Within These Wicked Walls
- Downloads：4594
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-10-20 07:19:28
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Lauren Blackwood
- ISBN：B08R2L2BRD
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Ana
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I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 DNF 35%I really wanted to love this book， but I struggled to read it。 I'd force myself to pick it up， but could only read a few more pages before I put it down again。 I think Within These Wicked Walls had a lot of the bare bones of a great story （and not just because it's based on one of my favourite classics， Jane Eyre）。 You've Andromeda， a traumatised orphan who comes to cleanse Rochester's house o I received a free eARC from the author/publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 DNF 35%I really wanted to love this book， but I struggled to read it。 I'd force myself to pick it up， but could only read a few more pages before I put it down again。 I think Within These Wicked Walls had a lot of the bare bones of a great story （and not just because it's based on one of my favourite classics， Jane Eyre）。 You've Andromeda， a traumatised orphan who comes to cleanse Rochester's house of Manifestations of the Evil Eye。 And those manifestations are creepy。 Rooms filling with blood that make you feel like you're drowning; manifestations in cupboards that look like spiders and whisper all your deepest darkest fears to you。 What I struggled with was the narrative style， the dialogue， and the characters。 Andromeda has a way of telling not showing， but at the same time doesn't really give me any information I really want to know。 When is this set？ Is it set in Ethiopia， or is it set in a fantasy world inspired by Ethiopia？ （One throwaway line suggests that it might be a first world setting。） The dialogue is also quite confusing， especially between Magnus and Andi。 They leave conversations half finished， or jump to some other tangent。 I literally had no idea what they were talking about half the time。 Which brings me to the characters themselves。 Magnus and Andi are all over the place。 One minute she's determined to actually do what she was paid for （getting rid of Manifestations）， next she's having a flirtatious conversation with Magnus， the next she's angry for no particular reason， and then she's having her hair done。 Still， I could accept most of that given Andi's upbringing - being a traumatised and semi-abused orphan who lived in near poverty。 Magnus is the one I couldn't stand。 He's dismissive， manipulative， and haughty one minute， then he's a pitiful， sad， cursed boy who has next to no real friends the next， then he's a charming rake， before turning into a sulking man-child who is offended by nothing at all。 He doesn't even seem worried about the Manifestations and how they affect everyone in his home， not just himself。 He wants Andi to just hang out with him。 If her job was less important （no offence to governesses）， I could forgive his attitude。 But people are disappearing and being traumatised！ He can have all the friends in the world if Andi fixes his house of horrors。 And somehow， despite continually offending each other， the two are instantly attracted， and it makes absolutely no sense。 Magnus may have a personality similar to the original Rochester （although amped up， and with more frequent mood swings）， but Andi is nothing like Jane Eyre， and it means that the dynamic doesn't really work。 They just clash。 Sadly， Within These Wicked Walls was a miss for me。 。。。more
Larissa
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When Andromeda is asked to come exorcise a local castle of the Evil Eye she had no idea what she was taking on。 As a unlicensed debtera Andromeda has been trained by one of the most revered debtera in the land Jember， one of the only debtera who has successfully banished a physical manifestation of the evil eye。 While Andromeda is very talented will she have learned enough to be able to help expel all the evil that lives in the caste？ Its occupants seem to disappear after making eye contact with When Andromeda is asked to come exorcise a local castle of the Evil Eye she had no idea what she was taking on。 As a unlicensed debtera Andromeda has been trained by one of the most revered debtera in the land Jember， one of the only debtera who has successfully banished a physical manifestation of the evil eye。 While Andromeda is very talented will she have learned enough to be able to help expel all the evil that lives in the caste？ Its occupants seem to disappear after making eye contact with the castles quick whited handsome owner Magnus Rocheste。 Mangnus who is haunted by more then ghosts longs to end the curse one way or another。 Will Andromeda be the key that breaks his curse？ Does she have enough talent to take on such a haunted castle？ And will love truly find a way？Overall I liked this book。 I will say it was very predictable。 I knew early on two of the biggest reveals from the book。 However knowing what was going to happen didn't take away from overall enjoyment in reading this book。 I enjoyed both Andromeda and Mangnus' quick whit。 They were very well written and scenes between them flowed really well。 I also loved how Jember was brought more into the story and how his and Andromeda's history was slowly revealed during the book。 I feel like her final acceptance of who he was as a person， his ability to show love， and knowing that what he had given her was all he was truly capable of giving shows a lot of character growth on Andromeda's behalf。 Defiantly a book that I will be recommending to anyone looking for a semi scary book this spooky season。 Thank you St。 Martin's Press and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy。 。。。more
Jessica Moro
，
Right off the bat， I think the only thing this shares with Jane Eyre is the name and a creepy mansion。 The premise of it is so interesting though。 Bar the marketing mishap I did enjoy this exorcism story especially for the season。 I really enjoyed the writing style because even though this was a complicated story to follow， the style made it easy to follow and had plenty of wit。 Andi is forced to be find good paying work when her mentor throws her out。 I'm still not sure exactly why but she basi Right off the bat， I think the only thing this shares with Jane Eyre is the name and a creepy mansion。 The premise of it is so interesting though。 Bar the marketing mishap I did enjoy this exorcism story especially for the season。 I really enjoyed the writing style because even though this was a complicated story to follow， the style made it easy to follow and had plenty of wit。 Andi is forced to be find good paying work when her mentor throws her out。 I'm still not sure exactly why but she basically made decision in direct opposition to what his warped intentions were。 She ends up at the home of Magnus Rochester who is in dire need of a cleansing。 Andi is immediately taken in by Magnus' eccentric， jovial， immature spirit。 Magnus is 20 but acts like he's 10 and it adds some levity to the story。 He was forced to Ethiopia even though it's not directly said， and he has a small crew of people that live in fear of vanishing from the curse。 If Andi is supposed to be Jane， an orphan filled with sadness， she is actually quite optimistic but able to lift curses。 I was surprised by her non dreary personality and really enjoyed her journey。 There is a romantic journey in this story and even though I wouldn't have picked him for her， it makes sense。 This is a great Halloween read that isn't too scary and delivers a great plot。 。。。more
