I chose this book because of my background in literature (I also love an academic setting, although technically this book isn't set there--the academic setting is tangential) and thought it would be fun to have those tie-ins with the romance.

That being said, the Brontes, especially Emily with Wuthering Heights aren't super high on my favorites list of classic literature (though I do like Jane Eyre quite a bit). I've never been a big fan of Heathcliff or thought that he was a romantic ideal. So to have the main character in this book feel more that way was a bit of a turnoff for that character for me. But I know there are those who do love the whole windswept moors and devotion even beyond death, so if that's you, you'll probably like Athena better than I did.

At first, I felt like the Thorne POV was intrusive and I just wanted to stay in Athena's POV. But after a while, Athena became a little annoying to me, so I appreciated getting a break with the Thorne chapters, and I liked Thorne a lot better.

This is a second chance romance (or really a third chance) trope, so it's interesting to see how Athena and Thorne deal with their past relationship in figuring out exactly what their current potential friendship might be.

The other big trope is miscommunication. Usually I like that trope, but I didn't feel like it worked as well in this book for me. I think that's because both Athena and Thorne were carrying such BIG secrets and keeping them from each other, letting the other person think almost the opposite of what was really going on. And it just felt like these things were too big and too series for miscommunication to be more of the fun trope I prefer.

All that being said, I do think this was overall a good book and I don't regret reading it. And I know that it's going to hit all the right spots for some readers, so if it sounds like a book you might enjoy from the description, don't hesitate to give it a try.

I thought this book was well written and cute for a romcom! The main character, Thena, is given an ultimatum at her university after some mishaps. She can either publish a book or look for another job. Thena loves her job and decides to temporarily move back to her hometown to work on her first book. She heard that a famous anonymous author who writes spicy takes on classical literature, lives in her hometown. Thena decides to work as a waitress to gain information about the anonymous author. Spoiler alert, her ex is the owner of cafe and sparks are going to fly.

The main characters were cute and I enjoyed all the literary references. To misquote one of the cafe customers, it made me want to reread those novels. I thought the cafe characters were great and I could picture them during their daily visits having conversations and eating the daily specials. I think they were better characters than Thena’s family. Thena’s family all had their own secrets that lead to miscommunications, but her father’s storyline fell flat for me.

I would recommend this book for people who enjoy rekindled love tropes with humorous situations.

Clearly, I’m in the minority with this book. I thought it started decently solid, but eventually I lost interest, despite the sweet chemistry between the two leads. Much of this book revolves around miscommunication, which gets old very fast. All in all, I just wasn't a fan.

I’m sure that there are many people who will enjoy this book, there’s definitely a charm in the writing style. It just wasn’t my cup of tea.

English professor Athena Murphy goes back to her hometown with her tail between her legs desperate to try to quickly write a book to save her career. She pitches the crazy idea of uncovering the identity of a popular author of a series of erotic versions of classics, as her ticket to keeping her job. While in her hometown trying to find the elusive author, all kinds of amusing issues and situations arise. The biggest road block to focusing on her book is that she needs to waitress to earn money to survive, and the cafe where she needs to work ends up being run by her ex Thorne who broke her heart twice. Sparks fly whenever they are together, but they have so many secrets, and so much history that a reunion seems impossible. There are so many interesting side characters in this book, that really add to the story, especially all the regulars at the cafe. This was a sweet romance, with an interesting mystery in there too. This was my first book by this author, but it won’t be my last. I received an ARC from netgalley, and this is my honest review.

I was really interested in reading this rom-com with a Brontë flare. But it fell a bit flat for me and a large part of that is due to the writing. Do you ever feel like an author is inserting themselves into a conversation between their characters? Athena and Thorn would be going along, either together or individually, and something—usually a wry aside—would get tacked onto the dialogue or thought. Example:

"It's noon. I thought you'd be gone by now."
*Wished* she'd be gone, in Thorn-speak.
"But I'm having so much gosh darn fun," she said. In Thena-speak.

I guess this is humor maybe? It just made for a tedious reading experience. On top of that, there's just so much detail about nothing at all. The momentum is really hard to find in this one.

First off, the cover looks like me on one of my fave days. Chilling in a comfy position and reading my book with a pile of books waiting for me to read them as well. You don't have to be a Bronte fan to enjoy this book but it will definitely make things more exciting for you. The book was an utter delight and refreshing. I loved this modern romance story so much.

