Want to spend a decade in the Brontë home? This new release from Stephanie Cowell will take you back in time to 1846 and the years of struggle for survival among the Brontë siblings.

Your stay will include glimpses into the private lives of both Emily and Charlotte. Their pastor father Patrick was a beloved preacher with an absentminded professor mentality. The mother and two older sisters have already passed when our story opens.

If you are a Jane Eyre or Wuthering Heights fan, I think this will deliver insights into how those books came to be. Here is what I liked:

🤯This is me when I realized at about 25% than all three of the sisters (Charlotte, Emily, and Ann) published their novels in the same year - 1847. The struggle to write and get published includes using male pseudonyms to submit their manuscripts. Grrrr. Did the world learn nothing from Jane?
👭 The sisters worked together as a team for the most part. Their interactions one-on-one brought out special connections. Brother Bramwell could not get his act together, so they were often collaborating on what to do next for him or their father.
🐕 Emily has a beloved mastiff named Keeper who runs on the moors as she wanders and then is with her to discover the fictional cottage. Ann also had a sweet little spaniel who seems to have stayed inside except for the necessary outside 'walks.'
📚 The cover really sets the mood for this HF title. While the cottage is authentic to the period, the story of Emily meeting a shepherd on the moors is speculative. I also must note that in the story, Emily looks down from the top of the hill to see the cottage. Uh oh.

The overall effect of the artwork on the cover and the telling of the story was an eye-opening look at the world of the Brontë sisters. There are also many excerpts included from their poetry. Now I need to move up my read of Agnes Grey to give Ann a chance.

Thank you to Regal House Publishing and NetGalley for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.

100% beautifully written. I could not put it down and was sad when it was over. A must read that i will recommend to all my book readers.

Admittedly, I do not know a lot about the lives of the Bronte sisters and even less so about the rest of their family. Having read Jane Eyre (loved it) and Wuthering Heights (hated it), I was intrigued by this novel which explored the lives of the sisters as they struggled to become published authors.

The writer has perfectly captured the drudgery of life in a small country village where to be ambitious is unheard of - something I can relate to, coming from a deprived village in Cornwall - and the struggle of the three sisters to become published in a world where men's points of view are the only ones that matter. The sisters fight against poverty, illness and the patriarchy to change their fortunes against a backdrop of the desolate moors so beloved of Emily.

Although the writer has created many fictional elements of the Bronte's story, e.g. Emily's love interest, the tale feels incredibly real and relatable. The reader experiences the family's loves, losses and heartbreaks along with them and, although at times the tale is bleak, there remains a glimmer of hope throughout.

I found it interesting that the book is set up around Emily and her relationship with the titular Man in the Stone Cottage when the novel felt much more like Charlotte's book. It is Charlotte whose mind we frequent most regularly in her struggle with her career and with her romantic relationships, with Emily and Johnathan's story more of a secondary plotline.

I learned a lot about the Bronte's through this book, which gives a visceral insight into the life of Yorkshire folk in the 19th century and, in particular, the plight of women who wanted more from life than society dictated.

I enjoyed this insight into the lives of the Brontë family, in the years to the publication of their novels. Mostly focusing on Emily and an imagined friendship with John McConnell, a man from St Kilda living in a remote cottage near to Haworth, a possible inspiration for Wuthering Heights.
Well written and enjoyable.
My only annoyance, the mistreatment of a handwritten book of poems.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc.

Thank you to Net Galley and Regal House Publishing for an early copy of The Man in the Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell

Author Stephanie Cowell's recreation of the personal and writing lives of the Bronte sisters rings true as each sister must navigate the everyday realities of a lack of money with their potential as first-rate authoresses. The family dynamic which includes widower Patrick Bronte, the local parson and father and a weak brother, Branwell, do not make things easy for the talented daughters Anne, Charlotte and Emily.

The main focus lies with Emily who in her wandering the moors comes across a remote cottage where she takes up a secret friendship with Jonathan, the resident of the cottage. As their relationship grows, Emily agrees to have her poems and eventually her novel published along with her sisters' works. Women published their work under male names at this time. Charlotte also comes to the forefront both with her writing and her romantic life while Anne appears more as a background sister.

Chapters of The Man in the Stone Cottage begin with lines from Bronte writings which enhance the story and bring readers closer to the main characters.

Jane Eyre written by Charlotte Bronte and Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, both classics to this day, have something of their roots in The Man in the Stone Cottage.

This book was not what I was expecting. Ms. Cowell showed the difficult circumstances and the life that the Bronte sisters lived- death of siblings, a father in poor health, the worry of lack of finances. While those details are true, I thought it was particularly sad, and I was hoping to see a more hopeful story. I didn't enjoy reading about Charlotte's unrequited love of a married man and thought a good portion of the story was devoted to that particular detail.