Michele
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4 1/2 stars。。。I really enjoyed this book。 It gave an entirely new feeling to the haunted house genre。 I guess in this instance， it's more than just the house that's haunted。 There's so much more to be dealt with than our main character， Andromeda initially anticipates。 To complicate things， Magnus， the owner of the home who is cursed also seems to have feelings for Andi。Within These Wicked Walls definitely doesn't pull any punches。 It's a brutally violent horror tale。 Fortunately， it does blend 4 1/2 stars。。。I really enjoyed this book。 It gave an entirely new feeling to the haunted house genre。 I guess in this instance， it's more than just the house that's haunted。 There's so much more to be dealt with than our main character， Andromeda initially anticipates。 To complicate things， Magnus， the owner of the home who is cursed also seems to have feelings for Andi。Within These Wicked Walls definitely doesn't pull any punches。 It's a brutally violent horror tale。 Fortunately， it does blend in a several romantic storylines for good balance。 It's marketed as a Jane Eyre retelling。 That part is a bit of a stretch for me。 Yet， I was a completely engrossed in this book and found it to be an absolute page turner。 It was a well-done gothic romance with elements of the supernatural that would make even the toughest reader tremble。 Lauren Blackwood wrote a creative novel with a flair for detail。 There was wit， heartbreak， fear， hope， friendship， love and romance。 It was a true gem。Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC。 I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own。AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I also had the privilege of listening to and reviewing the audiobook。 It was outstanding。 The narration lent itself to the storyline and really enriched the novel。 I enjoyed everything about it。 In particular， the narrator's accent gave more authenticity to the story。 I highly recommend the audio version。 （5 stars） 。。。more
Teresa
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Thank you to NetGalley， Wednesday Books， St。 Martin's Press， Macmillan Audio， Nneka Okoye （narrator）， and Lauren Blackwood for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review。The very start of this book has Jane Eyre vibes， though I found this retelling was far more intriguing than the Bronte novel， and I finished this book in nearly a day。 The narrator， Nneka Okoye， has the perfect voice and accent for the vibes of this book， and Thank you to NetGalley， Wednesday Books， St。 Martin's Press， Macmillan Audio， Nneka Okoye （narrator）， and Lauren Blackwood for the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook of Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review。The very start of this book has Jane Eyre vibes， though I found this retelling was far more intriguing than the Bronte novel， and I finished this book in nearly a day。 The narrator， Nneka Okoye， has the perfect voice and accent for the vibes of this book， and I love the spookier aspect of what is going on in this novel。Andromeda is living on the streets after being kicked out by her mentor。 She was working on her liscense to be a debtera， though did not finish before ending up homeless， but she is still offered a job。 A debtera， in Ethiopian culture， is a clergy or religious figure who performs exorcisms。 Andromeda needs that job more than anything， so despite not having a liscence， she takes it。Upon arrival to a vast castle， Andromeda learns there were at least eleven debtera before her who failed to remove the curse of the Evil Eye from the castle， or rather， the man within the castle who has been cursed: Magnus Rochester， the last name mimicking that of the male lead in Jane Eyre。 Andromeda soon learns this particular Evil Eye might be more than she anticipated。 Even all the talismans she has made in preperation might not work。Magnus， the rich heir seeking help to remove the curse of the Evil Eye， is rude and demanding of his new hire。 If Andromeda is to remain hired。。and stay alive， there are a number of rules she must follow in Magnus' domain。 When this Evil Eye portrays actual manifestations， Andromeda finds she might be in over her head。 How are these so sinister and how are they linked to Magnus？ What has he done to be so awfully cursed？ Andromeda even notices something a bit off about the household staff。 Everything about the situation is beyond abnormal， even for an exorcism。 Despite his curse and his manner， Adnromeda can't abandon Magnus like the previous debteras who gave up on the job。 Not when her feelings start to intervene！A great novel full of exciting moments， tension， and romance。 I loved looking for comparisons to Jane Eyre while also learning about Ethiopian culture。 This is a fast-paced book full of tension and romance， and I also love the fact that it is stand-alone with a rounded ending leaving the reader/listener satisfied。 Highly recommend for young adult readers looking for something familiar， yet fresh and different at the same time。 。。。more
Annarella
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I don't know if it's a retelling of Jane Eyre but I enjoyed it， a good horror/paranormal fiction that kept me hooked。Good world building and character development， a compelling and entertaining plot。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine I don't know if it's a retelling of Jane Eyre but I enjoyed it， a good horror/paranormal fiction that kept me hooked。Good world building and character development， a compelling and entertaining plot。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more
Sara Weather
