I was so sure I would enjoy this one based on the title and synopsis. I’m a huge Brontë fan and this had an abundance of literary references (namely about Wuthering Heights, the protagonist’s favorite book). Unfortunately, it fell short for me. I couldn’t connect with the characters (I especially found Athena to be intolerable), the dialogue was awkward, and the chemistry felt forced. The whole book is centered around finding out the identity of an author, which I figured out in about 2.5 seconds even though it’s not revealed until the end. If you’re not a fan of English Lit, this definitely isn’t for you but I can see how other people can love this one.

1 star

As a lover of literature and as a burgeoning academic, Blame It on the Brontes held so much potential for me. A small town romance about a professor being forced to publish-or-perish who returns to her hometown only to find out that her first love is her new boss? Come on!

Boy, was I in for a rude awakening.

This book was just a complete miss for me. I didn't care about either half of the main couple individually and I certainly didn't care about their romance. It felt like they were in this constant stasis for most of the book, have these tiny moments of potential development that were always centered around them having off-page sex, and then revert back into their original state. Then, at the 96% mark, they have a blowup fight, forgive each other, and get back together for a happily ever after? What? Where was the development? Where?

On top of that, this book is the epitome of quirkiness for quirkiness's sake. I love a cast of quirky characters, but there needs to be someone or something grounding it. We never get that in this book. Every single character is completely off-the-top in increasingly unbelievable ways and this book features so many moments with them that are supposed to read as "laugh-out-loud". To me, all these moments did was distract from the through-line of the plot and make me question if there was any logic in this book. Sometimes, less really is more.

I so wanted to love this book. I really did. I'm sure there will be people who love this. As it turns out, I'm just not one of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Blame It on the Brontes was something of a mixed bag for me. On the one hand, it had some truly cute and fun moments, and more than enough literary references to delight any English major. But it also ended up feeling both slow and overstuffed, resulting in a reading experience that ended up being just sort of fine.

First, the good. Athena and Thorne were a fun leading couple, carrying the weight of their romantic history together while also trying desperately - and obviously, ultimately failing - to move past it. Their banter was punchy and their emotional moments held weight, thanks in large part to that history. The two of them also made excellent anchors for all of the café scenes, which were some of the most fun in the book. This book nails that small town vibe, with all the quirks and goofy characters that come with it.

Blame It on the Brontes also nailed the English major vibe. As the title suggests, there's plenty of Bronte love, not to mention lots of other literary silliness thanks to the LitWit series at the center of Athena's plot. It really felt like the author was having a good time with that element.

*spoilers ahead*

But while some things landed well, there was a lot about this book that didn't work for me. The pacing seemed to drag, with only the repeated mentions of what month it was to really track how much time was passing (since it didn't often feel like anything was moving forward). The plot was also overstuffed; between the personal lives of the café customers, Athena's brother's love troubles, their father's romantic happenings, and their mother turning out to be a lesbian, there was simply too much going on with the side characters. All of that was on top of Athena's work problems, the hunt for CL Garland, and Thorne's family issues, which included a sort of half-baked quest to get a mental health clinic built in town. Jettisoning some of those threads (I honestly could have done without the parent drama, although good for Lydia for finding her truth, etc.) might have helped to keep the pace moving a little more and put more focus on Athena and Thorne.

There were also a few elements that didn't quite sit well for me for other reasons. There's a weird amount of body shaming in this book, particularly in reference to Athena. I kept wondering if there was a purpose for this, like some sort of reckoning that she might have with her mother (the main perpetrator of the comments), but it never materialized, meaning those uncomfortable comments were just sort of there for no reason. Similarly, Thorne's relationship to his mentally ill half-brother felt weirdly thrown together, more of a plot device to add to his ~tragic backstory~ than anything else. And finally, Thorne turning out to be CL Garland was both deeply predictable and kind of boring. I was frustrated with him for lying to Athena about it - repeatedly! - and frustrated with the book for not letting the reader in on the secret earlier. Really, I felt myself craving more Thorne chapters to give us more of his perspective and help add some more weight and feeling to his side of the story. Instead, we mostly got Athena spinning her wheels over her book and Thorne, which got a bit bland after a while.

