I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I didn't hate it either. Having never read Jane Eyre before I can't say for certain, but it did not seem like this book needed be an adaptation or continuation of it. In fact, I felt that this just lead to part one of the book being very slow. There is also very little of the book actually dedicated to Adele's vigilante-ism, though when it is I really enjoyed it. I also really like the relationships between Adele and the other school girls, I always appreciate books that show women supporting each other. As far as the ending goes, I understand why it went that direction but it probably could have been set up a little better.

All that said, I would recommend this book for fans of LGBTQ+ romance (I thought it was done pretty well here), historical fiction, and books about female empowerment and independence.

I honestly had no idea that this was a Jane Eyre retelling, but from Adele's pov. Jane Eyre is not my favorite of all the classics that I've read, but strangely, it is the one that I've read the most. I liked how Adele was straightforward in her remarks and her letters. She had the natural grace and beauty to be accepted by society, but she also had a backbone. I also liked how we got an outside view of Jane - small, kind, and strangely loveable. And the romance between Rochester was not as detailed, but you could see that it was real between the two of them.
The writing style is similar to the classic book and I would recommend this if you loved the original.

Book: Reader, I Murdered Him
Author: Betsey Cornwell
Audio: Voice Galley
Publisher: Harper Audio
Genre: Historical Fiction –Mystery Thriller
Pub Date: October 11, 2022
Rating: 3.5 rounded up Stars

If you are a Jane Eyre fan, you just might enjoy this!
This is Adele Varen’s story - she grew up somewhat on her own watching her mother perform in Parisian dance halls. When her mother is dying she asks Lord Rochester who is Adele’s father if he would raise Adele. He takes her in but decides she needs to be a proper English girl and hires a governess ~yes – Jane Eyre.
Once Adele is a proper English girl, she attends a boarding school in London. While there she finds the wealthy society girls are being courted by wealthy men- only most are not ideal suitors as they have improper intentions.

This situation as well as what she witnessed when she met Papa first wife Beth, leads her
to organization kind of a vigilante group; the idea is to help females as well as teach them how to help themselves. Of course, they didn’t solve the problem as it still an issue today.

Adele is certainly an interest gal.
Story is a bit dark ~it is a mix of a historical thriller and also some romance including Adele’s relationship with Nan.
Although slow in parts, I enjoy this story more than I thought I would.
Want to thank NetGalley and Harper Audio for this early Voice Galley which was created with a synthetic voice and not the final audiobook which will be narrated by a professional audiobook performer.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for September 13, 2022

This book was an interesting retelling of Jane Eyre from the point of view of a child adopted by Lord Rochester. When young Adele is adopted by Lord Rochester, his main goal is to help extricate the French influence that her courtesan mother had on her. She is too "cunning", too "flirtatious" to be a proper English girl and her Frenchness is tantamount to being unclean in the eyes of the British nobility. Adele's mother is dying and as her last wish she asks Lord Rochester to make provisions for her daughter to have a good life.

This is how young Adele meets Lord Rochester and ends up being in his home. From here she meets his first wife Bertha, relegated to live in the attic, and Jane Eyre comes to be Adele's governess.

This slight twist on the story is interesting because it focuses on an alternate perspective of a tale we think we know. What if there was someone in the Rochester house who witnessed the cruelties Rochester put Bertha through? What if there was someone who noticed that he didn't get what he deserved? What if he did?

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

I enjoyed this novel. I am familiar with Jane Eyre (but now think I should re read it). I felt for the characters. Adele was narrator and was protective of women who couldn’t protect themselves..

This book follows the journey of Adele from the Parisian dance halls of her birth and life with her mother to life with her socially elite father in England after her mother's death. We follow her as her father gets a governess, Jane Eyre, he falls in love with even though he is married and eventually marries; to the boarding school she attends to become a true English lady. We see her build a relationship with a cousin through letters that she uses to escape her life and grows attached to. Once in London boarding school she sees more of the evils of men and what they will do to women and works with a friend to train to bring justice to those who may hurt women after killing a man who attacks her friend. She falls in love with her friend, a girl, and must hide her true feelings and find a way to let their relationship blossom. A fast past adventurous read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.