You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)
Or does she?
Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.
First things first, I feel like I should say two things:
- I absolutely adored My Lady Jane, and
- I have not read Jane Eyre.
I don’t think that not reading Jane Eyre really had any impact on my feelings about this book. The authors really did a great job of retelling the story in a way that doesn’t rely on any prior knowledge of the book. But adoring My Lady Jane? I think that made my hopes a little too high.
You see, MLJ was a nearly 500-page book that I finished in (if I remember correctly) two nights. I flew through it, laughing and smiling and swooning over a man who randomly turns into a horse. MPJ took me about two weeks to finish despite being a little shorter.
I think the biggest thing for me was that, despite more or less enjoying the plot, I just didn’t feel any connection with the characters. Sure, Jane and Charlotte and Alexander were all great, but I always felt like they were at a distance. I never really felt immersed in their story, which meant that I never really felt like picking it back up and reading more.
I don’t have a ton of things to say about this book. It was a pretty solid four for me until the last quarter or so, when it seemed to drag a bit and I had to force myself to keep reading.
#killingthetbr: 6 months on shelf
#ps19: a retelling of a classic
#romanceopoly: memory lane
Have you read My Plain Jane? Have you read any good retellings recently? Let’s talk in the comments!
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It’s a pity you didn’t enjoy this book. I loved My Lade Jane, too, but then THIS happened.
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I didn’t dislike it, I just didn’t love it as much as I expected. Have you read My Plain Jane yet?
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I have! Didn’t live up to my expectations, unfortunately. Will keep an eye out for the next book, though. 🙂
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That’s too bad! I’m looking forward to the next book, too. Hopefully we’ll like that one more. 🙂
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I really enjoyed My Lady Jane and I’ve been hoping this one would be just as good. At least now I’ll be prepared. Great review btw!
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Thanks! I’m glad I could help! 🙂
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Ah such a shame about connecting to the characters. I’m seeing a lot of mixed reviews for this one, which is a shame cos I loved my lady jane too. Great review!
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Thanks! I think part of the problem was that my expectations were just too high! I was expecting to fall in love with the characters like I did in My Lady Jane, and it just didn’t happen. It’s still a good book, though!
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The last words I want to read in a review are “I had to force myself to keep reading.” I think I will take a pass. Thanks for the review.
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See this was my struggle too! I loved My Lady Jane and this one was a bit of a let down. I even have read Jane Eyre and it didn’t matter, MPJ just didn’t cut it. I’m still interested in the last book in the “series” though. So we’ll see!
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I’m sorry you weren’t impressed either! I’m really interested to see how I’ll feel about My Calamity Jane too. I’m hoping I’ll feel more like I did with MLJ.
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I’ve seen mixed reviews for this book! I’m excited to read My Lady Jane though 😊
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My Lady Jane is excellent! 🙂
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It’s too bad you didn’t like this so much! Makes me wonder what I’ll think about it once I pick it up from my library. I have read Jane Eyre, so I was pretty excited about this retelling! Plus, My Lady Jane was hilarious, so I had pretty high hopes for MPJ.
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I would love to hear your thoughts when you finish this one!
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