Orphaned Jane escapes her vicious adopted family to become the governess to young Adele at Thornfield Hall, where the master of the house is the mysterious Mr. Rochester. Jane falls for him, hard, but secrets and past lives work to keep them apart.

I went into this book expecting an Austen-style story of sedate social politics and was quite surprised at what it actually was. Secrets! Intrigue! Plot twists worthy of a soap opera! A hardheaded heroine who knows what she wants and puts her own needs first. In short, I loved it.

JANE EYRE is a grand love story, but it’s also more than that. As a child, Jane rebels against the adults trying to keep her in line (beat her down, really). She struggles with feeling worthy of attention as a young adult but through the trials she faces, she learns to take her due and to never settle for less, whether “less” means poor treatment from relatives or a loveless marriage.

While she does get her man in the end (as an aside, Mr. Rochester, please take SEVERAL seats on your concept of marriage), it’s not her singular goal. She wants to be a full person living a life of her choosing, which is exactly what she achieves.