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#176 The Good I。 I think you can read and enjoy this if:A。 you have read Jane EyreI was obsessed with the choices and themes: how will the author translate （if they do） x theme/element from Jane Eyre？B。 you have not read Jane EyreIt is not such a close reimagining you have to read Jane Eyre to understand it。 Honestly， it is very much its own thing so I can see other Jane Eyre readers not liking how loose it is with the reimagining。C。 you like Jane EyreYou can enjoy the story but also look at the #176 The Good I。 I think you can read and enjoy this if:A。 you have read Jane EyreI was obsessed with the choices and themes: how will the author translate （if they do） x theme/element from Jane Eyre？B。 you have not read Jane EyreIt is not such a close reimagining you have to read Jane Eyre to understand it。 Honestly， it is very much its own thing so I can see other Jane Eyre readers not liking how loose it is with the reimagining。C。 you like Jane EyreYou can enjoy the story but also look at the subtle themes and elements that story reimagined。D。 you do not like Jane EyreIt is it’s own story thus is not a paint by numbers rehash of Jane Eyre。II。 ThemesA。 As a person who read and liked Jane Eyre it was interesting comparing and contrasting the themes between two stories。B。 The treatment of themes never felt heavy or heavy-handed。III。 HorrorA。 It was more House on Haunted Hill than ghost infested which was refreshing。B。 It has actual magic， fantasy， horror， and a unique setting。C。 I think the story being based on Jane Eyre helped it to avoid some pitfalls other Black ya fantasies have fallen into。 At the same time I think that the creativity of the author really did work too because at the end of the day so much of the world is unique and its own。IV。 RomanceIt got on my nerves at times but at a certain point I was like the author has that gothic romance 19th century classic literature emo angst downpack （there is a interesting intersection overall in literature between ya and classic lit angst）。 Thoughts I。 I want to see horror explored beyond the settings and conversations that it feels Black people are pigeonholed to。II。 There are benefits to being a standalone /non-epic fantasy。I think it creates a tighter well constructed story because the story is going to end with one book。 Also， this story is gothic fantasy/horror/romance which are generally not heavy epic fantasy world building subgenres 。III。 I would so much like to see more classics be reimagined in fantasy by Black authors。I want Black authors to take these stories in interesting directions。IV。 An interesting element was England being subtlety represented as an outside culture。V。 This would be a good book to study and be part of a book club。 I won this in a goodreads giveaway by St。 Martin’s Press。 。。。more
Susan
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Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley， Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review。Ok so first off。。。 I think it's misleading that this is being promoted as a retelling of Jane Eyre。 Because it's not。 At all。 HOWEVER as a gothic story of curses and possession set in Ethiopia， it's amazing。Andromeda spent her childhood being trained in the ways of the debtera to become an exorcist。 However， circumstances occurred that caused her to run away before she was Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley， Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners in exchange for an honest review。Ok so first off。。。 I think it's misleading that this is being promoted as a retelling of Jane Eyre。 Because it's not。 At all。 HOWEVER as a gothic story of curses and possession set in Ethiopia， it's amazing。Andromeda spent her childhood being trained in the ways of the debtera to become an exorcist。 However， circumstances occurred that caused her to run away before she was able to be licensed。 On her own without money for food or lodging， she manages to book a job to cleanse a house from the Evil Eye。 Little did she know what she was walking in to。 The young heir Magnus is eclectic， his household staff （what's left of them） aren't exactly welcoming， and there's a young woman who looks a lot like Magnus that doesn't speak and the other servants don't seem to notice her。 Something is definitely not right at this mansion。 Andromeda is feisty and smart， as the banter between her and Magnus grows things of course get more complicated。 The magic system was super interesting， and I really enjoyed the romance between Andromeda and Magnus。 And what's not to like about a house with a murderous librarian spirit that will chuck books at your head？ All in all Lauren Blackwood casts a spell over readers， allowing them to become fully immersed into this story and the world。 This is a great addition to the gothic novel genre and I can see myself revisiting this text down the road。Nneka Okoye does a superb job with the audiobook performance and knows how to further convey the gothic feel while listening to this book。 。。。more
Myria
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Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review。 All opinions are my own。Within These Wicked Walls is a perfect choice for a spooky October read。 This isn't my typical read， but I really enjoyed it。 The descriptions for the hauntings by the Evil Eye were really cool and creepy。 My only complaint about the book is that it seemed as if some of the scenes were a little repetitive。 It didn't completely take away from the story， but it didn't add much Thank you to NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy for review。 All opinions are my own。Within These Wicked Walls is a perfect choice for a spooky October read。 This isn't my typical read， but I really enjoyed it。 The descriptions for the hauntings by the Evil Eye were really cool and creepy。 My only complaint about the book is that it seemed as if some of the scenes were a little repetitive。 It didn't completely take away from the story， but it didn't add much either。 I also didn't feel the connection between Andi and Magnus。 Yes， their interactions were sweet， but I didn't feel that click like I would've liked。All in all， I would definitely recommend this to other readers who enjoy some paranormal reading。 。。。more
Dedra ~ A Book Wanderer
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I'm afraid this is a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me。 I was very excited about this one， but I've decided to stop reading at 35%。 It's my first DNF of the year， so choosing to stop is not a decision I do lightly。 I think I was expecting this one to be more creepy or scary， and there were creepy things happening， but it seemed to lack the building tension I wanted。 I also wasn't feeling the romance。 It was a little too insta-love for me。I didn't want to keep reading and end up giving I'm afraid this is a case of wrong book at the wrong time for me。 I was very excited about this one， but I've decided to stop reading at 35%。 It's my first DNF of the year， so choosing to stop is not a decision I do lightly。 I think I was expecting this one to be more creepy or scary， and there were creepy things happening， but it seemed to lack the building tension I wanted。 I also wasn't feeling the romance。 It was a little too insta-love for me。I didn't want to keep reading and end up giving it a lower rating than it deserves simply because I forced myself to finish。 But it's getting some high reviews from my fellow bloggers， so I know there is an audience for it。 It is well-written， so I hope others give it a chance！Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an advance copy。 。。。more
Anniek
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"My love may be mad and reckless， [。。。] but it's real and honest。" I absolutely adored the romance in this book。 It's not the kind of romance that's meant to be a good example， because this is not that kind of story。 But it's SO compelling。 And as a whole， this was probably the best Jane Eyre retelling I've read， it was so well crafted and engaging， the author recognizably working with the original text but making it their own， and really adding to it。 "My love may be mad and reckless， [。。。] but it's real and honest。" I absolutely adored the romance in this book。 It's not the kind of romance that's meant to be a good example， because this is not that kind of story。 But it's SO compelling。 And as a whole， this was probably the best Jane Eyre retelling I've read， it was so well crafted and engaging， the author recognizably working with the original text but making it their own， and really adding to it。 。。。more
