Jane & Edward

A Modern Reimagining of Jane Eyre

By: Melodie Edwards

Narrated by: Cherlanda Estrada

Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins

Publisher's summary

This powerful reimagining of Jane Eyre, set in a modern-day law firm, is full of romance and hope as it follows the echoing heartbeats of the classic story.

A former foster kid, Jane has led a solitary life as a waitress in the suburbs, working hard to get by. Tired of years of barely scraping together a living, Jane takes classes to become a legal assistant and shortly after graduating accepts a job offer at a distinguished law firm in downtown Toronto. Everyone at the firm thinks she is destined for failure because her boss is the notoriously difficult Edward Rosen, the majority stakeholder of Rosen, Haythe & Thornfield LLP. But Jane has known far worse trials and refuses to back down when economic freedom is so close at hand.

Edward has never been able to keep an assistant—he’s too loud, too messy, too ill-tempered. There’s something about the quietly competent, delightfully sharp-witted Jane that intrigues him though. As their orbits overlap, their feelings begin to develop—first comes fondness and then something more. But when Edward’s secrets put Jane’s independence in jeopardy, she must face long-ignored ghosts from her past and decide if opening her heart is a risk worth taking.

©2023 Melodie Edwards (P)2023 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“I adored this book! Jane & Edward is instantly captivating and utterly charming. I found myself smiling (sometimes through tears) from start to finish. This sexy, funny, razor-sharp rom-com is one of the best books I’ve read all year. Melodie Edwards delivers a first-rate, modern take on the classic Jane Eyre, so deliciously romantic that Charlotte Brontë herself would be dazzled.” —Lori Nelson Spielman, New York Times bestselling author of The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany

"Melodie Edwards’ witty reimagining of Jane Eyre gives us a pitch-perfect protagonist who’s somehow even more endearing than the original. Edwards’ elegant, slyly funny prose makes it so you can’t help but cheer on the pragmatic Jane as she moves through the high-stakes worlds of corporate law and academia, learning to assert her value. Like any classic worth its salt, this book is brimming with heart, characters that stick with you, and smart, timeless insights about life and love." —Ashley Winstead, author of Fool Me Once and The Boyfriend Candidate

"Fans of Jane Eyre will enjoy spotting the Easter eggs…More importantly, the love story stays faithful to the original, with the addition of some spice... Edwards's debut is a retelling that will please both diehard Brontë devotees and contemporary romance readers." —Library Journal

A pretty good retelling/modernization of Jane Eyre.

Didn’t love the narrator. She was too monotone and failed to bring the characters to life. Also didn’t love the gratuitous swearing. It didn’t elevate the storyline and wasn’t necessary.

Great update

Loved the attempt to retell this timeless classic romantic story into the twenty century. Great job.

New twist on a classic

I love when old classics are turned into modern day stories. Was a pleasure to listen to.

Good plot, okay performance

The story itself is pretty good. I’m not quite sure if it’s the narrator or the text, but it sometimes sounds emotionless. It almost feels as though Jane is dead inside. I mean, she had a hard life, but the strong emotion on which the original is based seems absent. It’s otherwise we’ll written. She does have a very relaxing voice though.

Maybe a good story for someone in Jr. High

The maturity of the characters were cringe worthy. I think the author tried to mix Beauty and The Beast with Jane Eyre. I was disappointed that I had actually spent money on this one and forced myself to finish it to the end.