Jane & Edward Published by Berkley Books on March 2023
Genres: Romance
Pages: 352
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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A former foster kid, Jane has led a solitary life as a waitress in the suburbs, working hard to get by. Tired of years of barely scraping together a living, Jane takes classes to become a legal assistant and shortly after graduating accepts a job offer at a distinguished law firm in downtown Toronto. Everyone at the firm thinks she is destined for failure because her boss is the notoriously difficult Edward Rosen, the majority stakeholder of Rosen, Haythe & Thornfield LLP. But Jane has known far worse trials and refuses to back down when economic freedom is so close at hand.
Edward has never been able to keep an assistant--he's too loud, too messy, too ill-tempered. There's something about the quietly competent, delightfully sharp-witted Jane that intrigues him though. As their orbits overlap, their feelings begin to develop--first comes fondness and then something more. But when Edward's secrets put Jane's independence in jeopardy, she must face long-ignored ghosts from her past and decide if opening her heart is a risk worth taking.
A former foster kid, Jane has led a solitary life as a waitress in the suburbs, working hard to get by. Tired of years of barely scraping together a living, Jane takes classes to become a legal assistant and shortly after graduating accepts a job offer at a distinguished law firm in downtown Toronto. Everyone at the firm thinks she is destined for failure because her boss is the notoriously difficult Edward Rosen, the majority stakeholder of Rosen, Haythe & Thornfield LLP. But Jane has known far worse trials and refuses to back down when economic freedom is so close at hand.
Edward has never been able to keep an assistant--he's too loud, too messy, too ill-tempered. There's something about the quietly competent, delightfully sharp-witted Jane that intrigues him though. As their orbits overlap, their feelings begin to develop--first comes fondness and then something more. But when Edward's secrets put Jane's independence in jeopardy, she must face long-ignored ghosts from her past and decide if opening her heart is a risk worth taking.
Quick and satisfying retelling of Jane Eyre. I love Jane Eyre. It’s one of my favorite classics and Edwards has done a really wonderful job in this retelling. She modernizes it, (Let’s face it: Rochester keeping his wife in the attic is a PROBLEM) and manages to keep all of Jane’s resolve and dignity from the original.
I love Edward in this retelling. He is definitely giving off grumpy misunderstood top businessman vibes, but also manages to show small amount of warmth for Jane. They’re not over the top or crazy, which is in line with his character as he also has to figure out his feelings and what is appropriate because, ahem, he is her boss. She’s his assistant actually. So yeah, workplace romance. (I know it was in the original, but it does just hit a different way nowadays, doesn’t it?) And Jane is fantastic. She is shown a smart, good at her job and a hard worker. I love these types of female characters. She isn’t rude or mean, but she is solid, silently strong and capable. I love the modern Jane.
The plot is… well, you know what it is. Let’s be honest, if you’re reading a Jane Eyre re-telling then you probably already anticipate what you’re getting. And I am here to tell you, yes, you’ll be satisfied with this! Enough has changed to put it into our world, but Edwards has kept all of the important plots.
If you like retellings, this is a solid one. I admit that when I finished it, I wanted to see what else Edwards had written. Her re-telling of Persuasion is due in Feb. 2024 and I am totally going to buy it.
Kimberly majored in Songwriting and currently works full time in the music industry. When she's not listening to music, knitting or writing, you can find her outside reading her favorite genres: Young Adult, Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Romance.
