Part Gothic Romance, part Paranormal Fiction, and part Historical Fiction, Mimi Matthews’ new twist on Jane Eyre is an entertaining page-turner full of romance, suspense, and spellbinding gothic twists.

John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow is a fast-paced, thrilling novel with a spooky atmosphere and good prose fitting to a book paying tribute to 19th-century gothic fiction. The book is an enjoyable read for fans of classic gothic stories with hints of monsters and romance.

It doesn’t take long when reading John Eyre to realize that it’s not just a retelling of Jane Eyre – but a mashup of Jane Eyre and Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I also saw elements reminding me of Rebecca, The Vampyre, and The Turn of the Screw – all five books I love, so I was thrilled by the book’s influences.

Without giving much away, the mashup mostly works well, as do the characters. However, I found myself more intrigued with the letters and diary entries from Bertha Mason Rochester than the protagonist John Eyre.

He’s not as dynamic as the original Jane but is still a likable character you root for throughout the gothic historical fiction novel. The romance is also lovely, leading up to a fabulous ending.

Now, I think Jane Eyre fans could take exception to the characterization of Edward Rochester (especially after reading the Author’s Note at the end) – being the beloved character he is.

I didn’t mind his characterization in John Eyre – even though I’m a huge lover of Brontë’s original character (and Byronic Heroes in general) and am not a fan of the anti-Rochester classic Wide Sargasso Sea.

I sympathize with Bertha and Rochester as characters in the original novel and find him more of a redemptive Byronic than an abusive Weinstein. And I do read Jane Eyre as a fabulous love story.

Even so, if you’re a huge Rochester lover like me, you can still appreciate the mashup as a separate entity to Jane Eyre. This “Edward” is a combination of Rochester and Polidori’s Lord Ruthven, which I think is an innovative, clever amalgamation – as Polidori based Lord Ruthven on Lord Byron.

Later, the Brontë sisters were also influenced by Lord Byron when they created the more romantic and sympathetic Byronic Heroes with Edward Rochester and Heathcliff.

So, in John Eyre, the combination of the characters is a way for Matthews to pay homage to classic romantic monsters without souls (IE: Lord Ruthven) and to Charlotte Brontë’s timeless novel.

I also think Matthews writes with an affection for Jane Eyre. The book is a fun read, and the twists are clever.

OVERALL THOUGHTS ON JOHN EYRE:

Overall, I recommend reading John Eyre if you’re a fan of both Jane Eyre and Dracula and appreciate homages to classic novels of the past. Matthews’ writing is good, the characters interesting (especially Bertha), and the gothic atmosphere deliciously spooky.

It’s also a compelling novel – as you keep wanting to find out what happens and what all the secrets are. So, read it if you enjoy literary retellings with a paranormal twist and are looking for some good old-fashioned gothic thrills.

ADAPTATION RECOMMENDATION:

John Eyre would be a fun, gothic romance movie perfect for streaming or a feature film in theaters.

Content Note: Some violence and dark themes. The romance is pretty wholesome.

As you probably may have guessed, John Eyre is a retelling of my favourite classic novel - Jane Eyre - but flipped, so that Jane becomes John, the new tutor to the two wards of Mrs Rochester at the dark, remote and forbidding Thornefield Hall. It’s actually also a retelling - in part - of another beloved gothic classic in a very clever way (especially when you get to the authors note at the end), but letting you all know about that one would be a massive spoiler that I don’t want to ruin!

I both raced through and adored John Eyre - it was one of those reads I kept on trying to carve out time to spend with my reading for, and I think if anything it is more spookier and gothic than the original. The characters are bold and vivid, the retelling clever while still being true to the original, and if you enjoyed the original, even a little bit, you need to go pre-order John Eyre (it’s out on July 20th) right now. A seriously excellent, fun, enjoyable gothic read.

Mimi Matthews is actually a romance writer and while there is (obviously) a strong romance thread through the book it’s a gothic novel, not a romance one. However, as I loved her writing and I’m rapidly running out of Julia Quinn novels, I have added her most popular novel to my wish list because I think I might just have also found another romance writer who does not annoy the hell out of me!

John Eyre was intriguing and interesting gothic reimagining of Jane Eyre and Dracula that revolved around school master John Eyre, his employer Bertha Rochester and her secrets, and darkness that lurked around Thornfield Hall. The story was about light after dark, good vs evil, will and determination, betrayal, love, friendship, greed, women empowerment, endurance, and trust.

