Review: A Breath of Eyre, Marie Mont

Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre…

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own… Goodreads

Okay, I'm a little behind on posting this due to the blog hop, so I'll get right to it. This is an awesome book. I felt completely connected to Emma. This is a girl who turns to books, (some of my favorites no less) to escape her everyday problems. Familiar? I think so.

The lot is a seamless retelling of Jane Eyre, along with a few twists. On reading the jacket blurb I was interested to see how Mont would have Emma live Jane's life without sounding totally corny. Without spoiling anything, I can only say she did it! And the ending... Again, I'm trying to do this spoiler free,so... As much as I love the classics, the book wouldn't have been nearly as good if Mont hadn't been brave enough to change the plot.

On a side note, this novel does tackle some pretty serious issues, such as underage sex, drinking, and drug use, as well as suicide, but it does so in a tactful, responsible way. There are two other books in this series my Mont, and I can't wait to get my hands on them!

Rating 4.5/5 Stars

Notes Language, Drinking, drug references.