My Plain Jane is the sequel to My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton. This review is going to be a double whammy as I’m going to talk about BOTH MLJ and MPJ! 

 

Here are the synopses for both My Lady Jane and My Plain Jane from Goodreads,

My Lady Jane:

Edward (long live the king) is the King of England. He’s also dying, which is inconvenient, as he’s only sixteen and he’d much rather be planning for his first kiss than considering who will inherit his crown…

Jane (reads too many books) is Edward’s cousin, and far more interested in books than romance. Unfortunately for Jane, Edward has arranged to marry her off to secure the line of succession. And there’s something a little odd about her intended…

(The synopsis continues on Goodreads, feel free to click the link to read more)

My Plain Jane:

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

(The synopsis continues on Goodreads, feel free to click the link to read more)

I first read My Lady Jane on January 10, 2018. As a huge fan of historical fiction, I was so excited to read this spin off novel and I was not disappointed! I not only adore the concept of rewriting history, but the narration that Jane gives is hilarious! I honestly feel like we’re the same person (kinda). The book offers three different narrators and each of them are funny, witty, awkward, and brave. I loved the fantastical/magical aspect that was thrown in while also keeping the realism of the time, language, culture, and aesthetics.

As the story progresses, I’m not only drawn in by the utter sass, but the mystery. This novel not only turns history upside down, but throws in a murder mystery into too! (Which, are my favorite!) These ladies do it all.

While the characters are phenomenal, so are the history behind them. The authors keep a lot of the original history/story in the novel while explaining why it’s wrong, or simply changing minor details to make it work in the story; which is not only an amazing way to add to the story, but a lot of research, which I appreciate!

While I really enjoyed the story, I did feel like some parts of the novel flew by, and not because I was reading quickly (although sometimes I was). There are definitely times, especially leading up to or during big events, that it feels like the scenes are rushed through. I want more of the juicy details and sometimes I don’t get those.

Overall, this book is adorable and a great, fast paced read for anyone, especially historical fiction lovers! If you know the original history/story it not only makes the book more enjoyable, but funnier in my opinion.

As a result, I would give this book stars!

Now, for My Plain Jane, I first read this book on July 9th, 2018. After reading, and loving, My Lady Jane in January, I was so excited to read the sequel!

While I loved the story line, and the added paranormal aspect to it, I felt like this story lacked what MLJ had. Both had fantastic, witty, and odd characters, but Charlotte’s point of view was sometimes, dull.

In MLJ I never felt like the character’s narration was boring, but sometimes I felt like Charlotte’s chapters dragged on in MPJ or were not important. While I adore her character, and think she added a lot to the story, there were times when her POV was boring, which I think is sad. She has all the potential to be an amazing character and I didn’t get that every time we saw her.

On the other hand, I loved the plot of MPJ much more than MLJ! My Plain Jane takes ghosts, which I love, and throws them into high society England, also something I love. The romance aspect of the book is something I found utterly hilarious, especially when explaining how quickly people fell in love back then!

While I loved the plot more, the lack of character spunk in this book (specifically Charlotte) made it harder for me to get through. I still love this book, but I would have to say that My Lady Jane was a better story.

As a result, I would give My Plain Jane .5 stars!

Even though I liked My Lady Jane more, both of these books are wonderful, amazing historical fiction reads (with some fantasy thrown in) and if you haven’t read them, I definitely recommend them!

In total, the average between the two books would be .75 stars! And both are available to check out at your library or for purchase!

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If you like these books, or this review sounds interesting, be sure to check out The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead! It’s historical fiction blended with science fiction and it’s a great young adult read!