JANE & EDWARD is author Melodie Edwards's first novel. It is a retelling of Charlotte Bronte's novel JANE EYRE that has placed Jane and Mr. Rochester in a modern-day setting. You might just end up loving this couple as much, too.
Set at a Toronto law firm, the beginning of Jane and Edward's relationship develops at the posh offices on Canada's answer to Wall Street. Edward is a named partner in the law firm and comes across as a tough, moody, surly lawyer and boss. Jane is a newly qualified legal assistant hired to work for the unruly Edward, who loses more assistants than anyone.
Jane has had a tough life--she was orphaned and entered into foster care at thirteen without a dime to her name. Edward may have all the money in the world, but under the surface, he and Jane may have more in common than it seems. Their professional dynamic starts off explosively with stubborn, willful coffee machines and mention of recent dumpster fires.
Soon their quirks pair off nicely with Edward always swearing at inanimate objects and Jane's stoic, dry, straight-faced replies to her boss's crazy demands. Just when Jane feels settled financially, for the first time in her life Cupid strikes and takes her on a bittersweet path to new discoveries.
Will Jane and Edward, both orphans, starved of human touch, trust, love, and loyalty, find space in their lives and hearts for each other or will destiny throw them apart? Pick up a copy and find out, especially if you are curious to see how modern-day Jane and Mr. Rochester fare in life.
In a story where the couple goes from being formal to lovers, not exactly enemies but not friends either, more like this pair, there's always banter before flirting and declarations of love. I enjoyed the crazy dynamic between Jane and Edward; it was witty, caring, teasing, and fun enough to keep things from getting boring as the characters felt at some point.
Midway through the book, when the relationship between Jane and Edward changed, I was skeptical of the story's progress and how it would end without becoming cliched. However, Melodie Edwards handled the scenario well enough and pulls the reader back to how Jane's story could move on with Edward temporarily out of the picture.
I should admit that I haven't read JANE EYRE; perhaps I'll do that sometime soon, just to compare notes. What appeals to me where retellings are concerned is how these characters fare in our times. How the heart of the story remains the same, reflecting in the contrast of the setting but not much in their personal circumstances. This contrast allows things to play out well for these characters that readers are familiar with in a modern world that is in some ways less prejudiced, and it is also what makes reading retellings absolutely joyful experiences.
If my somewhat analytical comparisons between old and new made you curious, do, do pick up a copy of JANE & EDWARD and maybe reread some of your old favourites while you are at it. Happy Reading.
This powerful reimagining of Jane Eyre, set in a modern-day law firm, is full of romance and hope as it follows the echoing heartbeats of the classic story.
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.
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