"'No woman has ever loved me sincerely, for me. It was my name and my fortune that women saw first and then were blinded to all that was behind it.... You love me for the man that I am. You accept my mercurial moods and ferocious appetites.'"
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Rochester: Consummation by J.L. Niemann Trafford Publishing
book review by P. Hooper
Imagine a Jane Eyre who actually married Mr. Rochester unaware of his previous marriage and the deranged wife, who is still living. Imagine that rather than an interruption to their wedding vows divulging Mr. Rochester's deception, he and Jane married and began their life as husband and wife. This is the story that Niemann tells.
While it is loosely based on Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre, this novel chooses a different plot for its characters. In Niemann's novel, Mr. Rochester is consumed by guilt for having deceived his beloved Jane and fear that she will be unable to forgive him when she discovers the truth. He is also awaiting a letter from a detective in Jamaica, who may be able to prove that his first wedding was a sham, thus validating his marriage to Jane as legal.
This novel is the second in a trilogy telling Mr. Rochester's story; it continues Rochester's story and it eventually ends with a cliffhanger and a promise for resolution in Niemann's upcoming novel Rochester: Redemption. Niemann develops Mr. Rochester and Jane's relationship and demonstrates not just their deep love and devotion for one another, but their passion, as well. Unlike Bronte's staid and modest tome, Niemann infuses her novel with steamy scenes of the couple's intimacy and lust for one another. For fans of Jane Eyre who don't mind an author taking liberties with the classic, this book will be an entertaining read. The mystery surrounding Mr. Rochester's first marriage is enthralling, and the light humor and interesting characters make this book an enjoyable.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review