Writing was beautiful, lyrical and descriptive and engaging. It was written in dual timeline- present 1843-44, third person narrative from John’s perspective and past was Sixteen months earlier 1842-43 in first person narrative from Bertha’s POV in letters and journal format. I haven’t read both original books so reimagining worked well for me as I couldn’t compare it and that made it enjoyable.

Plot was dark and suspenseful. It started with John Eyre taking job at remote Thornfield Hall as a tutor of two boys after the tragic loss of his former employers’ wife. On arriving Thornfield, he realised much was kept from him in his employment letter- Boys were ward of Mrs Bertha Rochester his mostly absent employer, there was no background of kids, they were mute, didn’t exactly understood English and looked like living corpse. There was constant unease ever since he arrived Thornfield, chilling scraping, hissing and whispering at night, odd screaming, and there was ever present unnatural silvery mist around Thornfield. He felt there was much to the kids and also to his employer.

It was interesting to read why there was mysterious mist around Thornfield, what happened during Bertha’s travel, what was Mr Rochester and happened to him, how Bertha found her wards, how she escaped and return back to Thornfield, how John would uncover all secrets of Thornfield and of Bertha, would his feelings for Bertha change once he knew the truth, would he leave his job like his previous employment or would support Bertha.

John was likable from the beginning. He was man of words and thoughts, his position as tutor and orphan childhood made his position as subordinate very clear in his mind and he didn’t wish to cross it, to make his life complex and troubled, he wasn’t man of violence and never considered himself a hero. He felt his nature of being in his limits caused tragic loss of his former employer’s wife who wanted to be more than friends with him. The guilt and regret of it weighing on shoulder ever since. But at Thornfield he slowly found home, he started to care for Stephen and Peter (Bertha’s wards), and he brought lot of change in them by applying many different methods. His work with these boys showed how wise, smart, sensible he was. I didn’t like him jumping to assumptions for being opinionated towards Bertha but that looked reasonable from his view point as he didn’t know anything about her until revealed and yet I enjoyed how slowly his view changed and started to fall for Bertha. I admired him for how he reacted and what he decided on Bertha’s revelation.

Bertha was hard to read from John’s perspective but her narration through her intermittent letter and journal revealed her character and I understood her more. It showed what she might have gone through and what she endured to be strong, hard, formidable, emotionless and blunt from lively, loving and vulnerable young lady she was before her marriage. I admired her for her forward thought, for not settling when she was told but taking time to explore the world and settle down when she was ready. But what was more admirable was her sheer will and determination to survive and live, to escape the darkness of her marriage and how she took revelation of her husband’s true self. Her stay with her husband revealed how much she endured and to what length she went to keep herself, her fortune, and her wards safe. It was so sad that she couldn’t confide in anyone, not even to John until she was forced. She was true hero of the story.

Setting of Thornfield and Nosht-Vulk in Senniskali village, Bulgaria was best part of the book. It kept the sense of anxiety alive throughout the story. Its descriptions were vivid and truly gothic. It felt like character itself. Another aspect I enjoyed was the time period. Elaborate description of dressing, places, society, beliefs and Christianity took me back to Victorian era and it was easy to imagine what life people might have and how they lived, position of women in world of men, how less their opinion mattered, and importance given to religion and superstition.

This wasn’t exactly romance. The main focus was suspense and paranormal aspect. Romance was something additional to it. Both Bertha and John had differences in the beginning. John being opinionated, not knowing Bertha well and what happened to her while Bertha kept her distance, intimidating side up, not trusting with her secret. But as story progressed their conversations grew and they formed friendship and feelings that they couldn’t deny. It made me frustrated and impatient waiting for Bertha to reveal the truth but when it was done it tested their relationship.

That revelation came in climax. John’s reaction was realistic and this part showed how patient, observant and rational he was. I loved him for not running away right after it and was ready to hear what Bertha had to say. It kept me on the edge and curious to see what John would do after that and how they would get rid of the darkness that surrounded their life and Thornfield. I have to say I was surprised with events that followed. End was hopeful and happily ever after.

Why 4 stars-

My only issue was slow pace. It felt like suspense kept building and building until I was impatient and just wanted to flip pages faster to reach to the revelation that came at around 70% or later than that.

Overall, John Eyre was interesting, suspenseful, and atmospheric gothic historical fiction and reimagining of Jane Eyre and Dracula.

I recommend this if you like,
Classic retelling/reimagining/fanfiction
Less romance and more focus on plot and characters
Developed characters
Gothic plot
atmospheric and vivid setting
Slow to moderate pace
Beautiful writing
Historical fiction set in Victorian era

Any Jane Eyre fans out there? How about Dracula? That's kind of the mashup of stories and tones of this book. Yeah, it has an ever growing creepy factor that keeps you reading because even though that feeling of foreboding is there, you just can't help yourself. I couldn't help myself. I had to keep turning the pages.