I've never read the classics, including anything by the Bronte sisters, and I'm not ashamed to admit I have no desire to. I prefer contemporaries. That said, I REALLY enjoyed this book. The second-chance romance (third, actually) between Athena and Thorne was tension-filled, sexy, and based on believable stakes. I loved Athena's confidence and sass, Thorne's honesty (at least to himself) about his feelings, and all of the quirky townspeople of Laurel. Mixed in with the romance was a dash of mystery and I had fun trying to figure out C.L. Garland's identity. I look forward to reading the author's next book!

Athena and Thorne are thrust back into each other's lives after several years apart following their breakup. Family pressures and such certainly caused the two to have to go their separate ways but their hearts have never quite caught up to that sentiment. Thorne left his career as a lawyer to move to Athena's hometown (unbeknownst to her) to take over a cafe. Athena, a university professor, is working on acquiring tenure-status which requires her to provide a book manuscript for publication.. She has decided to pursue the identity of the reclusive author of the LitWit series - a sexy take on literary classics - in an attempt to save her job. We meet many of the colorful characters of the town and watch as Athena charms her way into their lives.

Possible spoiler ahead:

Though I enjoyed Thena and Thorne's rekindled romance, I felt that things moved a bit quick (and in a very strange way) from them seeming like they were interested in starting up again to a "friends with benefits" scenario that never quite gets off the ground. The second half of the narrative felt a bit disjointed and I could've used a little bit more clarity.

the story follows Prof. Athena Murphy or Thena, who is on a temporary leave to write her first book after a troubling event at work. she then goes to her hometown, where she is on the lookout for the mysterious erotica author C.L Garland, who she plans to reveal in her debut novel. while doing her research, she runs across an old flame, Thorne who has broken her heart TWICE and is now her new employer at her part-time job. will she be able to find the mysterious author despite being in close proximity to her devastatingly hot ex?

tropes:
-second chance romance (or third?)
-classic lit reference
-slowburn
-jealousy, jealousy
-cute main characters names

all I can say is that this is a fantastic rom-com from an underrated author. what i like the most is how Thena developed a casual friendship with her cafe patrons. with all of the supporting characters, you will found yourself falling in love with them wholeheartedly[the foursome are iconic if u ask me]. i enjoy the humour, and Annie has a knack for writing humorous interaction. this book offers everything you've ever wanted, plus a nice mystery quest. the slow pacing, on the other hand, is a problem to me and a lot of miscommunication occurs, which is annoying. overall i unexpectedly really enjoy the book! thank you netgalley!

Thank you netgalley and forever grand central publishing for an ARC of this book!

This book had the potential to be pretty cute, but there were times when the miscommunication got to be way too much for me. The main characters' breakups completely revolved around miscommunication, and when they finally saw each other again, I didn't feel as much chemistry as I would've hoped for.

That said, the writing is great and I would definitely check out the author's other books- this was just a miss for me.

A fun, one sitting read. English Professor Athena Murphy, in her quest for tenure, decides to write a biography of C.L. Garland, an author taking up residence on the bestseller lists with spicy retellings of classic novels. In order to do so, however, she must return to her Midwest hometown where Garland--and her ex-boyfriend--live. Tack on the fact that she's now working as a waitress in the café said ex, Thorne Kent, has recently purchased, and the tension ensues.

This was a light second chance romance that, while it felt a little drawn out with miscommunication, also brought a sense of comfort that, yes, I'm not the only one who also doesn't have their life figured out. Miscommunication is rather hit or miss in the romance reading community, and while I may not be much of a fan, I can see the draw this book can have when introduced to the general community. Athena is smart, witty, and relatable as a character, but I think where the novel fell flat for me was the sheer number of side characters and subplots. The narrative seemed to lose focus as it balanced so many things happening at once, but overall it was a cute, quirky read I will be looking forward to seeing in my bookstore!

An interesting read for sure!! I liked the reminders / quotes from the Bronte books .. might re-read some of those classics again .. that I read many many years ago!! At the same time, the reader doesn’t have to read those classics to enjoy this book!! The small town vibe set in the story was fun and made me miss the pre-pandemic world so much more!! This was a story of finding oneself again and getting in touch with what the main character really wanted. The romance was cute too!!
**
Thank you to the Author, @netgalley and Forever / Grand Central Publishing for an Advance Reader Copy.

A light read that feels a little long, this book follows Athena as she comes to a crossroads in her career and life. I think most of us can relate to questioning our purpose or path in life the same way the Athena does, wondering if we keep charging ahead or adjust the sails.

The small town roster of characters is fun. Our main couple is frustratingly hot and cold, and has serious trust issues which lead to them being spectacularly awful at honest communication. The detective antics made me giggle, but I called the mystery from the start so the resolution wasn’t really a surprise to me. All in all, a fun read.

