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A YA romp told from the perspective of Mr. Rochester’s ward gives a new view of both Jane Eyre and London’s queer underground.

Summary:
Adéle grew up watching her mother dance in Le Moulin in Paris but soon found herself sent away to England with the man her mother said was her father. Mr. Rochester. Soon she meets her governess Jane Eyre and begins her own series of adventures.

Review:
If you have a love/hate relationship with Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre, then this book is for you. If you love your YA with sapphic romance in period costumes, then get this book immediately.

The thing about Jane Eyre is…Mr. Rochester is terrible. Yet she’s still attracted to him. (This was beautifully summed up in the web comic Hark! A Vagrant). Shifting to Adéle’s perspective gives a whole new angle on just how deliciously insidious Mr. Rochester is. Adéle does not pull any punches when it comes to him. It’s downright cathartic for everyone who tears their hair out about Jane’s love for him.

There’s much more in this story than a shift of perspective on Jane Eyre though. Adéle is well-rounded, and we have entire chapters where Mr. Rochester and Jane aren’t mentioned at all or only in passing. My favorite part is when Adéle goes to a finishing school in London, because this is when the sapphic subtext becomes blatant. Adéle has the hots for more than one other teenage girl. (Both of whom are excellent choices, by the way). There’s cross-dressing! There’s scuttling around on the streets of London late at night in widow’s clothes! But also Adéle has feelings for Mr. Rochester’s nephew she’s been exchanging letters with since she first came to England. What to do. what to do. I loved seeing representation of a bisexual woman who leans more in a certain direction usually. I really like that even though she is capable of attraction to men that the sexist society fizzles it for her, making her a bisexual that leans toward women. What a fun twist on what we usually see in period pieces with fluid sexuality.

The book does start slow. The first chapter in Le Moulin was rough with overly flowery language and stirred up drama. But this drops out as Adéle ages and comes into her own. Perhaps some of this was meant to show how she is a little too idealistic in how she remembers her early years. I suspect the first chapter may have served better as flashbacks from her early time in England, rather than linear.

Please do take a moment to check out the content notes on StoryGraph. The ones listed as of the day I was writing this post are accurate.

Overall, this is a fun twist on Jane Eyre that gives agency to Mr. Rochester’s ward Adéle. Come for the twist, stay for the YA sapphic heart-throbbing.

GoodReads:
Overall, this is a fun twist on Jane Eyre that gives agency to Mr. Rochester's ward Adéle. Come for the twist, stay for the YA sapphic heart-throbing.

Check out my full review.

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

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I loved this YA romp gold from the perspective of Mr. Rochester’s ears. It gives a new view of both Jane Eyre and London’s queer underground. Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for my honest review. #bookalicious #booksinthewild #avidreader #bookaesthetic #whatimreading #sapphicbooks

Reader, I Murdered Him continues the story of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Adele is Mr. Rochester's ward, and is possibly his daughter. Her mother is a dance hall girl in Paris, and Adele grows up surrounded by world-weary, jaded women who don't think much of men. Her mother has consumption and is dying, and her (possible) father, Mr. Rochester, comes back to Paris to take her England to live with him.

Adele lives in Mr. Rochester's home with his servants, as he is often gone, and spends time with his first wife, Bertha, who is mad and locked up in the attic. When Jane Eyre comes to be her governess, she watches Jane and Mr. Rochester fall in love. Jane leaves after finding out about Bertha, but after the fire that kills Bertha and blinds Mr. Rochester, Jane comes back and marries him. Adele doesn't have any friends, other than a pen pal, Eric, who is her cousin and lives in Jamaica, but she is happy with her father and Jane.

Adele is sent to a boarding school when Jane becomes pregnant and needs to focus on her new child and caring for her husband. The school, Webster School for Young Ladies, is a progressive school, teaching not just manners, dancing and embroidery, but also history, geography, poetry, mathematics, and philosophy. However, the goal is still to make the women marriageable and put them in front of eligible men of society. As Adele gets to know her classmates, she realizes several have already dealt with sexual and physical abuse, and others are so innocent, they could easily be taken advantage of by unscrupulous men. After a near-miss of an assault on one of her friends, Adele partners with an intriguing young woman from the wrong side of the tracks, a con woman who steals from the rich and gives to the poor, to punish those who take advantage of young women.

