Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Ironskin by Tina Connolly
Ironskin #1
Release Date: October 2, 2012
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: NetGalley
Goodreads Stars: 2
Rating: Bland

Jane Eliot wears an iron mask. 

It’s the only way to contain the fey curse that scars her cheek. The Great War is five years gone, but its scattered victims remain—the ironskin. 

When a carefully worded listing appears for a governess to assist with a "delicate situation"—a child born during the Great War—Jane is certain the child is fey-cursed, and that she can help. 

Teaching the unruly Dorie to suppress her curse is hard enough; she certainly didn’t expect to fall for the girl’s father, the enigmatic artist Edward Rochart. But her blossoming crush is stifled by her own scars, and by his parade of women. Ugly women, who enter his closed studio...and come out as beautiful as the fey. 

Jane nows Rochart cannot love her, just as she knows that she must wear iron for the rest of her life. But what if neither of these things is true? Step by step Jane unlocks the secrets of her new life—and discovers just how far she will go to become whole again. - Goodreads

This was disappointing. I had heard good things about Ironskin before it was released, but once it came out the rating on Goodreads started to slowly decline. I ignored that - mostly - and was quite excited when I finally got to it this month, given the enticing premise. Alas, it fell flat.

Jane was a great character in the beginning of the novel. She was determined, bordering on stubborn, and very hard-working. Unfortunately her romance/weird obsession with Mr Rochart brought down her character. Their 'relationship' was too rushed, and dull, and I didn't understand why she felt so drawn to him considering he was hardly even there! And despite him being a father, he barely said two sentences to his daughter, and I don't understand how Jane would have found that to be an attractive or intriguing quality in a guy. I OBJECT. 

I thought that the fey part of the story was interesting, though. To begin with, anyway. I wanted to learn about the war, Dorie's powers, and what exactly Jane could do. However, around half way through, I started to lose interest since it felt like nothing was progressing. I wasn't interested in anything Mr Rochart did, and I spent the latter half of the novel completely bored out of my skull. I began to skim, and as a result I didn't pay attention to what was going on. I tried to find something that would grab my attention again but there just wasn't anything there, not even the ending could draw me back in.

Wouldn't recommend it. Meh. I've not read Jane Eyre, so I can't say how it compares. You'll have to check other reviews for that!