This was a fun read. I enjoyed the light-hearted mystery of figuring out who CL GARLAND was and watching Thorne and Thena’s romance evolve through out the story. This is an entertaining quick read that will satisfy those Hallmark movie watchers like myself! Thank you Net Galley for an Advanced Reader Copy in Exchange for an Honest Review.

I was really looking forward to reading this RomCom. Only it want really a RomCom. Maybe just a straight up romance is the correct genre.

I enjoyed the characters in the book but Athena was a bit much for me. I do like sass in my female leads but not when it feels really contrived.

Thorne was a great male lead, but his refusal to communicate drove me crazy. I’m not a big fan of romances built on the inability of one partner to communicate basic or important info to the other. Especially when we are supposed to be rooting and excited for them to be back in a loving relationship later in the story.

The storyline was pretty predictable but if you do like the Brontes, then you will see references throughout the book which makes it pretty fun.

This one was not my cup of tea. I just could not get into it, unfortunately. The storytelling just didn't grab me and I DNF-d at the 50 % mark. I just found myself having to fight to get through it and that's not at all how I usually am with books.

Things I liked: The bookishness, the cafe setting, and a curvy heroine.

Things I didn't like: The dialogue felt stilted to the point of being confusing, the storyline felt kind of all over the place.

I think this book is probably the perfect read for someone, but it's just not me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This read of a second chance romance had lots of classic literature references, some mystery and laughs. I very much enjoyed that an anonymous author was retelling classics with an erotic twist and of course, also Sergei, who was a hilarious addition. Plus, I liked that a lot of the side characters had a bit of their own storylines going on to add to the main story.

In order to save her career, Athena has taken a sabbatical to write book. Her plan is to reveal the identity of the author, who happens to be from her hometown, of a popular series of books that turn classic novels into erotica (eg Sins and Sin’s Ability). While Athena works on her book she also takes a job waitressing at a cafe owned by her ex. I really wanted to like the one, but the writing felt awkward and juvenile. None of the characters have any depth. Thx to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I usually love second chance romances and the blurb sounded right up my alley, but unfortunately this one just didn’t work for me.

“Find Garland, write the book,” she repeated like a mantra with every strike of a foot against pavement. “Save your job.”


Athena’s an assistant English professor given an impossible assignment: find out the identity of C.L. Garland, the author turning classics into erotica (“David Copafeel”), and write a book about it by the end of the year, or her job is gone. Luckily, she has a lead: the author supposedly hails from her small hometown of Laurel. So, Athena packs herself off from San Francisco to the town where her divorced parents still live, certain she’ll be able to track her down quickly. What she doesn’t expect is that her ex, Thorne, has moved to Laurel and taken over the local cafe, complete with literary-themed daily sandwich specials. Especially since his decision to follow in his father’s footsteps and study law, rather than English, that broke them up. As Athena works at the diner and hunts for the reclusive author, she finds herself remembering just how good she and Thorne were together. But surely that ship has sailed, right?

Athena doesn’t always make the best decisions, but she sure commits to them. Her dogged determination to find the author and secure her job was admirable, if a bit misguided in my opinion. Her workplace environment is toxic (as is her love life) but that’s the last thing she’ll share with Thorne… considering she gave up being with him for that career. She’s not always likeable, and she’s the queen of forced obliviousness when it comes to her feelings for Thorne, but she did change a bit during the story. Growing up obsessed with the Brontës, she always dreamed of a moody Heathcliff of her own, but now she realizes that an unkempt man of the moors isn’t what she wants at all. In case there’s any question, it’s Thorn who she wants, and it’s incredibly obvious from the beginning that he isn’t over her either.

“So, how’ve you been, Thena?”
Keep calm and carry on was Thorne Kent’s personal motto.
“Fantabulous.”
Keep calm and lie through your teeth worked perfectly fine for Athena Murphy.”


There’s a few things I expect from a second chance romance. First, they have to address whatever issue led to their initial breakup. Sometimes it’s just immaturity, sometimes it’s family reasons, but it has to be brought out into the open and discussed by both sides. In this book, at the 75% mark, Athena is still trying to pretend she doesn’t want to stay in Laurel with Thorne. Over the course of the book, their relationship goes from “cordial” frenemies to kinda friends to friends with benefits but I never really felt the connection between them. So much of their relationship depended on their memories of what they did when they were young and in love in college, not how they related in the present. Second, they have to prove that they’ve learned from their initial breakup and won’t repeat the same mistakes. But in this case, the bleak moment comes so late in the book (and is resolved so quickly) that I found it hard to buy that they both learned their lessons.

