In my teens I read it as a Judy Bildungsroman, and managed to mostly ignore Jervis other than as the stereotypical happy ending. If you have to factor him in as a character, and it is probably fair to really, I like him much better as having started a thing and found himself in over his head.

Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm is creepier, not to mention Dean Priest in Montgomery's Emily books.

I haven't read Dear Enemy and should.