Laura's Reviews: Bronte Sisters

Showing posts with label Bronte Sisters. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James (Austenprose PR Book Tour)

Which author you would recommend everyone? I have read and continue to enjoy novels by author Syrie James and I would recommend her to anyone.

Athena Taylor and her sister Selena have realized their dream of opening a school for young ladies at Thorndale Manor. The manor has a checkered past with a recent occupant having been put to death for murdering a neighbor. When one of their maids is discovered dead, Athena discovers that she was also linked with the past murder. She decides to investigate the maids murder as well as the past murder. What will she discover?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This novel picked up right after the first novel in the series, The Mysteries of Pendowar Hall. I greatly enjoyed this novel. You can read The Secrets of Thorndale Manor as a standalone novel, but it is even more fun to read the series in order.
·       I love historical mystery and I thought this was a really interesting mystery and suspense novel. It had a gothic feel to the entire story as well, which I loved. I don’t want to delve into the details and ruin it for others, but I enjoyed the twists and turns.
·       I also felt hints of Jane Eyre throughout the novel and there is a lovely author’s note in the end which discusses this as well. I especially loved that Athena and Selena are working together to run a school for girls and are having a hard time getting students. This seemed familiar as it was a dream of Charlotte Bronte as well to start a school and her and her sisters were also unable to get enough students to do so.
·       I loved the Victorian England setting. I also liked getting to know the servants in the manor as well as the neighbors in the small village.
·       Ian Vernon is an architect. His family had previously owned Thorndale Manor, but he had to sell it due to the estate being so far in debt. He is not happy about Athena investigating the old murder as his sister was convicted of it.   But as he gets to know Athena, sparks fly. I loved this romance.
·       The back of the book has a picture of the beautiful cover of the next book in the series, Danger at Darkmoor Park which will focus on Selena. I can’t wait to read it!

Overall, The Secrets of Thorndale Manor by Syrie James is an intriguing Victorian Gothic historical mystery and suspense novel. It has great characters and a great story with many twists and turns. I highly recommend it!

Book Source: Thank-you to @syriejames @dragonbladepublishing @austenprose for a review copy of this novel as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour.

Tuesday, June 17, 2025

The Professor by Charlotte Bronte

Title: The Professor

Author: Charlotte Bronte

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 24 minutes

Source: Checked out from the Kewaunee Public Library through Hoopla

What is your weirdest reading habit? I used to love to read in trees when I was younger.

William Crimsworth is an orphan and becomes a clerk for a schoolmate’s brother. He faces abuse at the job and decides to make a career change, moving to Brussels and becoming a professor. Once a professor, he finds himself conflicted in love and caught in a bit of a love triangle. Will he find love and a future in Brussels?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       The Professor was the May pick for the What the Dickens Book Club. We have an interesting discussion on Facebook on it.
·       I hadn’t read this book since high school. In high school, I did my senior research paper on Charlotte Bronte. I read all her novels and watched all of the adaptations of her work that I could get my hands on.
·       The book is the person narrative of William Crimsworth.
·       Most of the book takes place in Brussels. French is spoken and not translated at times in the book.
·       The main character is very anti-Catholic and seems to look down on the Belgian people that he is teaching.
·       It’s kind of creepy when he and another professor rate and talk about their female students looks.
·       It’s crazy to think that in the 19^th century, one could beat your employee with a whip!
·       I would rank this as my fourth out of four of Charlotte Bronte’s novels. It’s worth reading, but it lacks the polish and passion of Jane Eyre. This was the first novel that Charlotte Bronte wrote in 1845-46 before Jane Eyre.   Bronte used a lot of her own experiences at a school in Brussels for inspiration for this novel.
·       The audiobook was a bit dry and boring to listen to, and strangely about halfway through it, I suddenly couldn’t listen to it anymore. Hoopla said it was no longer available through my library. I have never had this happen before, have you? I had to purchase it on Audible to finish it up.

Overall, The Professor by Charlotte Bronte is worth reading, but it is a bit dry and lacks the passion of Jane Eyre.

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Are you a fan of Jane Eyre? Have you read the book? Do you have a favorite movie or TV version?

The Wife Upstairs is a modern day take on Jane Eyre. Jane has recently moved to Birmingham Alabama and works as a dogwalker in the rich Thornfield Estates Community. She takes trinkets on the side and is always watching. Resident Eddie Rochester’s wife Bea has recently been presumed dead. Bea had started a Southern homestyle line and made a fortune. Eddie and Jane soon start a romance, but Jane has a lot of questions. What exactly happened to Bea and how was Eddie involved?

