I wasn’t going to read this, because I don’t really like Jane Eyre or Dracula, but I had nothing else to read, and I needed something easy for a vacation. It’s about what I expected. A gender-flipped Jane Eyre (and Dracula) doesn’t really work for a lot of reasons. It might have been interesting if this was a loose retelling, rather than what was essentially a recreation.

3/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️

WHAT I LOVED 💟 Matthews does a great job in creating an awesome creepy atmosphere. I particularly enjoy how the tension keeps building up from the first few pages to the last chapters: considering how this is a retelling of well-known novel(s), being thrilled about 'what comes next' is not something that I am taking for granted.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK 💔 Despite appreciating the writing and setting, getting through this novel was definitely not easy. Indeed, I find the writing and structure quite pleasant, but the many repetitions of scenes and dialogues from the original classic made it difficult for me not to start comparing the two versions -- with an obvious winner.

Warning: Once you start this Jane Eyre remix, you won't want to stop. Oh my goodness, I loved this so much. Dripping with moody atmosphere, John Eyre pulls the reader along with just the right amount of tension until the very end. The novel is named for John, but Bertha is the real star of the story, and watching her grow and develop is a fascinating delight. With John Eyre, Mimi Matthews proves she has an impressive range. She delivered a solid gothic retelling just as expertly as she has penned Victorian and Regency romances. Well done, Mimi! Encore!

"Two wounded people trying to find a way to come together and find happiness!"

I have loved every single one of Mimi Matthews books, and although this one was uniquely different from her others, I absolutely loved it, and couldn't put it down. There were so many clues and foreshadowing that it felt like either impending doom or a wonderful HEA was ahead. The story unfolded perfectly. The pacing was spot on, so while it held my full attention, it did not tempt me to peek ahead (as I often do) to see what would happen. I savored it as the story unfolded, getting a clearer and clearer picture of what was going on in Bertha's life.
I absolutely loved the unique plot and was in awe of MM's imagination in creating this complex and enthralling story. It was dark and yet sweet. All of the characters were fully developed so that even the villain(s) in the story were, for me, sympathetic.

I loved that Bertha traveled for much of the book, and since, I have been to Greece and Romania, I found those settings authentic. The cultural references were accurate and enriched the story.
While I loved the mystery, writing style, setting, and historical background, I initially had some qualms about Bertha. The following quotes exemplified my own feelings:
Bertha: “Go on. Tell me what I am, sir. A gorgon? A dragon?”
John: “You are formidable.”
Bertha: “At last. And does it follow that what is formidable cannot also be beautiful?”
John: “I’ve never considered it,” he said. “Perhaps therein lies my difficulty.”
Bertha: “Beauty, you believe, is weakness? A fair damsel in distress?"
John: "Yes, I suppose I've been guilty of thinking that on occasion,,"
(And apparently, that was my belief as well.) I read historical and romantic fiction to escape--to "live" a kind of life, albeit temporarily, different from my own, and Bertha was very different from heroines in this genre. She was a very strong and capable woman, as many modern woman are, so I was not used to seeing a character that did not look to the Hero of the book to save her. Initially, I did not feel a lot of empathy for Bertha, but as the story progressed, I saw her as the courageous, caring. and loving person that she was, and THAT is the epitome of femininity.

Conversely, I thought John was a bit weak, but as the story progressed, I saw that he had an inner strength not often seen in the typical Alpha Male hero types. He was decent and honorable, and thus, when they finally got their HEA, it felt natural and true. Bertha writes: "We have been through fire together and come out the other side, not unharmed but stronger for the experience."

As i travelled to the moor, a real parisian thunderstorm created the perfect moody moment to go alongside this dark, thrilling gothic romance that Mimi Matthews wrote out of her passion for two classic novels...

This review will probably left no mystery to the story so if you want to experience this reading innocently (as i did and as i would recommend) do not keep on reading!

John Eyre is an obvious retelling of Jane Eyre but where John has a slightly less traumatic past and Bertha has a much more interesting story (and i would say that Rochester does as well). John who is grieving a loss of a friend, finds his way to Thornfield Hall where he accepted a tutor position for two young boys. The moodiness of the mansion was even more palpable than in the original story or in the various film and TV adaptations. It felt stuffing as slight details make you question what is actually being kept secret by the author and where she will take you. The laudanum, the mist, the two mute boys, Rochester's whispers and laughs, the ghost and the wolf...

To me, the writing was as thrilling as it was creepy. It was that perfect balance of being kept on my toes, aware that something will happen and being a little unsettled as the mood was so dark... It had that authentic folklore vibe, really dark but captivating.