Joy Whiteside
，
I enjoyed this book from the moment that I started reading and could not stop will the last page was read。 It moved along at a great pace， has interesting characters that you will love and a story that keeps you reading and needing more。 This book needs to be on your TBR list， there is no doubt about it。
Molly - Baltimore Bibliophile
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Within These Wicked Walls is pitched as an Ethiopian inspired Jane Eyre retelling。 I'm unfamiliar with the Jane Eyre story， so I can't confirm how closely this story aligns with Jane Eyre， BUT it is an excellent story no matter what。 The story revolves around a haunted house， exorcisms， and an unlikely romance。 Andromeda is a debtera （exorcist） hired by the rich and mysterious hermit Magnus Rochester to cleanse his home of a curse。 A dozen older and more experienced debteras have tried and faile Within These Wicked Walls is pitched as an Ethiopian inspired Jane Eyre retelling。 I'm unfamiliar with the Jane Eyre story， so I can't confirm how closely this story aligns with Jane Eyre， BUT it is an excellent story no matter what。 The story revolves around a haunted house， exorcisms， and an unlikely romance。 Andromeda is a debtera （exorcist） hired by the rich and mysterious hermit Magnus Rochester to cleanse his home of a curse。 A dozen older and more experienced debteras have tried and failed to cleanse the mansion， but Andi is desperate。 Quickly she realizes she has bitten off more than she can chew with the sheer amount of work needed， in addition to the moody and entitled employer who she is strangely attracted to。For a stand alone， this book is plotted and paced really well。 Fantasy stand alones can often run into a pacing problem but I felt this book was well balanced with plot & world-building。 There is not a lot of explanation around the magic system involving exorcising the Evil Eye， but enough is given to have an understanding of what is happening。 There is also a theme of family and second chance love during some background plots。The slow burn romance had some superb tension and banter， but I wasn't completely sold on the whole thing。 Maybe that means I wouldn't love the original Jane Eyre， but it was somehow slow burn but also too fast？ Andi did a complete flip flop at one point for no reason but， hey it happens in romances。**Thank you to Wednesday Books and Netgalley for an early copy in exchange for an honest review** 。。。more
Emily
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**ARC provided by the publisher for review consideration。 All thoughts are my own**I really *wanted* to like this one， but between the spotty world building and inconsistent characters I finally put it down at about 2/3 in。
Amber
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Full of haunted horrors， gothic intrigue， and unexpected romance， Within These Wicked Walls was a perfectly spooky October read that brought a new eerie take on the classic Jane Eyre story。👻🖤Trained to cleanse houses from restless spirits and manifestations， Andromeda is sent to exorcise a mysterious estate from the evil lurking beneath its walls。👀 Once she begins her work， she discovers a tragic curse brought upon those who live there and is determined to find a way to save them before it’s too Full of haunted horrors， gothic intrigue， and unexpected romance， Within These Wicked Walls was a perfectly spooky October read that brought a new eerie take on the classic Jane Eyre story。👻🖤Trained to cleanse houses from restless spirits and manifestations， Andromeda is sent to exorcise a mysterious estate from the evil lurking beneath its walls。👀 Once she begins her work， she discovers a tragic curse brought upon those who live there and is determined to find a way to save them before it’s too late。😱This story blended the inspiration of Jane Eyre and its gothic elements into an Ethiopian retelling that completely swept me away！😍 I loved how Blackwood subtly wove in nods to the original story while adding in new twists and turns， including a different take on our Jane and Rochester-inspired characters。🤗Andromeda was fierce and strong， and Magnus…sweet， sweet Magnus stole my heart。🥺🥰 He had a light and endearing personality， filled with adorable little quirks that offset the horrors happening around him。 The romance， as well， added a great balance to the dark plot bringing life and humor to the story and making readers feel for the characters and become invested。💕 （Also， the banter was downright ADORABLE！）With strong themes of love and family， Blackwood created a beautiful story with a mix of horror， action， and romance that is sure to give you chills and touch your heart。🥺*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review。*[TW: Slavery/trafficking， physical abuse， blood and gore， depression， abandonment] 。。。more
ShakilaMarie_Reads
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This was a perfect book for this spooky season！Andromeda， a debtera， who was hired to rid Magus’ mansion of the Evil Eye。 This job came at the perfect time as Andi found herself to be homeless and without money after leaving her mentor Jember who took her in and taught her over the years。 She’s now being put to the test to see if she’s able to use her amulets to clean the mansion。 However， she’s not an official certified debtera and this comes after the unsuccessful attempts of many previous deb This was a perfect book for this spooky season！Andromeda， a debtera， who was hired to rid Magus’ mansion of the Evil Eye。 This job came at the perfect time as Andi found herself to be homeless and without money after leaving her mentor Jember who took her in and taught her over the years。 She’s now being put to the test to see if she’s able to use her amulets to clean the mansion。 However， she’s not an official certified debtera and this comes after the unsuccessful attempts of many previous debtera。In Magnus’ spooky mansion， he has given the order that everyone must stay in their rooms during the “waking hours” when the Evil Eye comes out to prey on the house guests。 If you are caught in the hallways during this time， you may not see the light of the next day。 As Andi ventures to figure out how to get rid of the evil eye， she learns about herself， how new employer， her mentor and her past。 I enjoyed the story as little bits are revealed about Andromeda and the other characters involved。 This book not only includes a good story， we have a little action throughout as well。 A little blood， a little fighting， and killing as well as spooky paranormal beings throughout the house and “𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙒𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙨。” We also have a bit of romance in there too。There was some parts of the book that was a little slow for me， but over all the book is one to read！Thank you so much for the gifted e-arc @netgalley and @stmartinspress 。。。more
