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shawnaatteberry's review against another edition
1.0
DNF. The original Jane Eyre was independent, courageous, kind when it would've been easy to be mean, and intelligent. Unfortunately, in this retelling, Jane is none of these things. Every character in this book is two-dimensional at best. The biggest difference from the original are the scenes from Mrs. Rochester's point of view, which hurt both the book and people who suffer from mental illnesses and know how uniformed Marcott is about both mental illness and its treatment. If Marcott was going to write a good part of the book from the view of a mentally unstable person, the least she could do was actual research. I'm very glad this was an Amazon Prime First Reads, which meant is was free.
gingerbee123's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
daneybird's review against another edition
1.0
I couldn't get past 100 pages. I love the story of Jane Eyre but this did not compare. Characters are not developed and the story dragged on.
disismrsclark's review
4.0
Thanks to Library Journal for the ARC and the chance to review this title!
TV writer Jane’s life is in ruin. Losing her mother to cancer and her boyfriend to another woman was hard enough; now her show has been canceled, and she can’t afford her New York apartment anymore. Luckily, an old friend offers Jane a deal that sounds too good to be true—a beautiful waterfront cottage rent-free, in exchange for tutoring the daughter of infamous entrepreneur Evan Rochester. Jane is undeniably drawn to her new employer, but the puzzling circumstances behind his wife’s death have her scrutinizing everything. This imaginative take on Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic novel has several satisfying nods to the source material, but veers away just enough to create a refreshing new experience. Marcott’s Jane is a formidable protagonist. She’s bright, inquisitive, and at times annoyingly suspicious. Evan is the typical brooding Rochester, and of course, the mystery behind the former Mrs. Rochester holds true to the original. The alternating points of view and brisk plot will hold readers’ interest. Fans of Jane Eyre who enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs will appreciate this equally enjoyable retelling from Marcott (The Producer’s Daughter).
TV writer Jane’s life is in ruin. Losing her mother to cancer and her boyfriend to another woman was hard enough; now her show has been canceled, and she can’t afford her New York apartment anymore. Luckily, an old friend offers Jane a deal that sounds too good to be true—a beautiful waterfront cottage rent-free, in exchange for tutoring the daughter of infamous entrepreneur Evan Rochester. Jane is undeniably drawn to her new employer, but the puzzling circumstances behind his wife’s death have her scrutinizing everything. This imaginative take on Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic novel has several satisfying nods to the source material, but veers away just enough to create a refreshing new experience. Marcott’s Jane is a formidable protagonist. She’s bright, inquisitive, and at times annoyingly suspicious. Evan is the typical brooding Rochester, and of course, the mystery behind the former Mrs. Rochester holds true to the original. The alternating points of view and brisk plot will hold readers’ interest. Fans of Jane Eyre who enjoyed Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs will appreciate this equally enjoyable retelling from Marcott (The Producer’s Daughter).
vinny_d's review against another edition
2.0
DNF at 50%.
There's slow burns, and then there's this book. The story is interesting enough to continue, but nothing freaking happens, especially in the middle. It's like the author didn't know how to stretch the story to hit a page limit so just filled it with tutoring a kid, going to parties, browsing art galleries, doing yoga classes ... so boring. Even if each scene had something crucial in it, I couldn't tell, and it never seemed to matter, so eventually I got so bored I just quit.
Two stars bc I liked her writing, but not much more.
There's slow burns, and then there's this book. The story is interesting enough to continue, but nothing freaking happens, especially in the middle. It's like the author didn't know how to stretch the story to hit a page limit so just filled it with tutoring a kid, going to parties, browsing art galleries, doing yoga classes ... so boring. Even if each scene had something crucial in it, I couldn't tell, and it never seemed to matter, so eventually I got so bored I just quit.
Two stars bc I liked her writing, but not much more.
amybosica's review against another edition
3.0
A Jane Eyre re-telling?! Sign me up please! Those were my first thoughts when I came across this book. Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost is a unique modern re-telling of Jane Erye that is creepy, yet intriguing at the same time. I was captivated from the first page and couldn’t wait to see how this author’s version of the story would play out.
