What a fun, entertaining read! This was one of the better thrillers I've read recently. It had a lot of twists and turns that I didn't see coming. I will definitely recommend this one to friends.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Wife Upstairs is a thriller about Jane, a dog walker, and Eddie, a recently widowed resident of Thornfield Estates in Birmingham, Alabama. Eddie's wife, Bea, the founder of a successful southern lifestyle brand, died in a boating accident, and Jane sees her chance to leave behind her past by reeling Eddie in to her charms. This book was full of twists, and I really enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it. Thanks to NetGalley for the free digital review copy. All opinions are my own.

"Jane" (not her real name) comes to Alabama to escape a troubled past in Phoenix. In order to support herself, she starts a dog-walking business in an elite neighborhood. Always feeling like she was somewhat "less than" the women whose dogs she walked, she managed to snag a man who was also part of this "better than her" group and move into his huge mansion-like home. He seems to be somewhat haunted by the year-old disappearance (which is deemed a death) of his beautiful, successful wife. There are a few unexpected twists to the story which will keep you reading.
Warning, however: Only 4 stars because of the incredibly hard-to-take language. When the "F-word" is mentioned twice in one sentence, that's two times too many for my pure pleasure! The whole book is full of words and phrases that annoyed my sensibilities.

For the most part, I couldn't put it down. The beginning grabbed me and I was all in. So why reduce my rating to 4 stars? 4 stars isn't bad. It's an "I really liked it" which I did. It's completely unbelievable, but I'm ok with that since I read for the escape in this genre. Complete with unreliable narrators and some folks you will have a hard time liking. I detracted a star because 1) the ending is completely out the realm of belief and 2) it was completely anti-climactic. With all the twists and turns throughout, I was expecting - and needing - more. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC. Enjoy!

Yes to this entire book! 5 diamond sparkly stars!
Another one full of my favorite things...Stepford Housewives, Gorgeous houses, backstabbing housewives, cheating husbands and murder.
Check. Check. Check.

i loved the main character Jane and just wanted her to get all the gingham she deserved.

If you have this book, read it!

thank you to #Netgalley, the author and the publisher for my free arc in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a fun, suspenseful read! I’ve loved Rachel Hawkins’ books since I read her Hex Hall series in middle school, and I was even more intrigued by the premise. The Wife Upstairs is essentially a Jane Eyre retelling, set in the modern-day South in an affluent community.
Jane Bell is a former foster child walking dogs in the wealthy Thornfield neighborhood to make ends meet when she meets Eddie Rochester, who has been recently widowed from a mysterious boating accident.
Entwining with Jane’s story is Bea’s, Eddie’s wife.
This book was full of complicated relationships between very wealthy people, hints at Jane’s mysterious and tragic past, and a healthy dose of suspense.
I loved all of the characters, some of whom were ridiculous in the most realistic way. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened next, and the ending was concluded perfectly.
As a huge fan of Jane Eyre, I loved seeing characters with the same or similar names as characters in Jane Eyre, as well as minor plot points that mimicked those in the original book
The Wife Upstairs was a fun, suspenseful twist on the original beloved novel. 4.5/5 stars!

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review on NetGalley.
Review contains SPOILERS.

Jane Bell is working hard to separate herself from her past. In fact, Jane Bell isn't even her real name but she's managed to start over in a crappy apartment, a crappy roommate, and a less than stellar job walking dogs in the wealthy Thornfield Estates subdivision where the women wear yoga pants worth more than one month of Jane's rent. She's doing just fine on her own until she meets Eddie Rochester, the wealthy widower whose wife was killed in a tragic boating accident. Jane falls for Eddie and soon they're engaged but she still has so many questions about Bea, Eddie's dead wife, and her best friend Blanche who are still the talk of Thornfield Estates.

I really wanted to like this book based on its synopsis. A wife, presumed dead, held captive in her own house? Heck yeah. But unfortunately, for me, the concept fell flat. The fact that Bea Rochester is not only alive but regularly seducing Eddie in her high-end prison. The alternating viewpoints might have worked if they hadn't felt so rushed, as if the author was in a hurry to get from one explanation to the next, making Bea's viewpoint feel like it came out of nowhere, right when the reader was starting to get a feel for Jane and her personality, her past, and the mystery building around her.

