Review: The Brontë Plot by Katherine Reay

My rating: 4 stars / I really liked it

Synopsis

Lucy Alling makes a living selling rare books, often taking suspicious measures 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 the ghosts of 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 change.

Now Lucy must go back into 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.

My Review

Katherine Reay has a lovely quality of writing. I felt like the stories from classic literature came to life as Lucy applied their quotes and lessons to the situations she found herself in. After a sweet introduction to her meeting James, I really missed the details of their romance as the time skipped quickly ahead to their break up. I would classify this more as women's fiction since the focus is on Lucy and Helen's journey of righting past wrongs and self-discovery. The conflict Lucy feels over the creative aspects of her personality that she inherited from her father which contribute to the poor choices she made really drives her character arc. I liked seeing her make the brave and hard decisions on the path to make things right and how it led her to peace and second chances.

(Thank you to Thomas Nelson Publishing for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review)