The Brontë Plot

I really wanted to like this book based on the title alone...but alas it just didn't pull me in. I pretty much forced myself to finish it just because I wanted to know how it ended.

I really didn't like any of the primary characters. I did however love Dillon and Bette who were barely in the book... But since two of the primary characters and at least two of the smaller characters were either con artists or liars I just couldn't really get on board with the story. Even though I felt like the book was trying to talk about forgiveness it just didn't work for me because in my opinion forgiveness needs to be based on forgiving like Christ forgave us and this book severely lacked in Christian principles.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review from the publisher through Net Galley.

Katherine Reay knows how to blend the charm of classic literature with the sometimes-harsh realities of life into a book, and deliver it similar to the way you like your coffee.
Her novels always hold something for everyone -yours for the taking- and never fail to draw readers in with the "cozy fireside, blanket, and whistling-wind" of her style.
Katherine's characters are real and relatable and you can't help but get attached to them and their lives.
The Bronte Plot is a gentle, nostalgic, treasure of a story, full of true life, love, and emotions with a healthy dose of adventure and discovery.
"Come further up, come further in," and enjoy this heartwarming journey of facing the past to make way for the future.

True Rating: 4.5 Stars

At first glance, Lucy Alling appears to have it all: a job she loves, working with an in-demand interior designer at his shop, Sid McKenna Antiques and Designs, and success in her newest venture, Book Day, where she highlights rare books she procures to sell at the store. Lucy’s love and passion for books, especially Victorian literature like the Brontë sisters, is palpable. When she meets a customer named James and the two immediately make a connection, it appears that, in addition to career success, Lucy has found true love. The trouble is, she has a secret. And if Lucy’s secret gets out, she could lose everything.

While reading Katherine Reay’s description of Lucy’s shop environment, I was right at home. Because of her enthusiasm — even reverence — for books, I instantly felt a kinship with Lucy. Honestly, I’ve no bigger literary romantic soft spot than Jane Eyre. So when James buys Jane Eyre for his grandmother and he and Lucy share literary conversation, I’m sold on them as a romantic pairing. When I sensed that Lucy was up to something unethical, I couldn’t help but groan. This wasn’t going to be wine and roses — it was going to be a bumpy ride.

The Brontë Plot brings together two women: Lucy and Helen (James’ grandmother). When Helen hires Lucy as a consultant on her trip to London, the two discover that though they are at opposite ends of the spectrum in age and familial upbringing/status, they have much in common. Most significantly, each has made mistakes and has a past that she must make peace with.

As Lucy and Helen spend time together, they become more than travel companions. As each unpacks her past, fraught with questions, mistakes, insecurities, and regrets, Lucy benefits from Helen’s wisdom. Unlike the older woman, Lucy has many years ahead and an opportunity at hand to right her ship and change course.

As the pair visit historical landmarks and places of literary significance, Reay makes frequent reference to authors and their works, most notably the Brontë sisters and their ability to endure the circumstances that life handed them. Lucy wonders if she can press on like the Brontës, or whether, like some of their characters — Heathcliff and Katherine, for instance — her past has doomed her present and future. Is sin passed from one generation to the next? Has she inherited her father’s worst qualities? Worse yet, is she predestined to repeat his mistakes?

Fortunately, with The Brontë Plot, Katherine Reay uses the flawed characters of Lucy and Helen to remind us that God is a God of mercy and second chances. Inspired by Helen’s personal journey of atonement, Lucy finds the strength and hope she needs to make peace with herself, make good on her mistakes, and author a future unencumbered by her past. Her most important lesson: “All real lives hold controversy, trials, mistakes, and regrets. What matters is what you do next.”

Verdict: 4.5 of 5 Hearts. Enjoyable and Edifying. A Literary Field Trip Turned Journey of the Soul.

Come along with Lucy and Helen as they fly to London and traipse through literary landscapes, examining history and their own lives. Katherine Reay uses her own realistically imperfect characters, and draws on inspiration from some of her literary favorites, to shape The Brontë Plot into an engrossing and thoroughly satisfying journey of heart and soul.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I would like to thank Fiction Guild and Thomas Nelson for providing me with a copy of this title. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

It takes a talented pen to consistently turn out novels that speak to an avid book lover’s heart! It takes talent and genuine passion for an author to progressively grow stronger and better with each new story. Katherine Reay easily falls into the latter category with "The Brontë Plot." Each of her novels (three, counting this release) is driven by literary influences and each is suffused in old-fashioned values. Basically, every book this author has penned has been a kind of ode to the novels that are perhaps left to the dust and forgotten among the contemporary impacts of modern fandoms.

What this author does so very well is integrate classic literature into each of her stories without turning them into a contemporary re-telling. Where her first two books were heavy on Austen influences, "The Brontë Plot" takes cues from the Brontë sisters and still works in multiple references to beloved works of literature – everything from Molly Gibson and Roger Hamley (Wives & Daughters) to the very first vampire and classic, Dracula. Introduced in-between these familiar pieces of nostalgia, there are multiple other delicacies primed to whet any avid history lovers appetite. Instead of overwhelming the contemporary story this novel has to tell (and it’s one worth sharing, which I’ll talk about later on), the literary flourishes seek only to enrich the journey.