When Jane's past transgressions are finally revealed it feels like an afterthought that was used to explain Bea's actions and Blanche's murder, to make Jane seem as if she is, unwittingly, just like Bea. The ending also fell flat like a balloon being popped without much preamble and it left me feeling like there was a lot missing from the plot and the author just wanted to get it done and over with. It was an engaging read for the most part but not one I would necessarily recommend.

This book was amazing! The anticipation was mind blowing! Jane was hiding something so she started a new life in a different state. She lives a miserable life there in a rundown apartment with a creepy roommate. She makes a meager living by walking dogs in an elite neighborhood. She is on the outside looking in, longing to have their wealth and beauty. While walking a clients" dog she is almost run over by a very handsome man in the neighborhood, named Eddie. She finds out he is widowed and decides then and there to snag this man and live the life she deserves. She slowly starts realizing that Eddie is not quite the man she thought he was. Her gut instincts tell her something is not quite right with him. She finds out his deepest, darkest secret. It is something that is quite shocking. You need to read more to find out. Enjoy!

Jane was a dog walker in a ritzy neighborhood when she meets Eddie. She first admires his house, and then she admires him. He gets a dog and hires her to walk it. He asks her out, and then he asks her to move in with him, after telling her how he lost his wife. Jane jumps in with both feet. But, they both bring secrets ...

I just cannot give this book anything other than 5 massive stars. Love me a good domestic thriller, and this sure as heck counts as one.

I think what I loved about this book the most is the combination of uniqueness and seductiveness of it. The story follows Jane, a new resident of a very rich neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama who is quite broke herself. One day, she meets a wealthy resident called Eddie, whose wife and her friend had drowned in mysterious circumstances during a girls'. trip Jane is attracted to the rich and protective man, and the two fall for each other. But Bea's story keeps haunting our heroine, like a red flag she tries to bury in her mind.

Bottom line is, everyone has SECRETS. And those can be dangerous ones.

I am a sucker for love triangles, especially ones as unique as this; in addition, we're not reading about rich people in NYC or LA, but Alabama, which is a truly unique setting for this kind of story.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a deliciously delightful, deceitful and deceptive book not to be missed! The blurb says this is Jane Eyre reimagined, but if you have no interest in a classic gothic romantic mystery - do not fear. This is a complex, layered psychological novel with a similar storyline and character names. Jane, a product of foster homes and a system that failed her is on the move and reinvents herself in a southern suburb as a coffee shop server and dog walker. There was recently a tragedy in town with the drowning deaths of two rich best friends. Blanche and Bea are presumed dead in a boating accident. Their husbands mourn them and now Jane walks both their dogs. Jane and Bea’s husband, Eddie Rochester begin flirting and we are wary of them both. I loved Jane and respected her choices knowing they were limited and she really does have feelings for Eddie. Eddie lived in the shadow of Bea, who was the success story of the south and ran a self made empire. Jane is a fresh of breath air to Eddie, both entering a relationship with baggage, secrets and motives. Oh, and are the women really missing and dead? This is a fun read with lots of unexpected twists and I loved every word until the epilogue which was flat. I’m giving this 5 stars and tearing out the epilogue pages.

Reader, Rachel Hawkins has done it again! Not only is this book a great retelling of a classic but it’s also thrilling and filled with that familiar hilarity that only Hawkins can write. The Wife Upstairs is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2020.

This book had me hooked from the first few pages and kept me reading until the end. That was the positive. However, I did feel like there were not enough twists and it was a little predictable. I still enjoyed Jane and Eddie and their story but overall, I felt this book was lacking a real hook!

I love a well-done twist on a classic. Add in some modern-day gothic elements, and I'm hooked.

The Wife Upstairs grabbed me from the first few pages, and it was the kind of book that was hard to put down, and I always looked forward to picking up again. Sometimes I find multiple perspectives to be distracting, but I though the author did a really good job of balancing the storylines and maintaining the pace.

The end was a little predictable and there weren't too many twists, but nevertheless, it was a great read.

The Wife Upstairs is a thriller with a modern day nod to Jane Eyre. Each character has a secret; a shady past that makes you want to keep reading to put all the pieces together.
Jane comes to Alabama in hopes of starting over. She ends up as a dog walker in a very upscale neighborhood, filled with southern charm, manicured lawns, and fashionable gossipy wives. It is there she meets Eddie, recently widowed, and they quickly fall for each other. Everything seems perfect, but things about Eddie and his dead wife just don't add up and Jane begins to realize she isn’t headed for her happily ever after, after all.
*
I breezed through the book very quickly and was surprised (in a good way) with where the story went in a few spots. I also enjoyed the multiple POVs.
*
A few things I didn’t like: Jane is not particularly likeable and the ending seemed a bit abrupt and was lacking in detail. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it either. It fell somewhere in the middle for me. Still a worthwhile read!