fictitiouswanderer
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GUYS。 This book was so good！！ It’s a Ethiopian inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre and it will sweep you off your feet。 Andromeda is a debtera and she is offered a job by Magnus to cleanse his house of the Evil Eye。 Desperately needing a job with room and board she accepts without fully understanding the mess she’s about to find herself in。The relationship that builds between Andromeda and Magnus is so sweet and genuine， it’s hard to not fall in love with them。 This book made me swoon， smile GUYS。 This book was so good！！ It’s a Ethiopian inspired fantasy retelling of Jane Eyre and it will sweep you off your feet。 Andromeda is a debtera and she is offered a job by Magnus to cleanse his house of the Evil Eye。 Desperately needing a job with room and board she accepts without fully understanding the mess she’s about to find herself in。The relationship that builds between Andromeda and Magnus is so sweet and genuine， it’s hard to not fall in love with them。 This book made me swoon， smile， and cry。 I liked that it was creepy without being scary and that the main focus was the relationships between characters。 4。5/5 ⭐️ 。。。more
Ashelee Gerald
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I waver on YA。 I was super excited about this one especially after reading （and LOVING） Legendborn and being immersed in the Children of Blood and Bone series - and it's set in Ethiopia？！ I also love a classical retelling with a diverse set of characters。 However， I didn't get too much of that。 I'll give it more stars than what reflects my honest feelings about the book because exorcisms and evil spirits aren't really my jam （yes， as mentioned above I do love Legendborn but I can only take so mu I waver on YA。 I was super excited about this one especially after reading （and LOVING） Legendborn and being immersed in the Children of Blood and Bone series - and it's set in Ethiopia？！ I also love a classical retelling with a diverse set of characters。 However， I didn't get too much of that。 I'll give it more stars than what reflects my honest feelings about the book because exorcisms and evil spirits aren't really my jam （yes， as mentioned above I do love Legendborn but I can only take so much in a year - I'm a squeamish scaredy-cat）。 。。。more
Amanda
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officially DNFing at 40% Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye。 When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rorschach reaches out to hire her， she takes the job without question。 Well this book was a flop - but I think a lot of that was personal preference。 While I liked Andromeda， she was the only character。 Magnus made me so incredible mad that I had to DNF at 40%。 I had tried so hard to look past but he had no redeeming qualities and made NO LOGICAL sense。 officially DNFing at 40% Andromeda is a debtera—an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye。 When a handsome young heir named Magnus Rorschach reaches out to hire her， she takes the job without question。 Well this book was a flop - but I think a lot of that was personal preference。 While I liked Andromeda， she was the only character。 Magnus made me so incredible mad that I had to DNF at 40%。 I had tried so hard to look past but he had no redeeming qualities and made NO LOGICAL sense。 So why was our main character instantly falling in love with him？ WHY？ The lack logic in this book was enough to make me mutter under my breath every time something happened。。。 I have more to say about these characters but I feel like it's pointless to keep harping on them。 Andromeda was fine， Magnus SUCKED， moving on。The gothic atmosphere was fine。 I tend to not enjoy gothic stories where the setting is almost it's own character。 The author didn't do a bad job with this， I've just read more affective ones， and it is a personal preference that I don't love Gothic Tales。 And as I don't know the original Jane Eyre story very well （it's been way too long） I'm not comfortable comparing the stories。Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ 。。。more
Sammy
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Check out my full review on my blog We Write at Dawn！4。5 // 5 starsThank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for review。 This is a spoiler free， honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own。To start off， I've never read Jane Eyre。 I couldn't even tell you the basic gist of the book。 So， heading into this book， I had an open heart and open mind。First things first - Andromeda （Andi） is a hardened girl who has not truly lived life， only survived。 Gro Check out my full review on my blog We Write at Dawn！4。5 // 5 starsThank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy for review。 This is a spoiler free， honest review and all thoughts and feelings are my own。To start off， I've never read Jane Eyre。 I couldn't even tell you the basic gist of the book。 So， heading into this book， I had an open heart and open mind。First things first - Andromeda （Andi） is a hardened girl who has not truly lived life， only survived。 Growing up under her adoptive father and mentor， Andi has learned how to survive and keep herself alive。 So when she's lost her mentorship， and gets hired to cleanse Magnus Rochester's home of the Evil Eye， she will do anything to succeed。 The characters were absolutely 10/10 for me。 But the only issue I had with this story， and really it's a small issue， is the plot repetition。 We have almost the same series of actions happening back to back; the repetition was really obvious and it took me out of the story the second time it happened。 But， like I said， looking back it's a small issue。 The rest of the plot is excellent and well makes up for the one issue I wasn't a fan of。 Besides that， this book was so， so good。 I loved the characters， I love the world， the plot， the history， the development - everything about this story was so good！ There were several scenes where I was on the edge of my seat terrified to read what would happen next。 If you're looking for a spooky book to finish out spooky season， or to read beyond then， definitely add this one to your list！ 。。。more
trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader
