The story centers around Jane who seems to be running from something, as she alludes to some trouble she has left behind in Arizona. She has found a job dog walking in a fancy neighborhood that is a ways away from her dilapidated apartment she shares with her roommate whom she barely knows, but was there when she needed somewhere to go. She is enticed by the big homes, the shiny jewelry the women wear, and the riches they seem to swim within but detests them, all the same. As she walks one of her clients’ dogs around the neighborhood a car screeches out of a garage and nearly runs her and the poor dog over, as she manages to fall out of the way. The man behind the wheel steps out to apologize and invite her in for a coffee. As she steps inside his house, she becomes entranced by this man and starts visualizing how she can make this world her own. The only problem is, his wife and best friend are believed to be dead on an accident on the water and she may not be quite sure if the man, Eddie is truly innocent.

The book was a fast read and definitely kept me guessing quite a ways through the book. However, I was a little disappointed in the ending and had a love/hate relationship with Jane throughout, which may have been the author’s intent. Overall, I enjoyed the story but was looking for a bit more.

Thank you Netgalley, publisher and Rachel Hawkins for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Wife Upstairs in exchange for my honest review.
Jane, a young dog walker, stumbles into the world of affluence and privilege in a wealthy Alabama suburb. Her move from the edge of poverty to a the country club elite is quite a stumble.
The mysteries of three separate characters converge in this suspenseful novel rift with twists and lies. When we recreate ourselves to hide our past, is it inevitable that our true character re-emerges? How far will we go to maintain the facade? Will we lie, deceive and even murder?
The Wife Upstairs is more driven by plot than character development which left me wanting more substance. I would put this in the summer read category and recommend to my friends.

This is one creepy but compelling thriller. I liked that there were alternating perspectives that slowly revealed the truth while also racheting up the suspense. An appealing read if you like a book that keeps you guessing and where all of the characters have shades of gray. Fans of Mary Kubica's The Good Girl would enjoy this a lot!

A great solid story start to finish with rich characters and a unique was of telling the story.
Jane has secrets to keep about her past, in fact her name isn’t even Jane. But her secrets are nothing compared to her new beaus secrets. Eddie seems like a dream come true, a rich handsome widower. Jane thinks her life has finally changed, from poor foster child to rich housewife. But is everything Eddie says true? Murder and deception boil through this book and the very end has some twists and turns you won’t believe.
I enjoyed this read very much, I didn’t find it crazy suspenseful or edge of my seat but the story and characters were so awesome it didn’t matter. It was a solid steady read.

I love Jane Eyre.
The best part of this book for me was seeing characters from Jane Eyre translated into The Wife Upstairs... the best would have to be Adele. It was very creative.

Aside from the names, while there are similarities in the story to Jane Eyre, if you changed the names I may not have immediately made all the connections.

The story did stand on its own, it did not depend on Bronte lovers.
I thought it was interesting and suspenseful enough.

Wow what a twisty suspense novel! I really enjoyed reading The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.

There’s so many things about Jane that invoke my sympathy.. She’s had a rough life so she steals to make ends meet- and sometimes she enjoys taking things from the rich people who won’t miss their trinkets.

Jane is insecure but tries so hard to act like she belongs in the rich neighborhood. She’s spent her whole life faking it and pretending she belongs. She gets a job walking dogs for all the rich families and then.... she meets Eddy
Not only does he get a dog for her to walk- he actually starts asking her out on a date. They move fast- and soon she’s living with him.

But there are dark rumors surrounding his wife, Bea and her best friend, Blanche who went missing from their boat. Jane isn’t sure what to think when she starts hearing rumors. At first she suspects Blanche’s husband, Tripp. Then she thinks he may be innocent. She isn’t sure what to think- or who she should trust. As the gossip continues to swirl around Eddie and Tripp, Jane gets pulled into the mystery.

I thought the writing was very good. The narrative alternated between different characters which was great as it helped with the tone, flow, and perspective. Very good reading and the ending sure surprised me!

Wow.. The plot twists and turns were incredible. Couldn’t put this book down. This is the definition of on the edge of your seat thriller. I must’ve thought I figured it out a few times only to be more shocked.

Jane Bell has secrets, and a past she is running from. But when she decides to become a dog walker for the residents of Thornfield Estates, she finds herself no longer wanting to run, and eager to become “one of the girls.” The mysterious deaths of Bea and Blanche, 2 of Thornfields perfect Southern wives, and the loss felt by their widows, Eddie and Tripp, allow Jane to weave her way into the lives of the residents. However, their secrets are bigger than Janes, and she finds herself in the middle of a whirlwind romance and a murder investigation. But will Janes hopes of becoming a wife of Thornfield shatter before her eyes as the secrets of Bea and Bertha reveal themselves? Full of twists and turns, Hawkins captivated the reader through multiple narratives and an ending that leaves you wanting more!

Great suspense filled novel full if lies and half truths. Told in three different point of views, this story was a great retelling of a classic that will keep the reader on their toes with the twists! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow!!! I need more from this author. I was so surprised and read this one quick!! I coul not put it down. I'm going to have this one as my book club read soon!!