What makes this re-telling truly unique is that we get chapters of the past from Mrs. Rochester’s point of view. I think those were my favorite part of this story. They really made you think and left me wondering if Mrs. Rochester was giving us a true account of her fate or was she truly crazy and brought it upon herself. I personally thought this added a lot to the mystery of the story.
Overall, I thought this book was a really interesting and unique read. I enjoyed getting to know Jane and the mystery surrounding Evan. I have some mixed feelings about Evan and Jane as a couple. I didn’t LOVE them together, but I didn’t HATE them together, either.
Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost is one of those stories that I think will be a hit for some and a miss for others. I’d love to know where you stand on this re-telling…
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
What makes this re-telling truly unique is that we get chapters of the past from Mrs. Rochester’s point of view. I think those were my favorite part of this story. They really made you think and left me wondering if Mrs. Rochester was giving us a true account of her fate or was she truly crazy and brought it upon herself. I personally thought this added a lot to the mystery of the story.
Overall, I thought this book was a really interesting and unique read. I enjoyed getting to know Jane and the mystery surrounding Evan. I have some mixed feelings about Evan and Jane as a couple. I didn’t LOVE them together, but I didn’t HATE them together, either.
Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost is one of those stories that I think will be a hit for some and a miss for others. I’d love to know where you stand on this re-telling…
*I was provided an ARC copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review*
alba_marie's review against another edition
5.0
"Reader, I married him." – 4.5 stars rounded up
Kidding! The most famous line from Jane Eyre did not make it into Mrs Rochester's Ghost. This thriller is a modern retelling of the great gothic Bronte classic, Jane Eyre – and one of my all-time favourite books. But in many ways, certainly for the first half of the novel, it actually reads more like Daphne du Maurier's gothic classic, Rebecca – another of my all-time favourite books! (Are you seeing a pattern here...?)
In this book, Jane is a TV writer whose show has just gotten cancelled. She's offered a summer tutoring gig for a troubled young teen whose mum has just died and who has been taken in by her estranged father, the fabulously rich Evander (Evan) Edward Rochester. A man who may or may not have killed his wife, Beatrice, after she developed serious psychosis. Whose ghost may or may not be haunting the estate and by extension, Jane herself. Jane doesn't mean to, but she falls for the grumpy and handsome Rochester but struggles to get past the mystery of what happened to Beatrice, or fully trust the man that many accuse of her murder.
It's a slow build, but in this case, it works well. A general feeling of murky wrongness slowly settles over the book like the fog that settles on the Californian cliffs where it is set. Jane cannot stop prying into Rochester's life, and past mysteries – and the former Mrs Rochester is everywhere, much like the first Mrs de Winters. Short of embroidered R's displayed over everything, one can't help but feel claustrophobic at the thought of Beatrice McAdams, who, despite her physical absence, seems to dominate everywhere.
Jane is level-headed, smart, and caring. She really wants to help Sophia, Rochester's estranged daughter, and largely succeeds – mostly by treating her with kindness and respect as a human adult and not a nuisance kid to be overlooked. Sophia, too, grows and matures throughout the book, starting out as a whining child throwing tantrums and maturing into a functioning teenager. All at the hands of Jane.
Rochester is pretty much exactly like he is in the original – gruff, blunt, rich, grumpy and devil-may-care. Marcott very successfully reproduce an authentic Rochester who does justice to the original character.
The one part that I struggled to buy was the romance. Romance as a genre is not my main thing, but I have read a few now and can say that this one lacked chemistry, and felt a bit forced. But... maybe so did Bronte's original? Did 19th century Jane and Rochester really have much on-screen chemistry in the way that, say, Elizabeth and Darcy have chemistry? I'm not so sure. But in any case, that was what was missing from Mrs Rochester's Ghost.
