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Here’s a six-word summary of this book: Gender swapped Jane Eyre with vampires.
But before I begin my review of Mimi Matthews’ John Eyre, I have a confession to make. I never finished Jane Eyre, because Helen’s death was so sad I couldn’t read any more. So readers with more knowledge of the source material might enjoy this even more, but it’s an excellent story even if you’re not familiar with the names or references.
The story begins with John Eyre having accepted a position as tutor to two young boys at Thornfield Hall. John is running from demons – his poverty, his addiction to laudanum, and the recent suicide of his friend Helen, a woman trapped in an abusive marriage. But he soon discovers he’s fled straight into an even darker situation. Thick mists surround Thornfield Hall, there are too few servants, and the mistress of the house is not just widowed but absent too often.
Worst of all is the condition of the children he’s supposed to teach; they’ve been traumatized to the point where they’re completely nonverbal. Oh, and under the instructions of their guardian, Mrs. Rochester, they have to drink a tonic that contains laudanum.
This is a gripping setup, and Ms. Matthews’ usual attention to historical detail is very much in evidence. The secretive atmosphere of Thornfield Hall is described vividly, and I felt all of John’s trepidation about his new post. He wants to help the children, yet he can’t risk harming them any further. Most of all, he’s very much aware that he can be dismissed instantly if he puts a foot out of line.
In other words, this is definitely not a historical that ignores class distinctions, and when Bertha Rochester finally arrives, her manner towards John is very much that of a superior addressing a paid employee. But it’s also clear that she’s hiding a dangerous secret, and as she and John grow closer, the gradual unraveling of the mystery made this an exciting read. All the chapters in the present are told from John’s point of view, but these are interwoven with letters from Bertha Mason (she’s unmarried at the time) to her best friend Blanche, written two years earlier. These build up her backstory to a terrifying peak.
I also enjoyed Bertha Rochester’s characterization. She’s protective of the boys, but she’s hands-off and not what I’d consider nurturing. She’s cynical and proud, but she’s very competent at what she does and she loves traveling abroad. The only downside of her fascinating and driven personality is that John takes rather a passive role compared to her. There’s nothing wrong with such a balance, but readers who prefer more forceful heroes might want to be aware of this.
As for the plot, I don’t want to spoil anything, but I was reading as fast as I could to find out what would happen next. The only stumble was at the end, because when a threat is built up to epic proportions, it feels a bit anticlimactic for that threat to be dispatched without an equally epic struggle.
Another potential issue is the depiction of the two children. I really like that the story doesn’t take the predictable route and have them immediately recognize John as their new daddy. They felt like real people, not plot moppets. But they’re also Romani children who are growing up away from their homeland and their culture, and they’ve even been given British names (we never learn what their original names were). Readers who’d find this problematic should be advised.
On the whole, though, John Eyre is a fast-paced and riveting read, not to mention a great subversion of the gothic trope where the innocent young governess falls for the brooding anti-hero with the dark secret. And as I said at the start: gender swapped Jane Eyre with vampires. I hope Mimi Matthews writes another such book.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent retailer
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Grade: A-
Book Type: Paranormal Historical
Sensuality: Kisses
Review Date: 15/09/21
Publication Date: 07/2021
Recent Comments …
Yep
This sounds delightful! I’m grabbing it, thanks
excellent book: interesting, funny dialogs, deep understanding of each character, interesting secondary characters, and also sexy.
I don’t think anyone expects you to post UK prices – it’s just a shame that such a great sale…
I’m sorry about that. We don’t have any way to post British prices as an American based site.
I have several of her books on my TBR and after reading this am moving them up the pile.
I'm Marian, originally from Sri Lanka but grew up in the United Arab Emirates, studied in Georgia and Texas, ended up in Toronto. When I'm not at my job as a medical laboratory technologist, I read, write, do calligraphy, and grow vegetables in the back yard.
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Sold. I even added the audio when I saw it was narrated by Nicholas Boulton and only $1.99 USD to add.
I almost bought the audio as well when I saw his name… then I saw Justine Eyre and just… nope.
I haven’t tried her as a narrator. I guess I got excited because Boulton was reading in the sample. I’ll adjust my expectations, and since I also bought the kindle I can always switch to reading if the audio is too aggravating to listen to. I feel that way about Fiona Hardingham. I don’t like her reading style and avoid any audios read by her.
You probably know I wear another “hat” as an audio reviewer for AudioGals, so I listen to a LOT of audiobooks and have Decided Opinions About Narrators! I listened to JE a few times before deciding she’s not for me; her English accent is not great and I don’t know why she keeps getting all the HR gigs when there are plenty of good British female narrators around! I find her delivery nasal and very affected, too, and I haven’t forgiven her for giving a Scottish character a decidedly Irish accent in an HR in which that character was the hero of the next book. Needless to say, I didn’t listen to it!
You may like her more than I do – I hope so because I find there’s nothing worse in a dual narration than having one narrator so much better than the other that it’s impossible to listen to “the other one”.
Definitely a DIK. I loved everything about this book. It’s hard to discuss without veering into spoiler territory . The dual timeline was well done. You can feel the dread and horror of one of the MCs in the epistolary timeline. I knew early on what the big reveal would be but it did not detract from my enjoyment of this book. Thanks for the review Marian. I bought this book because of your review!
I wanted to write more about the plot, but when a story is this good, I’d rather not spoil anything. Glad you liked the review and enjoyed the book!
I’m such a fan of Mimi Matthews, I can’t wait to read. The opening of this book was wonderfully written, and hooked me instantly.
It’s one of her best books, IMO.
This sound like fun – I am intrigued by the plot concept, and Matthews is, as always, incredibly talented.
I hope you enjoy it! The plot pulled me in, and I liked Ms. Matthews’ take on Rochester as well.
I need to read this … sounds too interesting is what a “gender swap” version of Jane Eyre would say.
I like sweet heroes with a not so forceful character without meaning that they are weak and also recently I was complaining that the books with sensuality of “kisses” tend to go towards the side of “sweet and healthy environment” … and well sometimes I want to read something darker.
I think you’re more likely to enjoy it if you’re not expecting it to be a romance, because I’ve seen a few disappointed reviews from readers who thought this book would be like the rest of Mimi Matthews’ work. The focus is much more on John navigating his new situation and discovering the secret of Thornfield Hall than it is on John’s and Bertha’s relationship.
Actually it is what is expected of the gothic genre … there is romance but the hero is always more “in the background” and the main thing is the heroine who discovers secrets and decides whether or not to trust the mysterious man. Here’s the reverse … the hero is the main.