I enjoyed this quite a bit - I alternated between the audiobook and the ebook, which works well for me - it was a seamless transition and the narrator was great. I loved the story, although it took awhile for me to stop trying to categorize this into a specific genre - it has elements of too many to fit any one category. I appreciated the representation of a gender queer character. Excellent character development. Just an overall good read.

The premise of The Manor House Governess sounded interesting, but unfortunately this one was a miss for me. The 19th century prose shoved into a 21st century setting with modern day technology and awkward dialogue about pronouns didn't make for the best reading experience.

To me the mystery surrounding one character was obvious and cliché, but I understand the purpose it plays within the plot as a whole. Readers are also not given any clues to mark the passage of time throughout the novel so the growing romance between Bron and Darcy doesn't entirely make sense in such a short timeframe (but in reality I think much more time has passed).

Cloud Quinn does an ok job with the audiobook narration, though I felt like a lot of was monotone.

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

Fun, LGBTQ+ mash up of lots of the great classics. Bronte decides to fill in for her sister as governess for a family, as her sister is too sick at the moment and she doesn't want her to lose the position. Bronte turns out to be a great fit for this family, but just because they are as quirky as he is and don't mind his lack of warmth.

There were a few inconsistencies, such as how Bronte was just staying for a prescribed amount of time, then planned to ghost them, but not sure how that wouldn't cost the sister the position? But I really liked all of the characters and that none of them relied on traditional methods of showing affection, acceptance, or presentation.

I enjoyed this book and the stories. It very much felt like you were reading a classic set in England and Cambridge.. I feel
like if you are a Jane Austin fan you’d enjoy it.

The main character, who’s name is Brontë is a gender queer, and I found them delightful. He is a governess to Ada. Everyone is very accepting of Bron and his desire to dress in women’s clothing other than older brother Darcy.

It’s very upper class English Country House vibes with plenty of formal meals, cricket games.

It’s a well written sweet story with romance a wee bit of mystery and it was just plain entertaining .

I listened to the audio book and loved the English narrator which brought the story to life.

I really tried with this one! I actually really enjoyed the narrator. I even had a galley I tried to read along. I just couldn't get into it. I think it's a wrong time wrong book situation for me. Thank you so much to Dreamscape Media for the ALC of this one.

The narrator made this book for me. The book was a lot of genres and I couldn't decide if I wanted them all,or maybe the author couldn't decide eitehr!

A genre-fluid book with a gender fluid MC. Sounds cool right? Not so much.

I genuinely just can't get over the fact that for 75% of this book it reads like a historical fiction mystery romance thing but then sporadically you get shoved back into reality that this takes place in the 21st century. This happens mostly though modern-day queer terminology and emails and texting and social media.

I think this would have been 100% more successful if it had committed to the bit and been a historical book. It could still be genre fluid with having mystery elements and romance elements and coming of age elements but you cannot convince me that 20 somethings in modern day are talking like it's the freaking 1800s in a classic novel. I just didn't buy it and it was jarring almost when you were reminded that it was actually the 21st century.

I think one of my other issues with this book is that all of the discussions about queerness and even transness are so intensely surface level. For a gender fluid main character who predominantly dresses fairly feminine and identifies as gay to not even consider the fact that most of the transphobia that he gets is based in misogyny was wild to me. He sat there and had all these conversations about how people don't like gay people but to totally disregard the level of misogyny that people have and that's what contributes to their homophobia was really off base for me. I also kind of hated that everyone was just gay. There is one tertiary character who makes an appearance at the very itty bitty end and identifies as bi but all the other queer characters are gay. There's not really any queer diversity here.

Then there should be a conversation about the fact that there is a black trans woman who is a another tertiary character who is almost a symbol in this book about our main characters growth and healing powers. He basically meets this woman on a train and she talks about how her son was like him and very effeminate and how she hasn't talked to him anymore because he is a woman. So instead of correcting this woman's on her daughter's pronouns or trying to have any sort of conversation with her he lets a 9-year-old girl call this woman out and then eventually finds this woman's daughter at the end of the book and reunites them in some weird show of solidarity. It was a relationship that was not necessary and felt a little bit icky to monopolize on.

