Name: My Plain Jane
ISBN: 9780062652775

Cynthia Hand

Brodi Ashton

Jodi Meadows

Move over, Charlotte Brontë. The authors of the New York Times bestselling My Lady Jane are back with an irreverent spin on Jane Eyre—a tale of mischief, romance, and supernatural mayhem perfect for fans of The Princess Bride or A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue. You may think you know the story. Penniless orphan Jane Eyre begins a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall, where she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester—and, Reader, she marries him. Or does she? Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions in this stand-alone follow-up to My Lady Jane, which was called “an utter delight” (ALA Booklist, starred review), and “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

My Plain Jane

I actually really liked the plot, however, the ending was very predicted. I loved the characters but simply couldn't picture how someone can be "plain". I am sorry but a lot of people have brown hair with brown eyes and how is that "plain". I liked how they incorporated ghosts, as the authors of the series usually include something with magic. I would although prefer Charlotte not becoming a seer. I could feel it coming the moment I was introduced to her. I also found myself lowkey shipping Jane with Alexander and not with Charlotte. So that's that. Ok. Byeee.

Kelsey Joëlle

I liked the book. I haven't read book one and I'm also not familiar with the original story. But, I did love the story for what I've read from it. I think the book would have been better if I had read the original too.

Haley Murray

I really enjoyed the first book but this one just disappointed me. I honestly don't get why the authors would write about Jane Eyre when it just comes across that they dislike both Jane and Rochester as characters.

Kimberly Burgess 

Ahhhh I loved this one even more than the first one -Jane Eyre hanging out with ghost hunters is hilarious and delightful

Christine Bruce

** spoiler alert **
           Really loved this book! Kept reading it as much as possible even I’m heavy traffic. 
I was laughing out loud and feeling the angst. 
Could have used a literal touch more romance. But still historically appropriate so I can’t complain too much. 
I do have questions- literally where did Adele go/come from? 
HOW did Charlotte “die” if the bullet was stopped by the notebook?? That part, while I’m happy about it, made no sense.

I was so disappointed with this book, I wanted to like it so much. It didn’t live up to the hype. I just could not connect with the characters, the story was so bland to me, very predictable... the “humor” was not doing it for me. I was so excited about it but unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations.

Celeste Richardson

For this and more of my reviews, as well as my friend Petrik's reviews, check out my new blog, Novel Notions. 

I loved this book so much.

Seriously. So. MUCH.

There aren’t enough comedic novels out there that don’t edge irritatingly into silly. This book, and the preceding book, are two of the funniest things I’ve ever read. They don’t take themselves too seriously, but the humor doesn’t overwhelm the plot. Both have made me laugh out loud with their pop culture references and plethora of awkward moments. I hope the authors write one of these on every famous Jane from history and literary, and that they move on to another first name from there. Maybe Elizabeth or Lucy or Alice or something. I wish that, some day, there would be dozens of these books, just lining book shelves and waiting to brighten someone’s day.

This particular book was a combination of two things I adore: My Lady Jane, which I found so darn funny; and Jane Eyre, which is one of my favorite classics and is considered one of the most romantic books ever written. My expectations for this book were sky high, and they were met. Jane Eyre meets Ghostbusters? YES PLEASE. I love that the authors took a well known story, kept it recognizable, but totally spun it on its head. 

My favorite aspect of this book, besides the humor element I’ve already mentioned, is the inclusion of a new character. Charlotte Brontë became a character in the story that made her famous, and I loved that so much. Her character is an absolute treasure, and I would pay good money for some more side stories about her adventures. I know Jane is supposed to be the main character, but in my opinion Charlotte was by and far the star of the show. She was a strong, smart, independent young woman in a time when such characteristics were discouraged, but she found a way to remain above social reproach in every situation she faced. Story and the written word were of utmost importance to here, which I obviously really related to. I loved seeing her develop her most famous story from the life of her friend. It was an adorable idea. I also loved how Charlotte inserted herself into situations whether she was invited or not, and how she always proved herself to be invaluable. She’s no damsel.

