I don't think anyone would argue with me if I stated that Charlotte Bronte is one of the most tragic female writers in history. After a childhood marked with deaths (her mother and older sisters), Charlotte clings to her two sisters, Anne and Emily, and her brother Bronwell. As they grow, however, Bronwell falls into bad habits: drinking, drugs, and an affair with a married women that wrecks him. Adding an ailing father to the mix, the three sisters decide they must do something with their lives so they decide to publish.

Juliet Gael clearly did her research. I feel as if I am in the Bronte household, sitting at the kitchen table. There has never been such an intimate look at these sisters in historical fiction. I really felt the sense of friendship and love between the three sisters, brought together by the sufferings in the family, and it made my heart break even the more for Charlotte when she was the last one left. How painful that must've been, to outlive all of her siblings. In the end, the only thing Charlotte had left was her writing, and even that wasn't able to fill the whole. I sincerely wanted happiness for this wonderful author, which was why I was so excited when Arthur Nicholls came into the picture.

Before Romancing Miss Bronte, Arthur Nicholls was a mere footnote in history to me. I knew he was married to Charlotte Bronte a year before she died, but I didn't know much else. Despite his attitude at first, I always liked Mr. Nicholls. This was, I thought to myself, was a man who would treat her right, treat her like a equal. He would love her as she should be loved. (Don't get me wrong, I was charmed by George Smith, but I knew that wasn't what she needed.) I think it was Charlotte Bronte's great curse that she was always attracted to dysfunctional men, men who couldn't love her properly because of circumstances or just their nature. Despite this, I like to believe she truly loved her husband in the end. I think that, had she written another novel, the love interest would've been gentler, more calm than earth-shattering.

Excellently written and highly recommended by moi!