Review: Jane by April Linder

Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.
But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?
An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers. (YA)

Review:
Jane is the retelling of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. I have never read the original so I’m in no place to compare it to Bronte’s version but I have read in other reviews that it is a fairly faithful retelling.
I adored this book and the characters Jane and Nico. Jane is a prim and proper girl chosen to be the nanny for the impulsive and tortured rock star Nico Rathburn’s daughter.
These two alternately frustrated me and broke my heart. Although their backgrounds are vastly different, they both have suffered a great deal of pain and heartbreak. When Jane and Nico finally get together it’s quite tender and beautiful.
Of course the path to true love is never an easy road and I was frustrated at times by Jane’s timidity and Nico’s impulsiveness and his way of bulldozing over her. It does stay true to their personalities though and I was frustrated in a good way – not a throw the book across the room way. LOL
Both characters grow throughout the story and since it takes place over a span of months instead of mere days it makes their growth and love more believable.
One thing I really enjoyed was Jane’s moral convictions. No matter the temptations of Nico’s wealthy, rock & roll, decadent lifestyle she never wavered. She always tries to stay true to herself even if that means giving up the one you love to maintain your self-respect and pursue your dreams. It also means looking deep into your heart when presented with the option of a loveless yet safer relationship with the beautiful, morally upstanding River, who on paper makes a perfect match for Jane.
I was also very impressed with April Lindner’s writing style. This may have been an update but the writing still evoked the style of the classics without being stuffy or difficult to read.
Loved: Beautiful storytelling. That’s why they call them the classics.
Nitpick: Jane and Nico were sometimes a little too stubborn for their own good.

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 I think Jane would appeal to lovers of the original and to readers who may be intimidated by the classics (*cough* me).
Author's website: http://www.aprillindner.com/
Buy the book! Jane