Mimi's writing was also as skilled as in her previous works. Even though i am not the most fervent reader of male point of views, John was a good narrator of his own story. His tortured soul but generous heart made him a nice hero. I sometimes wished he had a little edge to his personality, that he would not be so "polite". Maybe it is because (late georgian) victorian men in romance novels are proper rake with a very out there personality... John was really more reserved and calm, a witness to the world more than a free spirit.

Bertha on the contrary, shone with her independent mind and her fierceness. I really enjoyed discovering her and her past through her entries in her journal and letters she wrote (also a very clever way for the author to lace the past and the present times to create suspense as well as unveiling simultaneously what happened/what's happening). She was a gorgeous gothic heroine. Giving her the backstory of visiting Africa and Europe and a thirst (pun truly intended) for knowledge and adventures made her quite a modern heroine as well. From being a hidden villain in Jane Eyre, she has been portrayed as a literate woman, a fighter and her own savior. Quite a drastic change of storyline!

I'd say that Rochester suffered quite a lot from this retelling from being sexy grumpy to being a true monster (vampire? a demon?) I didn't know that John Eyre was not only a retelling of Jane Eyre but a retelling of Dracula as well. The explanations given by Mimi at the end were really interesting and enlightening as she explains that she was inspired by multiple wordings in Jane Eyre referring to monsters and vampires. Slowly understanding that mythic Rochester was written as a vampire was as surprising as it was thrilling. His original character is so flawed that it is hard for contemporary readers to understand his appeal as a romantic hero... however him as a villain is a match made in hell. He horrified me and scared me (as he should have)!

John Eyre will be released on the 20th of July and i could recommend to wait for some stormy summer nights but since it's a five stars for its original take on a classic with a very enticing female character, a vampire and a very dark and moody mansion, i'd say go devour it (again pun intended!)

ARC kindly provided by netgalley

This retelling of one of my favorite novels has all the elements I adore—creepy Gothic atmosphere, strong female character, spooky children, letters and diaries, and ancient Egyptian artifacts.

It also has something I didn’t expect, which I won’t reveal. But l will say I was absolutely thrilled with the way the author picked up on the hints in Charlotte Brontë’s original book to add a new twist that happens to be another of my favorite themes.

John Eyre is a retelling of two classic novels (one of which is my all-time favourite, Jane Eyre) with the key characters gender-swapped.

I really struggled to get into the book initially, being such a fan of both original stories as I found myself comparing it unfavourably to the originals and asking myself why the story actually needed to be told from this new perspective/why the two stories needed to be combined.

I stuck with it, however, and the introduction of a dual-timeline element and the interspersing of letters between Mrs Rochester and her friend Blanche Ingram do help to bring you more into the action from around the halfway mark.

Thereafter, I was hooked and the supernatural atmosphere and tension in the later chapters was definitely gripping.

Not a huge fan of this type of retelling but not a total miss either!

I took this book to read at the lake while on vacation and it checked all the boxes for me. I was so engrossed; I could not put it down! Mimi Matthews has long been a favorite of mine because of her mastery of words and creating stories that successfully capture and transport the reader into her world. John Eyre was no exception! The blending of two classics in a powerfully, successful manner made me wonder why the original authors would not have thought to do the same. I mean, there was seamless blending of stories and creation of suspense and mystery that just created the perfect gothic novel. John is a gifted teacher who just wants to do right by his students. He knows there is more going on than can be explained and even though he holds the position of tutor, he rises far above his station in intellect, bravery, and determination to stand by those he has come to care about. I love the letters from Bertha in telling the back story as that is where I really got sucked in and needed to see it all come together. This tale is done tastefully but is not for the faint of heart who spook easily. I could not I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Thank you Netgalley, Mimi Matthews and Perfectly Proper Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"I cannot descend into despair. I will not. An animal may gnaw off a foot to escape a steel trap, but I am not an animal. I am a woman."

Jane Eyre is my favourite classic and Mimi Matthews really did it justice with this supernatural retelling with a fun Dracula-twist. Not only that, she brought a feminist justice to a misunderstood literary character: Bertha Mason. Through letters and journaling we get to know Bertha from being young and naive to experiencing severe trauma which leaves her with just enough strength for survival, albeit it has lead to her becoming the cynical and discourteous Mrs. Rochester when we later meet her through John's eyes at Thornfield Hall. The atmosphere is perfectly gothic and uncanny and the characters are all well-rounded.

It is well-written, captivating and enchanting; Influenced by the classics but is a unique story in its own with a satisfying ending which ties all the clues together (and you just can't help to root for Mr. Eyre's and Mrs Rochester's romance!). I am definitely dying to read more of Mimi Matthews now.

Okay. Hear me, I have never read Jane Eyre. I love me my classics but something has always held me back from reading it.