Then there's the romance. The romance was not a romance. I'm gonna be real honest. Darcy is a dick The entire time and his little redeemable moment at the end was not enough for me. He's an asshole for almost the entirety of this book. He gets pissy with the main character and acts all high and mighty with the fact that he can pass as straight and the MC cannot and bitches about how the MC is making it harder for gay people. Then suddenly he flips a fucking switch and now he's attracted to the MC and then he's not and then he is and then he's not and then he is and it was this on again off again game that was exhausting.

Our MC Bron (short for Bronte) was honestly just kind of annoying. He came across somehow as both super duper naive and very worldly but in a pretentious way. I don't know I just didn't love him.

Safe to say this book was a miss for me.

a novel that does hold potential but ends up being too heavy on exposition and rather clunky on a sentence level.

I really liked this queer mystery. It's not going to be one of my books of the year, but it was a lot better than some of the non-queer thrillers/mysteries I read this year. I really can't wait to read more from this author. Everyone should pick this book up. The cover looks amazing as well.

This was a really unique and captivating book that I was to happy to get the opportunity to listen to. I enjoyed seeing the world through the perspective of someone different then myself. As well as the mystery that developed throughout the book, I wish we got to see more of the relationships developed between characters, though we did see plenty of character growth throughout which I really enjoyed. This author is definitely someone I will be keeping an eye out for going forwards.

Greenwood Manor in Cambridge and its residents, wish to catch up with modern times. Bron a gender fluid governess is employed to tutor and care for Mr Edwards adoptive daughter Ada, but somehow feels that their acceptance of him is part of facade they are putting on for the public. He soon has a run in with a very rude man in town, only to find out he is Darcy; Mr Edwards son.

Having attended an all-boys school, Bron is keen to spread his wings and embrace the freedom of their own gender expression after years of being ridiculed and stifled. Ada loves Bron and is wise beyond her years, soon they become firm friends but her family and status make thing a lot more complicated than Bron is used to.

A fascinating gender-fluid retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, set in modern times with a flavour of the gothic. Whilst I enjoyed this retelling, I wasn’t in love with it. It was a bit of a plodding pace and I found myself losing interest at times.

I enjoyed the narrator who did as great job as Bron.

Bron Ellis is an orphaned queer boy who grew up in the St. Marys all-boys school. Unfortunately Bron was bullied, and teased for his "queerness", but despite it all he found a way to be comfortable in his own skin. As he reached the end of his time at St. Mary's he wanted to attend Cambridge, however, he was not granted acceptance, so he looked for another way to end up in the area of the University. Soon Bron found himself as the tutor and caretaker for a well to-do Ada Edwards. Ada is a young age, but very intelligent for her years. Between Ada and Mr. Edwards, Bron is welcomed into the lavish Edwards' home with open arms. However, before long Bron finds himself mixed up with the family drama and politics. As he must figure out how to navigate his role, he also confronts some of the family on their own lies to themselves.

This was an enjoyable coming of age novel that looks not just at the main characters identity, but the supporting characters' identities as well. The acceptance by the majority was overwhelming. Additionally, the way that young Ada confronts the adults who believe they are being supportive, but in reality still being narrow-minded, was very enlightening. Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and would recommend to other readers.

I listened to this audiobook, and found it to be clear and enjoyable with good production quality.

Loved this book, would definitely be interested in reading more from this author. Perfectly captured the vibes of classics but without being boring. My only complaint is I wish we saw more of the romance and that the "twist" was either better done or less spread out because the biggest part was pretty easy to guess.

I felt the inner dialogue of gender spectrum enjoyable and somewhat fluid.

