AUTHOR OF THE OXFORD CHRONICLES AND JILLIAN DARE
Jillian Dare
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New edition: Oct 5, 2021 | Freiling Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-956267-02-0
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Synopsis
Gripping romantic suspense, inspired by the classic story of Jane Eyre...
Jillian Dare yearns to belong. Orphaned as a child and shuffled from one foster family to another, she eagerly leaves her past behind and embarks on a new life as a nanny for the daughter of mysterious billionaire mogul Ethan Remington.
Enthralled by the beauty of the countryside estate and her delightful young charge, Jillian finds herself increasingly drawn to her handsome and brooding employer. As her forbidden attraction to Ethan grows, Jillian is torn between his tender attentions and his guarded allusions to a dreadful secret. A visit to the Remington family castle unfolds an ominous series of events that threatens to unravel the happiness Jillian has always desired.
Will Jillian find love and belonging with Ethan Remington, or will his dark past destroy them both?
A Word from the Author
"This book is intended as my homage to the classic story of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. I approached this adaptation with some trepidation because I’m well aware of the criticisms which it could engender among Brontë purists. This book was not written for the purists, however, but for three other types of readers. The first type--like me-- is the lover of the classics who enjoys contemporary adaptations and is intrigued by finding the similarities and differences with the original story, as well as by conjecturing how the author will work things out in a modern setting. The second is the type who likes to read romantic suspense. And the third is the person who has not yet read Jane Eyre. My great hope is that this reader will enjoy my story enough to be inspired to read the original classic."
---Melanie M. Jeschke, author of Jillian Dare
Editorial Reviews
This contemporary romance by Jeschke (Oxford Chronicles series) echoes the classic Jane Eyre with some modern parallels. That 19th-century governess easily becomes today's nanny, as the titular character—an orphan—is employed as nanny to the toddler daughter of Ethan Remington, a wealthy corporate executive and film producer who owns a considerable ancestral home in England. Like Rochester, the lord of the manor falls for his employee's youth and freshness, but plans for the future are blocked by a complication from Remington's past. Many elements from Jane Eyre are cleverly translated: the earlier novel's sternly moral and unloving parson St. John Rivers has a convincing analogue, as do key plot elements at the book's end...reader, if you liked Charlotte Brontë's novel, you'll enjoy revisiting it here. (May)
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- Publishers Weekly
Reader Reviews
"A classic love story with all its twists and turns would describe this book perfectly. Jillian goes to a job to be a live in nanny and finds the love of her life, or is he? Jillian must decide if truth and honor are important in a relationship and whether to put her feelings above the Lord's will.
The cover describes this book as a retelling of the classic Jane Eyre. If you liked reading the classics then that is an encouragement; however, if you did not like them don't let that discourage you from this story! Told in first person you follow Jillian as she falls in love with her employer. She learns about herself and the Lord as she finds all is not as it seems concerning this man of her dreams. Will she follow her heart or stand for what is right and make some hard decisions that will affect the rest of her life?
Taking place in modern times the story is easy to follow. You go from the hills of Virginia to a castle in England. You will find love, joy, sorrow and a touch of reality in this modern day love story. A fun and exciting read that I did not want to put down! I was given this book by christianreviewofbooks.com to review."
- Irene's Christian Reviews
"Jillian is a foster child turned nanny in this book that resembles a Jane Eyre time period. I must let you know that I have never read Jane Eyre (gasp!) and this is the second book that I've read that has been a comparison to that one. I guess it's high time I read that book!
I just loved this story...from beginning to end! This is a fairly fast reading story about Jillian's transformation from foster child to nanny. She is hired by the esteemed Ethan Remington to care for his child Cadence. Ethan is a film producer who travels alot. Cadence is a ball full of 18 month energy!
Jillian is accepted as family from day one by everyone. She has many new experiences while caring for Cadence that she might not otherwise have had. She is very appreciative of the care that the Brooke family has provided her the previous 5 years.
Many things begin to change for the Remington's, Jillian included. Who is the mysterious "Woman in White"? Why are all of these strange things happening around them?
I loved the element of mystery to this book...just loved it! I can not compare this to Jane Eyre since I've not read it, but I found it very intriguing. I would love to be in Jillian's shoes for the majority of this book (If only we could pick and choose our life events out of a book!) I am still not sure how I feel about Ethan...I had a love/hate relationship with him throughout the book. Cadence stole my heart from the very beginning!
I recommend this read to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction with an element of mystery. This isn't an overly preachy book but there are a couple of chapters that seem a little heavier on the religious side than others. Nothing that should be offensive to the reader though!
Thank you to the publisher and Goodreads for providing my copy of this book that I won in the giveaway!! It is much appreciated!"