Laura's Reviews: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews (Blog Tour)

Join the virtual book tour of JOHN EYRE: A TALE OF DARKNESS AND SHADOW, Mimi Matthews’ highly acclaimed Bronte-inspired Gothic romance, July 12-25, 2021. Thirty-five popular on-line influencers specializing in historical fiction, Gothic romance, and paranormal fiction will join in the celebration of its release with an interview, spotlights, exclusive excerpt, and reviews of this new Victorian-era novel set in Yorkshire, England.

My Review

What if Jane Eyre was a man instead of a woman? How would the story of Jane Eyre play out? That is the question that John Eyre answers in a very clever way. John Eyre combines two classics, but I don’t want to ruin the story, so I won’t say which is the second classic.

John Eyre is a schoolmaster who must leave his position after the wife of his patron, Lady Helen Burns, falls in love with him. He accepts a position at Thornfield as the tutor to two mysterious boys from Europe. As he works to break them out of their shell, he wonders about his employer, the mysterious and missing Mrs. Rochester. When Mrs. Rochester returns, he finds her even more of an enigma. What is Mrs. Rochester hiding from her past? Why are there mysterious almost supernatural happenings going on at Thornfield?

I really enjoyed this novel. I really liked the unique premise with the gender flip and the combining of two classics stories. They worked well together. The story is told from John’s perspective in the third person and a past narrative where a young Bertha Mason narrates letters to her best friend Blanche Ingram. Bertha narrates her voyage through Europe and her meeting and marriage to Mr. Rochester. I loved the way this book was written like this.

I enjoyed the Victorian Gothic novel and the supernatural elements. I don’t want to ruin it for others, but I think this would be a perfect book to read leading up to Halloween. Matthews knows Jane Eyre was able to change elements of it while keeping the elements that make Jane Eyre its own unique story.

Overall, John Eyre by Mimi Matthews is a gender swapping supernatural retelling of Jane Eyre that is thoroughly enjoyable.

Book Source: Review Copy from Perfectly Proper Press. Thank-you!

QUICK FACTS

· Title: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow

· Author: Mimi Matthews

· Genre: historical fiction, Gothic romance, paranormal fiction

· Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press (July 20, 2021)

· Length: (364) pages

· Hardcover ISBN: 978-1736080207

· Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1736080221

· eBook ASIN: B08NPLVHVN

· Tour Dates: July 12 – 25, 2021

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Yorkshire, 1843. When disgraced former schoolmaster John Eyre arrives at Thornfield Hall to take up a position as tutor to two peculiar young boys, he enters a world unlike any he's ever known. Darkness abounds, punctuated by odd bumps in the night, strange creatures on the moor, and a sinister silver mist that never seems to dissipate. And at the center of it all, John's new employer—a widow as alluring as she is mysterious.

Sixteen months earlier, heiress Bertha Mason embarked on the journey of a lifetime. Marriage wasn't on her itinerary, but on meeting the enigmatic Edward Rochester, she's powerless to resist his preternatural charm. In letters and journal entries, she records the story of their rapidly disintegrating life together, and of her gradual realization that Mr. Rochester isn't quite the man he appears to be. In fact, he may not be a man at all.

From a cliff-top fortress on the Black Sea coast to an isolated estate in rural England, John and Bertha contend with secrets, danger, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness. Can they help each other vanquish the demons of the past? Or are some evils simply too powerful to conquer?

ADVANCE PRAISE

“Bertha Mason Rochester shines, dominating her scenes with vitality and strength. The style, too, is spot-on, reprising the spirit of 19th-century Gothic prose without descending into mimicry.”— Publishers Weekly

“An entertaining spin on a classic with thrilling twists and turns…Matthews skillfully transforms a well-known story into a truly original tale.”— Kirkus

“[Matthews] retells Charlotte Bronte's classic story in a way that will keep fans of the original novel totally gripped from cover to cover... Fresh and dynamic... Fast-paced and spellbinding...a book you will have a hard time putting down.”— Readers Favorite

“One of the most moving, suspenseful, innovative and remarkable retellings of a classic in the history of, well, ever... Every page is sheer rapture as [Matthews] moulds popular source material into a spell-binding creation so wholly her own.”— Rachel McMillan, bestselling author of The London Restoration

“[A] captivating and ingenious retelling of Jane Eyre with a supernatural twist. Smart, suspenseful, and deliciously spooky, JOHN EYRE is a must-read; I loved everything about it!”— Ashley Weaver, author of the Amory Ames Mysteries and the Electra McDonnell series

AUTHOR BIO

USA Today bestselling author Mimi Matthews writes both historical nonfiction and award-winning proper Regency and Victorian romances. Her novels have received starred reviews in Library Journal and Publishers Weekly, and her articles have been featured on the Victorian Web, the Journal of Victorian Culture, and in syndication at BUST Magazine. In her other life, Mimi is an attorney. She resides in California with her family, which includes a Sheltie, and two Siamese cats.