In this final part of the Emma inspired trilogy we have the story of orphan Jane Fairfax and her life with the Campbells. Then she meets Frank Churchill at Weymouth and their intertwined history continues the story.
A very enjoyable well-written story ( )

I am the type of person who always wants to know more about the various characters in novels, especially classic novels such as the works of Jane Austen or Charles Dickens. This book did not disappoint. Though this was the third novel in the Highbury Trilogy, I knew enough of the Emma story to not get lost. I loved reading the story of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill from the very beginning. From Austen's Emma, we only get glimpses of Jane from Emma's point of view (not always a positive view), though we do know from other supporting players that Jane is a fine girl. Frank on the other hand always seems to be portrayed as something of a cad. It was refreshing to learn his origins and motivations, and to see just what a truly wonderful person he really is. Finally learning the back story of how Jane and Frank became a couple was satisfying, as I always felt the discovery of their engagement slightly rushed in Emma.

I have not read many Austen retellings, though I have many on my to-be-read list. Dear Jane really is an enjoyable read, with the tone being very much Austen. As I stated earlier on, I did not get lost reading this. It works well as a stand alone novel despite being part of a trilogy. Now I'm eager to go back to the beginning and read the first two books. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Jane Austen's work.

A thank you to Poetic Book Tours, and the publisher, for sending me a copy of the book. ( )