Athena’s quest to unveil Garland also leads to her reconnecting with a lot of the locals at the diner and uncovering secrets (including family ones) that she never expected. She figures out, eventually, that the face one presents to the world isn’t the actual whole of a person, and that they can have unexpected facets, from her dad’s reasons for suddenly dressing well to the elderly curmudgeon at the diner to, well, the whole thing with her and Thorne. I liked this part of the book and wished it’d been emphasized more than the quest to find Garland. I mean, it’s blindingly obvious from the beginning who she was, so all of Athena’s sleuthing felt wasted. It’s also sort of weirdly flippant in a way that didn’t sit well with me. There’s mention of an earthquake in San Francisco – where Athena and her brother Finn nominally live – and it sole reason for being included is as an excuse to get Finn and his boyfriend back together. Plus the whole Sergei thing was just eesh. He’s a Russian guy (complete with stereotypical speech patterns) who wants to marry Athena for a green card and in exchange she gets the baby her ticking body clock wants. Athena’s not really interested in him, but he won’t take no for an answer. Everyone’s just “hahah, crazy hijinks!” while the dude’s literally stalking her. I think it was supposed to be OTT but it missed the mark for me.

Overall, unfortunately, this didn’t work out as a second chance romance for me, which makes it a 2.5, rounded up to a 3 for the perfection that is Thorne’s daily sandwich specials.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I really loved the beginning of this book, the idea of trying to find this anonymous author from her hometown was a neat idea for an almost mystery amongst a second (or third) chance love story. I am a huge fan of Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, so the many references to the Bronte sisters was my jam.

What started as a really fun idea for a love story kind of stalled around the half way mark for me. Eventually I found myself liking all of the side characters more than our main pairing, and the entire mystery of who our anonymous author was fell flat for me.

I think that this book had great potential, it just wasn't for me.

Thanks so much to Forever Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was soooo incredibly charming. It very much reads like a love story to historical romance, which feels so much like getting wrapped up in a warm hug -- it's so comforting and cozy. Sereno understands romance cues and knows how to write a compelling character, so there was really no way this wasn't going to be enjoyable.

The thing is I only read Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. Now, our main character, Athena Murphy, an English professor, is an authority on the novels of the Brontë sisters. 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.

I normally hate a second chance romance but this book works just fine. The characters are all fine, not unlikeable at all. I like Athena Murphy and Thorne Kent's banters.
Thank you Netgalley and Forever Publishing for this e-ARC

I love the classics by the Brontë Sisters and I was looking forward to reading this take on the classics. This is not a retelling but a story where Athena, a literary professor, has to publish a book to keep her job. She decides to write a biography about a bestselling anonymous author who writes retellings of the classics with a sexy twist. To write the book and uncover the true identity of this author, she returns home where she runs into her old flame, Thorne.

This rom-com had it’s fun moments and was an easy read. My one complaint is that with all the talk of the erotic retellings Athena was researching, this was a closed door romance, that felt at odds with the storyline.

I recommend for fans of second chance romance, dual pov and a small town setting.

Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

To save her job as an English professor, Athena must publish a book and she's on a tight deadline. She takes a sabbatical to return to her hometown in search of the mysterious writer remaking the classics with risqué love scenes. These books have become bestsellers and by taking a waitressing job at the diner of a family friend, she's hoping to catch enough gossip to figure out who the author is. One big problem though... the diner has been sold to none other than her ex, Thorne. She thought he was her romantic hero like in all the great classics, but somehow it just didn't work out. Now, she's forced to be around him again while she works on her book and it becomes harder every day to pretend she doesn't care.
I love books about books! The fact that they were both English lit majors until Thorne was forced to change made them perfect together. I liked the whole small town vibe in the diner and Athena's neverending quest for answers sometimes had hilarious results that had me laughing out loud. Has anyone actually written anything like the Litwit series? They sound amazing lol! And now I'm in the mood to reread Wuthering Heights again...
I received an advance reader copy of this book. The views and opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐
STEAM: 🔥

Athena Murphy is on a mission as she travels back to her hometown of Laurel. She is spending her sabbatical uncovering the identity of author C.L. Garland, known for erotic retellings of classic romances. She also has no time for distractions, especially in the form of Thorne, the man who has broken her heart in the past.

It turns out he's made his roots in Laurel, running a café, and he is Athena's temporary boss. Will their close proximity rekindle lost love, and will Athena uncover the truth behind Garland?

This was a nice easy -- albeit slow -- read. While I enjoyed the banter between Athena and Thorne, the miscommunication plot did get tedious at certain points. Thorne was the more appealing main character for me. Though she had her reasons, I found it hard to find a connection with her. While I love a good rollercoaster romance, their tug-of-war left me wanting.

The steamy moments are closed-door, so if you're looking for spice, this book might not be the right choice.

** I am voluntarily reviewing an advance copy of this book. Thank you to Annie Sereno, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for providing an ARC. **

Blame It on the Brontes is a fun romantic comedy full of literary references & hi-jinks. This one initially caught my eye because I am a huge fan of the Bronte sisters and loved the idea of reading a modern-day style of these books. While I did enjoy the many parallels that this book had to Anne Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre; the book felt a little incomplete to me, overall. Thena and Thorne are entertaining and cute protagonists but their romance plot felt a bit lackluster and was one of those stories that could easily have been fixed with better communication. I usually love second chance romances but this was not one I felt I was rooting for. What I did love about this book was the full cast of sub-characters. The small town setting filled with hilarious, heartwarming neighbors was very enjoyable and I found myself enjoying the plots of the side characters more than the main protagonists.

