This book was interesting but I was semi-lost at a couple of points. It was definitely creative though! And there were some witty bits.

I really liked this book!! It was cute and fun– I loved the way it combines both stories and I found that I liked one more than the other, but they were both awesome.

I enjoy books about the Victorian age, and the fact that the Mrs. Gaskell was featured peaked my interest, but I'm not quite sure I enjoyed this book as much as I'd hoped. I feel terrible saying this knowing that the portion set in the current day was a true story, but I really disliked the author's tale of romantic woe. It was quite boring to hear about her obsession and lust for the man that got away, when what I really wanted to know more about was Gaskell's life and her obsessions and desire for romantic love.

An absolutely wonderful and enjoyable memoir written by a young English woman working on her doctorate regarding Victorian author Elizabeth Gaskell. Nell Stevens is fascinated by Gaskell and her friendships and her fascination with Rome and especially, her unrequited love for younger \American Charles Eliot Norton. Ah, but the road to her doctorate is not a smooth one. Reflecting herself in the story of unrequited love, Nell is also madly in love with an American: the elusive Max. And when he finally does reciprocate, Nell's world--and her work--is completely derailed.

You don't have to know a single thing about Elizabeth Gaskell to appreciate every minute of this lovely and amusing book. And it did spark in me a desire to read some of Gaskell's works, so I'm excited to say, I've got those on the pile now! I loved getting to know both Gaskell (the Victorian of the title) and Stevens (the Romantic!). Great storytelling.

The premise of this book had me intrigued. The Victorian lady author and the modern romantic author connecting through unrequited love.... Oh boy was it tedious. It felt as though the author wanted to use her PhD thesis for something and decided to write a book.

I reviewed this title in the San Francisco Chronicle. Not sure when netgalley went to requiring a star rating for reviews here. I think it’s nuts to ask people who review for media to do this,, so will simply 5-Star everything. You can see the review at https://www.sfchronicle.com/books/article/New-audiobooks-by-Michael-Lewis-Nell-Stevens-and-13194901.php

Wow Wow Wow. I absolutely ADORED this half biography of Mrs. Gaskell’s life/ real life memoir of the author. It was refreshing, witty, emotional and relatable. I was surprised how much I fell in love with the struggles of Nell and how she wrote about them so honestly. It takes a lot for a writer to have this level of transparency and still communicate their feelings with such an eb and flow of beautiful words.

Thank you Doubleday Books and Net Galley for the free review copy. The Victorian and Romantic alternates between the lives of Victorian writer Elizabeth Gaskell and Stevens's life during the time she was writing her PhD. These two women are each facing their own challenges in love and life as they move into their professional identities and grapple with romance and heartbreak. I loved the format of this book, switching between the experiences of these women. Though they lived in different times and had different struggles, they were kindred spirits. I appreciated the honesty with which Stevens shared her heartbreak and recovery. I couldn't put it down.

This is an excellent dual novel. One, set in the present day, is written in the first person and is about Nell. She's a young Englishwoman starting a PhD on Elizabeth Gaskell. The other, written in the second person, is about Gaskill herself and her trip to Rome and its consequences.

Gaskill's trip is also the subject of Nell's thesis. This device allows the two plots to intertwine nicely. The difference in narrative person means that the reader is never confused about the time period.

Both women face questions about their roles in life, love, and the future.

I found it engrossing.

I loved this book. It was beautifully written and I found it hard to put down. I loved the alternating viewpoints and how when in the viewpoint of Gaskell it was written "you" as if the reader were Gaskell. I loved, loved, loved, this book. It is memoir and history combined. I can't wait to read more from this author.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy of the book. All opinions expressed are my own.

There's something compelling about Nell Stevens' writing - I absolutely loved Bleaker House, and couldn't wait for this new release. She's accessible yet elevated, with a straightforward storytelling style that keeps you engaged. There were slow moments here, but I found myself missing the characters for a week after I finished reading it.

Spoiler alert!

With its Roman and Parisian settings, I was primed to like this one. Early on, though, I started feeling a bit resistant. Nell's attitude towards her Ph.D. program was off-putting, and in spite of the disclaimer at the beginning, it bugged me that I didn't know how much of the 19th century segments were fact-based. After the break-up, I was really on edge, waiting for Nell and Max to get back together - waiting, really, to write off the entire book for a maudlin happy ending - and it DIDN'T HAPPEN. A pleasant surprise.

The Harriet Hosmer portions make it very likely that my library will purchase multiple copies of this book, as we are Hosmer's home town. I've already told both my supervisor and the librarian who purchases the Dewey 800s about it.

Very interesting read! I liked how Nell Stevens flashed back and forth between the past and the present. It has a feel similar to "Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously" by Julie Powell.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. I have always been a big fan of Elizabeth Gaskell, and so as soon as I read the synopsis I wanted to read this book. I enjoyed both the story of Nell Stevens's life and her thesis. Stevens use of language was beautiful to read. If you are a fan of the Victorian period I would highly recommend. I was also a big fan of the depth that she was able to give to her relationship in such a short amount of pages.