My Plain Jane (The Lady Janies, #2) by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton: Non-Spoiler Review

ARC provided by HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

Book: My Plain Jane

Series: The Lady Janies, #2

Authors: Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, & Brodi Ashton

Pages: 464

Genre: YA fantasy, paranormal, historical retelling

Publication Date: June 26, 2018

My Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

My Plain Jane has been one of my most anticipated reads of 2018, so I want to say a massive thank you to HarperTeen for the ARC via Edelweiss! My Lady Jane was one of my top favorite books I read last year, so naturally I had the burning need to read and review My Plain Jane ASAP.

In case you’ve never heard of The Lady Janies series, they are satirical retellings based on Janes throughout history/literature. My Lady Jane is based on Lady Jane Grey (aka the Nine Days Queen) with a magical twist, while My Plain Jane is a Jane Eyre retelling with a paranormal twist. The third installment will be called My Calamity Jane (I am SO excited for this one!) Do these books have to be read in order? No. But I did notice a little cameo from My Lady Jane in My Plain Jane, so if you blink, you may miss it 😉

Like I said, My Plain Jane is a Jane Eyre retelling. So if you’ve read Jane Eyre, then you’re going to be able to predict the major plot points. Do I think this is a bad thing? Not necessarily. However, I do think it takes a little bit of the mystery away from the story.

With that being said, I still adored this book and all the witty banter, lovable characters, and GHOSTS! My Plain Jane follows a young woman named Jane Eyre and her best friend Charlotte Brontë (hehe, get it?) Jane can see spirits, and there’s a ghost hunting society that wants to recruit her into their ranks. But Jane has her mind set on becoming a governess for the brooding Mr. Rochester of Thornfield Hall.

This book is very much a Ghost Hunters meets Ghostbusters meets Jane Eyre mash up. You’ll be on a ghost hunting adventure as these characters are trying to solve the mystery behind some strange things happening at Thornfield. Not only did I love the Monty Python-esque dialogue between the characters, but I also loved the friendships, cute romance, and various homages to modern pop culture and history. I found myself laughing out loud during so many scenes, and you may even pick up a few hidden Easter eggs as you read along.

I definitely recommend this book if you’re into satire or just want a good, heartwarming laugh. I fell in love with these characters and even found myself tearing up during certain parts. I especially loved Helen Burns, Jane’s ghost friend, and I found myself relating to Charlotte so much. Not to mention the women in this book are so strong and badass. I want to be best friends with them all!

My Plain Jane releases June 26, 2018! Happy reading!

xx,

Amy