The ending was probably unbelievable in real life but it worked for the book. It stayed true enough while still allowing Marcott breathing room to make the story her own. The one thing I didn't get was
Overall, I did like the book despite my couple of concerns. It felt like a solid standalone, but also just gothic enough with elements of a few gothic classics to make it gripping. It carefully borrowed from the original without being a copy/paste of it. It kept me guessing until the end ifThe characters felt right – both in a modern and Victorian-original sense – and the slow burn story addictive enough to keep me reading. Recommend to Jane Eyre/Bronte lovers or anyone who likes slow burn thrillers.
Kidding! The most famous line from Jane Eyre did not make it into Mrs Rochester's Ghost. This thriller is a modern retelling of the great gothic Bronte classic, Jane Eyre – and one of my all-time favourite books. But in many ways, certainly for the first half of the novel, it actually reads more like Daphne du Maurier's gothic classic, Rebecca – another of my all-time favourite books! (Are you seeing a pattern here...?)
In this book, Jane is a TV writer whose show has just gotten cancelled. She's offered a summer tutoring gig for a troubled young teen whose mum has just died and who has been taken in by her estranged father, the fabulously rich Evander (Evan) Edward Rochester. A man who may or may not have killed his wife, Beatrice, after she developed serious psychosis. Whose ghost may or may not be haunting the estate and by extension, Jane herself. Jane doesn't mean to, but she falls for the grumpy and handsome Rochester but struggles to get past the mystery of what happened to Beatrice, or fully trust the man that many accuse of her murder.
It's a slow build, but in this case, it works well. A general feeling of murky wrongness slowly settles over the book like the fog that settles on the Californian cliffs where it is set. Jane cannot stop prying into Rochester's life, and past mysteries – and the former Mrs Rochester is everywhere, much like the first Mrs de Winters. Short of embroidered R's displayed over everything, one can't help but feel claustrophobic at the thought of Beatrice McAdams, who, despite her physical absence, seems to dominate everywhere.
Jane is level-headed, smart, and caring. She really wants to help Sophia, Rochester's estranged daughter, and largely succeeds – mostly by treating her with kindness and respect as a human adult and not a nuisance kid to be overlooked. Sophia, too, grows and matures throughout the book, starting out as a whining child throwing tantrums and maturing into a functioning teenager. All at the hands of Jane.
Rochester is pretty much exactly like he is in the original – gruff, blunt, rich, grumpy and devil-may-care. Marcott very successfully reproduce an authentic Rochester who does justice to the original character.
The one part that I struggled to buy was the romance. Romance as a genre is not my main thing, but I have read a few now and can say that this one lacked chemistry, and felt a bit forced. But... maybe so did Bronte's original? Did 19th century Jane and Rochester really have much on-screen chemistry in the way that, say, Elizabeth and Darcy have chemistry? I'm not so sure. But in any case, that was what was missing from Mrs Rochester's Ghost.
The ending was probably unbelievable in real life but it worked for the book. It stayed true enough while still allowing Marcott breathing room to make the story her own. The one thing I didn't get was
Spoiler
what was Beatrice's end game? I thought she cooked up this fake suicide scheme with her sleazy brother? If so, why was she living in a flipping cave and not hiding out with him? Also, if she attacked him, and he knew she was alive, why did he still keep insisting that Rochester killed her? And still left her out in the cave? I know she has serious mental health issues but still. Even if she wouldn't leave the cave because of her weird this-rock-looks-like-Mary-Magdalene thing, he could have brought her food? But then... maybe he just didn't give a shit. He was a really bad person, after all. He was just after the money. Little sis was collateral damage...Overall, I did like the book despite my couple of concerns. It felt like a solid standalone, but also just gothic enough with elements of a few gothic classics to make it gripping. It carefully borrowed from the original without being a copy/paste of it. It kept me guessing until the end if
Spoiler
Beatrice was alive or dead, as I wasn't sure how true to the original it'd be. I even wondered if it really WAS her ghost the whole time.betaadamantium's review against another edition
4.0
I love Jane Eyre so this was right up my alley. Also went in with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Not bad for a free book from Amazon Prime.
