Jane: a modern retelling of Jane Eyre by April Lindner

Imagine Jane Eyre today--with its dated setting and characters, including a nanny, housekeeper and brooding master-of-the-manor.  Brushing off the cobwebs, polishing up the characters and yet staying true to the original would seem a herculean task, but April Lindner found a way to make it all work--and it does in Jane: A Modern Retelling of Jane Eyre.

Not only will loyal Jane Eyre fans enjoy this retelling, readers of the new Jane will likely take up the original Jane Eyre to compare the two and see why the first inspired the modern version.
Jane Moore must drop out of college, and she finds a plum job as the nanny to the child of a rock star (definitely America's royalty). True to the original, there are mysteries at Thornfield Park, the estate where Jane goes to live with Maddy, the lonely, motherless child.

The plot follows the original in a fashion as true-to-form as one could hope for. Plausibility is the key here--Lindner keeps the story real and modern and yet somehow manages to retain the magical feeling and mystery of Jane Eyre.

From the publisher:
Forced to drop out of an esteemed East Coast college after the sudden death of her parents, Jane Moore takes a nanny job at Thornfield Park, the estate of Nico Rathburn, a world-famous rock star on the brink of a huge comeback. Practical and independent, Jane reluctantly becomes entranced by her magnetic and brooding employer and finds herself in the midst of a forbidden romance.

But there's a mystery at Thornfield, and Jane's much-envied relationship with Nico is soon tested by an agonizing secret from his past. Torn between her feelings for Nico and his fateful secret, Jane must decide: Does being true to herself mean giving up on true love?

An irresistible romance interwoven with a darkly engrossing mystery, this contemporary retelling of the beloved classic Jane Eyre promises to enchant a new generation of readers.