, then later painted out his image. That portrait inspired my Bronte Sisters quilt.

Branwell's last position was as a tutor for the family where his sister Anne was governess. Over those 30 months, Branwell and his charge's mother, Lydia Robinson, had a love affair. Her husband was sickly and she was a charming woman of 43. Branwell, like his famous sisters, was small, fair with red hair, a prominent nose on which sat spectacles--nothing like the typical romantic hero.

In her biography of Charlotte Bronte, Elizabeth Gaskill paints Mrs. Robinson as a wicked women. After her husband's death, she did not run to Branwell's arms. She married a wealthy man of 75. Whatever she may have felt for Branwell, money and a safe social status was more important. Branwell died heartbroken.

In Bronte's Mistress , Finola Austin imagines Mrs. Robinson telling the story of her love affair with Branwell.

In the novel, Lydia Robinson sought the attention and affection of the man she married and gloried in their early passionate affection. Throughout the novel, she still seeks his attention. Lydia struggles with aging, and worried about the loss of her beauty, she craves affirmation of her continued attractiveness.

To complicate her life, Lydia has contentious relationships with her teenage daughters and her overbearing mother-in-law.

Lydia can be cold and imperious toward her daughters. She married for love but does not countenance her daughters doing the same; she knows how unreliable love is, while money lasts.

Mr. Robinson treats governess Anne Bronte with dignity, but Lydia does not care for her. The feeling is mutual. Anne thinks her mistress is vain and shallow and ill-tempered.

When Mr. Robinson hires Anne's brother Branwell to tutor their son, Lydia notes his spirit, his intelligence, and his good looks. Attraction grows between them, and Branwell being a true Romantic, throws himself into the fire of love. Lydia revels in the attention, teaching her young lover how to please her.

Austin's portrait of Lydia Robinson is interesting and complex. Austin uses the character of Lydia Robinson to explore the constraints the Victorian Age placed on women, particularly their sexuality. In seeking their own destiny, the daughters show they share their mother's spirit if not her values.

Austin's portrayal of Branwell portrays his charms and his demons, and his inexperienced naivety. She incorporates his poetry into the novel. Lydia comes to realize that Branwell is weak, unreliable, and not as great a talent as he made out.

Austin's Lydia Robinson is not likeable, and neither is Branwell. Even Anne does not come across well. This might put some readers off. It is perhaps the downside of writing about real people.

Austin shows Anne incorporating her experiences into her novels, and imagines Lydia Robinson's second marriage as inspiration for Charlotte Bronte.

Austin's deeply flawed characters are desperate for love. In his time, Branwell's addictions would have been considered character flaws, weakness. And Lydia's sexual desire an aberration.

As someone who loves 19th c fiction and the Bronte's novels, I enjoyed Bronte's Mistress. I look forward to reading more by the author.

I received a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.

Very disappointing book. It sounded like it would be interesting but I found the writing to be tedious and the characters very unlikeable. I finished it but I doubt Lydia could protect her reputation.

Grieving from the loss of her mother and her youngest daughter in the same year, Mrs. Lydia Robinson tries and fails to gain comfort from her loveless marriage. Craving closeness, she turns to Branwell Bronte, her children's tutor. But after they're discovered in a compromising position, Lydia has to fight to keep her dignity and quell the rumors.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book. I received a complimentary copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so excited to get this and the first couple of chapters had me certain I’d adore it. Unfortunately, for me, I didn’t end up loving it. Since it is historical fiction based on some extensive research, I have no doubt the people were as despicable and insipid as portrayed. In fairness, there were some upstanding citizens. However, since most were not nice and not interesting, the book didn’t hold my attention as most do. I ‘enjoy’ reading books about dysfunctional families usually. I am sorry it missed the mark for me.

Set in Yorkshire 1843 this is a partly imagined tale of the affair between Patrick Branwell Bronte, brother of the famed Bronte sisters and his married mistress Lydia Robinson.
Set in Yorkshire 1843, Lydia is a woman left bereft by the recent deaths of her mother and baby daughter when she employs her governess' brother Branwell Bronte to tutor her young son. Once a young, spirited woman in love with her husband Edmund, she finds he has become emotionally and physically distant leaving her to question her womanly capabilities of attractiveness, desirability and motherhood. In her desperate need for love and intimacy she begins to share her thoughts and desires of fulfilment with 25-year old Branwell and finds they are drawn together not only emotionally but physically. As the affair progresses Lydia's indiscretions are revealed to her husband, her daughters and even the servants setting off a chain of destructiveness for her and her young lover.
While at times I really disliked Lydia's character she was a woman torn by the epitome of being the perfect dutiful wife and mother who needed so much more emotionally at a time when women were not allowed to voice their thoughts much less their needs. This was a deeply felt read of a woman literally dying within the confines of her marriage and life.
A wonderfully atmospheric debut, this earns a place among my favorites. Recommended.

