Jennifer Vandever

Rosalind wants to learn the tango then go to Argentina to live and perfect her dancing while hoping it will get her and Cal, her husband, out of their ruts. Cal thinks a dog they hit is his brother as he suffers and deals with his depression. Rosalind learns the tango but their lives, and the lives of others in their family, are changed.

I liked these characters. Neither is happy but each tries to find a way to find happiness. Her family is very much a part of their lives and we see Rosalind's family through her eyes. Not always on their best behavior. Truths are found through the writing. I enjoyed the writing. There was more than the surface. There is a deepness and richness in the language and the truths contained in it. This book resonated with me, maybe because I love to watch people dancing the tango or because of the truths in it.… (meer)

The Bronte Project by Jennifer Vandever is the story of Sara Frost, a Bronte scholar who is left by her fiancé unexpectedly and must cope with the fall out of her first true heartbreak. She deals with new men, a glamorous and controversial colleague, and a possible film project in the year that follows, culminating in a somewhat wild finish in Paris.

The novel attempts to make some parallels between Frost and Charlotte Bronte, who is the subject of Frost's research as well as someone who also suffered heartbreak. It's a loose connection, and somewhat disappointing when considering the title. I guess I was hoping for more Bronte.

Vandever wants you to feel sympathy for Frost and also view her as a woman learning to come into her own. I personally just found her frustrating and annoying. A lot of moments happen in the book where Sara is out of it or not aware of her surroundings. She's a passive voice and I'm not sure she ever really loses that element, despite the ending. I spent a lot of the book wanting to slap her and tell her to stop being so damn romantic. That's not a good sign when reading chick lit.

The novel is light fiction and not a hard read. I just think there is better chick lit out there if you are searching for something in that genre. Not awful but I can't recommend it.… (meer)

The Bronte Project is an interesting ride. The novel is one woman's journey to live the romanticism of the Brontes' novels. Jennifer Vandever shows the funny side to academia, the humorous competition and the ridiculous controversies. Sara is a wonderful character -- funny and smart. As she tries to get over a broken heart, she stumbles through her life making decisions not based on what will make her happy. It is only through a unique cast of supporting characters that she does truly find the ending that is right for her. This novel is not chick-lit, it works in the same way that Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single works, it has the characters making hard decisions that the reader may not agree with.… (meer)