This was an interesting read. I could definitely feel the literary influences throughout the book. I can't quite decide if this was really interesting or if it was a little boring and I got swept up in the style. But then again, lots of classic literature is a little boring and you still get swept up in the style. I enjoyed having a genderfluid character who didn't spend the whole book explaining that fact - there was some set up initially but the character didn't stand as a beacon for all genderfluid people. Bronte lived as Bronte and was awkward and uncomfortable but in a coming of age sort of way. There were some points where this drug a bit and where we sort of went meandering off the point with speculation that felt like filler. But I did enjoy the feel of it being steeped in a tea of the Brontë's and Austin and other novels. Cloud Quinn does a great job narrating and may have made the novel even more compelling. Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderfully sweet, sharp, clever and unique spin on Modern Gothic, and easily one of my favorite reads of 2023.

Bron is a lonely, genderfluid orphan obsessed with Gothic classics heroines who suddenly finds himself with an opportunity to live out his own version of Jane Eyre. Or so he hopes.

In reality it’s of course a lot more complicated than that, and all the gothic tropes are turned slyly upside down and sideways in this terrifically clever and unusual story.

I’d call this a light gothic, but the atmosphere and slow build are wonderfully done regardless, and the story plays on traditional genre themes while spinning them into something entirely new.

I absolutely adored the characters. You’ll never root harder for a protagonist than you will for Bron, and also for the found family he wants so badly to build. I love a book that hits you in the feels without being manipulative or saccharine, and this book does that brilliantly. Absolutely loved this story.

I really enjoyed this narrator. I don't think I would have liked the book as much if I had read it. I will definitely be looking out for more books by this narrator! I have never read any of the Jane Austen books, or books by the Bronte sisters, so I feel like most of the references and easter eggs were missed by me, but I did enjoy the story overall and the romance. I think fans of Austen and the Brontes will really enjoy this book! I think it would make a great pick for Romance Book Clubs.

This was trite and disappointing. I couldn't get into it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars, rounded up for the underrepresented voices.

Premise - a modern retelling of Jane Eyre where the 'governess' is trans/queer/nonbinary.

This didn't really feel like Jane Eyre to me - Darcy wasn't much of a Darcy and Bron wasn't really a Jane (he was also pretty creepy at times, there was an uncomfortable stalkerish moment with Darcy's underwear, etc.).

The writing style, a mix of a more old-fashioned tone and contemporary tech/language, didn't really work as a cohesive whole, either, but it wasn't distracting enough to put me off of the story. I had no trouble making it through the narrative. That said, it wasn't a memorable story for me, I didn't find myself rooting for any of the characters, and I didn't want to lose myself in their world.

At times, particularly in the beginning, it felt more like a dissertation on how to be socially aware and politically correct than it felt like a novel. Characters made asides to discuss gender identity and correct pronoun usage that didn't feel authentic (particularly upon introduction of Bron to his new young charge and his employer at the beginning). Fortunately, that eased off soon enough and then the flow improved!

Thanks, NetGalley and Alcove Press, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was not at all what I expected, and an excellent homage to Northanger Abbey, Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, and so many others by the Bronte's and Austen.

I enjoyed following our characters through twists and turns, guessing which homage would be the one that was used in each scenario. The characters were at times hard to like and at other times the most likable ones I've read.

This book evokes the feelings I get reading early Austen novels and Jane Eyre, which is precisely what C.A. Castle seemed to be going for. Crushed it. This book was great and I'd recommend it, though I don't know that I'd re-read it.

Love the concept and setting. Bron is such an interesting character that you cannot help but root for. As an orphan, raised in a boarding school, Bronte starts a job as a governor at a large manor.
It feels like reading a novel written by a fan of Austin and Brontë - the characters's name, the setting, the way they speak. But it's a contemporary novel. I find it confusing as I imagined them as not modern heros but rather "Darcys." (which is a name of one of the characters. There are hints of mystery, but it is primarily a romance, but just a touch.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.