My thoughts on this novel:

·       This was a Rogue Book Club selection for November. Unfortunately, only one other member read it, but she enjoyed it as much as I did. She had not read the original Jane Eyre and still enjoyed this book on its own merits.
·       This retelling of Jane Eyre was a new story in itself. It kept the names and some scenarios from the original tale, but it gives the story its own unique spin.
·       This book kept me guessing. I kept thinking that I had it figured out and then the story would switch. This was often achieved with changing the point of view.
·       I didn’t really like any of the characters. Unlike the original novel, this Jane was not a good person. I still wanted to know what would happen to the characters. It was a plot driven novel.
·       Jane grew up in foster care. She is street smart, but she can read people and blend into her surroundings. She mimics Bea’s style and that of the ladies in the neighborhood. Jane is strong willed and will get her happy ending.
·       The author said at the end that she gives Jane the ending she deserves. I’m not sure if I agreed with the ending of the book being the ending that Jane deserved.
·       Minus one star for the “Reader, I F&*^ed him” quote. While it did make me chuckle, I didn’t like this rewrite of the famous Jane Eyre quote.
·       This also reminded me of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier which is itself a modern day take on Jane Eyre. Just like in Rebecca, the start of the novel was romance between Eddie and Jane as they got together.

Overall, I thought The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was very entertaining!

Book Source: A gift from a friend

Thursday, July 20, 2023

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

Title: The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Author: Anne Bronte

Narrated by: Piers Wehner & Katy Carmichael

Publisher: Naxos Audiobooks

Length: Approximately 20 hours and 29 minutes

Source: Checked out with Hoopla through the Kewaunee Public Library. Thank-you!

Have you ever heard of Anne Bronte? Have you ever read any of her novels?

I read all of the Bronte novels written by Charlotte, Emily, and Anne back in high school and college. I enjoyed them all, but I was surprised at how well I loved Anne’s novels. She is the lesser-known Bronte and not nearly talked about as much as Charlotte or Emily. I think this is a shame as I truthfully enjoy The Tenant of Wildfell Hall more than Wuthering Heights. I think it’s just as good as her sisters. Unfortunately, Charlotte held The Tenant of Wildfell Hall back from being published again while she was alive. It was considered a scandalous book for its time as it dealt with alcoholism, marital strife, and a woman leaving her husband and supporting herself. In the twentieth century, this book has been reexamined and is considered one of the earliest feminist novels.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall was the JASNA Northwoods book club pick for our June meeting that was rescheduled for August. I finished this book the beginning of June and was ready to discuss it, but I wasn’t finished with the second book so I am glad for the extra time.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is a story within a story. The story starts with a young gentleman farmer named Gilbert Markham writing a series of letters to a friend that describe how a mysterious young widow, Helen Graham, has moved to the neighborhood with her small son. She supports herself as an artist. Gilbert finds himself falling in love with her, but she becomes the talk of the neighborhood as various rumors abound. Helen gives Gilbert her diary to discover her true past. In it, Gilbert discovers that Helen is still a married woman. She married Arthur Huntingdon for love, but he soon slips into a life of alcoholism and womanizing. He uses Helen’s money to fund his lifestyle. Helen tries to make her life work, but when she finds Arthur getting their son drunk and trying to lead him into a dissolute life, she knows it is time to leave. The book flips back in the final third to Gilbert’s point of view. Will Helen and Gilbert get their happy ending?

I really liked how forward-thinking Helen was with her questioning of why boys were educated on the ways of the world while girls were not. I like her posing the question of why aren’t women better prepared for the world and how to handle it? Why were they left in a state of naivety? It was also forward thinking to have Helen leave her husband and try to support herself.

The framing device with Gilbert was okay. It felt like Gilbert’s side of the story could have been edited down. I liked how the beginning of the story was like a Jane Austen novel. I didn’t really feel Gilbert and Helen’s love story. I don’t think Gilbert was Helen’s equal, especially when he mistakenly beat up her brother in a jealous rage.

I liked how this story was one of what happens if you actually marry the Byronic hero from Wuthering Heights or Jane Eyre . . . . or the bad boys from Austen like Willoughby or Wickham. The man who was so charming in the beginning, is an impossible husband to live with. It was interesting to think about. It also makes me wonder, how much of the story was based on Anne’s brother Branwell? Or was it based on things she saw as a governess? It made me really think about the lack of options women had at the time and how they could be stuck in a truly terrible situation.

Piers Wehner & Katy Carmichael were both good narrators. Wehner narrated the Gilbert letters while Carmichael narrated Helen’s letters. It was a very interesting audiobook. I liked comparing sections to my book as well.

Monday, October 31, 2022

Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste

Are you a fan of Jane Eyre and/or Dracula? Have you ever wondered if Bertha Mason or Lucy Westenra could have had a different fate? If so, Reluctant Immortals is the book for you.

Lucy and Bee (Bertha) are immortal and have survived and are currently living in 1960s Hollywood. They have their daily routines living their undead lives, but when Dracula and Mr. Rochester appear back on the scene, how will Lucy and Bee deal with these terrible men from their past who just won’t leave them alone?