The inclusion of a supernatural element has been a fun addition to both books in this series. In My Lady Jane, this inclusion was the alteration of the historical conflict between the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic holdouts into a conflict between those with a magical animal form and those without. In My Plain Jane, this was the addition of ghosts and a society of ghost hunters into the story. I thought this addition made perfect sense with the text it was inspired by, as certain happenings at Thornfield Hall are kind of attributed to the supernatural until the big reveal further into the story. In this riff on the famous novel, the authors created the Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits. Those who have died momentarily before coming back to life come back with the ability to see ghosts, and some of those become agents for the Society. Jane sees dead people, and has an irresistible beauty to the deceased. The Society wants her desperately, but Jane wants nothing to do with them. Hijinks and hilarity ensue as the Society tries to recruit her and she tries her best to avoid them.

I loved the romantic element in this book. And no, I’m not talking about Jane and Mr. Rochester. I won’t say more than that, but I thought the growth of the romance was organic and sweet and believable. Also, did I mention the references? I love the references to pop culture so much. The Princess Bride! Ghostbusters! But mostly, the Princess Bride! That’s one of my favorite movies of all time, and I love the book as well. So any time there are Princess Bride references, I’m super happy. And there were many here. So happy!!!

I enjoyed every minute of reading this book, and I can’t wait for the next installment. Well, I guess I have to wait, since it doesn’t come out until 2020. But one of my favorite things about books in this series is that they all stand alone, and have nothing to do with each other except their authors and the inclusion of “Jane” in the title. That makes the wait more bearable. 

I can’t recommend this book or My Lady Jane enough. If you’re looking for something lighthearted and funny, with an addictive plot and fantastic characterizations, look no further. These will be your new go-to books when you need a laugh or a pick me up. Trust me.

stephanie archer 

I was so hyped up to read this, I loved my lady jane but this one just had me 🤷🏻‍♀️. it took me soooo long to finish it because i just didn’t feel attached to the story like I did for the first one. But with that said, I will be picking up the third book because I do love the way the lady janie’s write it. And I have a feeling the reason I didn’t like it very much is because of the audiobook narrator. So I can see myself giving this a physical reread! because i have hope that i’ll love it eventually.

Camila Eduarda Vilela Lobianco

Infelizmente, o segundo não chegou aos pés do primeiro, principalmente no quesito comédia. O fato de eu já não gostar muito da obra original também pode ter afetado muito na minha leitura, que, embora não tenha sido nem de longe uma das minhas favoritas do ano, fluiu bem.

Sahi K

After the delight that was reading My Lady Jane, I was very excited to read this book because it’s a retelling of Jane Eyre and I certainly know more about the classic than English history. Maybe my expectations were too high or the book itself has issues, but I couldn’t help but compare the story here to both the original and its predecessor, and find that it fell short.

Our heroine Jane is definitely the biggest disappointment for me. Her story follows almost the same path as the original, so it’s a tad bit predictable, but she is also not what we would expect from a titular character. She felt quite irrational and lacking of common sense a lot of times. Her feelings for Mr. Rochester were unreasonable and borderline obsessive – she wouldn’t listen to anyone advising her that he seemed like a shady person. It wasn’t until the end that she actually showed some spirit and decided to work with others for a good cause, but I think it was too little too late.

The addition of author Charlotte Brontë herself as a character is very intriguing and I think it made the story more interesting. She seems so sure of wanting to be a writer and I loved that she always carries a notebook with her, and starts writing down stuff at random intervals. She’s also always changing her story, and even the genre and it was hilarious to see her go through so many ideas. I especially enjoyed her descriptions of people. However, she can be quite selfish and tries to rope in Jane and Alexander into her schemes, just to satisfy her curiosity or to fulfill her desires, and that didn’t endear me to her completely. But she can be very resourceful and strategic and I loved her confidence.

Alexander Blackwood, the star agent of Royal Society for the Relocation of Wayward Spirits is the highlight of the book. He is earnest and dedicated to his job, just wants the Society to thrive and hopefully, wants to find out the truth about his father’s murder. He is also very sweet and compassionate and adorably clueless and I really loved his character.