Thanks to Atria books, NetGalley and Finola Austin for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

*ARC was provided by the published via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

The myth of the Bronte siblings has only grown as the years have passed. Branwell looms in the background never taking full form, much the same as in the family picture he painted himself out of. He remains so in this novel, a trope of a poet and drunk who never lived up to his potential. Though this book is called Bronte's Mistress, it is not about Branwell Bronte. Instead, it tells the story of Mrs. Robinson, the married woman who had an affair with Branwell that ultimately led to his ruin and death.

Bronte's Mistress was the perfect balance of new and old, with the author telling the story of Lydia Robinson while weaving in nods to the Bronte myth. Lydia and Branwell's discussion of souls recalls Cathy and Heathcliff, and of course the recognizable story of Agnes Grey. The research Austin did, and her ability to organically incorporate it without ruining the flow of the novel, is something that many who write about real people struggle to do. The mentions of Angria, Wellington, and even Flossy were details that won this Bronte reader over.

In reflecting on this book, I am torn on how I feel about its title character. I think of Wuthering Heights and its unlikeable characters. Lydia Robinson should elicit some sort of sympathy, a woman stuck in a loveless marriage whose every emotion is deemed hysterics.. She is extremely unhappy, but she is equally as unlikeable. Lydia is vain and uncaring, only interested in what others can do for her. And while there is an understanding that she is a creature created by her society, there is nothing she does to redeem herself: she is not a good mother, she is not a caring employer. She falls short in the implicit comparison with the Bronte heroines - she's no Helen Huntingdon married to a brutish husband like in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall or Jane Eyre hopelessly in love with a man married to madwoman in the attic. Though Lydia tries to find herself, she continues to make choices that, while meeting societal expectations, do not leave you feeling hopeful for her future happiness..

Unfortunately, Lydia's place, even now, is only defined in her relationship to men - Mrs. Robinson, Lady Scott, and then only to be remembered as Bronte's Mistress.

So first off: Lydia is such an unlikeable character. BUT that does not make her uninteresting. She had so many layers to her in this novel and stood as a contrast to the family name in the title. The affair isn't even the main plot of the book; at least to me. It was a side effect of Lydias sadness and isolation and a rebellion to the world she both understood and was resigned to living within. She knew that her choices as a woman were limited and resented it but didn't spare her daughters from it. Definitely read the authors note about the research at the end as it provides a lot of insight into the characterization in the novel. The title is misleading as Lydia would balk at being called his mistress I'm quite sure. For fans of the Bronte's and looking for a historical fiction in the vein of those about Zelda Fitzgerald, this is for you.

This is a fictionalized version of the affair of Lydia Robinson with Branwell Bronte, her son's tutor. Lydia is a passionate woman in a passionless marriage to Edmund. Branwell is over 20 years her junior and has a problem with drinking. Lydia is very vain and her children, Lydia, Bessy, Mary and Ned seem more of an interference in her life. She is jealous of her daughter, Lydia's, beauty and constantly belittles her daughter, Bessy for being a big girl who loves horses and dogs. She likes the power she has over Branwell and mostly looks for what he can do for her than actually loving him. Eventually she seems annoyed that he is so devoted to her. In the end I just found her to be foolish and pathetic.

The story was very well written. Even though I didn't care for Lydia I felt that everyone knows a Lydia. That person who thinks her beauty and charms surpass all of her circle and she needs to be the center of attention. She finds fault with all those around her and blames them for her state rather than realizing it was her own actions.

This is a good story of a little known Bronte.

This novel was written to show what a rumored affair between Lydia and Branwell Bronte may have been like. The characters were raw and flawed and I went from sympathizing with them to being angry, then annoyed, then sorry for again. It definitely makes you feel things so you're invested in the story! In all, it was a great read!!