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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a little wary of Jane Eyre retellings because my English grad program forever ruined the book for me. (Try reading Wide Sargasso Sea and tell me you don't feel the same!) This one doesn't handle the secret wife theme any better than its source material. (The deus ex machina of it all made me roll my eyes.) Aside from this, though, I found it to be a compelling read; Jane's sense of agency is strong, and Edward is actually sweet and likeable. The banter is a little odd, but somehow it works really well (at least for me). I also enjoyed the fact that the book isn't solely about their relationship but, rather, about Jane getting what she deserves. (I'm being intentionally cryptic here.)
Four stars is probably generous, but if you enjoy Brontë retellings give this one a try!
I'm a little wary of Jane Eyre retellings because my English grad program forever ruined the book for me. (Try reading Wide Sargasso Sea and tell me you don't feel the same!) This one doesn't handle the secret wife theme any better than its source material. (The deus ex machina of it all made me roll my eyes.) Aside from this, though, I found it to be a compelling read; Jane's sense of agency is strong, and Edward is actually sweet and likeable. The banter is a little odd, but somehow it works really well (at least for me). I also enjoyed the fact that the book isn't solely about their relationship but, rather, about Jane getting what she deserves. (I'm being intentionally cryptic here.)
Four stars is probably generous, but if you enjoy Brontë retellings give this one a try!
This was a fun read and has me smiling just thinking about it. I loved the way the author put a modern twist on Jane Eyre and did so in a way that worked really well. I also found Edward’s character hilarious, the meet-cute between him and Jane will forever be a favorite now. I also loved the resiliency in Jane and her ability to find ways to go after what she wants, no matter how many barriers were in her way. It’s very admiring.
There were some areas where it dragged a bit for me and I would have liked to see more conversations between Edward and Jane in the early stages. While I liked them together, Edward clearly fell for her first but I just didn’t fully see why. And it’s not because I didn’t like Jane or think they made sense, I just needed more build up. Her not being afraid of him doesn’t seem like the healthiest reason for him to fall for her. Overall a fun enjoyable 3.75 star read for me.
There were some areas where it dragged a bit for me and I would have liked to see more conversations between Edward and Jane in the early stages. While I liked them together, Edward clearly fell for her first but I just didn’t fully see why. And it’s not because I didn’t like Jane or think they made sense, I just needed more build up. Her not being afraid of him doesn’t seem like the healthiest reason for him to fall for her. Overall a fun enjoyable 3.75 star read for me.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
loved the click flick workaholic part of it, found out I'm not partial to office romance. i knew that's what i was getting into and obviously that's what it was building up to, but still, it stressed me out the whole time. girlie you worked hard to get this job and you like it and you want to keep it please please do not get with your boss
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A solid retelling of my favorite novel, Jane Eyre.
I was unsure of how Jane Eyre could be adapted to modern times, but really thoroughly enjoyed this retelling! I liked the modernization of various plot points that translated to 'now' much better than I expected. I was concerned some things might be a big stretch to keep the original story more or less intact, but the author found some very clever workarounds that I enjoyed discovering. The final scene was also absolutely adorable.
This was a STUNNING debut novel. I’m shocked that this is only a debut, it was so well crafted. And I never find myself saying that about romance books.
This book initially caught my attention because of the fact that it was a Jane Eyre (italicize) retelling, which is my favorite classic and generally one of my favorite books of all time. There was a lot to live up to in reimagining the story and I’m so glad that it exceeded my expectations. It’s typically hard for me to get engaged into a 3rd person pov story, but almost 20 pages in I was already hooked. I don’t usually annotate books either, but I found myself wanting to with this one. I loved picking up on all the hints to the original story, it was a really enjoyable experience. The only thing I wish was different was Daniel, I think he should’ve been a bigger part in the story and tied in the family aspect Jane was missing. Even though it was a reimagining and there were plenty of aspects from the classic, it was still its own story. The most notable aspect in this story was our main character, Jane. Bronte’s version of Jane is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read and this Jane was done in a very similar light. Both of them go through so many obstacles, but persevere in the end. It’s really hard for me to articulate how well this book is done, please just read it for yourself. Whether you’ve read the classic or not, I think anyone can enjoy this story. I will definitely be reading anything this author puts out if it’s anything like this book.
This book initially caught my attention because of the fact that it was a Jane Eyre (italicize) retelling, which is my favorite classic and generally one of my favorite books of all time. There was a lot to live up to in reimagining the story and I’m so glad that it exceeded my expectations. It’s typically hard for me to get engaged into a 3rd person pov story, but almost 20 pages in I was already hooked. I don’t usually annotate books either, but I found myself wanting to with this one. I loved picking up on all the hints to the original story, it was a really enjoyable experience. The only thing I wish was different was Daniel, I think he should’ve been a bigger part in the story and tied in the family aspect Jane was missing. Even though it was a reimagining and there were plenty of aspects from the classic, it was still its own story. The most notable aspect in this story was our main character, Jane. Bronte’s version of Jane is one of the strongest heroines I’ve ever read and this Jane was done in a very similar light. Both of them go through so many obstacles, but persevere in the end. It’s really hard for me to articulate how well this book is done, please just read it for yourself. Whether you’ve read the classic or not, I think anyone can enjoy this story. I will definitely be reading anything this author puts out if it’s anything like this book.
Jane & Edward was a fun, modern reimaging of Jane Eyre that was set in Toronto. If you like Toronto and you like PG-13 romance novels (or particularly the plot of Jane Eyre), then you are almost guaranteed to be a fan of Jane & Edward. I felt it delivered precisely what it advertised, something that the book's very practical main character would certainly approve of.
This book didn't sweep me off my feet, I liked it, and two elements made it a very memorable book for me. The first was the setting of Toronto, which is the city I live in. I loved the ways that the author, Melodie Edwards, chose to paint her picture of places I know well. She made me curious about which elements of Edward's Bay street law firm were true to life. That's a part of Toronto I don't know.
The second memorable element of this book was Jane. I could see why Edward fell in love with her, by the middle of the book I was definitely wishing that I had a Jane to run my life too.
I definitely have concerns about the future of their relationship, since the whole time we follow them as a couple Edward is entirely dependent on her for...absolutely everything?? But I felt Melodie Edwards addressed this by making sure he was REALLY REALLY into Jane, and offering a fair amount of evidence that he was willing to make some changes in his life for the sake of his relationship with Jane. So...maybe they do manage to work things out.
This book didn't sweep me off my feet, I liked it, and two elements made it a very memorable book for me. The first was the setting of Toronto, which is the city I live in. I loved the ways that the author, Melodie Edwards, chose to paint her picture of places I know well. She made me curious about which elements of Edward's Bay street law firm were true to life. That's a part of Toronto I don't know.
The second memorable element of this book was Jane. I could see why Edward fell in love with her, by the middle of the book I was definitely wishing that I had a Jane to run my life too.
I definitely have concerns about the future of their relationship, since the whole time we follow them as a couple Edward is entirely dependent on her for...absolutely everything?? But I felt Melodie Edwards addressed this by making sure he was REALLY REALLY into Jane, and offering a fair amount of evidence that he was willing to make some changes in his life for the sake of his relationship with Jane. So...maybe they do manage to work things out.