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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I'm really wavering on how many stars to give this modern day retelling of Jane Eyre. On the one hand, I was really impressed by how the author was able to translate so much of the story to modern times, even things that I didn't think would work. The two big reveals were well done. On the other hand, for most of the book, I wished I was reading Jane Eyre instead. I'm not sure how this would work if you're not already a big fan of the original book, but if you are, it was a fun read.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Jane Eyre was one of my first “adult” books I read, given to me by an older cousin who didn’t care that everyone else said it was too old for me and said I’d love it and she was right. That’s just to preface that it is cherished and while I hoped for the best I expected the worst.
But readers, this did not disappoint! I loved that she really got everyone’s characters nailed down but kept to a modern setting. (Maybe Julie and Isabella could have been more villainous but I can always do with less drama in my life so I didn’t mind 😅).
For a romance novel it was good and for a Jane Eyre retelling it was everything I could have hoped for ❤️
But readers, this did not disappoint! I loved that she really got everyone’s characters nailed down but kept to a modern setting. (Maybe Julie and Isabella could have been more villainous but I can always do with less drama in my life so I didn’t mind 😅).
For a romance novel it was good and for a Jane Eyre retelling it was everything I could have hoped for ❤️
3.75 stars -
I am a huge Jane Eyre fan and have been looking for a modern retelling that actually held its own. This book is it. It’s by no means perfect and the characters aren’t as developed as I would like, but it’s very reminiscent of the original story. The angst is there and I appreciate that there wasn’t a lot of cliche moments with quotes, but it was just enough to be good.
I do think it was missing something, and I think it was the character development. I also think that it felt rushed at times.
I would definitely read this if you’re a fan of Jane Eyre, so long as you don’t want a modern chapter by chapter retelling of it.
I am a huge Jane Eyre fan and have been looking for a modern retelling that actually held its own. This book is it. It’s by no means perfect and the characters aren’t as developed as I would like, but it’s very reminiscent of the original story. The angst is there and I appreciate that there wasn’t a lot of cliche moments with quotes, but it was just enough to be good.
I do think it was missing something, and I think it was the character development. I also think that it felt rushed at times.
I would definitely read this if you’re a fan of Jane Eyre, so long as you don’t want a modern chapter by chapter retelling of it.
I read Jane Eyre for the first time when I was 15 years old and I have distinct memories of being so engrossed in the book that I would coordinate my entire day around making time to read it. I had that same feeling reading Jane & Edward. It recaptured the experience of reading my favorite book for the first time and that was a really exciting thing.
Rather than getting bogged down in recreating the original plot beat-for-beat, Edwards took the most essential elements of Jane Eyre and used them as a starting point to create something beautiful and new. Setting Jane Eyre in the modern working world highlighted some beautiful themes about resilience and self-reliance that are of course present in the original novel but can get lost in translation for a modern reader unfamiliar with just how revolutionary a heroine like Jane would have been to a Victorian audience. I first read Jane Eyre as an inexperienced teenager and now as a working adult it was lovely to find Jane again and see her navigating the same world I do. I know people can get precious about adaptations of their favorite stories (myself included - I actually read very few Jane Eyre adaptations for this reason) so Jane & Edward might not work for every Brontë fan, but it certainly worked for me.
Rather than getting bogged down in recreating the original plot beat-for-beat, Edwards took the most essential elements of Jane Eyre and used them as a starting point to create something beautiful and new. Setting Jane Eyre in the modern working world highlighted some beautiful themes about resilience and self-reliance that are of course present in the original novel but can get lost in translation for a modern reader unfamiliar with just how revolutionary a heroine like Jane would have been to a Victorian audience. I first read Jane Eyre as an inexperienced teenager and now as a working adult it was lovely to find Jane again and see her navigating the same world I do. I know people can get precious about adaptations of their favorite stories (myself included - I actually read very few Jane Eyre adaptations for this reason) so Jane & Edward might not work for every Brontë fan, but it certainly worked for me.
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
JANE & EDWARD by Melodie Edwards is a reimagining of JANE EYRE (by Charlotte Brontë) set in modern-day Toronto.
Jane Raine has had a difficult life. Her father died when she was 13 and he left her penniless and without any family. She survived the foster care system and then spent several years working as a waitress. When she overhears a coworker talking about becoming a law secretary by attending night school, she hopes it may be her ticket to a more stable life.
She begins working for Edward Rosen, the head of a Bay Street law firm in downtown Toronto. Edward is known for his temper, caustic behavior, and making the firm lots of money. He can't keep a secretary, but Jane thinks his yelling is "just noise."
As they work together, they develop a close relationship and fall in love. Edward, however, has a big secret. (Is it a wife in the attic? No, it's a wife in California.) Jane refuses to be a mistress and leaves the law firm and Edward.
She leaves Toronto as well and finally finds a way to go back to the beloved university where her father taught and was revered. It is there she meets British professor Daniel. They share a love of literature and a respect for Jane's father, but Daniel sees more than that in Jane.
When Jane learns about her father's legacy, she makes it her mission to finally have the life she believes she deserves and her father intended. She understands her past has primed her for the next hardship, the next fight. "If you could reinterpret a story in different ways, then you could reinterpret your life as well. Instead of stringing together all your tragedies and clinging to your will to keep walking, why not look at it as something that kept making you stronger? Resilience."
When Jane learns about her father's legacy, she makes it her mission to finally have the life she believes she deserves and her father intended. She understands her past has primed her for the next hardship, the next fight. "If you could reinterpret a story in different ways, then you could reinterpret your life as well. Instead of stringing together all your tragedies and clinging to your will to keep walking, why not look at it as something that kept making you stronger? Resilience."
This was a delight to read, clever, and respectful of the original text. It's clear the author knows both Toronto and Jane Eyre intimately. I cannot wait to read her other book - a retelling of Jane Austen's PERSUASION.
Loved it.
4.5!
I ate this up!!! If you aren’t a Jane Erye lover I don’t think you would feel as passionately about this as I did but this was GOOD. Melodie did a perfect job of encapsulating Brontë in a modern setting. This felt like a love letter to the classic, it was true to the story, sprinkled with originality. If you’re open to a modern retelling give this a read!
I ate this up!!! If you aren’t a Jane Erye lover I don’t think you would feel as passionately about this as I did but this was GOOD. Melodie did a perfect job of encapsulating Brontë in a modern setting. This felt like a love letter to the classic, it was true to the story, sprinkled with originality. If you’re open to a modern retelling give this a read!