Do I know what it is about? Yes. Beat by beat? No. A part of me feels I'm missing out and I guess you can say, yes, I probably should read it eventually. (Not right now, got a lot of other books to read.)

So when I found out Mimi Matthews was doing a version of Jane Eyre but making it a male 'Jane', I thought to myself, maybe some of the odd bits about the book will be changed? Or maybe someone else interpreting the story will make some of the not so great bits about Rochester's personality change.

Also, adding Dracula elements to the story? Yeah. I'll give the book a go.

Wow. I marathon-ed this book. Read it in one sitting, I did. Firstly, Mimi Matthews is good, but so good that she can also handle gothic romance? Yes. I know this is her making her own fanfic of two 'gothic' tales, but seriously, she needs to know she can handle writing a gothic tale once in a while.

I loved John. I loved the fact that when it comes to her characters - male or female - they are kind souls, or people with emotional issues that does not make them completely evil or completely good. They are mixed, flawed, and just so darn good to read. If you're familiar with the story of Jane Eyre, 'John' goes as a tutor to a recluse widow and her children. Of course, adding Dracula, Mimi adds in some tastes of her own which made it more mysterious and had me guessing what was going to happen.

If you have read Jane Eyre and or Dracula would this book ruin the mystery/fun/romance for you? No. I don't think it does. I have read some Dracula and Jane Eyre inspired books and it all depends on what the author adds or gives to the tale. In this case, Mimi has done such a fantastic job blending the two tales that people who have never read either book or have read either book will enjoy it!

This is a perfect Fall read, and if you're looking to add a Gothic romance to your list this year I'd say this is it!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

https://misawithbooks.blogspot.com/2021/06/netgalley-john-eyer-by-mimi-mathews.html

The best retelling that I've ever read of any classic book . It was Gothic, dark and absolutly amazingly written. Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics but what Mimi Matthews did with it, I just could say Bravo!

Everything about this book was fantastic, the plot, the"mix" (I can't say more), the creepy atmosphere, the characters were so strong either female or male, John is less pathetic than Jane with a simple naivety and by the end, he was what Bertha needed ,and us readers, as the right honest with himself male hero . I loved Mrs.Rochester's strong smart and alive character, I could not stop reading because the author knew how to make you ask for more with a story partially epistolary which it got me hooked with each page.

For me, this book should have been named "Mrs.Rochester" even if it's a retelling of Jane Eyre and when you read it, you will understand that she IS the main character of this story because we mainly follow her adventures all along the book.

I would say thank you to the author for giving me such an enjoyable dark summer read and I will be glad to read some other retellings by her in the future.

This is definitely a departure from the usual Mimi Matthews fare. This gothic retelling is much less sweeping romance and much more “things that go bump in the night.” It took me a little longer to get into, and it reminded me of my own frustrations I had reading Jane Eyre originally. While I probably won’t be adding it to my list of favorites, I appreciate what Matthews set out to accomplish here, and I did enjoy reading it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

This was a delightful retelling. Jane Eyre is one of my favourite classics and I really enjoyed this imagining of it.

The story stays very close to the major plot points of the original, but focuses on the the events at Thornfield, which I appreciated as we get to focus on the mystery elements of the story.

This books has lots of twists from the original, the main one being another classic story being interwoven, and I thought it was done perfectly- I never would have imagined these stories working together but it worked seamlessly.

I also really enjoyed the structure of the story, having the dual timelines with the letters depicting how Bertha became Mrs.Rochester and in these letters is where we see a lot of the twists this story brings to the original.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this story and if you are a fan of Jane Eyre you should definitely give it a try.

Mimi Mathews latest John Eyre is an absolutely fascinating and absorbing read. Combining two famous classical works into an evocative tale of menace and evil with an additional feature of woman empowerment was enough to send me to raptures.

The title of course gives away the 1st classic. A Jane Eyre retelling with changes in the gender of the main characters, John Eyre brings forth that same brooding atmosphere in the original that made it one of the most renowned published works in gothic romance. Thornfield Hall has never felt more frightening, the author’s mastery with words providing a dark and bleak environment with the ever-present mists surrounding the village adding a layer of an enigma.

The story which progresses thru John, who is appointed as a tutor to the wards of Mrs. Rochester is at times mellowed and subtle. We are so conditioned to reading about guys so superior that John’s character always at a subservient position made it tough for me to connect with him. He is by no means a weak character, but Bertha Rochester somehow towers over him in her forceful personality and her mere intimidating presence. I loved how Ms. Mathews has used Bertha’s letters and journals to show the change of her character from a naïve rosy-hued debutante ready to conquer the world to slowly seeing the depravity hidden behind masks and without any qualms rising above her fear and growing in strength to do what is necessary for her survival. When we encounter Bertha thru John’s eyes, she has become so hard and cynical that we lose sight of the vulnerability and loneliness that is hidden behind her brusque manner.

