Jane by April Lindner

Jane Eyre is a classic that is beloved by many. I have been meaning to read it for a while now but unfortunately, I haven’t gotten around to it yet. I have been procrastinating because I prefer more contemporary books. When I saw Jane on the shelves I was instantly interested. Now I can get the classic story with a modern edge. I will say that since I have not read the original I cannot attest to how they compare but I can say that I loved Jane. I figure if I read a book in less then 2 days I have to give it five stars.

Jane is also great for those YA fans that are like me and “a bit” older. Even though the story has everything we have come to love from a YA book, Jane Moore is older then your typical YA heroine. Jane Moore is a practical girl. She knows her place in the world and is content with her status. She was just happy to be on her own and attending an East Coast college but the sudden death of her parents took even that away. With no way to pay for school and no support from her siblings (who I came to loath), Jane does the only thing she can. Jane applies to work for a nanny service. Due to her plain appearance and her complete lack of interest in pop culture, Jane is selected to work for the rock star Nico Rathburn. Nico is making his comeback and he needs someone to look after his daughter. He has a sorted past filled with drugs, sex, and other various scandals (some yet to be revealed). Luckily Jane is not impressed by his bad boy persona.

As Nico tries to get Jane to open up to him, they begin spending more time together. I think that Nico’s interest in Jane becomes apparent to the reader way before it does for her; after all there is no way a rock star like Nico Rathburn could ever love a “plain Jane” like her, right? The build up to their relationship is nerve racking for the reader. I just wanted Jane to admit that she loved Nico and make a move already… Maybe that’s all he’s waiting for too ;-)

Jane knows that Nico has a complicated past but when a deception and a dangerous secret is revealed Jane does the only thing she can think of, she runs. Jane’s disappearance may be what she thinks she needs but what if she is leaving the only person who ever made her truly happy?

From what I hear, April Lindner held very true to the original story. The only major changes involve bringing it into a more realistic/relevant present day setting. So if you are looking for a way to enjoy a classic but get bored with the 19th century atmosphere then Jane might be just what you are looking for.