The Bronte Plot
Katherine Reay
352 pages
Hard copy edition
From the Publisher:
Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious liberties to reach her goals. When her unorthodox methods are discovered, Lucy’s secret ruins her relationship with her boss and her boyfriend, James—leaving Lucy in a heap of hurt and trouble. Something has to change; she has to change.
In a sudden turn of events, James’s wealthy grandmother, Helen, hires Lucy as a consultant for a London literary and antiques excursion. Lucy reluctantly agrees and soon discovers Helen holds secrets of her own. In fact, Helen understands Lucy’s predicament better than anyone else.
As the two travel across England, Lucy benefits from Helen’s wisdom as Helen confronts ghosts from her own past. Everything comes to a head at Haworth, home of the Brontë sisters, where Lucy is reminded of the sisters’ beloved heroines who, with tenacity and resolution, endured—even in the midst of impossible circumstances.
Now Lucy must face her past in order to move forward. And while it may hold mistakes and regrets, she will prevail—if only she can step into the life that’s been waiting for her all along.
Review:
I read Reay’s other two books, Lizzy and Jane and Dear Mr. Knightly and really enjoyed them, so when I saw a copy of The Bronte Plot at our library I had to grab it! Honestly, I think my expectations were set a little high for this book since I loved the other two so much. Because it took me a long time to get through this book and I had a hard time loving it. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it, I just didn’t love it as much as the other two books.
The trip to Europe had some really great descriptions and I felt you could really feel yourself there. Lucy was a good character and I was happy with the changes that she went through and I was happy with the ending. I felt that there was something lacking from James and their relationship – it felt a little rushed and choppy. I really thought Helen was a fun character and I really liked her story.
The book was good – I still really love Katherine Reay, it just wasn’t my favorite of the three. Her books are clean and romantic, but not fluffy – they always have a deeper subject and underling story. I also really love all the literary connections. Reay has another book coming out this year, A Portrait of Emily Price. I am really looking forward to it!
Final Score:
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