It is not just Thornfield Hall but Mimi Mathews creates Nosht-Vulk in Senniskali village in Bulgaria as even more terrifying and Bertha’s experiences send a chill down the reader’s spine as she realizes the dreadful pit that she is trapped in! The secondary characters are all delightful especially the butler Mr. Fairfax and the children.

The author in her notes refers to the raging debate of recreating a classic but I have always loved reading them in however recreated versions they have been published, and both books in John Eyre are favorites of all those who love gothic romance and horror so this surely appealed to me.

5 alluring stars!

Many thanks to Net Galley, Perfectly Proper Press, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

This review is published in my blog https://rainnbooks.com/, Goodreads, Amazon India, Medium.com, Facebook, and Twitter.

Anything Eyre - and I am there! Sorry for the terrible pun, but this book was something special! If you cannot get enough of Jane Eyre (and I certainly have read that novel so many times I could probably quote entire passages), then you will love this novel. It brings a new twist to the story, as the gender roles are switched, but it also has its unique moments so that it is not just a repeat. All in all, read this book. you won't be sorry!

I was a little apprehensive about this one, but wow, did Mimi Matthews do a pretty amazing job. I loved every page.

This was a great book. a different take on the original , I really liked all the characters and the plot kept me engaged throughout the whole book. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes historical novels

This was just an outstanding,,amazing read I loved everything about it and when I say everything I really do mean everything!
Firstly I must admit I was a little apprehensive in reading the book Jane Eyre is one of my favourite books of all time so I was curious to see what a retelling of that story would be like well I needn’t have worried it was just brilliant and what added even more to my enjoyment was the fact it incorporated another all time favourite novel of mine also, I’m not mentioning that one as I don’t like spoilers and it came as a surprise for me.
This author has done an excellent job in this retelling right from the off I was hooked and the story just got better and better and the writing was superb.
This is a book that captivated me throughout the atmosphere, the romance and the sheer terror in parts just everything about the read for me was sheer perfection and I damn well don’t have the words to describe just how good a read it is and do it justice so all I can say is please don’t miss it it's right up there with my favourite novels of all time !
So massive praise to Mimi Matthews you have a 5 star winner and a well deserved one at that.
My thanks also to NetGalley and Perfectly Proper Press for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

5 stars
to all the gothic novels' fan, you need to read this one
Is there a way to make Jane eyre more catching?

After the sudden death of his beloved friend, John Eyre abdicates his position as a schoolmaster and finds a new one as a resident tutor to two orphans at Thornfield Hall.
Once there, nothing is as he expected. The boys are both mute. Thornfield is a sinister place, surrounded by a mysterious mist that doesn't dissipate, and his employer, Mrs. Rochester, is as peculiar as she is charming.
John Eyre is a thrilling retelling of Charlotte Brontë's classical novel "Jane eyre". I loved the original story, so when I saw the new twist in the plot, I was sold. I fall head over heels in love with this one.
The gender flipping was done brightly. the writing is exceptionally engaging, and atmospheric. the setting is uncanny, there is a lot of scary passages. my favorite, was the one with the locked box bed.
The only thing I didn't like about the book, that is it's not a series.
Could the author read this review and consider making it a series about vampire slaying.
Many thanks to Netgalley, Perfectly Proper Press, and author Mimi Matthews for my e-arc

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an eARc of this novel.*

This was a pretty direct gender-swapping of Jane Eyre to John Eyre. It also had some elements of another classic novel twisted throughout, which I will keep to myself, so it can be a surprise for you. It was an intruiging story and I maybe would have been more into it if not for 2 reasons.

1. This was even less of a romance than the original Jane Eyre. I barely felt a connection between Bertha and John. So I'm not sure why this was shelved as a romance on netgalley. I kept waiting around for the sparks and I didn't feel them.

2. Based on the authors note on the end, I know the answer to this one, but there were SO MANY letters and journal entries. Now that I know which other Classic this is drawing from, I understand that, because that also happens in that book, but it made it hard to connect with John, when we were spending half of the book in Bertha's letters. I would have preferred if it was just from her POV then.

All in all, my dislikes come down to preference for this one. If you don't need a romance to be the main focus of your read, but you like to see a classic redone as a gender-swapped version... you may like this a lot. I did like that some of the parts that were omitted from the original were the boring bits but this book still managed to drag and then there was not enough of a payoff for me, because it was so like the original that I knew how it was all going to lay out as soon as the twist is revealed.

This just didn't vibe for me but I can appreciate the attempt.

3/5 stars.