Ms. Cowell did a nice job with the writing style. It was in keeping with the period in which the family lived.

I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions in this review are my own.

dnf'd at 10%. I LOVED Jane Eyre but this book made me want to hate Charlotte Bronte. I know I didn't get far in the story and maybe it got better, but I couldn't for the life of me get past the beginning of her loving a married man and then being a coward and fleeing when she told him how she felt (and then her sister telling her how wonderful it would have been if she would have become his mistress)...if that's how she was in real life then no wonder she was a spinster.

I was really engrossed in this historical fiction. It was fascinating to contemplate what the everyday lives of the Bronte sisters could have been like. The story also includes their father and their brother, both of whom were worrisome to the sisters. The book was so well written and the descriptions so vivid that I could feel the wind on the bluffs and feel the rain and the cold. And also empathize with their heartaches.

Thanks to Regal House Publishing and NetGalley for this digital copy. All thoughts are my own.

This was an interesting read about the three Brontë sisters, their brother and father during a worrisome time in their lives. Their mother and other siblings have already passed, their father's health is ailing and their brother cannot seem to hold down a job to help keep the family out of poverty. Each sister has a very different personality and I enjoyed Emily's story the most, she seems the most spirited of the three with her writings and adventures. The three decide they have nothing left to lose and send off their writing to publisher after publisher and after various rejection letters they wonder why they continue to spend dwindling funds on sending out their manuscripts. But all it takes is one person to take notice and almost overnight their lives have changed. The writing has gotten noticed, published and readers cannot get enough. Many want to know who this mysterious writer is? Where has he been this whole time? Being set with life for funds, they now must struggle with whether to reveal who they really are and the continued mourning of death in their family. Charlotte who becomes the face of the sisters, often wonders about Emily. Who was she really? What was her inspiration and did she really have a hidden lover? This family was fascinating to read about and it really gives depth to the sisters, their relationship with each other and others as well as where they came from. Thank you to the author and publisher for the complementary novel and to GetRedPR for the tour invite. This review is of my own opinion and accord.

I always love a book that creates a story about real people but in a fictional setting. This book did just that now it was a bit depressing because well they had trails and tribulations they dealt with in real life and I did appreciate the author not shying away from that. It gave a good insight and idea of what it would be like for the Bonte sisters at a point in their life.

If you are a fan of the Bronte sisters I would definitely give this one a read!

A hauntingly beautiful book about the imagined life and loves of the Bronte sisters. With vivid descriptions of the everyday walks, routines, and events it invokes the senses to smell and feel what the sisters were feeling.The worlds they created as children play a part in how they came to write and be published. All three sisters are part of the story but Charlotte and Emily have larger roles. Charlotte’s loves and her determination to be published and recognized for her work fill much of the book. But it is Emily and her walks on the moors that give the book its title and left a lingering question with me, did the man in the stone cottage exist or was it merely a part of a world she created? I recommend this book to readers that enjoy historical fiction about authors or readers that enjoy the Bronte sisters.

In 1846, the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily, and Anne return home to live with their father, a beloved vicar. Their feckless, but adored, brother is no help in supporting their father’s meager income. The sisters’ turn to writing poems and novels, in hopes of making money.

One day, while walking on the windswept moors, Charlotte spies a mysterious shepard, living in a previously abandoned cottage. As they slowly become acquainted, she realizes how much she cares for him. Could he be the inspiration for Heathcliff? Charlotte finds a publisher for Jane Eyre, which is a huge success, and saves the family financially. Emily’s Wurthering Heights, is published with little notice Yet, both are considered great literature almost two centuries later.

This Man in the Stone Cottage is written in a brooding style reminiscent of the Brontes’ novels. It is a testament to their hopes and dreams as well as to their ultimate tragedies.

The Man in the Stone Cottage is a historical fiction novel about the Bronte sisters. While I haven't read any of their work yet, but would like to someday, this novel was an intriguing and captivating story. We learn about the three sisters, Charlotte, Anne, and Emily, who come from a poor family, the daughters of a Reverend. One day, Emily finds a single glove, but does not know who it belongs to. She finds out it belongs to a man named Jonathan, who lives in a stone cottage. Eventually, Emily starts sneaking away to Jonathan's cottage to see him, and learn more about him. Anne lives in another town working to make money for the family, and keeps a watch on their brother Branwell, who, although an adult doesn't always make the best choices. Charlotte is a writer, along with Emily, and Anne, but insists that the sisters publish their books as men, as it wasn't common in those days to have female authors. When the sisters finally have success with Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights, they are finally able to have a life with more luxuries, and not having to worry as much about finances.

