I really loved the concept of Escaping Mr Rochester and the cover is stunning. More sapphic retellings of classics, please! McKinneys writing is very smooth and readable, fitting the YA reimagining.

However a couple of issues I had with the story itself dragged it down for me.

- Rochester's motivations felt shallowly explained and ill developed.

- Deageing Bertha and, more importantly, Rochester, somehow took away from the threat level from the original, when the purpose of this story is to make it moreso.

- Most importantly, the sapphic romance (the biggest draw for me) felt underdeveloped and rushed. McKinney didn't manage to sell that, with the situation their in, these two would develop such an instalove relationship.

I have never read Jane Eyre but I was excited about the concept of this one. Unfortunately it wasn’t for me. I decided to DNF at 42%. I can’t quite put my finger on why it wasn’t hitting for me. Maybe it was the pacing or my own expectations of what I think a YA book to be, but ultimately this book isn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

*Escaping Mr. Rochester* by L.L. McKinney is a bold reimagining of the classic *Jane Eyre*, infused with fresh perspectives and thrilling twists. McKinney’s imaginative storytelling and engaging characters breathe new life into the beloved tale, making it a captivating read for both new and old fans of the classic novel.

This is a retelling for all people who wanted a deeper life for Jane Eyre and a better ending for the woman in the attic. For people who did't fully buy into Mr. Rochester's BS and believe women when they have s story to tell. it's a reclamation.

This is a fun retelling for people who were not fans of Jane Eyre and wanted a better ending for the woman in the attic.

As a huge Jane Eyre fan, I loved this book. I loved how each character was represented. Jane was headstrong, confident, and well spoken. Mr. Rochester was cruel, quick tempered, and uncaring. And Bertha was my favorite. Having her POV is what I desperately wanted from Jane Eyre and getting to see her in this retelling was amazing. She was strong and that’s really the only description she needs. If you are a fan of Jane Eyre I highly recommend reading this book!!

I am a big fan of a retelling! And when I received a copy I was quite excited.

I liked how the author played the story differently to the original, I found the characters intriguing and likeable and found there were many funny moments that kept me reading.

I did find it was quite slow at times and I feel others might find this a bit difficult to follow.
I actually preferred this compared to the original! I found the romance sweet and yes it's queer.

The mystery aspects were quite fun and I enjoyed the twists and turns!

Thank you Harper 360, Netgalley and L.L. McKinney for sending me a copy of this book, in exchange for this honest review I will definitely pick up more of their work in the future.

Since I have not read the original book I had no idea what to expect from this book, but I kinda liked it. Even though it might have been more enjoyable with more knowledge of the original book. I might update my review after reading the original book.
The book itself was a bit slow for my taste but when the story started it was hard to put down. Since I had no knowledge over the happening of the original book, I could also enjoy finding out the secrets of Thornville and thus Mr. Rochester.
I personly find dualperspective books really good and I really enjoyed this in the book. I realy like the flashback scenes, but I kinda wish I could also see Edward's thoughts. Thanks to the descriptions that were not long but detailed, I found it easy to imagine the palace and feel like I am also there.
I found the main characters really loveable (but honestly who doesn't like witty, independent and smart women?) but you can also kind of get behind the 'nonloveable' characters, however I would have liked if we could learn more about what they know about Bertha.

For me it was not an easy read, mainly because of the space but I'm glad that I stayed until the end. I think that people who read the original version might enjoy it more but without any knowledge of the original book it was still pretty enjoyable.

Thank for Harper Collins for letting me read an ARC of this book <3

While this was indeed a”fresh reimagining” of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel Jane Eyre, it was so loosely based on the original as to be unidentifiable. I didn’t particularly care for the invented personalities for the characters and the Mr. Rochester’s portrayal was terrifying! The classification should be Adult and New Adult, but it is not advisable Teen reading.

"My mind turned from freedom to vengeance. If I could not gain one, I would take the other."

Thank you to netGalley for this book I really loved it! This is a sapphic retelling of Jane Eyre with all the romance and beautiful settings as the original novel but with added drama, gothic elements and new characters. Did you ever wonder about the wife in the original book? What was her story? Well this book has a duel POV between Bertha, the wife who is chained in the attic and the new, independent governess Jane.

Instantly we are introduced to two strong women and the way they are described and how we experience their thoughts made me love them both straight away. I was really invested in both of their lives and wanted them to win. This of course meant that the villain, Mr Rochester, was all the more hated. He is a true bad guy and not in the fun way, throughout the book we find out more and more disturbing things that he has done and his presence made for a more fiery read.

There are some twists and turns in this that kept me guessing at the plot and we are definitely kept on the edge of our seats, I thought the romance was done perfectly and fit for the time it was set in. There are poetic love letters, intense feelings that are romantic in a unique way.

Overall I really did like this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes retellings, historical romance, mystery books and destruction of the patriarchy!!! No but this book really had some great Mr Rochester hating moments where we shout at the book for the girls to GET HIM!!!
The only thing I didn't completely love was the ending, I did like it but I wish we knew more about what happens to the characters and their futures but that might just be me always wanting things completely wrapped up and I can understand why it wasn't in this case.

"Furiously, Bertha."

FINALLY, a feminist retelling that allowed Bertha agency! The writing was fantastic and I really loved reading the letters between Jane and Bertha that showed the passing of time and the growth of their love.