We mostly get Bertha's story though journal entries and letters to her friend. John's story is in real time with some interactions with Bertha. It was an interesting way to bring the pieces of the story together and I really liked it. I felt like it gave me an intimate view into the minds and lives of both John and Bertha, their struggles and their strength.

I wouldn't go so far as to say that this is my favorite book by author Mimi Matthews, but it was a good one. It was certainly a change of the norm in terms of genre for me and I really enjoyed that. If you are a fan of Jane Eyre, you will enjoy the nod to the classic. This book releases today so go pick it up!

Content: mild peril, mild violence, mention of gruesome deaths, kissing

- I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher for an honest review. John Eyre is one of the most original books I've read in a long time and a departure from Mimi Matthews other books. Readers should be aware this is much more of a gothic tale than a romance. John Eyre was orphaned young and became a teacher as an adult. After the unfortunate circumstances lead to him deciding to leave a post as headmaster of a school, he accepts a post as a tutor for two boys in his desire to move far away.

When he arrives at Thornfield Hall, he quickly realizes that the house and situation are not at all what he expected. The boys are non-communicative, sickly looking, and are afraid of him. His employer is not a Mr. Rochester, but instead is one Bertha Rochester who has spent most of the time since her parents' deaths living abroad where she met, married, and lost her husband Mr. Rochester. Mrs. Rochester is not at home when he arrives, but there is a feeling of something not right with the household that John can't quite put his finger on. When his mysterious employer does finally arrive, he finds himself drawn to her even as he tries to figure out the mystery that surrounds her.

Readers learn about the time Bertha spent abroad through a series of letters and then journal entries that detail her time in Egypt, her marriage, and the early days of her marriage. Although I could guess some of the events before they happened, I had to keep reading to see if I was right and how the events would unfold despite the sense of foreboding that I had from the beginning.

I really enjoyed the way that Ms. Matthews took Jane Eyre and switched Jane for John; it was a nice twist on the traditional story. I also loved that Bertha Rochester was no shrinking violet that required help from a man to solve her problems. The addition of elements from Dracula were well incorporated and felt natural to the story. This would be the perfect book to read on a dark and stormy night. All I can say is well done for creating such a wonderful and unique story.

I admit that I'm a Jane Austen fan, much more so than Charlotte Bronte. Horror and gothic tales aren't my go-to genre. So when I saw Mimi Matthews had a gender-flipped take on Jane Eyre, I only hesitated a moment before hitting that "request" button for an ARC. Because wherever Mimi Matthews goes, I will follow. And this story is not exactly a retelling, but rather a mash of up Jane Eyre and another well-known classic, but with her own twist. The story is told in 2 timelines, and is captivating and hooked me from the beginning. The horror and gothic atmosphere of the story is perfectly pitched, and Matthews again gives us her gorgeous and unique authorial voice. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and Mimi Matthews continues to be one of my go-to authors!

When John Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall to take up his new position as tutor, he finds the house perpetually swathed in mist, his pupils either unwilling or unable to speak, strange laughs emanating from the third floor, and the mistress of the house almost always away. And when she is present, Mrs Rochester is a mysterious, changeable, capricious woman, who attracts and repels by turns. What is the secret of the house and its mistress? And should he find out, will he live to tell the tale?

I'd just like to start out by saying that I'm probably not really the right person to be reviewing this, because I would never have picked up such a book but for the author, who's never disappointed me yet. And it was an eye-opener! Realistically, I probably won't read it again, but it was an amazing example of the way that superb writing can make even something I would normally avoid, enjoyable. The story kept me enthralled from first to last, despite (a) the hints (and more) of the supernatural; (b) the fact that I don't even like the book Jane Eyre!; and (c) a heroine I didn't really like (she's selfish and tyrannical - though with hints of vulnerability that make her at least a little more relatable). Summary: if I was able to enjoy the story, those at whom it is really aimed - fans of Jane Eyre, and those who enjoy more supernatural-type stories - should love it. I'm rating it as 4 stars, but for the intended audience I'm sure it would be a 5-star read. However, I'm looking forward to the author going back to more her usual style... :-)

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.

