"My Plain Jane" by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
“You may think you know the story.”
One penniless, orphaned young woman in search of a new beginning becomes a governess for a wealthy, brooding, and short-tempered, Mr. Rochester. Despite much drama, a major age gap, and some serious red flags, they fall in love - and get married.
This book has a different story to tell.
JANE (best friends with a ghost), Eyre that is. She sees dead people and is looking for love in all the wrong places. After enduring years of misery and hardship, Jane is ready to start a new life as governess at Thornfield Hall. She’s rather poor. She’s rather plain. She also has terrible taste in men.
CHARLOTTE (just try to tell her no) is an aspiring novelist (yes, that Charlotte). She’s determined to capture her friend Jane’s story even if that means getting tied up in the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.
ALEXANDER (ghost hunter extraordinaire) is an agent of the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits. He has a vendetta and he’s about to discover something very disturbing going on at a little place called Thornfield...
Murder. Mayhem. Ghosts. Conspiracy. Romance. An adventure of Gothic proportions.
In this not entirely faithful retelling of Jane Eyre, nothing is as it seems including the certain gentleman, Mr. Rochester, who is hiding more than skeletons in his closet.
Co-authored by writers Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, “My Plain Jane” is a hilarious paranormal reboot of Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”. In the pages of this book, you will be transported to early Victorian era England - 1834 to be exact - but not quite the England you would expect to find. Ghosts and poltergeists haunt pubs and disrupt tea parties. The Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits is in charge of the safety of these ghosts, removing them from the human world and allowing them to rest in death.
The cast of characters in “My Plain Jane” mixes original characters of “Jane Eyre” with some new ones. I love the variety of personalities that are cast.
Dreamy and resourceful Jane Eyre.
Practical and anxious Helen (Jane’s ghost best friend).
Spunky and sweet Charlotte Brontë.
Courteous and bold Alexander Blackwood.
All their stories weave together in a fresh and funny way keeping readers turning the pages.
(As a fan-girling side note: I adore Charlotte and Alexander’s relationship. They are awkward but always so respectful towards each other. I’ll admit it, characters calling each other by their last lames - Miss Brontë and Mr. Blackwood - is one of my favorite tropes in literature. I ship these two so hard!!!)
Although there are a few story "Easter eggs" you may miss, there is no need to read “Jane Eyre” before reading “My Plain Jane”. Because I read Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel beforehand, there were a few plot points that I found predictable but for the most part, the authors found unique and intriguing ways to keep the story fresh and interesting. I quite enjoyed this retelling in comparison to the original because it did explain (in comical and brilliant ways) some of the questions or issues I encountered while reading “Jane Eyre.”
“My Plain Jane” is a sarcastic delight to read. I don’t often laugh out loud when I read, but this book really hit my funny bone. Mixing classic literature, paranormal themes, and pop culture references, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a brilliant retelling of Jane Eyre for the 21st century.
I’m giving “My Plain Jane” 5 out of 5 ghost talismans.
Until the next book!
~ K.J. Haakenson
One penniless, orphaned young woman in search of a new beginning becomes a governess for a wealthy, brooding, and short-tempered, Mr. Rochester. Despite much drama, a major age gap, and some serious red flags, they fall in love - and get married.
This book has a different story to tell.
JANE (best friends with a ghost), Eyre that is. She sees dead people and is looking for love in all the wrong places. After enduring years of misery and hardship, Jane is ready to start a new life as governess at Thornfield Hall. She’s rather poor. She’s rather plain. She also has terrible taste in men.
CHARLOTTE (just try to tell her no) is an aspiring novelist (yes, that Charlotte). She’s determined to capture her friend Jane’s story even if that means getting tied up in the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.
ALEXANDER (ghost hunter extraordinaire) is an agent of the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits. He has a vendetta and he’s about to discover something very disturbing going on at a little place called Thornfield...
Murder. Mayhem. Ghosts. Conspiracy. Romance. An adventure of Gothic proportions.
In this not entirely faithful retelling of Jane Eyre, nothing is as it seems including the certain gentleman, Mr. Rochester, who is hiding more than skeletons in his closet.
Co-authored by writers Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows, “My Plain Jane” is a hilarious paranormal reboot of Charlotte Bronte’s “Jane Eyre”. In the pages of this book, you will be transported to early Victorian era England - 1834 to be exact - but not quite the England you would expect to find. Ghosts and poltergeists haunt pubs and disrupt tea parties. The Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits is in charge of the safety of these ghosts, removing them from the human world and allowing them to rest in death.
The cast of characters in “My Plain Jane” mixes original characters of “Jane Eyre” with some new ones. I love the variety of personalities that are cast.
Dreamy and resourceful Jane Eyre.
Practical and anxious Helen (Jane’s ghost best friend).
Spunky and sweet Charlotte Brontë.
Courteous and bold Alexander Blackwood.
All their stories weave together in a fresh and funny way keeping readers turning the pages.
(As a fan-girling side note: I adore Charlotte and Alexander’s relationship. They are awkward but always so respectful towards each other. I’ll admit it, characters calling each other by their last lames - Miss Brontë and Mr. Blackwood - is one of my favorite tropes in literature. I ship these two so hard!!!)
Although there are a few story "Easter eggs" you may miss, there is no need to read “Jane Eyre” before reading “My Plain Jane”. Because I read Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel beforehand, there were a few plot points that I found predictable but for the most part, the authors found unique and intriguing ways to keep the story fresh and interesting. I quite enjoyed this retelling in comparison to the original because it did explain (in comical and brilliant ways) some of the questions or issues I encountered while reading “Jane Eyre.”
“My Plain Jane” is a sarcastic delight to read. I don’t often laugh out loud when I read, but this book really hit my funny bone. Mixing classic literature, paranormal themes, and pop culture references, Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a brilliant retelling of Jane Eyre for the 21st century.
I’m giving “My Plain Jane” 5 out of 5 ghost talismans.
Until the next book!
~ K.J. Haakenson
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