Not to be diminished or lost among the decades of past nostalgia, but the contemporary (primary) story within these pages is beautiful. Lucy is the kind of character whose questionable values will make us pause. Only because she constantly teeters on the edge of deciding what’s right vs. what’s wrong. She’s likely to become a character we might not have the warmest feelings towards, but that’s okay. Lucy, to me, is an authentic character. If for no other reason (though there are many) then she makes us think and she made me wholeheartedly cheer for her change of mind and heart. The book is about her finding herself and in some sense, growing up. James, as a love interest is a fabulous man. He’s missing for too much of the story, though, ambiguous or not, I adored how the story eventually wrapped. It was exactly as it should be, denoting a new beginning in these characters’ lives.

Lest I forget, I should also mention the third-person format in "The Brontë Plot". This is Katherine’s first novel that is written in such a format (her first was epistolary, second written in first-person) and I loved it. The fact that she has tackled so many brilliant presentations attests to her talent. The story is aesthetic and truly, brilliant. While "The Brontë Plot" is not traditional, at least not in the ordinary contemporary novel’s patterns, never fear because this is in actuality a strength well suited to this story. The beauty and uniqueness of this story are like a love letter to those scholars of classic literature. Anyone whose true love are the classics will appreciate this for all it has to offer, and those of us who admire what classic literature can inspire or teach will also be quite enchanted and enthralled with this armchair adventure.

This review originally appeared on Silver Petticoat Review.

The Bronte Plot was a good read, and I loved seeing into a bookseller's life. Lucy's problems felt very real, and the story wasn't super fast paced. It was a nice slow read, compared to the fast, upbeat reads that make up my TBR.
This book was heavily steeped in famous literature. I liked that, mostly because a lot of people don't enjoy classics as much these days, so I liked seeing something new come from the classics, from a love of them.
Okay, so let me admit this. I didn't ship Lucy and James. I know I'm supposed to, but I didn't. I wasn't the biggest fan of James and I felt that, while everything in the story was well-written, he was a flat character that fit into the Christian Fiction mold. I didn't feel his passions, or even slightly care for him. Simply, I felt like he was merely there to push Lucy to supposedly reinvent herself (which she didn't really do?).
So this brings me to the plot. Which wasn't exactly… there. This story was very character-based. It's intended to be a man-learned-better story. But, even though Lucy had to tell people about her indiscretions, I saw a character change on the surface but I didn't feel it in the story. Lucy didn't lose anything because of her change. Sure, she had to stop buying from the wrong people and forging the signatures of famous authors. But I didn't feel a huge change in Lucy herself.

FOR THE PARENTS -
Drinking – the characters drink champagne
Intimacy – There might be kissing?
Cussing – None

I was really excited to read this book because the author had come highly recommended by some other bookworms that I respect. I hate to leave a negative review, but I didn't love this book. The book did not "hook" me until I was 64% of the way into it (I took note on my Kindle!). While the writing itself was great, the story just did not pull me in. I did not care too much for the main character, Lucy. She is extremely manipulative, and although I appreciated the transformation she went through, it wasn't 100% believable that it would happen in real life without extensive counseling. I did love the literary references and the trip Lucy and Helen took to England. I didn't dislike the book all together, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. The book got some great reviews from others, so it might have just been me! I do look forward to reading the author's other books at some point. Lizzy and Jane is already on my Kindle, but I hear Dear Mr. Knightley is the best! *I got this book for free via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

This was on my kindle list for ages and I think one of the first books I have requested from NetGalley. You know what it’s like, you see lots of books you like and you keep clicking to request and suddenly you have 300 books on your e-reader and 300 books on your shelves and no time to read.

With this one, I wish I‘d picked it up earlier. It is a lovely book. What a better way to engage a lover of books than with a novel about another lover of books and all things vintage. There are fab characters that take you through Lucy’s journey of proper growing up.

The only reason this book lost one star from me was James’s character. I despised James for the way he left Lucy without her having a chance to explain why she does the things she does and let’s be honest (excuse the pun), her dodgy deals were not the biggest crimes in history and he already knew her family background which kind explained some of the things Lucy did. I don’t condone lying, but there are worse things she could have been lying about.

Anyway, overall this was a great book. I very much enjoyed Lucy’s relationship with Helen. It reminded me of the famous Lou Clarke and her growing attachment to Will’s mum (Me Before You by Jojo Moyes). Helen saw Lucy for who she was and helped her grow into a more rounded person with integrity. And of course Sid, who stuck by Lucy even though it could have meant the end of his good reputation. It’s a great picture of knowing who your friends are when you are at your lowest.

As a Bronte sisters fan, I really expected to love this book. Parts of it felt more like a travelogue and I couldn't warm up to the main characters. I did like the grandmother, the inn-keeper's daughter, and the driver.

This book is as satisfying and fulfilling as all the others I’ve read by this author.
I love the journey she leads us in as we read...Lucy is a character one can immediately relate to as a kindred spirit. Her journey to finding herself resonates deep within me.
So many truths here, ones we all would do well to learn.
A true literary treat.

Good book, but a little dry. I read dear Mr. Knightley and loved the book but this one wasn’t like it.