Jillian Dare

Title: JILLIAN DARE
Author: Melanie M. Jeschke
Publisher: Revell
May 2009
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3318-2
Genre: Inspirational/contemporary




Jillian Dare is not exactly prepared when she sees the home she’ll be working in as a nanny. A full-fledged southern mansion, the country estate is much more that Jillian had envisioned. Her young charge, thirteen month old Cadence, is an absolute delight. The only downside to the job is the sometimes threatening emails that Jillian receives on a weekly basis.

When Jillian finally meets her new boss, it is under less than ideal circumstances. She is out jogging when he speeds down the road and ends up crashing into a tree. Mr. Remington blames Jillian for the wreck, but Jillian is equally insistent that it’s not her fault that he wasn’t watching where he was going. In spite of the rocky beginning, Jillian and Mr. Remington form a comfortable relationship, and they enjoy talking together.

When Mr. Renington goes to England, he takes Cadence and Jillian along to see the family estate overseas. This is a castle dating back hundreds of years. And as Jillian spends more time with her boss overseas, she begins to fall in love. But what secrets is Mr. Remington hiding? And how can a humble girl with no family ever hope to marry a wealthy, successful man?

JILLIAN DARE is, in the author’s own words, a modern rewrite of the classic tale, Jane Eyre. It’s been many years since I read this story, so reading JILLIAN DARE was like reading a new story, though the theme of a nanny falling for her boss is a quite familiar one.

At times JILLIAN DARE is telling, and the point of view seems to slip from first person to the narrators frequently. Otherwise, I totally enjoyed getting to know Jillian and visiting both a Virginian mansion and an English castle and seeing them through her eyes. A touch of suspense also helps to keep the pages turning. $12.99. 284 pages.