Looking back at this review, it's clear that I had more than a few issues with this book. But that's not to say that it wasn't a generally pleasant read. The writing is strong, the romantic plot is decent, and the central conceit is fun. It just doesn't fully deliver on its promise.

3/5

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 think this book had potential and I really really wanted to like it, but it just fell short for me.

It was all over the place and there was also just a lot going on and at times it could be hard to follow. I think the writing style played a factor in that. It wasn't bad, nothing that would prevent me from finishing the book, but it was interesting to say the least. There are a lot of Literature references so I would highly recommend this to someone who knows their way around a good bit of English Lit.

There were definitely times where I related with Athena. For the most part I liked her. She was quirky, witty, and had a great sense of humor. However, I felt like she was rigid when it came to her breakup with Thorne and it overall just didn't make sense to me. Like it felt like it was a stretch to break up with someone for the reasons they broke up with each other (initially, Seattle not withstanding). However, I honestly didn't feel much chemistry between them. Additionally, I get the mystery and suspense behind the break up, but it took too long to get around to the full story. The pacing of the book in general was too slow.

Aside from that, I really liked the side characters from the café and her family. There were some humorous moments that made me laugh, I just wish it had been a bit more cohesive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever Grand Central Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book!

** spoiler alert ** I wanted to love it, and I loved parts of it.

Loved: the cast of characters in the town (they all have these silly vivid personalities, I felt like I was watching a 90s romcom with a wide cast of supporting characters), the small town vibes, the literary references, the descriptions of clothes and food, the alternating view points between Athena and Thorne.

I wish I could say that I was rooting for them as a couple, but after one too many “miscommunication leads to an epic misunderstanding and no one knows how to articulate their feelings” I was sort of over it. I felt like just a dab of honesty from ANY of the characters would’ve made it seem a bit more realistic. I found the buildup to Thena and Thorne finally reuniting to be a bit anticlimactic, and I was very annoyed by their relationships with their families.

Overall, it was a fun read, if frustrating at times.

Athena takes time off from her professorship to write a book and get published so she can keep her position at the college. When she heads home to Illinois she finds her ex Thorne has ended up back home as well. In order to try to get information to write her book Athena works alongside Thorne, which is easier said then done given their history. What Athena doesn’t know is Thorne has been hiding a family secret for years, whilst she is trying to uncover the secret identity of a famous writer. Will all the secret end up tearing Athena and Thorne apartment, or bring them closer together again? I really enjoyed this book, and loved all the Brontë quotes at the start of each chapter. Not to mention some other Easter eggs as well. I do recommend this one and plan on rereading it again in the near future!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

With her career on the line, Athena returns to her hometown to unmask local author C.L. Garland, who shot to fame writing erotic versions of literary classics. As if this wasn’t challenging enough, she learns that she will now be working for her ex, and it seems a fire still burns between them.

I am not a classics fan, nor do I long for a Brontë hero, but I loved this book. Maybe the mystery wasn’t so mysterious, and perhaps the will-they-won’t-they went on for a bit too long, but I was having such a good time, it didn’t matter.

I am always here for a second chance romance, and the more details I learned about these two, the louder I cheered for that HEA. They really were prefect for each other, and the things keeping them apart pained me. However, my pain was wrapped in a whole lot of laughter.

I found the characters very witty and the banter whip-smart. Given that these were people who studied literature, you know there were a slew of literary references, and gobbled them all up. Between the humor and the quirky characters, I was in my happy place, smiling my face off as I awaited the couple to come to their senses.

