Cover Image: The Wife Upstairs

The Wife Upstairs

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

I honestly do not get the hype over Rachel Hawkins. I worked my way through the bitter end but honestly did not care about anyone or anything in this story. Not for me, but I can see the appeal factors.

Was this review helpful?

This was a quick read for me! One that kept me turning pages so I could see what happened. It ended up being moderately predictable, but overall I really enjoyed this book. I love the modern twist on Jane Eyre. Definitely a good, quick read that will keep you on your toes.

Was this review helpful?

So, interestingly, this is meant to be a modern retelling of Jane Eyre. I love Jane Eyre, and I suppose I could see how this is similar, from some angles. But I'd prefer to look at this on its own and not in the shadow of such a great literary work, because in that light it totally pales in comparison.

This book was interesting. Jane has a dark and mysterious past, with secrets she is running from. Somehow she finds herself swept up in a whirlwind, somewhat opportunistic romance with recently widowed Eddie. While his wife's body was never found, she was confirmed dead and he is dutifully carrying on running her successful, multimillion dollar business selling rich kitschy items to equally rich kitschy housewives.

But what happened to Eddie's wife? Her best friend's body was found and mourned, but Eddie's wife was never found, and neither was the killer for that matter.

As Jane navigates through her newfound privileged life, she starts to ask questions and before she knows it, she finds some answers she may not have wanted.

I enjoyed the progression of Jane from invisible dog-walker to high society fiancée. Her commentary on the inanity of the rich housewives of Thornfield Estates was rather amusing, and her efforts to fit in paired with her disdain for having to do so was entertaining. I think I agree with one other reviewer who recalled this book as more humourous than thrilling.

Thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my advanced reader copy.

Plot: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Mystery: ⭐⭐⭐ ½
Writing: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Was this review helpful?

This book was fantastic! Loved getting to read before publishing date and will be recommending on Instagram, goodreads, and Amazon.

Was this review helpful?

I knew going into it that this was a modern day retelling of Jane Eyre so I knew roughly where the story was going from the outset but there was definitely still enough to keep me turning the pages anyway.

I liked the modern spin on the story and found Jane’s character to be one I couldn’t help rooting for! I really enjoyed the authors writing style and will be sure to pick up her next book.

Was this review helpful?

This was a good story, but it was a bit predictable. I still had a blast reading it, and would definitely recommend it to those readers who don't read a ton of psychological thrillers.

Was this review helpful?

2.5 stars. This was just an okay read. I felt going in that it was going to be a thriller with some suspense and msytery, but the story kind of fell flat on all accounts. It was a quick, entertaining read, but lacked anything that would make it stand out.

Was this review helpful?

jane, i was rooting for you girl!
bea, i was rooting for you too!
ugh. i was even rooting for eddie, blanche, and tripp... talk about unreliable characters!

the hype for this book was real. i was SO invested, i loved the story and it really was unpredictable! i liked how it was broken into sections, it made it more fun to read.

this is exactly how i'd imagine and southern rich subdivision to feel/seem like.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely loved this book! It had a lot of twists and turns. There is no way I would have guessed the ending. I am looking forward to Hawkins other books!

Was this review helpful?

Rachel Hawkins does a wonderful job making the reader like a book with such unlikeable characters. Seeing into their lives and their motives for things really lends to a different perspective. I would recommend this book for a book club pick, thinking it could really spark a lot of interesting conversation about the characters and the nods to Jane Eyre.

Was this review helpful?

Absolutely loved this one. Not only is the southern setting addictively enticing, but the plot twist at the end will have you writing in shock. Rachel Hawkins is now a must read for me!

Was this review helpful?

This is not my typical type of book as it isn’t really a thriller but a romantic mystery. Still, it was much better than I anticipated! Once I started, I couldn’t put it down.

Jane is new to the Birmingham area and is trying to leave her sad, mysterious past behind. She takes a job as a dog walked for a few people living in a wealthy neighborhood when she meets Eddie. Eddie is a recent widower and very handsome, and rich. Jane thinks this could be her chance at a new life, something she feels she always deserved. But as time goes on, she starts to feel haunted by Eddies dead wife. Told from dueling perspectives of Jane and Eddie’s wife Bea, this made for such an interesting read! I loved the back and forth and it was fun to read and wonder “who’s zoomin who?”

Was this review helpful?

For some reason, this one just didn't click with me. Dialogue is one of those things that can make or break a book - badly constructed, unrealistic, repetitive, or melodramatic dialogue is a sure fire way to guarantee a quick check-out for me. And this had some shaky dialogue, stylistically. I wish there were less conversations - less talking and more showing, for lack of a better phrase to describe it. I think I would have enjoyed it much more if that were the case - I would have been better able to focus on the story (which WAS tense and suspenseful and fun to read) instead of being jarred into eye-rolls by the overly dramatic spoken interactions. The plot is interesting and the tension-building is good. If you're looking for some fun, mass-market domestic suspense (and you're not picky about style), I'd recommend giving this a shot!

Was this review helpful?

In a page turning thriller, readers will be captivated by the sense of loss, misconception of true identity, and wonderment about what it means to really love someone.

Was this review helpful?

3.5 stars // My second book from Rachel Hawkins, and I did enjoy it! Lots of parallels to Jane Eyre, which was a nice touch, but not something that's never been done before.

Jane finds herself enmeshed in the world of a rich community in the South, walking dogs while running from a past she isn't proud of. She meets Eddie whose wife has recently died under suspicious circumstances along with her best friend. Jane falls in love with him and learns more about him and his late wife than she expected.

For awhile, I wasn't sure who was the villain. Everyone in this book has a dark past, the tendency to lie and hide things, and that element really kept me interested. Like I said earlier, this isn't the most unique thriller I've ever read, but it definitely was good and I'd recommend it!

Was this review helpful?

I’m honestly so sad that I did not pick this book up sooner. I read Jane Eyre back in middle school and just loved it. At the time, it was romantic but now… not so much. I haven’t read it since but have read a couple of retellings so the original plot points are a bit fuzzy. But Rachel Hawkins’s take on it was so good. This turned out to be the perfect book to pick up right now to break up a couple of larger fantasy books that I have on the go. It was the perfect popcorn read. Fast-paced and intriguing with the multiple perspectives we get over the course of the novel. It made it so hard to put down at the end of my lunch breaks to get back to work. Overall, would highly recommend this book.

Was this review helpful?

I enjoyed this one alot. It was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of hers. I liked the different pov in the book. Even though it guesses the ending fast into the book it still was good.

Was this review helpful?

An engaging thriller that I couldn't put down. I've recommended it for our mystery/thriller book club.

Was this review helpful?

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS by Rachel Hawkins blew me away. The intelligent plot, the perfect delivery, the intriguing actors, and the surprising ending twist made this book one of the best thrillers I have read. I am still processing all this and cannot stop thinking about how good this book is.

Was this review helpful?

This book was so good! I really enjoyed the authors casual writing style. It made the story really interesting and grabbed my attention immediately. The story is told from a few different perspectives so things keep changing which keeps you on your toes. I was surprised by the twist and I loved the ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense thrillers.
Thank you too NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Was this review helpful?