The first part of this book is a quick recap of Jane Eyre, through the eyes of Adele, and I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy the story. However, once the story had moved on to Adele's life after the end of Jane Eyre, it became much more interesting to me. I really enjoyed Adele's romance with Nan, the thief, and her strong defense of her friends and other women. I'd like to think there were Adeles protecting women throughout history, and finding their own happiness.

Readers who love Jane Eyre, and those who love strong women and historical fiction, will enjoy this book. Thanks to Netgalley for the advance copy of this book.

I was SO excited for Reader, I Murdered Him. This had so much potential, and was one of my most anticipated releases of the year. My initial thought was that the title would be a quick homage to Jane Eyre, but this book ends up treating itself like a sequel to Charlotte Brontë’s book. As the promotional material didn’t mention anything about its heavy ties to Jane Eyre, I felt misled and left in the lurch right from the get-go.

The book follows Adele, before Jane arrives, while Jane is her governess, and primarily after Rochester and Jane get married. Pre-existing characters forced into a new dynamic can have potential, but here the source material felt like a crutch the author couldn’t let go of, even when doing so would have made for a more substantial reading experience. I haven't read Jane Eyre so I can't speak to how their characterization and motives match up (or don't match up) to their original characters, but this would have been better off as an original new concept with new characters that can be molded how the author sees fit.

While the sequel aspect was an early blindside, I was still excited for the historical fiction vigilante story I was promised. Unfortunately, that’s not really what I got. It was about 1/3 Jane Eyre retelling, 1/3 generic boarding school filler, 1/3 typical Victorian-novel-twists. In this last third is where we start to dabble with vigilante justice that unfortunately still left much to be desired. Overall, it was a weird structure choice to be sure, creating an experience that can be only described as unfocused.

Comparing the blurb (No Jane Eyre, heavily focused on Victorian comeuppance) to my reading experience (Heavily focused on Jane Eyre, very little female revenge) I am left feeling like I was lied to before I even picked this up. While there is sapphic romance from Adele’s POV, this too takes a backseat to the author trying to reference Jane as frequently as possible.

The aspects that were most heavily promoted were simply not allowed to shine.

Reader, I Murdered Him is a YA murder mystery that follows the character Adele from Jane Eyre, as she attends boarding school in London. It is full of feminism and hope for women in Victorian London. The issues that women faced in the book are still issues that women face today despite being 2 centuries later. If you enjoy feminist literature, then this book is definitely worth checking out!

Thank you @netgalley and @harpercollins for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

So this is totally on me, but I did not realize this was a "sequel" to Jane Eyre. I was left confused the whole time because I never read Jane Eyre. I feel if I have read Jane Eyre I would have enjoyed this book a lot more than I did. This book explores different perspectives that are apparently not in Jane Eyre. I found the constant references to Jane Eyre took me out of the story. If you have read Jane Eyre it might be a more enjoyable read.

Okay, we love some sapphic historical vigilantes. I will read any story like this any time. I had no idea that Reader, I Murdered Him told the story of Adele from Jane Eyre. But what I loved about this specific aspect was that it leans and pulls from the original in just the right spots. It is centered on Adele's background before she meets Jane and then her own feelings regarding Jane. It felt like a fresh perspective on a classic, but also one that wasn't trying too hard to stick only to the original.

And then where it obviously departs from Jane Eyre, I adored. To see the ways in which Adele has been shaped by her upbringing and see what she makes of herself. Because while Jane is there, she's by no means a present mother figure to her for her entire life. Once her story really departs from the original, is when I began to fall in love with Adele. To see the ways in which she protects her friends when no one else will. At the same time, Reader, I Murdered Him is very aware of the privilege and class differences. How she has certain privilege because her family is not dependent on her match.

What a compelling premise--a queer romance focused on a teen vigilante who also happens to be the daughter of Mr. Rochester of Jane Eyre fame? Sign me up!