The concept of this book intrigued me but I was still a bit sceptical of the fact it's a mash up of Jane Eyre and Dracula. I needn't have been. This was an addictive read. Both time lines in the novel had me hooked. It was dark, creepy, very atmospheric. I really liked it it. Bertha, what a character. Strong and brave, I was in awe of her. The writing was so good, you really lose yourself in the pages of the book. I've never read anything by Mimi Matthews before and I'm delighted to have now been introduced to her books.

John Eyre is a superb retelling of Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, reimagined with another classic that transforms the story in unexpected and interesting ways. With the gender-flip of the main character, author Mimi Matthews has cast a careful eye on all of the characters within the story, and where Jane was employed to take Mr. Rochester's spoiled young ward Adele in hand, John is tasked with being the tutor to Mrs. Bertha Rochester's two wards, the gaunt and silent Stephen and Peter.

Told partly in letters and journals, the gothic tones of the original quickly diverge into supernatural horror as Bertha writes of her meeting and marriage to Mr. Rochester while John experiences peculiarities at Thornfield that he initially attributes to his use of laudanum.

This is a phenomenal merging of two classics by a skilled storyteller. Unlike anything I've read from Mimi Matthews before, John Eyre had me glued to the page with each development a mixture of expectation and revelation.

Highly recommended.


This review refers to a temporary digital galley I voluntarily read via NetGalley, courtesy of the publisher. A positive review was not required and all opinions expressed are my own.

4.25/5⭐️

This was not at all what I expected from this author, and I was quite surprised by it as I had not read the blurb beforehand. While starting off a little slow/confusing at times, I was quickly sucked in and really enjoyed it.

It is a mashup of two classics, obviously Jane Eyre is one (I won’t give the other away), and the protagonist is male, which made for an interesting perspective. And while very loosely based on some of the plot points of Jane Eyre, it has its own unique twists/turns and surprises.

Great writing, great characters, imaginative hook…what’s not to like…and I did!

Much thanks to #NetGalley and #PerfectlyProperPress for providing me the free early arc for review. The opinions are strictly my own.

Every time I finish a book by Mimi Matthews, I swear her work cannot possibly get any better. But I'm proven wrong time and time again, and this time is no exception. She's in my exalted top five list of favorite historical romance authors. And now she's up there in my top tier of gothic, supernatural and horror writers. Seriously, how does she do it?! John Eyre is a retelling of Charlotte Bronte's classic story Jane Eyren mixed in with another classic story. I don't want to spoil the surprise of that other story here in case you're not aware of it. But it's a doozy!

John Eyre leaves his job as a school master in disgrace and heads to Yorkshire, England to tutor two strange young boys at Thornfield Hall. The boys, Stephen and Peter, look like war refugees, and both are mute. Thornfield Hall is an odd place - creepy laughing and noises fill the night, a terrifying wolf roams the moor, and there is an ever-present silvery mist on the property. In the middle of all this is the intriguing and beautiful widow Bertha Mason Rochester. Sixteen months before John arrives, heiress Bertha was traveling to exotic lands, and she met the alluring Edward Rochester and married him. Through letters to a friend and journal entries, she detailed how their life together quickly fell apart; Mr. Rochester was much more than he appeared to be, and it was all terrifying. Now John and Bertha must fight the darkness together and pray they all survive.

I admit although I know much about Jane Eyre and the other unnamed classic, I have not read either of those books. Don't judge me! (I can hear you judging me! I'm just not a classics sort of gal). This version is told in a dual timeline, and parts of the story are told through journal entries and letters. And of course, this book is obviously gender flipped. It's a Victorian gothic novel mixed with both horror and supernatural aspects; it sounds weird, but it works! John was a great hero. He left his current position behind and moved to a totally surreal estate where he was to teach two peculiar little boys. Stephen and Peter will break your heart! You can feel the love and caring that John feels for his two charges, and it was wonderful to see them begin to bloom under his care. The burgeoning horror John felt at Thornfield Hall was palpable. Also, he couldn't help but be drawn to the enigmatic Bertha, even though he was her employee. I didn't care for Bertha at all for about a third of the story; however, as I began to discover her past from her writings, she became a much more sympathetic figure, and revealed just how strong a woman she really was. The romantic feelings between John and Bertha were slow to build, though there was immediate attraction. I felt a growing sense of dread as the story came close to its conclusion. I had no idea how things could end happily, or how they could even survive! This is such an amazing story; if you're new to the writings of Ms. Matthews, I'm sure you'll love her work as much as I do...if that's even possible!

I received an ARC of this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley. I received no compensation for my review, all all thoughts and opinions expressed are entirely my own.