There are not a lot of memorable side characters but few of them do leave a great impression on the reader. Jane’s ghost best friend Helen is very sassy but a supportive friend and I loved their friendship. It’s the most impactful relationship in this story and was the reason I cried while reading. Charlotte’s brother Bran is naive, clumsy and clueless but also just a nice guy who’ll do anything for his sister and friends. Mr. Rochester is far more broody here and not very likable, but I really did not see that twist coming….

The best parts of My Lady Jane were the amazing characters and the wonderful humor that kept me laughing all throughout. And that magic was missing here. The characters felt slightly boring and the romances didn’t evoke that swoony feeling in me. The humor also felt toned down, so there were fewer laugh out loud moments. The pop culture references are still spot on and I especially can’t forget the “Red Room” 😂😂😂. There are also a lot of instances of Charlotte dreaming of Mr. Darcy and I thought it was hilarious. The authors are also quite satirical about Jane’s feelings for the brooding Mr. Rochester and I think it was fun to read. However, the best part of the book is certainly the addition of ghosts. Not only does it add a spooky supernatural vibe to the story, I think it’s perfect for the gothic setting and the mystery surrounding Thornfield Hall. The actual villain is so predictable that I guessed when we first meet them, and that never happens to me. I just wish it was all a little more mysterious.

This book is entertaining enough, but can get slightly predictable and boring. I think it’ll work better if you don’t expect the same level of humor as the first book. I’m however, unsure of how the fans of Jane Eyre will feel about this.

Candyce Kirk

I enjooyed My Plain Jane. It was a fast and fun read, but I have to say I liked My Lady Jane just a bit better! The third book is definitely one that I really want. Why do we have to wait so long??

Full review will be posted on thebookdutchesses.com tomorrow!

Viry

”Death could not stop true love, whether that love was paternal or platonic or romantic. Love extended across worlds”
  

It has been a while since a book made me feel all the feels and this book just brought my love for reading back! SO GOOD SO FUN AND LIGHTHEARTED I DONT KNOW WHY IM SCREAMING IM JUST EXCITED

Cat H

2.5-3 stars, so I rounded up. Honestly, I loved My Lady Jane and have been looking forward to reading this ever since I read the first. This is a Jane Eyre retelling which is sort of a loose statement because a lot of changes were made to the storyline and, in my opinion, they didn’t always work. It was not as funny or cute as the first Jane book. I was left a little unsatisfied. The climax and resolution happened so fast that there just wasn’t any time to digest or appreciate an ending at all. Certain aspects were enjoyable...The original author being a character (and having her own separate storyline, that ultimately overshadowed Jane Eyre’s). Some of the ghost content was cute, but took up a lot of time and information. Maybe I had some expectations that weren’t met, but like I said the first Jane book was so good, so, if I have to recommend one I’d say read My Lady Jane.

laura

*4.5 stars*

I actually really enjoyed this book. I really enjoyed this retelling and all the POV that we got. I really enjoyed Charlotte story overall and just loved both the dynamics and humor between all the characters. I love also the subtle nods to other stories and just little connections that we saw. I thought his book was so atmospheric and just love how the world was built. I really found this story to be such a fun read. The pacing was slow at points but it only effected my towards the middle of the novel.

Анастасия Розова

“Words were good. But sometimes they were simply inadequate.”


For this book I've read Jane Eyre. The original one, by Bronte, so I could better understand this. Honestly, best decision ever. Otherwise some things would seem rather questionable to me. 

I liked this book a bit less than My Lady Jane, but it wasn't bad at all. It was still very entertaining and fun, interesting how they changed and twisted the story. So yeah, definitely worth the read if you liked the first one and not sure whether to continue or not!

The characters were lovely, the plot — quite fast-pased and exciting, the intrigues maybe a bit simple, but good anyway in my opinion.

So give this book a chance. It might surprise you all.

Mollee Clingenpeel

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I really enjoyed My Lady Jane so I had high hopes for this one and it just fell flat. It took me over 150 pages just to decide I wasn’t going to DNF it. So many things happened but the majority of those things felt glossed over and like they were handled much too quickly. The romance was adorable. I loved every minute of it (you know the one). There were some funny bits, and some clever references as well as some random off the wall references that made zero sense. I called the bad guy being the bad guy, no surprise or twist there, I have a lot of notes in the margins screaming “he’s bad!!! Don’t trust him!!” But there was still a couple things I didn’t see coming which helped it to be a more enjoyable read. All in all it was a let down compared to the first one but it was an okay read.