In this story we have love, sisterhood, family values and bonds, and friendship. Though I didn't know much about the sisters prior to reading this novel, I am intrigued to now learn more about them, and read their books. I'd also like the opportunity to travel to their hometown one day and see the home where they supposedly lived in England. This book was a much different novel than I'm used to reading, but I enjoyed it, and found it to be interesting.

ARC Review | The Man in the Stone Cottage by Stephanie Cowell. 5 ⭐️'s

• Release date: September 16th, 2025 •

Prior to reading this, I knew very little about the Brontë sisters & I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I haven't read any of their work. When I saw this listed on NetGalley, I simply wanted to read it because Stephanie Cowell is one of my favorite authors. After reading The Man in the Stone Cottage, I now want to read everything written by the Brontë sisters.

I'm sure there are things that I missed within this beautiful novel having not read their work, but I still loved it. It's incredibly atmospheric, emotional & so beautifully written. I had no idea how much loss their family had suffered or what Anne, Charlotte & Emily went through to get their novels published. They seemed like truly remarkable young women.

One of my favorite things about this novel, was the sister's poetry that was woven throughout on some of the chapter pages. And since I've overlooked their work until now, it was nice to have some of it within the book to get to know them a bit. It showed me what gifted writers they were.

I highly recommend this whether you're a Brontë fan or new to their works, like me. I'm looking forward to reading their poems & novels & I've already got a copy of Wuthering Heights to get started on.

Thanks to Regal House Publishing & NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of this book & to Stephanie Cowell for another incredible novel

If you've ever wondered about the lives of the Brontë sisters, this book is for you! You gain insight into their personalities, as well as the personal struggles they endured to become authors and support their family. Their stories are quite tragic, and this book helps you to see them as real people. After reading this book, I won't look at a Brontë novel the same way again!

I was intrigued by the summary but it landed a little flat. The writing style and overall characters I liked but it was a little boring. I didn’t know much about the Bronte family going in to it so I did learn a bit!

I also felt like we could have used more actual man in the stone cottage. I felt like he wasn’t present a lot of the book. I wanted to know more about him and his time with Emily. Perhaps that was the point?

I loved this book! I felt immediately transported to the moorland atmosphere and became engaged in the well paced story of the sisters as they navigate what is expected of them verses their desires to create their own literary careers.

Charlotte as the oldest tasked herself with making sure her father and siblings were all kept on the right path while still managing to pursue her own interests. But I was most enchanted by Emily who just wanted to walk the moors and read books and write stories and poetry. I loved the author’s lyrical writing as she explored the dynamics of sisterly bonds.

If you like character driven historical fiction with a detailed and emotional glimpse into the Brontë sister’s literary beginnings and an intriguing speculative look at Emily’s secret encounters on the moors you should give this one a look!

Imagine going back to 1831 in Yorkshire, England. The Bronte sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne live with their Father. His name is Patrick and is the Parson for the area. So their home is in a Parsonage. Brother and Anne are living away from home, as they are tutors for children elsewhere in England. They have lost their Mother and two sisters at this point in their lives. So much sadness for this family. There are many struggles with Father and Brother. Emily is keeping a secret from her family. She goes on long walks and discovers an old cottage in the moors. She goes back many times without their knowledge. Life is hard for the girls as they must care for their father who is going blind. What the girls did have in common is they are all writers of books and poems.

In the later years, Charlotte loses Anne, Emily and her brother. The burdens all fall to her to care for Father. But she has success in publishing her book, Jane Eyre. But the success came after the death of her last two sisters. She also wants to discover what the secret her sister, Emily, was hiding from her. So it is kind of a mystery too.

I wanted to read this novel, as historical fiction takes me back in time. Now I am so interested in reading all the Bronte sisters books. For me, Stephanie Cowell did wonderful penning this book for us all to enjoy. I want to thank her publisher and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this wonderful read.

Thank you to Net Galley and Regal House Publishing for this ARC

First, I want to say that I went into this book with relatively no expectations. I had never read anything by this author before and only knew some basic information about the Brontë family.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book. The writing made me feel like I was reading one of the classics. It's not too long, and it does a great job of covering several years of their lives.

I should note that this is not a feel-good, happy book—it's sad, emotional, and at times quite dark.

I absolutely fell in love with this book! You know the saying, "When books fall open, you fall in." That is my reaction to this book - could not put it down. I've read some of the Bronte books, but never really knew much about them. What a talented and fascinating family. Parts of the book actually historical fact, but there is a lot of conjecture written in to tie the story together with what actually might have been. Thank you Net Galley for offering me the advanced reader's copy of this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!