Overall: I had a fantastic time with Athena, Thorne, and all the inhabitants of this town as I read this amusing and heartwarming tale. The trifecta of laugh, smile, and swoon was in full-effect from beginning to end, and this tale enchanted my bookish heart.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3
I really liked the premise to this book and I was sure I'd enjoy it greatly but sadly for some reason it didn't pull me in as much as I hoped. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book, well worth the time it takes you to read it, I just didn't fall in love with the characters or the plot as I hoped I would. When I read the blurb for this book I was immediately drawn to it and was slightly let down by the end result. The book was just a little too long, with not enough happening in it for my taste. I found myself skimming pages and I hate doing that. There were no highs or lows in this romance. What lowered the rating from me also, was Thena, the heroine. I didn't like her. I couldn't warm up to her at all. She just rubbed me the wrong way I guess. I liked Thorne, the hero, on the other hand. I also felt like their romance was forced. I didn't feel the chemistry or the attraction between them. So, I enjoyed it, but didn't love it. Something was missing for me and I enjoyed the last 20% more than the rest of the book. This story line had so much potential and I so desperately wanted to like it. It wasn't a bad book but it just didn't hold my attention as much as I hoped it would. Also, the writing style wasn't always to my liking and I didn't enjoy the long descriptions. Overall I wouldn’t call this bad but I can't bring myself to give it more than 3 stars because when I put the book down I didn't feel the urge to pick it back up. This was my first Annie Sereno book. I want to give her another try, see if this represents the level of depth or if she can go deeper.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did but there was just way too much going on. The plot didn’t fully land with all the offshoots and side storylines. I essentially kept reading just to find out who Garland was and even that disappointed me because I’d figured that out by chapter two. However, I did like that each chapter started with a Bronte quote and I enjoyed the time spent in Laurel with all the zany characters.

3.5 rounded up. This was a cute literary-heavy rom com and I couldn't stop reading it! A second- (third-?) chance romance with a little mystery, which I personally figured out really quickly but which didn't detract from how fun this was.

First of all, I just wanna say: OMG Thorne Kent. Now...

This book is so lovely. I felt in parts as though it was quite cheesy but that is actually what lended to me loving it so much. I felt that the story was very well interwoven and while a few parts of it did feel rushed and I wanted more tension and build up but I still enjoyed it. This is a not a spicy book and, while that was kind of disappointing given that she's trying to uncover the identity of a spicy romance author, it didn't need the spice. I was more than satisfied putting my imagination to work, I really felt that the story didn't need it, but if smut is what you're looking for, I would skip it. However, if you're looking for a low stakes, easy read with a funny cast of small town characters, this is the one for you.

Finally... THORNE KENT. Goodness. I wanna watch him bake bread.

Quirky, fun second chance romance! Athena is forced to work in forced proximity to her ex, Thorne, who she is still pining over and vice versa. She's on the search for a mysterious author to help publish her article. There's a lot of witty banter and fun secondary characters. I wish that it was paced slightly better and the ending wasn't wrapped up so quickly, but overall I enjoyed reading this one!

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

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. (Goodreads synopsis)

I have not read any books by Annie Sereno.

There was so much angst in this that I felt it made reading difficult. Many times I shut my ebook off and started something else because I couldn’t stand Athena, Thorne, or Finn. I didn’t mind the plot of a second chance romance, but the characters were cringe-worthy. Athena is meant to be an English professor who is a fan of Wuthering Heights, but it seems like she hasn’t learned a thing from literature. Communication is key to everything. Thorne isn’t much better as he appears to make decisions that affect people without their knowledge. I would have maybe given a better rating if they had learned anything as the book progressed, but that wasn’t the case.

The relationship development also seemed a bit off to me, but whatever, it’s a novel. Maybe things progress like that with really determined people, and I did like Athena’s feistiness and determination. I enjoyed the humor of the cafe’s patrons and the idea of the spinoffs of the classics.

Overall I rate this novel 3 out of 5 stars.

Thank you so much to @readforever for the complimentary digital review copy of Blame it on the Brontes in advance of publication. This book comes out on May 3, 2022!