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"There was nothing to fear here 。 。 。 only memories。 Those could only hurt you if you let them。” cw // blood， gore， abuse， death， paralysis， murder， abandonment， slavery， traffickingNow I've never read Jane Eyre but I was able to enjoy this book nonetheless。 Set in Ethiopia， this book follows Andromeda who is raised by her master Jember who never showed any sign of affection for nearly 14 years。 He treated her so harshly to force her toughen up at the young age。 She’s only 19 and she leaves her "There was nothing to fear here 。 。 。 only memories。 Those could only hurt you if you let them。” cw // blood， gore， abuse， death， paralysis， murder， abandonment， slavery， traffickingNow I've never read Jane Eyre but I was able to enjoy this book nonetheless。 Set in Ethiopia， this book follows Andromeda who is raised by her master Jember who never showed any sign of affection for nearly 14 years。 He treated her so harshly to force her toughen up at the young age。 She’s only 19 and she leaves her home， penniless， suffering from hunger and decides to take the suicide mission to cleanse household of Magnus Rochester from the Evil Eye。 10 other debteras a。k。a exorcists like her took the same job and they died or they left the place without looking back before finishing their mission。I loved Andromeda’s character。 She’s tough， funny， and very determined。 Magnus was a harder sell for me。 He's charmed by her almost immediately， but his spoiled privileged attitude makes him hard to like。 He does however grow as a person as the story goes on。 I found that magic system to be VERY interesting， and that's what sucked me in entirely。 There's not a lot of info dumping， which always left me wanting more。 Lauren does a great job of easing the readers into this new world。One of the few flaws I found in this story was a British audiobook narrator。 I kept losing touch with the Ethiopian setting and rather being forced into a British one。 However， if you read it in print， you can avoid that issue altogether。 If you want a somewhat dark， atmospheric， yet also occasionally playful， diverse fantasy that happens to harken back to a well known classic tale， you should absolutely have this not only on your radar but on your TBR。Find me on: instagramThe ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Samantha
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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。I really didn't enjoy this book。 I was bored throughout most of it and really struggled not to DNF it。 The characters were all really annoying with the main characters being YA cliches。 Andromeda is the lovesick girl who wants to fix things but in the end can't do it alone。 Magnus is your typical YA rich boy who the girl saves。。 yay Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。 All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own。I really didn't enjoy this book。 I was bored throughout most of it and really struggled not to DNF it。 The characters were all really annoying with the main characters being YA cliches。 Andromeda is the lovesick girl who wants to fix things but in the end can't do it alone。 Magnus is your typical YA rich boy who the girl saves。。 yay。。。 I guess。 And then there's an old man who right before he dies comes to terms with love being there all along！ This is just so not for me。 I expected something quite different and maybe that's why I'm so disappointed with it。 。。。more
Bhavsi
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Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel， Within These Wicked Walls is a stunning and spooky Young Adult fantasy。 It is a clever remix of the classic， Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte with Ethiopian inspiration！The story follows Andromeda， our protagonist as she takes a job to cleanse the rich heir’s， Magnus Rochester’s castle。 She is a debtera （I googled this – a debtera is a religious figure from Ethiopia and surrounding areas who perform exorcisms and other religious acts）。 As Andromeda cleanses the manif Lauren Blackwood’s debut novel， Within These Wicked Walls is a stunning and spooky Young Adult fantasy。 It is a clever remix of the classic， Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte with Ethiopian inspiration！The story follows Andromeda， our protagonist as she takes a job to cleanse the rich heir’s， Magnus Rochester’s castle。 She is a debtera （I googled this – a debtera is a religious figure from Ethiopia and surrounding areas who perform exorcisms and other religious acts）。 As Andromeda cleanses the manifestations in the castle， she finds that this job might be her most challenging yet。 She knows she needs help so enter， Jember， her mentor or actually he’ll most likely ask you to exit。Will Andromeda be able to cleanse the castle and save everyone she cares about？ Or will the terrifying manifestations force her into turning away？This book is creepy and the vivid descriptions of the manifestations that the characters encounter will make your heart race。 Halfway through the book I was spooked but then there were less and less of these encounters and honestly， I wanted more of the creepy！Andromeda is a headstrong and determined character and I really enjoyed reading her。 On the other hand， while Magnus is mysterious and alluring at first， I felt he was quite whiny throughout。 I’m also not a fan of instant love and this is definitely that。 I wish I’d known more about the background of the haunted castle and Magnus himself because some pieces somehow fell together and I didn’t even realize it。 And can we please take a moment to appreciate Saba？ Because wow。Overall， a very atmospheric read that is perfect for spooky season！Thank you to St。 Martin’s Press， Netgalley & Lauren Blackwood for this advance review copy in exchange of an honest review。 Within These Wicked Walls is out on October 19th， 2021！ 。。。more
Sahitya
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CW: bleeding walls， parental abuse， dismemberment， selling of children Probably more of a 3。5 but I’m rounding up。 I can’t say I remember reading the original Jane Eyre but I have read a couple of retellings/stories inspired by the classic， so when I saw one more retelling announcement set in Ethiopia， I was immediately intrigued and very glad when I got the advance copy。 One thing I can say， this is perfect to read during this spooky season。 The castle in the novel and it’s owner are haunted by CW: bleeding walls， parental abuse， dismemberment， selling of children Probably more of a 3。5 but I’m rounding up。 I can’t say I remember reading the original Jane Eyre but I have read a couple of retellings/stories inspired by the classic， so when I saw one more retelling announcement set in Ethiopia， I was immediately intrigued and very glad when I got the advance copy。 One thing I can say， this is perfect to read during this spooky season。 The castle in the novel and it’s owner are haunted by the antagonist， an Evil Eye which manifests in different forms throughout the castle every night， endangering its inhabitants。 The author describes this eerie castle perfectly， with its many eccentric and sometimes horrifying features， which makes the building itself feel like the main character。 That’s what makes this a very intriguing gothic fantasy。 The plotting is also pretty fast paced， with everything moving at breakneck speeds at times， because everyone’s lives are in danger。 The prose is pretty easy to read and I found myself quite engaged in this mysterious story。 Andromeda or Andi is a compassionate， brave， slightly distrustful but very loving young woman who has been through a lot of hardships since childhood， and is determined to finish this dangerous job and earn a patronage。 