How many times can one Gothic novel be retold? If that novel is Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre—a story that spawned other great classics like Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca and served as a blueprint for the entire genre of mid-century Gothic romance pulps—I think its generative capabilities are endless. One of the latest authors to put her own spin on Jane Eyre is Mimi Matthews, with John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow, coming out tomorrow, July 20. From the title, you might guess that this is a gender-swapped retelling, but it’s actually much more than that: John Eyre uses the familiar beats of Brontë’s classic (along with elements from a few other Gothic novels) to tell an entirely different story. I am thrilled to have been invited to participate in the official blog tour for this book’s release, because I need more friends to geek out about this charming and clever reimagining with!

After his previous teaching post ends in tragedy, John Eyre, a bachelor of modest means, accepts the offer of a tutoring position for two young boys on a Yorkshire estate called Thornfield Hall. When he arrives, John is surprised to discover that the boys are foreign and seemingly mute. And far from being the sons of some lord, they are the newly acquired wards of the mysterious widow Mrs. Rochester. Despite these challenges, John comes to care deeply for his charges—and even more deeply for his formidable employer. But strange warning signs keep him from feeling entirely at home in his new position: unnatural mist and violent storms plague the estate, disconcerting visions of ghosts and beasts appear on the moors, and demonic-sounding laughter echoes from a locked room in the attic. Meanwhile, Bertha Rochester’s past is slowly revealed through a series of letters and journal entries that document the progression of her relationship with Edward Rochester, a man she met while traveling abroad sixteen months before. Drawn in by his preternatural charm, Bertha soon found herself entirely under the power of a husband more monster than man. Can she find happiness again with the earnest young tutor? Or will the secrets of her past continue to control her life?

I’ll try not to spoil too much, but genre-savvy readers will be quick to pick up on familiar elements in the story that come not from Jane Eyre but from another Gothic classic: Dracula. These elements fit surprisingly well into the Jane Eyre-based plot. While Brontë’s novel was written half a decade before Stoker’s masterpiece, it was already playing with elements of the burgeoning vampire genre. As Matthews notes in the author’s note to John Eyre, there are several allusions to supernatural creatures in Brontë’s book, including specific references to vampires and blood-sucking monsters. It’s not such a far leap to make these elements literal and expand upon them. This addition of the supernatural adds layers of new meaning to story beats that on the surface precisely resemble moments from Jane Eyre. I was particularly impressed by Matthews’ twist on the fire in the bedroom scene. But more subtle than the elements clearly borrowed from Dracula are aspects of the plot that more closely resemble du Maurier’s Rebecca—which was, itself, a sort of reimagining of Jane Eyre. Like Maxim de Winter, the love interest in John Eyre is known to have been previously married, and the thought of Bertha’s first spouse haunts John like Rebecca haunts du Maurier’s narrator. John imagines a great love between Bertha and the aristocratic Edward that he cannot possibly live up to—but of course John’s assumptions are far off-base.

And, of course, we must discuss the gender-swapping that the title of John Eyre puts front and center. In the hands of a lesser author, swapping the genders of Eyre and Rochester could have been just a cheap gimmick. But Matthews understands that changing Mr. Rochester to Mrs. Rochester fundamentally alters the power dynamics and overall tone of the story. Matthews’ Bertha Rochester is ultimately a far more sympathetic character than Brontë’s Edward Rochester. While she cuts a formidable figure and certainly holds power over John in her role as his employer and a member of the wealthy upper class, that power is undercut by the role of women in Victorian society. No matter their initial differences in status, any man who marries Bertha will automatically have full legal and financial power over her. This is why Matthews could not simply replicate the story of the wife in the attic—a mixed-race and mentally ill woman whose only power was in her transgressiveness and the way it might humiliate Rochester. Instead, Bertha is genuinely the victim in her first marriage, and it takes all her daring and ingenuity to claw her way back to a semblance of power. With this theme in mind, Matthews makes sure to stress throughout the story that both Bertha and John fervently wish for their relationship to be one of equal partners. In this way, I found the love story in John Eyre to actually be more satisfying than the original.

Okay, this book floored me. I thought I knew going into it what to expect (a gender-bend variation on Jane Eyre) but the farther along I got, the more I realized there was much more going on...it was deliciously eerie (even downright creepy in spots). This is a "must shirk all responsibilities and finish in one sitting" read. I always know to expect a captivating read from Mimi Matthews, but this one was thrilling, as well. Love love love!

In 1843 England, the schoolteacher John Eyre stands at the graveside of Helen Burns, the woman whom he failed to save from her husband. After all, “He was a man of letters and learning….not a man of action. Not a hero who could have ridden to Helen’s rescue and saved her, damn the consequences.” Plagued by headaches and remembrances, John takes refuge in the drug laudanum, finding himself more and more dependent on the sickly sweet vials.

