Jillian Dare: A Novel

If you are a big fan of the classic "Jane Eyre" and would like to read a contemporary story inspired by "Jane Eyre" then you are going to love "Jillian Dare". I have a soft spot for the whole story line of this book, so I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Jillian has landed a job as a nanny at a large estate in Virginia. Cadence Remington is the little girl she has charge over while the father stays busy running his business. As Jillian gets to know the moody employer, Ethan, she finds herself falling for her boss. But when his dark secrets come out, Jillian must make some hard decisions.
I thought this was a very well written story and appreciated the 3 types of readers the author was attempting to satsify (see the author's note at the end of the story). It made me want to read the classic all over again, but also made me appreciate the modern day version that this author has written so well. Well done Melanie M. Jeschke; I look forward to reading more of your work! ( )

As a modern retelling of Jane Eyre this story didn’t quite grab me. I can’t be exactly sure why that is but most likely it falls upon the fact that I already knew the story. I found myself constantly comparing it to what I already knew of the plot and characters of the original. I imagine this is a pitfall of any re-telling of a classic but in this case it was difficult to overcome.

The speed with which Jillian finds herself professing her love to Ethan was abrupt to say the least. One day they were friends the next engaged to be married. I thought the transition between her being an employee to her being his betrothed could have been a bit smoother and certainly worth exploring the in between moments a bit more.

Lastly, I wasn’t at all fond of the section of the story that had Jillian staying with the Brookes. Mainly because it was here that the book got to it’s most preachy and cliched. Up until this point faith and God did play a role but it was subtle. Once Jillian arrived to live with the Brookes and became somewhat involved with John it got extremely overbearing. He was definitely the domineering caveman in the story where if they did get married Jillian was sure to be the subservient wife doing as she was told. Yea, that is totally not my bag.

What worked for me?

I thought the part of the story involving Ethan’s wife was well paced and told. It was not focussed on for a tremendous amount of time but was focussed on well. I also liked the relationship between Jillian and Mrs. Carter. The latter became somewhat of a surrogate mother to the orphaned Jillian. She was cautious when appropriate and supportive of Jillian when necessary, even above and beyond her loyalty to Ethan.

As a first foray into Christian Fiction I’m glad to say that this book didn’t turn me off of the genre completely. There was one element that I didn’t enjoy (ie: John Brooke) but it wasn’t enough to turn me off from reading more. If you enjoy the story of Jane Eyre and you’re looking for a different version this certainly fits that bill. ( )

NCLA Review - Jeschke does a great job developing the characters in this Cinderella story. Jillian Dare is the name given by the caretakers who discover the abandoned baby girl. Jillian goes from foster family to foster family being neglected and mistreated along the way. At long last, she is placed in a family who truly love and care for her. After graduation, she lands the perfect job as a nanny, in a picturesque dream-like setting. And, of course, falls in love with the very wealthy, single employer. Though he leads a glamorous life, he too quickly falls in love with Jillian. Though there are some fun twists and turns, it is a rather predictable story and outcome. Rating: 2 —PL ( )

Jillian Dare is a fabulous contemporary adaptation of the classic story of Jane Eyre and I enjoyed it thoroughly. In the authors letter at the end of the book, Melanie tells us that she wrote this book not for the Bronte purists, but for three different types of people: those that love romantic suspense, those that have yet to read Jane Eyre and now will want to, and the category I fit in - those that have read the story and love to find the comparisons between the two stores and make conjectures as to how the contemporary twist plot will unfold. I have to admit, with each turn of the page I was fascinated by how in the world could the next main scene unfold. Other things that I really enjoyed in this book were the bits and pieces that alluded to the personal life of the author as well as to her previous book "Evasions". It made me smile quite often. Also, the brought in pieces of Dickens literature as well as references to Broadway plays that I am familiar with such as "The Woman in White". As a reader, I am not one that usually leans toward reading and enjoying a story of contemporary fiction. But Melanie does more than that, she ties the bits and bobs of history in that make it worthwhile, page-turning, and fun. In the last quarter of the book, there was a topic brought up that has been in theological debate as long as their has been theology and although at first it was a good point, after a few chapters I tired of it. But other than that slight imperfection, I heartily the entire book and could hardly bare to put it down until completion. I had to wait too many years before this for more fabulous fiction from Melanie Jeschke, and I do hope to read more from her in the future sooner rather than later. Although, I will wait quite impatiently for later if need be. *wink* ( )

Jillian Dare is a fabulous contemporary adaptation of the classic story of Jane Eyre and I enjoyed it thoroughly. In the authors letter at the end of the book, Melanie tells us that she wrote this book not for the Bronte purists, but for three different types of people: those that love romantic suspense, those that have yet to read Jane Eyre and now will want to, and the category I fit in - those that have read the story and love to find the comparisons between the two stores and make conjectures as to how the contemporary twist plot will unfold. I have to admit, with each turn of the page I was fascinated by how in the world could the next main scene unfold. Other things that I really enjoyed in this book were the bits and pieces that alluded to the personal life of the author as well as to her previous book "Evasions". It made me smile quite often. Also, the brought in pieces of Dickens literature as well as references to Broadway plays that I am familiar with such as "The Woman in White". As a reader, I am not one that usually leans toward reading and enjoying a story of contemporary fiction. But Melanie does more than that, she ties the bits and bobs of history in that make it worthwhile, page-turning, and fun. In the last quarter of the book, there was a topic brought up that has been in theological debate as long as their has been theology and although at first it was a good point, after a few chapters I tired of it. But other than that slight imperfection, I heartily the entire book and could hardly bare to put it down until completion. I had to wait too many years before this for more fabulous fiction from Melanie Jeschke, and I do hope to read more from her in the future sooner rather than later. Although, I will wait quite impatiently for later if need be. *wink* ( )