Review: “John Eyre” by Mimi Matthews

Thumbs up for John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow by Mimi Matthews. Historical romance.

I have read Jane Eyre retellings before and none of them impressed me. This one flew by. It’s hard to tell you why it was original without some big spoilers, but I will suffice with saying: if you think you might like a nicely Gothicky Eyre retelling with a believable gender-swap of Rochester and Eyre, then you will like this book. Is it Great Literature? No, but it’s better than most of the books I’ve started to read this year (and mostly put down again).

“A box bed.” Mr. Fairfax slid one of the panels open, revealing the mattress, pillows, and neatly folded coverlet inside. He looked over his shoulder, his bushy white brows lowered. “You’re not wary of enclosed spaces, I trust? If so, rest assured that you have nothing to fear. It opens from the inside as well as the outside.”