Wrestling with his despair, and determined to find meaning once again in his vocation, John takes a tutoring position from Mr. Fairfax of Thornfield Hall. Upon arriving at the secluded manor surrounded by strange mists and the howls of wolves, John discovers that Mr. Fairfax is only the butler and a mysteriously absent Mrs. Rochester is the one who has employed him to tutor her two wards. The lads themselves are a startling surprise–shockingly thin, with dark, sunken eyes, they both refuse to speak. None of the servants can quite tell John what country the boys are from and what interest Mrs. Rochester has in them. To make matters worse, John finds that the boys themselves are being dosed with laudanum. Who is this Mrs. Rochester and what can she mean to do with these children?

As John is out walking on the moors, a rider comes upon him suddenly. The horse spooks, the rider is thrown, and John finds himself called upon to aid the newly-returned lady of the house. John quickly discovers that Mrs. Rochester knows her own mind, and that she has secrets she refuses to share. One of these is the exact connection with her wards and where they come from, but another is the strange manservant, Mr. Poole, who creates all sorts of havoc up on the third floor. Mrs. Rochester seems relieved that John is addicted to laudanum as it keeps him dead to the world at night, but as John tries to wean himself off the drug, he discovers some very strange happenings in the corridors of Thornfield Hall.

Yet despite Mrs. Rochester’s mysteriousness, an attraction between her and John begins to grow. When her room fills with smoke one night, John discovers it and pulls her from her bed before she asphyxiates. With that incident, their connection deepens. “Her slim fingers curved around his hand, clasping it warmly, bare skin to bare skin. It was one of the most intimate experiences of John’s recent memory. It made his mouth go dry. Made his heart somersault and his pulse thrum. She gazed at him, her eyes bright. ‘I knew the day I met you that you would be of service to me. I saw it in your face.’ Her voice trembled. ‘But I didn’t dare hope. Not until this moment.'” Just exactly what service John is yet to render Mrs. Rochester, is something, Reader, that you will have to find out for yourself….

John’s tale is interwoven with letters from the past year–letters from Miss Bertha Mason to her friend Miss Blanche Ingram. Bertha is a restless spirit, junketing about the continent, visiting Egypt, and eager to make the acquaintance of intelligent and interesting people. When her contact with Mrs. Wren brings her in the orbit of the lady’s brother, Mr. Rochester, Bertha finds the man charming, agreeable, handsome, enigmatic, and utterly captivating. “I suppose it’s that Mr. Rochester has taken such an interest in me,” she writes Blanche. “He solicits my opinions on a range of topics and has even heeded my advice on occasion.” Strangely enough, the nightlife loving Mr. Rochester, sleeps through the day and is up at all hours “talking and dining and wandering about the city.” Enamored by this new companion, Bertha travels to his estate in Eastern Europe, and soon accepts his proposal of marriage.

Life as Mrs. Rochester turns out to be less glamorous than Bertha expected, however. Mr. Rochester is a peculiar, irritable, and dominating husband. He forbids her to enter certain parts of the castle and becomes violent at times when she crosses his will. When Bertha’s maid Agnes disappears without notice, Bertha’s discomfiture grows. The superstitious villagers seem to be warning her about something, but Bertha cannot understand their language. It is only after finding a secret passageway inside the castle that Bertha’s worst suspicions are confirmed….

From the title, I knew that this book was a retelling of Jane Eyre, and that was enough to make me anticipate it, but to find out that it was a combination of both Jane Eyre and another favorite, Dracula, was a real treat. One of the things that Mimi Matthews very cleverly puts her finger on is a similarity between Bronte’s Mr. Rochester and the blood-sucking Dracula of Bram Stoker’s imagination. Matthews notes that “I used to think Jane Eyre a deeply romantic novel, and Mr. Rochester an equally romantic hero,” however, her opinion changed as she grew older. “I began to notice all the ways that Mr. Rochester exploits Jane’s innocence and takes advantage of his position of power.” Rochester, with his callous and highhanded treatment of women in general and Jane in particular, is not so different from a certain Transylvanian monster.

In the epistolary section of the book, Bertha is a much stronger person than Bram Stoker’s Jonathan Harker. She fights back against the evil surrounding her, finding a way to save both herself and others. Unlike the shrinking Helen Burns of John Eyre’s memories, Bertha is intelligent and capable enough to stand on her own. Her idea of a partner is someone who will stand beside her in the battle of life, not someone who will carry her fainting form to safety. John Eyre turns out to be just that partner–a man intellectual enough to interest her, determined enough to aid her, and loyal enough to love her.