Marisa Shibata

initially, i didn't enjoy it as much as the first book, which was why i abandoned it for about two weeks, but i picked it up again a couple of days ago and have read it non-stop and really enjoyed it. i would have liked the ending a bit better if it had had a little more closure with alexander and charlotte - i felt it was a nice ending nonetheless. like the first book, i felt all the characters were very well thought out and i liked each of them. i also always enjoy how the lady janies authors interact with the readers throughout the book!! it adds a fun touch😛 excited to read the third book too, but i'm not sure how much i'll like it compared to the first two since the first two were set in england, meaning that i automatically was biased towards them, but fingers crossed i like the third too.

Beatriz

A generous 3 stars, since I was close to giving it 2.5
There are some things I can clearly say I didn’t like about this book: the plot was confusing; there was a lot of travelling without really feeling like any time had passed so I was constantly wondering how long ago a certain scene was and time didn’t feel real; some details were a bit forgotten and things didn’t add up (stuff like someone having something in hand in a scene and the next moment they didn’t or people talking as if they’re alone when just moments ago they were with other people); the ending, or more specifically the prologue, was a bit forced and unnecessary in my opinion.
There were also somethings I clearly liked: the humour; the main characters; the unexpected romance; the “drama” at end. 
However, over all of this there was something off about it that I can’t quite place but something was preventing me from fully getting into the story.
But this book did make me smile and giggle at times, although sometimes I had to look at it as if I was reading fanfiction and suspense my belief or try not to dwell on the details. But I did mostly enjoy my time reading it, it was entertaining, and that’s why I’m giving it 3 stars.

Hala Abdulaziz 

I had not planned to read this book at all , but one day while standing in the bookstore looking for something interesting, I picked this book up and thought reading the first chapter wouldn’t hurt anyone , I read the very first part of the prologue , and was instantly hooked ! the humorous writing style really pulled me and I went straight to the cashier.. here i am , after finishing it , i have to say this was a delightful read ! To be honest , i’m not the biggest fan of ghosts and paranormal stuff, but in this book , ghosts added a funny aspect to the story . Charlotte and Mr.blackwood were my favorite characters . also i liked how the authors put a little bit of a twist to the original story , I was really pleased with the ending ( a little weird but fine ) and yah !

Lovisa

So darn cute! And funny! And just what I expected!

Samantha Bass

I loved My Lady Jane and I adored My Plain Jane! I love the history rewrite and the fact that Ghosts were in the mix this time! The humor and jokes were on point, even in the most serious moments and it made the scenes even better. My favorite being the funny scenes of, who is talking to who? If you like history, paranormal activity, romance, and action - pick up this book!

Hope Brockway

I've never really been a fan of ghost stories but I must say this one's perfect. 

It's filled once again with humor and references (The Princess Bride, guys !!!) and pure Britishness. I mean, they talk about tea (and sometimes their tragic lack thereof) quite frequently so being British is a given. Plus there was a murder mystery going on (*le gasp*) so you know that was pretty lit. 

Also, Charlotte (yeah, Charlotte Bronte) was a character. I thought that was super cool cause, ya know, she's the author and everything. *shrugs* 

The whole ghost part wasn't really taken seriously (what with the whole comedy thing going on an all) but if you're sensitive to that kind of stuff, then be warned. There is a mention of an Ouiji board and some people being possessed and someone being crazy but this was otherwise clean. 

I have to say the ending was my favorite part cause it goes from 0 to 100 real quick and the pace is like "oh, we're going to be like super rad and fast-paced" so it's pretty exciting. 

If you're looking for some pretty light spookiness (like my life) then pick this up. It's perfect for those chilly days and a nice cup of tea (I mean, you can't get away with coffee cause then Charlotte and Jane will yell at you for not being British enough).

Hannah

book #7 for the owls magical readathon 2020!

herbology: read a book that starts with “m”