Agnes Grey was received as “more acceptable but less powerful” than her sisters‘ novels at the time of its release. I can certainly see how it was less explicitly offensive to the sensibilities of the middle class, but if you read between the lines, it‘s pretty scathing. The moral of the story is that the rich treat their hired help poorly at their own peril. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/agnes-grey-anne-bronte/