Occasionally, adaptations of great books can feel a little stale (if the author just rehashes the original) or a little sacrilegious (if the author goes off-canon too much and becomes a loose cannon). This book awakens neither of those feelings. The clever gender-reversal makes John Eyre an entirely original character, while the skeleton of the original Bronte story adds anticipation to find out what twists will occur as events play out. The interwoven narrative with the letters heightens the dread of what lies in the third story of Thornfield Hall in a delightfully slow but suspenseful manner.

Those who have read both classics will enjoy the intricacies of this novel the most, but the characters, adventure, and romance are so well-expressed that any reader will appreciate this newest offering from the inimitable Mimi Matthews.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Wow. I really enjoyed this mystery/ horror story. Although the story of Jane Eyre is so well known the author’s reimagined mix of this novel and Dracula was really gripping and the final couple of chapters which strayed slightly from the original kept me on the edge of my seat. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would totally recommend. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read a preview copy of this book.

If you are a fan of Jane Eyre and Dracula, you will love this well-written gothic retelling that is dark and supernatural in nature but features strong heroes and a dangerous villain. I did not know what I was getting into with this book, and I cannot emphasize enough how different this tale is from Mimi Matthews’ normal storytelling. This book was honestly not my cup of tea, but only Mimi Matthews could write a story like this in such a compelling way that I finished it, because she did an amazing job. This book is extremely well-written and is such a creative retelling of two classics that kept me on the edge of my seat in suspense. The variation in narrative between letters and journal entries of the heroine and the point of view of the hero made the story flow from one suspenseful event to another—making the book hard to put down. Even though something this dark and scary it is not something I normally would read, I cannot help but admire how well the author told the story, and I commend her on a job well done. My personal preference and enjoyment of the story does not accurately reflect someone who reads and enjoy this genre normally, but because it was undoubtedly well-written and kept me interested in a story I might have otherwise put aside, I give it three stars despite my personal preferences. I do believe this book would thrill lovers of Jane Eyre and Dracula, and I cannot wait to see how others who love these classics react to this excellent retelling in clean romance form.

There is a good reason why Mimi Matthews is one of my favorite authors. She can do anything! Romance is her specialty, but John Eyre, in all its gothic glory, is just as spectacular! When austenprose approached me to review this novel, I jumped at the opportunity. I knew it would be too good to pass up, and I was right.

A classic twist on Jane Eyre, Matthews plunges us into a dark trip to Thornfield Hall. John is a schoolmaster with a lot on his conscience. John comes to the Hall as a tutor to Mrs. Rochester’s two wards, Stephen and Peter. However, once he arrives at Thornfield, he realizes something isn’t right within the home. There is a terrible mist that consumes the house as well as the neighboring villages. John hears strange noises, yet he is happier at Thornfield than he has been anywhere. Will John remain happy, or will all the strangeness push him away?

John is one of my all-time favorite characters. I’ve not read anyone like him before. He seems weak from the beginning. You see, his addiction to laudanum makes him vulnerable. Though, in truth, John is kind and full of love. He takes to Stephen and Peter right away. He helps them to grow and feel safe in their new surroundings. Under his care, the boys flourish.

Bertha is a strange character. It wasn’t until I read her later letters to Blanche that I finally took to her. Her mercurial moods led me to believe she was up to something sinister. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. Bertha is a wonderful woman held tightly to her past. She wishes nothing more than to escape the horrors placed upon her by Mr. Rochester, who is not as he seems.

I couldn’t see myself in the landscape of this story. The darkness that surrounds Thornfield is enough to scare anyone away. Especially when one starts seeing specters in the night. The Hall itself held no joy for me either. Between the box beds and the sinister sounds throughout the house, I would never want to live there. Even though I could see it in my mind’s eye, it is not a place I would ever want to find myself.

It is with great joy that I award John Eyre a full 5 out of 5 stars. Mimi never fails to bring the best stories to life. If you enjoy dark gothic novels, this is the book for you. It is dark and a little bit spooky. But even with my poor disposition toward anything horrific, it wasn’t too scary or disgusting. If you get the chance to pick this one up, please let me know what you think. I found it wonderful and unique!

This is a fun and thought-provoking version of Jane Eyre mashed up with Dracula, to great effect and entertainment.

Gender swapping the roles makes for an interesting commentary on acceptable norms in victorian society and provokes a rethink of the original novels key themes.