What a fun and clever way to bring some literary characters together!

I quite enjoyed this new novel by Annie Sereno featuring an assistant literary professor trying to write a book to save her career, heading to her hometown on the hunt for a best-selling romance novellist who was anonymous, to uncover her identity for the book - and in doing so, her professorship would be saved and she could stay at her San Francisco university, have her loveless green card marriage to the relentless Russian who promised her a baby, and carry on with the life she wasn’t really satisfied in.

What Athena Murphy finds when she returns to her hometown to search for the elusive author, chasing this rumor, is that her ex has returned to town and bought the cafe her mom’s best friend owned and promised her a job at (where she could earn some money and watch for elusive authors working and chat with the locals to get gossip about who this C. L. Garland woman might be!), giving up the law career he’d left her for.

Much to her dismay, working for him and spending all that time together brings up all the old feelings along with the hurt, so while trying to write her book, find Garland, deal with mixed emotions about her ex, Thorne, save her job, and remember why she didn’t want to live in this great little town, there is a ton of family drama she’s got thrown in the mix as well.

A lot of greatness and a lot of literary references throughout this whole story, and so many things you will just never see coming (so many)! I definitely recommend this book to everyone, especially if you love classic literature, not just the Brontes. It’s a fantastic second chance love story with a lot of heart!

I received an advance copy from Annie Sereno and Forever (Grand Central Publishing), and this is my honest feedback! I love finding authors with my same first name and who received my same uni degree! Fun!

Thank you to Netgalley, Forever, and GCP for the advanced e-copy of this book!

Review:
I thought this book was so cute! Thena will hold a special place in my heart with other “book characters I could be best friends with”. She has curves, she has big curly hard, she loves literature, and is writing a whole book about books! I instantly loved her.

In the plot we have second chance romance, dual internal conflict since we get to learn about what’s going on in Thorne’s head as well, and he falls first.

I didn’t find the story predictable at all! I had a suspicion about 60% through but it turned out that I was wrong. I really loved that this was a romance with a hint of mystery.

The only little thing that bothered me was switching POV’s in a chapter break instead of starting a new chapter with a different voice. Other than that, I thought this was a fantastic novel!

Athena heads home to her small town on a sabbatical as a professor to write a book. C.L. Garland is the author of spicy literary retellings and no one knows her identity. Athena decides she’s going to uncover the identity of Garland and write about it.
.
She is expecting a quite few months waitressing and writing. What she doesn’t expect is her ex, and former love of her life to be in town and nothing goes as planned.
.
While I figured out the mystery from the beginning this is still a delightful read with a second chance romance. The author’s love for classics is evident and shine through in every page.
.
This book is out today! Thank you @readforeverpub and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had so much fun reading this! It was quirky and silly and heartfelt, with lots of tongue-in-cheek literary references. I loved the small town of Laurel, which was very Stars Hollow-esque, and the As You Like It Cafe, with all of the eccentric and nosy regulars. The story was part romance and part cozy small town mystery, but ultimately it was about our main character Athena learning about herself and deciding which way she wants her future to go.

I will say that it took me a while to sink into the writing, as the dialogue in particular is very stylized and often difficult to believe. But the more I read, the more I was able to just roll with it, and I found myself laughing a lot at the way Athena’s Brontë-obsessed mind worked. Second chance romances aren’t always my thing, but this one really worked for me and I was rooting for Athena and Thorne to overcome their pasts and get back together. Reading the flashbacks of their relationship brought me back to my own time completing a literature degree and falling in love, and all of that nostalgia made me feel so connected to the story.

Overall a delightful book, if a little predictable at times. It’s clear that Annie Sereno has a true love of literature, as do her characters, and I might even have been convinced to try “Wuthering Heights”… or maybe I’ll just reread “Jane Eyre” for the third time.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Love the Brontes and especially love the cover and the story was good-good. Not the best I’ve read for rom com for the pacing was a bit long, the chapters were too long too and some of the dialogues between the 2 MC was eh. I really liked how the author took time to build the secondary characters with information dump but it’s a lot of telling then showing within this story. I wanted to DNF like over 3 times but kept at it just to find out the ending.

This one was cute because of the link to the Brontes' Classics. The witty nature of the characters and the banter! I love me some banter. Plus this is a second chance romance, also another favorite of mine! These are the things that kept me going, but overall it was a little too long for me. I wanted more in a shorter amount of time. The plot seemed to drag in place and I found myself losing interest in the story and the couple. I still think this one has a lot of things that people may like, especially if they like their stories a little longer.

This book was not for me. I really tried, made it about 20% and then just skimmed the end. The writing felt very juvenile and honestly cringe at times. Also literally on page 2 I figured out who this “mystery author” was and I was correct. I couldn’t connect with either MC and it seemed like their years of on/odd relationship was miscommunication and pettiness. So overall, not a book for me.