This book seemed like the type of book I typically Iike to read and it did not disappoint. I couldn't put it down!

The story is about Jane-the plain, poor, loner who finds a job in a wealthy neighborhood walking dogs. She longs to be a part of this life, and after meeting widower, Eddie, her dreams begin to come true. But Jane soon finds out that things are not as perfect as they seem when details about Bea (Eddie's wife) and Blanche (her best friend) surface about their deaths.

This book was entertaining and kept me reading late into the night to finish. Some parts were a little predictable, but it was still a great story. I would recommend!

I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher.

This is the story of what happens to a series of characters who went from rags to riches. The main protagonist is Jane, a penniless young lady who grew up in foster homes. She is trying to scrape by in life by walking dogs of rich people while supplementing her income through petty theft. While walking dogs, she meets Eddie, a young (apparent) widower, whose wife Bea had died in a boating accident. Bea built a highly successful business and, from nothing, she and Eddie had become the nouveau riche.

Eddie and Jane quickly become a couple. But something is mysterious about the boating accident that took the lives of Bea and her best friend Blanche. Blanche's husband (Tripp) is suspected.

This is a fast-moving, suspenseful and well-written story. Highly entertaining and intriguing. If you are looking for a sense of realism, however, you will be disappointed.

Great pleasure reading, a nice escape from reality.

This book intrigued me from the moment I saw the cover, and I was thrilled to receive an eARC.

Jane and Eddie's whirlwind romance surprises even her, especially considering his first wife is presumed dead. But when new details come to light, she questions if she really knows everything about what happened the night she went missing. What she doesn't know is Eddie has a secret locked away in a hidden room--a secret could threaten her newfound dream life.

Full disclosure: I've never cared for Jane Eyre, but I love Wide Sargasso Sea. Because of this, I was expecting more post-colonial rhetoric. Yes, WSS explores power dynamics between genders, and I got some of that based on their physical descriptions and imbalance of wealth. But the bigger picture of Wide Sargasso Sea covers racism, assimilation, and the concept of the Other; and while Jane and Bea/Bertha frequently refer to feeling like an outsider in some capacity, the underlying tone is an observation about socioeconomic status rather than race. Books inspired by or based on literary classics can be difficult to pull off successfully because it's almost impossible for readers not to compare what they know with the contemporary take. And in this situation, I found myself doing just that (and I fully admit that this could be a personal preference) but I found it hard to reconcile the differences between the two.

That being said, I didn't not enjoy this book. The alternating voices were interesting and well structured. Jane's our main protagonist, but I especially loved Bea's voice and back story. I could've read an entire book based solely on her toxic dynamic with Blanche. The twists and subtle betrayals are scandalous and carry the intrigue.

At times, the characters felt a little flat. Rags to riches, wealthy, handsome, charming man with a secret, gossipy, rich wives in a gated community overly concerned with HOA landscaping. Some of it felt stereotypical, and I never really got a Gothic tone from the narrative--which, in part, was because the "mad woman in the attic" didn't seem all that mad to me. But that didn't detract from the ultimate mystery. Hawkins gave each character a solid blend of sketch and sophistication to keep the suspense moving.

Overall, The Wife Upstairs is a twisty suspense with layered characters, but I'm conflicted about my reading of it.

Thanks to St. Martin's and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for honest review consideration.

What a ride!! Absolutely loved this book and Rachel Hawkins writing style was perfection. I felt every character come to life and she really took me through the scenery and feelings of the characters.

It’s told in a few different point of views but mainly it’s told through Jane. She has her own secret past and becomes a dog walker for a fancy neighborhood with Stepford wives. She stumbles upon Eddie who recently lost his wife along with her best friend and the dark secrets begin. It’s a thrilling fast paced book I devoured quickly. Definitely a book I would recommend!

Thank you netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I just finished The Wife Upstairs (after reading it in less than 2 days!) and absolutely loved it!! The book is told from the perspective of the missing/presumed dead wife and the new girlfriend. I love the character development and the way the author keeps you guessing. The ending was a complete shock and was so perfect. I will be telling everyone about this book!