Blame is on the Brontes is the story of Athena (Thena), an English Professor taking a sabbatical in her home town to finally write a book she needs in order to get tenure. In her home town, she finds herself working for Thorne, her ex (the one that got away). The big mystery of the book is 'who is CJ Garland" - I thought it was pretty obvious who it was from the beginning, but it took until the last chapter to be reveled. I enjoyed the clever naming of the sandwiches in the café, and the many other references to classic literature throughout the book.

I didn't really like Thena much - it became clear that her job was a very toxic environment, so it wasn't clear why she wanted to keep the job so badly, in particular once she was invited to apply for what seemed like a dream job elsewhere. I wanted her to make better choices for herself. Also, Thena's investigation of Garland was simply guessing the person who happened to be in front of her at the time (but I guess that's efficient?)

The book was a bit confusing at times - there are a lot of side characters (family, exes, café patrons). A number of them were described at a very high level, so occasionally it took a while before I remembered who they were. And some of the more interesting side characters vanished for long parts of the book, which is too bad.

While I know the trope is second chance romance, as we got to know Thena and Thorne, and the trajectory their lives were taking I'm actually of the opinion they would be better off apart (Thorne lied about a lot of critical things, for a really long time).

From the first paragraph, I knew this book would be a good one. I immersed myself into the book from the first chapter and I cannot say enough good things about this book! Honestly amazing! The writing is incredible and the plot is just one to die for. I am absolutely obsessed with this book. My favorite part would have to be the character development throughout the book. Character development is something I look forward to and this book did not disappoint.

First time reading this author and the story was such a delightful surprise!

The writing is effortless and engaging, the main characters are flawed and lacking clear direction, but so personable.

What happens when the future you think you need is actually not what you want? This is where Athena finds herself, with her position as a college professor in question unless she publishes. She moves back to her hometown and ends up taking a temporary job in the café owned by her ex-boyfriend, Thorne.

There are so so many layers to these two, between them and alone. There are secrets and words left unsaid, and the more time they spend together, the clearer it is how things are not done between them.

I also liked the Brontë quotes at the beginning of each chapter.

I received a free copy from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Loved! A nice light-hearted book that tugged at all our emotional strings. I loved how the author explored the many characters and developed our main character within a community, without the cliche reliance on community building to help her move forward. The hurt, the sorrow, the pain of thinking there is no way forward, and the difficulty in navigating relationships at specific times in your life was so exceptionally described that all the characters were so relatable. The pacing was perfect - from the bitterness of broken relationships, to the slow realization of coming to terms with your true feelings, and then the bold step of reclaiming your strength to possibly make a change in what you thought would be bleak future. It was a satisfying and enjoyable read.

I was definitely intrigued by the premise behind this one – second chance romance, romcom, return to small hometown and forced proximity with the ex / “one who got away”. I’m also always a sucker for a cover with a pup on it. I think the book had some good potential and elements going for it, however it didn’t quite come together for me personally.

As I said, the premise and tropes were all ones that appealed, I enjoyed the cover art, and I love a book set in a small town. I’m a big fan of romcoms, so I’m also not afraid to suspend reality a bit in the name of a well paced, sweet romance coming together. I also can appreciate a good “secret” to uncover, even if it’s easy to guess, because the journey is part of the fun.

In this case, I didn’t really feel the romcom vibe throughout. I wanted more banter between our love interests and reasoning behind the Athena / Throne situation as it stood. I didn’t feel like I got a great idea of either characters personality, I think the two had some chemistry but I was hoping for more – especially since miscommunication came into play, which is not a favorite of mine. I needed more pull to the MCs and their love story to keep me going in that case. I think it was an interesting read, and I would definitely try another from the author, this one just wasn’t a perfect fit for me.

This book was provided to me from netgalley. This is an honest review and 100%my own opinion.

I really enjoyed this book and really recommend it to anyone asking for recs.

I especially like how the author described the relationship between Thorne and Athena. The struggles that happen when you are trying to deny attraction is realistic. I loved the twists and turns. I also loved looking into the authors world while struggling to research and write for their craft.