Reader, I could have done without the Jane Eyre aspect. Betsy Cornwell mentions the characters so many times that it detracts from the story. I wish there had been even more focus on Adele and her experience; for a story about a "Villainess" I wanted more, well, actual revenge on terrible men besides what's briefly mentioned. I did enjoy the romance, though, and I'd love to see how Nan and Adele's adventures play out in the future.

If you love revenge stories and alternative classics, give this a try.

I absolutely love Jane Eyre and was so pleased with this one! Such a good idea to tell the story from Adele's POV. Beautifully told and queer?! Amazing.

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Ooohhh! Mysterious and thrilling!

Living with her mother at the brothel in France, Adele had seen many things, including the cruel ways of men. As her mother neared her death, Maman convinced a previous lover, Mr. Rochester,supposedly Adele’s father, to take Adele to England to start anew. There Adele discovered the secret in the attic and met Jane Eyre, her governess and eventually Mr. Rochester’s wife. Following the marriage, Adele was sent to the Webster, a school for girls to learn all the finer skills of being a wife. However, when she realizes the boys and men are just as horrid as those who visited the brothel, she decides someone needs to protect those unsuspecting souls, and she just might be the one to do it, with just a little help from new friends.

As an original tale, this queer romance is swashbuckling fun, but //Jane Eyre// purists will not be happy with this story as it twists character traits and exploits relationships to fit a different narrative. The excessive detail is more in line with an adult book, and the background building slowed the pace of the book. Entertaining but needed more vigilantism and less Jane Eyre.

I always felt that Jane Eyre shouldn't have married Rochester, he was always a little too creepy for my taste. Betsy Cornwall's reimagining is perfect for anyone who thought Jane should have saved poor Bertha Mason and ran away together instead.

This was such a fun cozy mystery read! Perfect for Spooky szn. I loved Reader, I Murdered Him. This book takes place in Victorian England which was cool to see. This is also good for fans of Enola Holmes because this also takes place at a boarding school..

4.5 stars

Being sent to boarding school is a dream come true for Adele. She’s always felt like she was in the background. Her father’s manor never really felt like home to her, especially after having to leave their original home. Boarding school in London seems like the perfect place for a fresh start.

But Adele can’t escape the shadows when she’s in London. Adele realizes that a lot of the men looking for favors from her friends don’t have the best of intentions. After a particularly violent assault, she teams up with another woman to extract revenge. Adele is determined to save her friends from a dark fate. But will she have the courage to save herself?

Thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins for an advanced copy of Reader, I Murdered Him by Betsy Cornwell to review! I knew from the title that this would have some hints towards Jane Eyre; I didn’t realize how much it was going to be inspired by it! Told from Rochester’s adopted daughter’s eyes, we also get a glimpse into what happened after Jane Eyre. Since it’s one of my favorite classics, I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Not only do the events align with the classic, the overall tone and voice also mimics Jane Eyre. We all know that Rochester was…not the greatest man, and this book just really confirms it. So often throughout the book, Adele mentions how much of a prison marriage was for women at the time. I loved that she got to work outside those confines, as a sort of vigilante. It’s such a great twist on the classic we all know.

And the characters! Adele has a strong voice from the get go; and she isn’t afriad to tell it like it is. The group of friends she makes at the boarding school were also well fleshed out; we get to see how society is affecting all of them differently. And the romance! Adele pairs up with a girl to get justice, and they fall in love. Honestly, it’s beautiful.

The only reason this isn’t getting five stars is that I do wish there was a bit more vigilantism. It’s pitched as a large part of the book, but it doesn’t really come in until later in the narrative. Expanding that would have pushed it over the edge for me.

All in all, if you love interesting twists on classics, you’ll love this book!

A story about Adele, a Victorian girl who becomes a vigilante. I read the prologue and was like yes, I'm in. Gaslight and retribution, I'm here for it. And then it became a take on Jane Eyre???? The whole first part is basically a summary of Jane Eyre from the perspective of the daughter. I am still lost on to what this had to do with the premise that was described in the synopsis. It just felt like a completely separate book from the rest of it to me.