Reluctant Immortals is a hard book to characterize. I don’t want to give too much away as I thought it was a crazy, fun, and unique ride for a book. I loved Lucy and her strength. She was a great narrator for this book. I also loved how the ladies took control of their own narratives. It all perfectly seemed to fit into the psychedelic world of the 1960s and the summer of love in particular. This book had a one-of-a-kind story line and fantastic characters. I enjoyed it.

Review Copy from Simon and Schuster. Thank you @BookClubFavorites #BookClubFavorites for the free book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews (Blog Tour)

Join the virtual book tour of JOHN EYRE: A TALE OF DARKNESS AND SHADOW, Mimi Matthews’ highly acclaimed Bronte-inspired Gothic romance, July 12-25, 2021. Thirty-five popular on-line influencers specializing in historical fiction, Gothic romance, and paranormal fiction will join in the celebration of its release with an interview, spotlights, exclusive excerpt, and reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in Yorkshire, England.

My Review

What if Jane Eyre was a man instead of a woman? How would the story of Jane Eyre play out? That is the question that John Eyre answers in a very clever way. John Eyre combines two classics, but I don’t want to ruin the story, so I won’t say which is the second classic.

John Eyre is a schoolmaster who must leave his position after the wife of his patron, Lady Helen Burns, falls in love with him. He accepts a position at Thornfield as the tutor to two mysterious boys from Europe. As he works to break them out of their shell, he wonders about his employer, the mysterious and missing Mrs. Rochester. When Mrs. Rochester returns, he finds her even more of an enigma. What is Mrs. Rochester hiding from her past? Why are there mysterious almost supernatural happenings going on at Thornfield?

I really enjoyed this novel. I really liked the unique premise with the gender flip and the combining of two classics stories. They worked well together. The story is told from John’s perspective in the third person and a past narrative where a young Bertha Mason narrates letters to her best friend Blanche Ingram. Bertha narrates her voyage through Europe and her meeting and marriage to Mr. Rochester. I loved the way this book was written like this.

I enjoyed the Victorian Gothic novel and the supernatural elements. I don’t want to ruin it for others, but I think this would be a perfect book to read leading up to Halloween. Matthews knows Jane Eyre was able to change elements of it while keeping the elements that make Jane Eyre its own unique story.

Overall, John Eyre by Mimi Matthews is a gender swapping supernatural retelling of Jane Eyre that is thoroughly enjoyable.

Book Source: Review Copy from Perfectly Proper Press. Thank-you!

QUICK FACTS

· Title: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow

· Author: Mimi Matthews

· Genre: historical fiction, Gothic romance, paranormal fiction

· Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press (July 20, 2021)

· Length: (364) pages

· Hardcover ISBN: 978-1736080207

· Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1736080221

· eBook ASIN: B08NPLVHVN

· Tour Dates: July 12 – 25, 2021

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Yorkshire, 1843. When disgraced former schoolmaster John Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall to take up a position as tutor to two peculiar young boys, he enters a world unlike any he's ever known. Darkness abounds, punctuated by odd bumps in the night, strange creatures on the moor, and a sinister silver mist that never seems to dissipate. And at the center of it all, John's new employer—a widow as alluring as she is mysterious.

Sixteen months earlier, heiress Bertha Mason embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Marriage wasn't on her itinerary, but on meeting the enigmatic Edward Rochester, she's powerless to resist his preternatural charm. In letters and journal entries, she records the story of their rapidly disintegrating life together, and of her gradual realization that Mr. Rochester isn't quite the man he appears to be. In fact, he may not be a man at all.

From a cliff-top fortress on the Black Sea coast to an isolated estate in rural England, John and Bertha contend with secrets, danger, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. Can they help each other vanquish the demons of the past? Or are some evils simply too powerful to conquer?

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Bertha Mason Rochester shines, dominating her scenes with vitality and strength. The style, too, is spot-on, reprising the spirit of 19th-century Gothic prose without descending into mimicry.”— Publishers Weekly

“An entertaining spin on a classic with thrilling twists and turns…Matthews skillfully transforms a well-known story into a truly original tale.”— Kirkus

“[Matthews] retells Charlotte Bronte's classic story in a way that will keep fans of the original novel totally gripped from cover to cover... Fresh and dynamic... Fast-paced and spellbinding...a book you will have a hard time putting down.”— Readers Favorite

“One of the most moving, suspenseful, innovative and remarkable retellings of a classic in the history of, well, ever... Every page is sheer rapture as [Matthews] moulds popular source material into a spell-binding creation so wholly her own.”— Rachel McMillan, bestselling author of The London Restoration

“[A] captivating and ingenious retelling of Jane Eyre with a supernatural twist. Smart, suspenseful, and deliciously spooky, JOHN EYRE is a must-read; I loved everything about it!”— Ashley Weaver, author of the Amory Ames Mysteries and the Electra McDonnell series

AUTHOR BIO

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Regency and Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.