Magnus on the other hand is the owner of the castle who has been plagued by the Evil Eye for three years and is very depressed about it。 He is also a slightly pretentious and snobby rich brat sometimes， but his bad qualities get offset by his charm and wit。 Their romance is definitely very instalovey but it was also understandable because they are two people who have experienced a lot of loneliness， and it’s easy to fall in love with the first person who shows some affection。 There are quite a few side characters too but I didn’t find any of them too memorable except for Saba who was sweet and extremely loving and caring， despite her devastating circumstances。 And ofcourse there’s Jember， the only father Andi has ever known。 They have a complicated relationship and I understand why she was quick to forgive him when he apologized after 14 years of being abusive to her。 But her justification that all his abuse was ok because he was doing it out of love and to help her survive， and all his abusive teachings helped her survive when she was literally homeless and starving （because of him） - was a bit too much for me to stomach and I almost felt like she was gaslighting herself。 Magnus seemed like the only voice of reason who understood abuse for what it was。 In the end， this was a very eerie， mysterious， atmospheric and sometimes horrific YA gothic fantasy novel， with very memorable main protagonists and their endearing love story。 I may have some issues with some characterizations but overall it was an engaging book， and while it doesn’t have too much in common with the OG Jane Eyre except some names and the haunted castle， I still think fans of the classic will enjoy this one。 。。。more
Nancy
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That cover！！ Can you love a book solely based on the cover？ I’d love to have this book on my shelf！ It’s YA。 It’s a debut！ It’s tangentially an Ethiopian inspired retelling of Jane Eyre。 I loved Andromeda & Magnus！！ The MC is in training to be an exorcist。 She spends time in a gloriously creepy castle。 The romance is sweet & the horror is a light touch。 Perfect choice for a quick， fun story for Halloween。 What a great stand alone debut & I can’t wait for this author’s next book！ Thank you NetGal That cover！！ Can you love a book solely based on the cover？ I’d love to have this book on my shelf！ It’s YA。 It’s a debut！ It’s tangentially an Ethiopian inspired retelling of Jane Eyre。 I loved Andromeda & Magnus！！ The MC is in training to be an exorcist。 She spends time in a gloriously creepy castle。 The romance is sweet & the horror is a light touch。 Perfect choice for a quick， fun story for Halloween。 What a great stand alone debut & I can’t wait for this author’s next book！ Thank you NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book， I pre-ordered the book for my shelf！ 。。。more
Jennifer
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Thanks to partners NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review。 Those of you who follow me know that I love a new version of a classic， and I’m particularly a sucker for a Jane Eyre retelling， so when I saw that there was a Jane Eyre retelling set in Ethiopia with a fantasy twist， I requested immediately。 Wow， did Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls satisfy my every hope and expec Thanks to partners NetGalley， St。 Martin's Press， and Wednesday Books for the digital ARC of Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls in exchange for an honest review。 Those of you who follow me know that I love a new version of a classic， and I’m particularly a sucker for a Jane Eyre retelling， so when I saw that there was a Jane Eyre retelling set in Ethiopia with a fantasy twist， I requested immediately。 Wow， did Lauren Blackwood’s Within These Wicked Walls satisfy my every hope and expectation！This book does what the best retellings do: it takes its source material as inspiration and then spins out a new story and a new world。 Here， the Jane character is Andromeda， a debtera—a type of exorcist—who can cleanse homes of the Evil Eye。 In desperate straits after her mentor cast her out， Andromeda takes on a job at which ten other debteras have failed。 She’s employed by the mysterious Magnus Rochester who lives in near-solitude at the far end of a desolate desert。 All but a few servants and the nanny who raised him have abandoned him， apparently scared away by the curse no one can defeat。We experience the story through Andromeda’s eyes， and what a fabulous protagonist she is。 Like Jane， she’s been raised in unusual circumstances， and her values differ from those of her world。 She calls herself plain but cares little about her appearance。 Instead， she values her strength and skills in her profession and communicates with a blunt honesty that shocks Magnus。 He， in turn， is lacking social graces after having grown up as an outsider from his family and from society， so for a while， their bluntness seems to put them at odds。 And then， of course， things change。I loved SO much about this story。 Andromeda’s narrative voice is so much fun—I love her strength and her defiance of convention。 Watching Magnus meet his match in Andromeda is so satisfying， and their chemistry is great。 I also， however， appreciated the secondary characters: Saba， the silent and mysterious woman who takes joy in helping others; Jember， the debtera who raised Andromeda， whose complexity I found to be appealing; and even Kelela， the beautiful young woman who is Andromeda’s rival for Magnus’s affections。Most of all， I reveled in Blackwood’s development of the magic behind the curse that Andromeda is fighting。 The way it manifests throughout Magnus’s estate is haunting and imaginative and creepy: it preys on characters’ compassion for others and on their unique weaknesses， and watching Andromeda strategize the best way to fight each new Manifestation shows her intelligence， her perseverance， and her strength。I was shocked to find out that Within These Wicked Walls is Blackwood’s debut， and it is certainly a confident， brilliant first novel。 I can’t wait to see what she tackles next。 。。。more
Karen Dee
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I really enjoyed Within These Wicked Walls is suppose to be a dark YA retelling of Jane Eyre。 I can't really say I got a Jane Eyre vibe to this story other than the obvious reuse of the name Rochester。 I think it does the book a disservice to compare it to the classic as it sets up false expectations。 This book is good enough to stand on it's own without the comparison。 I really liked the main female protagonist Andromeda who is a debtera—"an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye。 I really enjoyed Within These Wicked Walls is suppose to be a dark YA retelling of Jane Eyre。 I can't really say I got a Jane Eyre vibe to this story other than the obvious reuse of the name Rochester。 I think it does the book a disservice to compare it to the classic as it sets up false expectations。 This book is good enough to stand on it's own without the comparison。 I really liked the main female protagonist Andromeda who is a debtera—"an exorcist hired to cleanse households of the Evil Eye。" She is hired by Magnus to cleanse his house and immediately sparks fly between them。 Their banter is fun and filled with obvious chemistry。Andromeda has scars on her face but it is the scars on her heart and soul that have yet to heal。A few of the things I love about this book is:1。 Representation: Andromeda is Ethiopian and other characters of POC as well。2。 Andromeda is strong， smart and stands up for herself。 She is essentially alone in a scary world fending for herself。3。 The hero's journey is that of a woman and she comes into her own。This book has some darkness and death as there are evil spirits but a perfectly appropriate book for a young teen。This was a quick and good dark fantasy YA listen 。。。more