Great entertainment and a cleverly done exploration of victorian gothic. .

When I heard that John Eyre was a gender-swapping version of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre mashed up with elements from Bram Stoker’s Dracula—two of my favorite Gothic novels of all time—I was intrigued. I’m such a huge fan of these books that I’ve written novels inspired by both of them. I was eager to see if author Mimi Matthews could surprise or entrance me.

John Eyre, a schoolmaster in his late 20s, takes a post at remote Thornfield Hall as a tutor for two young boys—the wards of the widowed Mrs. Rochester. At this early point, the story adheres closely to Jane Eyre, albeit with gender-reversal: as John settles into his new role at the mansion, he feels a vague sense of unease, and hears chilling, inhuman laughter emanating from the supposedly unoccupied third floor. He meets Mrs. Rochester on the road, startling her horse and causing the infamous accident. Mr. Fairfax the butler runs the house, and Mr. Poole is blamed for strange things that go bump in the night.

There are plenty of curious new things going on, however, including a sinister silver mist that won’t go away, and the odd appearance and behavior of his pupils (they are mute and deathly pale). The minute Mrs. Rochester shows up, things change even more. Bertha is a true force of nature, strong and smart and unlike any woman John has ever met. The dark secrets she’s hiding are revealed to John and the reader one tiny piece at a time, and suspense builds as Bertha and John become friends and fight their attraction to each other.

The events at Thornfield Hall alternate with an earlier timeline relating Bertha’s travel adventures in Egypt and the Continent, where she falls under the spell of an enigmatic and charming man, Edward Rochester. Told through Bertha’s letters to a friend and journal entries, these chapters are a compelling, effective homage to the epistolary style of Dracula. After Bertha marries Mr. Rochester and accompanies him to his castle in Eastern Europe, the situation deteriorates and becomes increasingly spooky. She soon realizes that the man she has married may not be a man at all—and that her very life is in danger.

How does Bertha extricate herself from this deadly situation? Who are the mysterious boys that John Eyre has been hired to tutor? Why is Mrs. Rochester relieved when she learns that John uses laudanum to treat his migraines? When and how will John learn the truth about what’s going on at Thornfield Hall?

Matthews’s writing style is flawless throughout and captures the essence of 19th century Gothic prose. It was great fun to experience the gender-swapping elements in this re-telling of Brontë’s well-known tale, but author Mimi Matthews did so much more, giving new depth and interest to the “monster in the attic.” From the first page I was on the edge of my seat, caught up in the characters and the story, dying to see what new elements the author would dream up and how she would resolve everything.

One of the things I loved most was Matthews’s depiction of Bertha Rochester. Unlike Jonathan Harker in Stoker’s Dracula (who responded to his experiences at Castle Dracula by going stark raving mad), Bertha just gets mad, as in angry, and goes through hell to fight back. I was thrilled by Bertha’s cleverness and courage and impressed by the resolve, resilience, and compassion of our hero, John Eyre. The author wisely chose to focus only on the most salient story elements from Jane Eyre and Dracula that were necessary to the re-telling of her story, and she wraps things up in a very satisfactory fashion.

My only small complaint is that, even within the novel’s perfectly proper confines, I would have liked to feel a bit more passion and heat between John and Bertha, but this is a minor quibble. I was completely enthralled by this novel. It will be especially appreciated by readers familiar with the classics which inspired it, but will be enjoyed by the uninitiated as well; it might intrigue them to read the originals.

With John Eyre author Mimi Matthews delivers a thrilling, spooky ride filled with heart-stopping suspense—I couldn’t put it down! Highly recommended!

5 out of 5 stars.

Yorkshire, 1843. When disgraced former schoolmaster John Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall to take up a position as tutor to two peculiar young boys, he enters a world unlike any he's ever known. At the centre of it all, John's new employer--a widow as alluring as she is mysterious. Sixteen months earlier, heiress Bertha Mason embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Marriage wasn't on her itinerary, but on meeting the enigmatic Edward Rochester, she's powerless to resist his preternatural charm. In letters and journal entries, she records the story of their rapidly-disintegrating life together, and of her gradual realization that Mr. Rochester isn't quite the man he appears to be. In fact, he may not be a man at all.
A well written retelling of not one classic but two. The first classic is obvious from the title but to find out the second you’ll have to read this enthralling book. The strong characters were well portrayed. The author combined a brooding atmosphere, supernatural & romance. I loved John & Bertha & the pages flew by as I was so engrossed as I was drawn in from start to finish. This isn’t my usual genre but I love the author’s books & she certainly delivered with this book
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read