I didn't know that I needed a Sapphic sequel to Charlotte Bronte's <i>Jane Eyre</i> focusing on Adele Varens, Mr. Rochester's ward, but upon reflection, I'm surprised I didn't. <i>Reader, I Murdered Him</i> joins Jean Rhys' <i>Wide Sargasso Sea</i> in its refutation of Rochester as a romantic hero, using Adele's story to show us that we as readers should perhaps have always been more critical of a man who thought that it was perfectly fine to lock one wife up in an attic while actively trying to marry a second one. Bronte allows us to blame Bertha Mason for her own incarceration - she was no true wife to Rochester, so naturally he deserves another, better (younger) one. But in Adele's story we see that Bertha is merely the first woman fridged by Rochester and one of many women abused by men in Victorian England. If it isn't entirely scathing, it's still impressive in its view of Bronte's novel, and Adele is a heroine worthy of the name as she learns that "wealthy" does not equate to "free" and that "wife" most certainly doesn't.

There are some very slow sections of the novel towards the middle while Adele is coming to her realizations, and I would have liked a bit more time spent developing the romance between Adele and Nan, although I give Cornwell full credit for writing a consensual lesbian sex scene in a young adult novel. (It's not hugely descriptive, if you're concerned, and a reader not ready to see it would likely miss a lot of what's going on in the sex scene.) But I love the way it's set up, the way Cornwell forces us to see Rochester for what he very well could have been, and the quiet reminder that women can and will take their power where they can.

I did really enjoy this. Queer Victorian vigilantism, yknow, hot girl shit. The pacing I felt could’ve been a little tighter, this is a retelling/continuation of Jane Eyre and the whole first half of the book is retelling, before we get to vigilante goodness. I haven’t read Jane Eyre but I know the story enough that I think I would’ve been fine with less time devoted to retelling, or at least let Jane be more…cursory I think is the right word? To let Adele stand on her own as a protagonist and spend more time on that viciousness the blurb promised. That being said, it’s a fast read so that first half never felt like it dragged and before I knew it we were at the vigilante part, and that was thoroughly enjoyable.

I also really appreciated how trans Nan, the love interest, felt. I don’t know if she was supposed to be a trans girl or just a butch really good at disguise but I read her so entirely as trans that it made me smile.

So yeah, the definition of “I support women’s rights but also women’s wrongs” right here,

If it was more clear from the description that this was a Jane Eyre spinoff, I probably would not have requested it (and from reading some other reviews, this being a spinoff/retelling was a surprise to many readers)..

I think this could/would have been a much more enjoyable book (for me) if it was just original characters in their own universe, because the premise of this story is pretty great. Another complaint: the "big twist" just kind of came out of nowhere, and then there were some loose ends that never really got addressed during the rushed ending.

Adele is a very likable character, especially as a Robin Hood heroine. The premise of the book is so good but just falls a little short.

I felt like Adele’s background (while important for her character) takes up a lot more time in the book than the really interesting aspects, like her Villianess exploits with Nan. Her time as a Villianess (as she refers to her time robbing wealthy men) seems glossed over.

Lastly, the twist and the ending felt rushed and unbelievable. Thinking back, I could think of no hint of the big twist - like the twist came out of nowhere.

The ending felt glossed over and too tidy. It doesn’t explain how certain characters knew certain information in order to make a tidy ending. And while you really like Adele and want everything to work out for her, it is a little unbelievable that she came out of this story completely unscathed and all hunky dory.

This story had a ton of potential that was just unfulfilled.

DNF at 33%.

This book is just really boring. It takes being based on Jane Eyre too literally and the reading feels quite slow and boring.

The letter writing device feels contrived.

I picked this up after a recommendation at work despite not being interested in it and should have just left it alone.

Super thankful to the publishers for allowing me to read this as an e-arc via NetGalley! I haven’t read a book that had a similar balance of grit and lyricism since maybe Six of Crows? It’s dark, and there are triggers to be aware of, but if you’re okay with content like that then you’re in for a ride. I was immediately captivated by Adèle and her story. I’ve never read Jane Eyre so everything here was completely new to me, but I was still able to picture it and keep track of the plot.
I’d been struggling with a current reading slump and knew I needed something fun? 😅 which it actually had plenty of. I enjoyed the sense of humour and found that the reveals and twists were a good mix of shocking and drawn-out intrigue.