Thank you to NetGalley for the arc

Escaping, Mr. Rochester falls into the trap that most retellings where it struggles to balance the original story and the new elements the author brings. That being said, I found this a rather fun read to explore the idea of what if Mr.Rochester was the true villain of Jane Eyre—having Jane and Martha team up to destroy the man that has imprisoned them in more ways than one eventually having them fall for one and other. My only other complaint about the book is that I wished it led more to horror aspects of Mr.Rochester and how these young women suffered at his hands.

A retailing of Jane Eyre that focuses on the women who are central to the story, Jane and Bertha. While the plot follows Jane Eyra fairly closely, there are many twists in this book.

Jane and Bertha are powerful characters who fight for freedom despite thea manipulation of those around them. The ending of the book is rushed, but readers will be glad to see both Bertha and Jane get happy endings.

Escaping Mr. Rochester by L.L. McKinney is a reimagining of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I loved reading a diverse story with a different take--a young woman who can see through the crap created by an egomaniacal man out to make a fortune off of the backs of women. I appreciated how the women banded together to save themselves. If you want to read a story suspenseful story about women reclaiming their power, read Escaping Mr. Rochester.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

A YA reimagining of Charlotte Bronte’s classic novel that asks: what if the real villain of Jane Eyre was actually Mr. Rochester?

For starters, the real villain of Jane Eyre *was* Mr. Rochester. But beyond that, this was a fun re-imagining of a classic tale. Not my usual fare, but I didn't hate it.

Escaping Mr. Rochester
4/5 rating

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley!!

I love that McKinney wasn’t afraid to stray from the original material and I think the novel is better for it. I quite enjoyed the romance and was grateful that the author didn’t brush over Bertha’s trauma when it came to their relationship. I also think she did a wonderful job fleshing out all the characters including Adele.

The only reason I did not give this novel 5 stars is because I would have liked more worldbuilding-and some of the language used felt a little off for the time period which took me out of the story.

But altogether it was a fairly enjoyable novel and I will definitely be checking out some of the author's other work!

This time, Jane fights back.

"Jane Eyre" is my all-time favorite book. I probably need to revise that assessment (though—in my defense—I have never liked Rochester; I'm in it for Jane's agency), but for now it stands...and it's such a delight to see new takes on the novel. Especially ones that are queer, especially ones that treat Rochester as the ass that he is, and especially ones with POC heroines. And "Escaping Mr. Rochester" delivers on all three counts.

This is "Jane Eyre" in an alternate history: There's a queen on the British throne (perhaps Princess Amelia of the United Kingdom? In the book it's Queen Amelia the Second); Bertha hails from New Orleans rather than from Jamaica; Jane (canonically plain, whatever that means) and Rochester (canonically harsh of feature) are both described as stunning/handsome/etc.; Jane and Bertha are both Black. And this Rochester is cruel, far crueller than the original book would have him—though of course, in the original book, he is cast as a hero.

McKinney is not shy about adjusting the original story as she sees fit, and the book is better for it. I've gone on record many times before arguing that adaptations of classics almost always work better when the writer doesn't feel obliged to hew too closely to the original—things that made sense in the early 1800s don't always make sense in the 2020s, after all. Here, McKinney flicks away side characters if they're going to get in the way, recasts Helen as someone who was something other than a perfect angel child, and of course turns the love story of the original on its head.

Jane is warier here, but not necessarily more street smart—if anything, she verges at times on reckless as she and Bertha get to know each other. In many ways she's not really Jane; she's an original character dropped into the Thornfield world to do battle with Rochester's extra-slimy stepbrother. (I never wanted to marry Rochester...but I really, really wouldn't want to marry this Rochester.) I do wish there'd been a bit more depth to this version of Rochester: villains are at their most interesting when they're allowed some good parts alongside the bad, and villains whose entire existence seems to be dedicated to villainy (not even high-level villainy, but low-level nastiness) have never brought me as much joy. I'd also have *loved* to see a bit more worldbuilding for this alternate universe, because a lot of the language is quite modern, but there's much that isn't explained (race relations, how visible queer people are, what happened that we ended up with a Queen Amelia the Second), and I'm chronically, terminally curious.

Three cheers: one for queering Jane, one for diversifying her, and one for escaping the dread Rochester.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

A retelling of Jane Eyre with both Jane and Bertha Mason Rochester coded as Black -- and working together to defeat the villainous Mr. Rochester! Yes, please!

Many of the main elements of the original are retained in this retelling. Jane, an orphan, goes to Lowood for her education under the false piety and economy of Mr. Brocklehurst, though here she endures mistreatment based on her race, and her friendship with Helen becomes something more. Instead of teaching at Lowood, Jane goes directly to Thornfield Hall, hired as a governess to Rochester's ward Adele, and she immediately discovers an unsettling and mysterious quality to the household.

But in this version, Jane is far too smart to be taken in by Rochester's apparent charm, little Adele is far more clever, and Bertha -- the not-really-mad woman in the attic -- has tried repeatedly to escape and has almost given up hope when Adele introduces the two young women. How these women work together to uncover the truth and escape their prison is a treat to read, with considerable excitement by the end of the book. And yes, there is a budding romance between Jane and Bertha that gives them both reason to survive.

Some of the language/phrasing feels a little modern for a historical novel, and certainly there are modern sensibilities driving the main characters, but if you're a reader who sees Rochester as a toxic character and wants some vengeance, this book will definitely appeal. 4 stars.

Thank you, HarperCollins and NetGalley, for providing an eARC of this book. Opinions expressed here are solely my own.