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Bronte's Mistress
Bronte's Mistress: A Novel | Finola Austin
15 posts | 15 read | 19 to read
This dazzling debut novel for fans of Mrs. Poe and Longbourn explores the scandalous historical love affair between Branwell Bront and Lydia Robinson, giving voice to the woman who allegedly corrupted her sons innocent tutor and brought down the entire Bront family. Yorkshire, 1843: Lydia Robinsonmistress of Thorp Green Hallhas lost her precious young daughter and her mother within the same year. She returns to her bleak home, grief-stricken and unmoored. With her teenage daughters rebelling, her testy mother-in-law scrutinizing her every move, and her marriage grown cold, Lydia is restless and yearning for something more. All of that changes with the arrival of her sons tutor, Branwell Bront, brother of her daughters governess, Miss Anne Bront and those other writerly sisters, Charlotte and Emily. Branwell has his own demons to contend withincluding living up to the ideals of his intelligent familybut his presence is a breath of fresh air for Lydia. Handsome, passionate, and uninhibited by social conventions, hes also twenty-five to her forty-three. A love of poetry, music, and theatre bring mistress and tutor together, and Branwells colorful tales of his sisters elaborate play-acting and made-up worlds form the backdrop for seduction. But Lydias new taste of passion comes with consequences. As Branwells inner turmoil rises to the surface, his behavior grows erratic and dangerous, and whispers of their passionate relationship spout from her servants lips, reaching all three protective Bront sisters. Soon, it falls on Lydia to save not just her reputation, but her way of life, before those clever girls reveal all her secrets in their novels. Unfortunately, she might be too late. Meticulously researched and deliciously told, Bronts Mistress is a captivating reimagining of the scandalous affair that has divided Bront enthusiasts for generations and an illuminating portrait of a courageous, sharp-witted woman who fights to emerge with her dignity intact.
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emmaturi
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Pickpick

This is about the story of Branwell Brontë and his supposed affair with Lydia Robinson. His sister Anne is working for the family and she suggests her brother to the family as a tutor. It was an interesting read. I like to read about the Brontë family.

TheBookHippie Stacked 2y
23 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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intothehallofbooks
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Bailedbailed

DNF @ 41%. I was excited about this story when I got it months ago from NetGalley and this is my third attempt to read it. I have tried to like it, but Lydia Robinson is so insufferable and nasty and jealous, I just cannot care about her perspective or her affair with the Bronte Sisters‘ brother Branwell. Mine is an unpopular opinion though. There is potential here but I could not find it in myself to keep trying to push through.

#JoyousJanuary

intothehallofbooks I would like to thank Atria Books and NetGalley for providing my free review copy!! 4y
Reviewsbylola That‘s a shame. So much potential. 4y
Andrew65 Oh dear 😔 4y
vlwelser I felt the same about this. The concept had so much potential but this book is just totally blah. 4y
35 likes4 comments
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Graciouswarriorprincess
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Happy book mail today!

Many thanks to @finola_austin , @tyndalehouse and @sarahmorgenthaler.author with the friends from the Huntington Beach Public Library in California for these amazing books.

An extra shout out to @tyndalehouse for including a gift card to one of my favorite independent bookstores, @quailridgebooks in Raleigh!

More fantastic books to read in 2021!

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Rhondareads
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So excited to read this book raves everywhere.Thanks Fiona Austin for my autographed copy.📚💐

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Graciouswarriorprincess
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I won another book. Looking forward to reading this book.

LeahBergen You win SO many things! 👏🏻👏🏻 4y
Graciouswarriorprincess @LeahBergen. It has been so much fun! Thank you! 4y
40 likes2 comments
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vlwelser
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Pickpick

This was good but it reads more like a Jane Austen novel than something from one of the Bronte sisters. Although that would be difficult to manage with historical fiction about real people.

#BookSpinBingo square 16
@TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 4y
28 likes1 comment
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sarahljensen
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Bailedbailed

I tried. Really, I did. It's just boring, and Lydia is impossible to be interested in. I'd much rather read Juliet Barker's biography of the family again. Now, that's a good time :)

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EadieB
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Day 9 - #FuschiaCover #FallFinds
#BrontesMistress #FiolaAustin

I enjoyed Austin's debut novel and look forward to reading other biographies about the Brontes that Austin mentions in her Author's Notes that show that this affair was possible. I would recommend this book to those who love historical fiction.

Eggs Beautiful Cover 💜💜 4y
EadieB @Eggs I agree! 4y
40 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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HotCocoaReads
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Pickpick

It‘s hard when the protagonist of your story is unlikeable—but it appears that Lydia was in fact a pretty awful person and to write this story, this retelling of Branwell Brontë‘s affair with his employer‘s wife, that had to come out. I found the details in the story fascinating even if the novel felt a little slow at times. If you‘re interested in the Brontës, I recommend this.

LeahBergen This is on my “to buy” list. 👍🏻 4y
22 likes1 comment
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GerardtheBookworm
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Pickpick

I didn't know the Bronte sisters had a younger brother and one who dared to begin an affair with a married woman. Told from the mistress, Lydia Robinson, the historical fictional novel explores the expectations of female roles during the 1800's and the scandalous need for rebellion.

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sprainedbrain
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Pickpick

I was drawn to this book because of the Brontë connection and due to the fact that I‘m a sucker for historical fiction centered on real people. I got all of that and a whole lot more than I was expecting.

My full review of this exceptional debut novel is on my blog:

https://sprainedbrain.blog/2020/08/07/review-brontes-mistress-by-finola-austin/

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

sprainedbrain And this is my 5th book finished for #NetGalleyReviewathon 🙌🏻 4y
LeahBergen I‘ve been eyeing this one! 4y
sprainedbrain @LeahBergen I loved it so much more than I expected! 4y
85 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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EadieB
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#BrontesMistress #FinolaAustin

Yorkshire 1843. I needed to read this as I loved Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Fiona Austin has done excellent research of an alleged affair between Branwell Bronte, brother of the famous sisters, and Lydia Robinson, Mistress of Thorp Green Hall. Branwell was a tudor for Ned Robinson, Lydia's son. He was 25 and a passionate poet and Lydia was 43 with a cold marriage which turned her into an adulteress.

EadieB They both desired love and passion but Lydia left the relationship as a scandal was brewing. Branwell died from a broken heart and Anne and Emily died soon after as a result of the stress of Branwell's affair. 4y
EadieB I enjoyed Austin's debut novel and look forward to reading other biographies about the Brontes that Austin mentions in her Author's Notes that show that this affair was possible. I would recommend this book to those who love historical fiction. I would like to thank NetGalley and Atria Books for a free copy for an honest review. (edited) 4y
Crazeedi Great review! Sounds like a good one 4y
EadieB @Crazeedi Yes! I liked it a lot! 4y
64 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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EadieB
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Day 6 - #SideProfile #BiblioMaynia
#BrontesMistress #FinolaAustin

I got this book from #NetGalley and will be reviewing it this month. It will be published on August 4th 2020. It does have a side profile and I hope to find out more about this person.

OriginalCyn620 📚👍🏻📚 5y
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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Pickpick

Thanks to Edelweiss for the advance copy! This book comes out August 2020.

It was good. I would not say great and probably will not push it on a bunch of people, but I was so interested in Lydia and her character throughout. She is shown as very human and flawed. I did not even know there was a Bronte brother until I saw this! Fascinating (tragic) his life and now to read more articles on him.
This is a fictional book.

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ChaoticMissAdventures
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This is exciting because I know nothing about the Brontes, didn't even know there was a brother much less that he was a scoundrel!