An updated version of Jane Eyre. Quick & easy beach read. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

#thewifeupstairs #rachelhawkins #netgalleyreview #netgalley #arc #bookstagram #stmartinspress if you are looking for #drama #mystery #intrigue this books has it. The best part was the wild left turn the ending took. I love it when an ending is something I didn’t see coming. And y’all. I didn’t even see that coming 😱 a man and a wife so in love. One day the wife and her best friend vanish. A husband lost without his wife falls in love with the dog walker. The other husband. Implicated in his wife’s death. Where will the wild take take us??! Well. You’ll have to read to find out. #augustpick #bookreviews #bookrecommendation #booklover

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins follows Jane, a dog walker in the upscale neighborhood of Thornfield Estates, who alludes to a mysterious and sordid past. When she meets wealthy widower Eddie while walking a dog, sparks fly. Eddie's former wife, Bea, went missing with her best friend Blanche during a boating accident and they are both presumed dead. Bea was the founder of Southern Manors, a lifestyle brand that Eddie now runs. Jane is wedged into this opulent life that she's never before experienced, even if she doesn't quite belong.

I really, really like this one! I have a soft spot for anything gothic and this book does not disappoint in that department. With Bea's presence lurking around every corner, it really does give off a strong Southern Gothic vibe. I think the best part about this thriller is that the characters aren't who they appear to be and that everyone has a different side to them. Some characters are more two faced than others and the fun part comes from reading up to the end to find out the real truth. I highly recommend this one!

Awesome psychological thriller.
I love these kind of books where you have to read the whole thing before you find out key answers.
Just when you think you have it figured out the author changes it up on you.

Thanks Netgalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read this one !
It was sooo good I read it in two days !
This is a fast paced thriller that sucks you in within the first page - it did me !
Eddie who is handsome, rich and grieving the disappearance of his wife for the last 6 months - bumps ( literally ) into Jane, with his car while she spit dog walking one of her client’s pups !
He invites over for tea and a whirlwind romance follows !
What does she really know about Eddie ?? Why does she hear thumps above her head in Eddie’s mansion ?? Did Eddie’s wife really disappear ? Is she dead ? Who killed her ? This was well written and you won’t even believe why there’s thinking sounds upstairs !
Who can you even trust ? Who is telling the truth ? I love a thriller that makes me question everyone and makes me suspects all the characters !!
The ending was satisfying and yet to me , left some room for a sequel - which wouldn’t make me mad at all !!!
A solid 4 ⭐️ from me !!

Jane walks dogs for the rich women of Thornfield estates, occasionally helping herself to bits of jewelry that she's sure won't be missed. When she meets Eddie Rochester -- and he's so smitten that the next day he buys a dog so he'll need a dog walker -- she quickly seizes the opportunity to move into the gated community herself, leaving behind her roommate and everything from their shared apartment. There's nothing from her past that she wants to bring into her perfect new life.

Her new life isn't perfect. Jane knows that everyone is comparing her to Eddie's dead wife, Bea, who was tragically lost in a boating accident only a year earlier. The house and neighborhood are full of reminders of Bea's presence, especially all of the home decor from the company Bea founded. It fills her new home and the homes of their neighbors. There's also someone from Jane's own past that she can't quite get rid of.

I still haven't managed to read Jane Eyre, so I can't tell you how this compares to the original, but it was a fast paced domestic thriller that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I found the premise of the book a bit unbelievable but it still was a good story that gripped me and kept me reading. It was full of twists and turns and although I guessed some of the outcomes I did not guess all. I gave this book a solid four stars.

I've never been quite as middle of the road on a review before. I enjoyed this book, but I was often confused...wondering if I could have missed something in previous pages. Overall it was excellent for what it was, but I'm not sure I will understood it fully. I will be reading it again in a few months when I've forgotten the wrap-up and could view it with fresh eyes.

Thanks NetGalley for the eARC.

This book was a really interesting take on a classic story. It took our classic Jane Eyre and gave is some Southern Gothic thriller flare and I really enjoyed reading it! Admittedly, the more the story developed the more I figured out the twists- which took a bit away from the story.

I really liked how we got Bea's story placed in the middle, and the final twists were really good. However, the ending felt entirely too tidied up for me, and I struggle with that in thrillers because it always leaves me wanting more! All in all though, I really think this was a fun thriller to read.

"A delicious twist on a Gothic classic," Rachel Hawkins writes an enthralling modern domestic thriller that puts a new spin on an old classic. Jane has escaped her past and started over in a new dump of a town. She gets a job walking dogs for the rich and spoiled in a neighboring, Thornfield Estates when she meets Eddie. His a widower and she is immediately drawn to him. His wife was drowned in a boating accident 6 months earlier, but when he meets Jane the relationship is a "whirlwind."
It's a fast and twisty read, if we know what book it is paying homage to, we may be able to guess what's off about the death of Eddie's wife, Bea.
I couldn't get attached to any of the characters, although I enjoyed the fast-paced ride of the novel. I had a hard time with Eddie's attraction to Jane and the speed of their relationship but it was a delicious, quick read. Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author.