Emily Rainsford
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Set in an Ethiopian-inspired setting and drawing （vaguely） on elements of classic Jane Eyre （I would not consider this a retelling）， Within These Wicked Walls is a dark story of love and terror in a haunted house。Andromeda， a scrappy street kid cum unlicensed debterra （exorcist/magic worker） desperate for work， takes on the live-in job of trying to cleanse a house that has been cursed by the Evil Eye。 This turns out to be a bigger， more terrifying job than she realised， but once she meets the ow Set in an Ethiopian-inspired setting and drawing （vaguely） on elements of classic Jane Eyre （I would not consider this a retelling）， Within These Wicked Walls is a dark story of love and terror in a haunted house。Andromeda， a scrappy street kid cum unlicensed debterra （exorcist/magic worker） desperate for work， takes on the live-in job of trying to cleanse a house that has been cursed by the Evil Eye。 This turns out to be a bigger， more terrifying job than she realised， but once she meets the owner of both the house and the curse， quirky richboi Magnus Rochester， she can't just walk away either。。。This is a truly dark and creepy story - we have horrifying manifestations， rooms filled with blood， murders。。。 not for the faint of heart！ The magic system and the world building of the curse is very unique and interesting， not like anything I've read before。Where this one really fell down for me， unfortunately， was in the interpersonal relationships。 A lot of the interactions feel very awkward and not always natural。 I found Magnus to be an incredibly unlikeable character and was honestly surprised when I realised he was being moved into position as love interest。 I felt like their interactions went from "I feel confusingly attracted to you" to "I'm in love with you and want to be with you forever" way too quickly for my taste。 They felt infatuated， not in love， but they （and others） kept calling it love。 I felt a lot of their dialogue was just cringingly awkward and I didn't feel their relationship as a vibe at all。I didn't really love the redemption and almost romanticisation of the abusive parent。 All those years of emotional and physical abuse and suddenly it's all "I love you， I forgive you"。。。 sorry， doesn't wash with me。 Childhood abuse is not that easy to forgive and forget。The ending of the nominally final chapter felt extremely abrupt， and the epilogue is really just a final chapter。I enjoyed the creepy haunted house storyline。 The "amulet versus Evil Eye" concept was interesting and well employed。 The personal relationships left a lot to be desired。 I think there's potential here and I'd read future work from the author。 Unfortunately this one just had some aspects that didn't work for me。 。。。more
Kayla （krakentoagoodbook）
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Actual rating: 3。5 starsI'd describe this as a loose retelling of Jane Eyre。 There are definitely shared elements where it's fun to see how certain aspects are reimagined for this setting and time， but this story also does its own thing。 The pacing was good in general， though the middle went down a path full of YA moments with crying and angsty romance that I felt pretty ambivalent about。 There were some really interesting ideas here， and I did like the setting in Ethiopia with these debteras （e Actual rating: 3。5 starsI'd describe this as a loose retelling of Jane Eyre。 There are definitely shared elements where it's fun to see how certain aspects are reimagined for this setting and time， but this story also does its own thing。 The pacing was good in general， though the middle went down a path full of YA moments with crying and angsty romance that I felt pretty ambivalent about。 There were some really interesting ideas here， and I did like the setting in Ethiopia with these debteras （exorcist type people） who make amulets against the Evil Eye。 I really liked the different manifestations and how creepy some of them are！ Some of these moments leaned into horror which was very fun to see。 I wanted even more of this and definitely missed it during the more "traditional YA" moments。 Still， I think the ending does pull the story back together in a nice way。 I would definitely read more in this world！This book deals with a lot of family issues。 Andromeda has an interesting background that isn't the most healthy， but I really liked some of the development we get with her。 Magnus has this family curse that's been passed down from his father， and he had a strained relationship with his parents。 Andromeda was a very enjoyable main character overall。 She's strong and determined， and I liked how skilled she is at making amulets and fighting the Evil Eye。 She accepts this job as a way to make a life for herself because having a patron will help her get the jobs she can't currently get because she's not a licensed debtera。 She's never really had anyone who's been physically or emotionally affectionate with her， so she doesn't entirely know how to handle her attraction to Magnus。 I appreciated that she acknowledges this though！ I found Magnus to be a bit naive and controlling。 I get why he has certain reasons for rules and why he's isolated himself， so I do feel bad for him。 On the other hand， he has horrible timing for things （this fed into the YA trope moments） and doesn't always listen to Andromeda with what she says she wants。 I'm rather ambivalent about the romance that develops here。 I initially felt that there was more of a spark between Andromeda and someone else！ We also have Andromeda's father figure here。 He's a rather complicated guy who's certainly more of the tough love type of person， though this does cross the line at times。 That being said， he does also have a heart， and I liked getting to know him more and see him involved with Andromeda。 I really liked Saba， a person in Magnus's household。 She's very sweet， and I loved getting to know about her past。In general， I had a good time with this book！ Jane Eyre is one of the few classics I enjoy， so I had a fun time with this retelling。 Aside from the crying and angsty romance moments， I thought that there were some really great ideas here。 I would definitely recommend this and would read more from this author！Content warnings for some abusive relationshipsI received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you！ All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Allyson Abu-Hajar
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