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Jane Eyre accepts a governess position at Thornhill Hall. We all know the story. Except this time, L.L. McKinney presents a unique spin on this classic by alternating points of view between Jane and Bertha providing rich background stories for both characters. Jane is an intuitive, strong female protagonist who is playing Edward the whole time, hoping to help Bertha and the girl. This book had me on the edge of my seat with adrenaline pumping with a satisfying end.

Jane Eyre is one of my favourite classics and I was excited to see a reimaging, particularly with Jane and Bertha in basic terms teaming up. Now while this is a retelling and in a lot of places it is close to the original at certain times McKinney does something new. I will be honest I thought it would annoy me (being a massive fan of Jane Eyre) but rather it was the opposite. I enjoyed the deviations from the original at certain points and points that were kept mostly true to it.

The writing was fantastic and was original but also matched the style and tone of Jane Eyre but for a modern audience. It is a fun read and enjoyable. I loved the characterisation of Jane and Bertha and actually Mr Rochester as well. I adored everything about this and it’s perfect for fans of the original and empowering retellings as well.

When reading a retelling, I want something new and refreshing from it, but I also want the book to breath a similar atmosphere to the book it was based on. This one manages to do both, and as such, it was a successful read for me, and I enjoyed it a lot. I saw many elements I remembered from Jane Eyre, but the book also kept me on the edge of my seat, wanting to know how Jane and Bertha would work together and escape. This is also a sapphic reimagining, which added a lot of heart to the story. I'd highly recommend this if you're looking for a modern update of a beloved classic.

We close with L.L. McKinney’s ESCAPING MR. ROCHESTER (HarperTeen, 352 pp., $19.99), a young-adult retelling of “Jane Eyre” where Edward’s imprisoned wife and impoverished governess team up to thwart him. It’s barely an inch away from the canon to cast Rochester as a monster and abuser, of course, and many’s the retelling that turns the story into an out-and-out thriller: Rachel Hawkins’s “The Wife Upstairs” and Rose Lerner’s “The Wife in the Attic,” to name just two.

But this book is a direct rebuttal rather than a glancing riff on the original material. Rochester is far from the only villain in the piece, which takes a stark view of how power unites people, multiplying its potential for cruelty. The fierce Jane at the heart of it all is an avenging angel — again, barely an inch away from the canon — but when she finally sets Thornfield alight, the reader is more than ready to see the whole place burn.

And now it’s not Edward but Bertha — Bertie — who escapes the fire, Bertie who takes Jane’s hand and heart at the book’s end. Because, after all, what is a retelling but a second chance, and an opportunity for a woman doomed by someone else’s narrative to fight her way free?

I had the BEST time reading this book. I was picking it up at every opportunity, desperate for any chance to read a few pages. When I got to the end, though, I just wanted so much more!

The story takes its premise from Jane Eyre, repositioning Mr. Rochester as a villainous figure who uses and discards people – particularly women – for his own gain. It’s not too much of a stretch from the original, and I really enjoyed this approach! He does literally keep a secret wife locked in the attic in JE, so it felt like a really natural and interesting progression.

I also really liked that the author makes it clear that this story happens in an alternate world/timeline. There are enough differences from real life – a fictional monarch, for example – that it’s clearly established as a different world. I loved that this gave us a nice separation from the original, and also allowed for some historical tweaks, such as a Bridgerton-esque approach to race.

There were some points I wished it were closer to the original. I think everyone who has read JE vividly remembers their shock at That Reveal (I know I do!) and it felt odd not to have some sort of nod to it. There was also no point at which anyone suggested Bertha might be imprisoned because of her madness, whether true or not. I was a bit disappointed by this as this is one of the themes I was really hoping would be explored: how madness, or ‘hysteria’, is used to discredit women.

I just would have loved for it all to be fleshed out a little bit more. The romance was a little bit insta-love, there weren’t any significant subplots, and it was gasping for an epilogue at the end. I would have loved to see how Jane and Bertha rebuilt their lives after escaping, and I just felt slightly deflated at the end.

This was an enjoyable read, that offered a fun twist on Jane Eyre. In the end, though, I couldn’t help but feel a bit underwhelmed.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

I've been excited for Escaping Mr. Rochester ever since I heard about it. Mostly because I really dislike Jane Eyre. That doesn't make sense does it? But I was so looking forward to McKinney's queer take on the story. And it was fabulous. Escaping Mr. Rochester manages to not only stay true to the foundations of Jane Eyre, but also gives justice not only to Bertha's voice, but also the awful character of Rochester. The ways in which he preys on Bertha. While giving Bertha a voice, Escaping Mr. Rochester is tender, emotional, and a homage to justice.

This book accomplished a feat that 3 years of undergrad and 1 year of studying English Literature never managed to do, and that is: this book made me want to read Jane Eyre.

(I struggle to read classics for a few reasons, 1) I can’t seem to read when I’ve been told what to read, even if it’s a book I love 2) I still find the language hard to understand and to engage with! I know there’s some beautiful writing but everything in between makes my head hurt.)

However, I also fear I won’t like Jane Eyre as much because I read this book and liked it so much. Maybe we will find out one day!

So I would say my favourite thing about this book is how it reimagined a classic, but it was so accessible. I can’t speak much to the changes McKinney made and how much inspiration she drew from the original Brontë classic, but I liked what she did. This is a fun rendition.

My rating is probably around 3.5/3.75⭐️ stars. I think some chapters began to feel a bit repetitive and the pace could’ve been picked up in places. Overall though I liked the twists, the romance, and the little found family that was found amidst all the chaos.