LOLing at all the old ladies pearl clutching in their reviews over the use of profanity in the book.
LOLing at all the old ladies pearl clutching in their reviews over the use of profanity in the book.
theliterateleprechaun's review against another edition
3.0
This is a contemporary gothic retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre. It’s modern, full of twists, and unreliable characters. You won’t know who’s telling the truth until the end.
Jane gets the short end of the stick; her mom loses her battle with cancer, her boyfriend takes up with another woman, and now the TV network show she writes has been cancelled. How is she going to pay the rent on her New York apartment? When she’s offered the chance to move to a little waterfront bungalow in exchange for tutoring Evan Rochester’s daughter, Sophia, in Big Sur, California, she jumps at the chance. Studly Evan is a widowed tech entrepreneur whose gorgeous wife, Beatrice, drowned suddenly. Jane is suspicious and starts investigating, hoping to find the truth behind the supermodel’s death.
You’ll see lots of the same plot points as the classic. Parallel to the original is (1) a poor naïve orphan who travels to teach a young girl, (2) a man who falls off his ride, (3) lots of foggy weather, ghosts, and a great gothic setting and (4) numerous people who attempt to convince Jane that Rochester is not the kind of person she should be spending time with.
This retelling is done in alternating chapters from Jane and Beatrice’s points of view. I felt frustrated because each, on its own, would have made for a great story. However, putting them together didn’t work for me. I felt it watered down the mystery and the romance. The added chapters from Beatrice’s point of view, I thought, took away from the mystery. Despite Modern Jane being more assertive, I wondered at her allowing a ‘player’ into her life.
The re-located setting worked for me as did the atmospheric tension. It’s always risky modernizing a classic and, unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I wonder if I’d have liked it if I hadn’t known it was a retelling? Was I comparing the whole time I was reading? Maybe. Read it yourself. Let me know.
I was gifted this advance copy by Lindsay Marcotte, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
Jane gets the short end of the stick; her mom loses her battle with cancer, her boyfriend takes up with another woman, and now the TV network show she writes has been cancelled. How is she going to pay the rent on her New York apartment? When she’s offered the chance to move to a little waterfront bungalow in exchange for tutoring Evan Rochester’s daughter, Sophia, in Big Sur, California, she jumps at the chance. Studly Evan is a widowed tech entrepreneur whose gorgeous wife, Beatrice, drowned suddenly. Jane is suspicious and starts investigating, hoping to find the truth behind the supermodel’s death.
You’ll see lots of the same plot points as the classic. Parallel to the original is (1) a poor naïve orphan who travels to teach a young girl, (2) a man who falls off his ride, (3) lots of foggy weather, ghosts, and a great gothic setting and (4) numerous people who attempt to convince Jane that Rochester is not the kind of person she should be spending time with.
This retelling is done in alternating chapters from Jane and Beatrice’s points of view. I felt frustrated because each, on its own, would have made for a great story. However, putting them together didn’t work for me. I felt it watered down the mystery and the romance. The added chapters from Beatrice’s point of view, I thought, took away from the mystery. Despite Modern Jane being more assertive, I wondered at her allowing a ‘player’ into her life.
The re-located setting worked for me as did the atmospheric tension. It’s always risky modernizing a classic and, unfortunately, this one didn’t work for me. I wonder if I’d have liked it if I hadn’t known it was a retelling? Was I comparing the whole time I was reading? Maybe. Read it yourself. Let me know.
I was gifted this advance copy by Lindsay Marcotte, Thomas & Mercer, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
amelia_50's review against another edition
1.0
Aargh!!!!
What a horrible, vague ending!!!! The entire book was trite and very predictable, but the ending was ridiculous. What a waste of three days of reading
What a horrible, vague ending!!!! The entire book was trite and very predictable, but the ending was ridiculous. What a waste of three days of reading