(I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.)

I've never swooned so hard over a second-chance romance like this! I was immediately captivated from the start! The chapters are pretty long, but I never wanted to put this book down anyways. The chemistry and soul connection between Athena and Thorne was evident from the beginning and I really enjoyed their journey of finding themselves while single and then coming back together. There were so many supportive characters it was almost hard to keep track, but the banter between the bachelor farmers was great and I loved Athena's brother. And the mystery of trying to discover C. L. Garland's identity added a fun layer to the story line. This is a closed door romance and if you're a lover of the classics such as Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, I think you will especially adore Blame it on the Brontes.

I enjoyed the literary references that framed the story and occurred throughout the book. However, much like Wuthering Heights, I didn’t find the main characters particularly likeable and was not invested in their story. This was a fun read, but I was hoping for more to it.

Although I've got to admit that I found Athena more annoying than lovable, I did enjoy the story. She has a quick temper and little patience, both traits that get her in trouble. Back in her hometown to write a book that will hopefully save her job, she encounters an old flame. Much to her dismay, she finds that the attraction to Thorne is still there. Even worse, she's put in the position of working part time for him as a waitress since the woman who hired her has left and he is now in charge of the restaurant. Her hopes of getting in and out of town quickly as she tries to find an elusive author seem futile, too, as all her efforts go nowhere.

The same can't be said for Athena and Thorn's relationship, however, which alternately heats up and cools down, usually based on Athena's actions or words. How will it turn out for these two? Will Athena learn that love isn't what you read about in books but what you do in real life? Will Thorne tire of her antics, temper, and impetuous words and actions? Why is she so fixated on finding this one, elusive author? Will she ever discover who author C.L. Garland is? After all, the author lives in her hometown. Surely it shouldn't be this hard to find out who Garland is, do interviews, then flee out of town away from Thorne and all the memories and emotions his closeness conjure up. And what's going on with her divorced mother and father? Will Athena ever succeed in getting her father to clean up after himself? Nah. Though he has suddenly adopted a more dapper dress. What is up with that? Will Athena and Thorne ever come together?

All these questions and far more are answered in "Blame It on the Brontes', the title a good hint of the many literary references you'll encounter in the book. Even though I wasn't fond of Athena, I enjoyed visiting her hometown and watching from afar. No, one never watches from afar in a romance book's small town. You are quickly pulled in and somehow feel a part of it all. That is what makes this such a special book. Cute cover, fun idea, and fun fireworks and heat. Romance lovers will enjoy this one.

Thank you #NetGallery and #Forever for giving me a ringside seat to Athena and Thorne's story. I enjoyed my visit to their hometown.

This book was such a lovely surprise: clever, heartwarming and overall a feel good read. I absolutely loved Thorne and could definitely relate to Athena. The side characters were great too. This was a great slow burn second chance romance and I will definitely keep and eye out for more books by this author.

A modern romance novel for lovers of classic romance novels! Blame It on the Brontes has plenty of charm and chemistry between the romantic leads. I would describe it as a cozy read, full of zany characters (and one of them is the mysterious C.L. Garland!).

As the title suggests, there are some plot threads echoing Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights (and probably others I missed). You don’t have to be familiar with the Brontes work to enjoy this book but if you are, it enhances the reading experience. Overall, the book was a fun read though I think there were too many side characters introduced and the book felt a bit too long.

I think this will be a hit with many readers who love reading romance and enjoy book-loving characters.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! I love a second-chance romance, especially when you can practically feel the chemistry coming off the page. Thorne is swoon worthy, a lawyer turned bakery owner (and baker at that), who is unlike any other male (fiction or otherwise) I've encountered. Thorne enjoys the classics and opera, without feeling the need to display macho tendencies. Athena, a professor full of sass and an inability to keep quiet. I found her too be too much at times but it just builds on her character. I knew this book was going to keep me hooked when North and South was mentioned, I often find it's overlooked in favor of Pride and Prejudice. I'm a suspicious reader so I saw some of the reveals coming from a mile away but it does not detract from the book in any way. Supporting characters are hilarious and you get just enough that you invest in their plots too.

I loved Professor Athena Murphy's wit and spunk. I loved the banter between her and the other characters. I probably needed to read Charlotte Brontes books to understand some references. It's on my tbr list. I liked the slething to figure out who the secret author is. I enjoyed this book and I was sad to see it end.

I'll add a review on Instagram and Amazon when it gets closer to the pub date. I added the review to Goodreads.