Mrs. Rochester’s Ghost

TV writer Jane’s life is in ruin. Losing her mother to cancer and her boyfriend to another woman was hard enough; now her show has been canceled, and she can’t afford her New York apartment anymore. Luckily, an old friend offers Jane a deal that sounds too good to be true—a beautiful waterfront cottage rent-free, in exchange for tutoring the daughter of infamous entrepreneur Evan Rochester. Jane is undeniably drawn to her new employer, but the puzzling circumstances behind his wife’s death have her scrutinizing everything. This imaginative take on Charlotte Brontë’s Gothic novel has several satisfying nods to the source material, but veers away just enough to create a refreshing new experience. Marcott’s Jane is a formidable protagonist. She’s bright, inquisitive, and at times annoyingly suspicious. Evan is the typical brooding Rochester, and of course, the mystery behind the former Mrs. Rochester holds true to the original. The alternating points of view and brisk plot will hold readers’ interest.