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The Wife Upstairs

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The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is a tale of murder and secrets and the haunting sense of how little we truly know of those we believe we are closest to.

Summary -

"...I'm guessing you're the new dog walker everyone's so excited about,' the man says, and I clear my throat, cheeks suddenly hot.
'Yeah, I am,' I say, and he keeps watching me, waiting. 'Jane,' I blurt out. 'That's...my name is Jane.'
'Jane,' he repeats. 'Don't see many Janes around lately.'
I don't tell him that it's not even my real name, but the name of of a dead girl I knew in a dead life. My real name is equally boring, but it's one he might hear more often than Jane.
'I'm Eddie,' he tells me, offering his hand, and I shake it, painfully aware of how clammy my palm must feel and the grit of the road still embedded in the meaty place just below my thumb.
'Don't see many Eddies around lately..."

Jane is newly arrived in the exclusive Thornfield Estates; leaving behind her job as a barista to walk dogs for the wealthy and privileged. She supplements her meager income by occasionally stealing from the rich and lonely wives of Thornfield Estates.

But all that changes when she meets the recently widowed Eddie Rochester. Eddie doesn't fit in with the rest of the rich residents of Thornfield Estates, it was his late wife Bea whole belonged and now with her gone, he is as much an outsider as is Jane. They quickly find themselves falling into a relationship and Jane finds herself beginning to reveal pieces of her past. But what she doesn't seem to realize is that Eddie has secrets of his own. Secrets that can put all of them in danger.

Review -

I understand that The Wife Upstairs is actually a retelling of the classic, Jane Eyre. But, never having actually read Jane Eyre myself, I will review the story as its own. A tale of mystery and subterfuge and of greed and murder. All under the façade of the elite south. The story is told through the narration of Jane and of Bea. The two women of Eddie's world. Two women, who similar in some ways, could not be more different.

Jane lost her parents and spent the majority of her childhood in foster care. A traumatic experience that left her on the run, changing her identity and her life. Jane has decided that the only way she is going to get what she wants from life is to take it. Anyway she has to.

Bea built an empire by becoming someone she never was. Bea was not born into wealth but now she has more than the Southern Belles she emulates. In Eddie she marries the most attractive man she could find, but what she never knew was that Eddie also not who he seems to be.

But then, neither is Bea.

Rachel Hawkins has packed this novel with more twists and turns and straight up reversals that any fan of noire will love this tale. It moves quickly and just as soon as you think you have one part figured out, the story begins to unravel into something entirely different.

A well written tale. A good read.

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A terrific domestic suspense novel!!

Jane is new to Birmingham, Alabama. Money is tight so Jane has been working as a dog walker in Thornfield Estates. Thornfield is a VERY wealthy area. It's a gated community with beautiful expensive houses and expensive cars. Jane sees all the bored, rich housewives in the neighborhood and she wants what they have. But...she's just the dog walker. Then she meets Eddie Rochester. Eddie's wife, Bea passed away in a tragic boating accident. Jane and Eddie get together and things are going well. But there are times that Jane wonders if Eddie will ever love her as much as he loved Bea. Jane is also starting to think that Eddie is keeping things from her.

However, Jane has some secrets of her own...

It seems like everyone has been keeping secrets!!

This was my second read form Rachel Hawkins and I really liked it. It was a quick and entertaining read with interesting characters and an intriguing plot. Though I guessed a few things coming ahead of time, I still enjoyed following along and seeing how things turned out.

I'm excited to read more from this talented author..

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The Wife Upstairs is a clever twist on Jane Eyre! I love the inclusion of Bea's (Bertha) POV, and this Jane has more bite than the original. A twisty tale that will leave readers guessing as to who is the real villain and who Jane can trust.

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A reimagined version of Jane Eyre. Set in modern times, a story of an orphaned young woman named Jane. Jane, is a dog walker in Alabama, in the Thornfield Estates. Jane, one day, runs into a wealthy man named Eddie Rochester. Eddie, who recently lost his wife, Bea, takes a liking to Jane immediately. Jane and Eddie both have secrets that they are trying to hide from one another. A roller coaster of a read filled with so many twists.

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*SOFT SPOILERS*

An entertaining novel with a genuinely surprising climax and conclusion.

Dog walker, Jane, can’t believe her luck when she catches the eye of the wealthy – you guessed it – Mr. Rochester (Eddie). As Jane gets to know Eddie, she yearns to more about his recently deceased wife, Bea, who died in a boating accident along with her best friend Blanche.

In this version, Jane solves the mystery of what really happened to Bea and Blanche, and finds herself in a life or death situation as well. The question – who really are Eddie, Bea, and Blanche – and will Jane get to keep the security she’s always longed for, that Eddie finally provides.

A decent entry into the popular Jane Eyre copycat market, and another in a recent spate of quasi-psychopathic, female, lead characters, such as the also recently released White Ivy and Bad Habits. Yet, I would have enjoyed more without the comments peppered throughout that bashed Southerners, Republicans, and “rich white dudes”. Ladies, I realize you are fictional, but perhaps your problems are your own and not the result of “the man”. (Seriously, I’m not even sure how these blame game comments made sense with the plot at all.)

Also, of note, for the readers who do not care for crass or crude language, there were several spots of vulgar word choices.

As I was surprised and entertained overall, awarding four stars.

A big thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for providing an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

#RachelHawkins
#TheWifeUpstairs
#StMartinsPress
#NetGalley

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I loved this book! I don't want to accidentally spoil anything so I'll make this short. If you want crazy, twisted and sometimes shocking this book is for you. It's a hot, twisted mess and thoroughly enjoyable.

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Jane moved to Birmingham for a fresh start, but she just fell into her job as a dog walker to the wealthy residents of Thornfield Estates. And then Jane meets the incredibly handsome Eddie Rochester. Eddie welcomes her to the neighborhood by sweeping her off of her feet and into his life and home. Eddie is a recent widower and his late wife was an incredibly famous lifestyle guru who was admired by millions, including Jane. Bea and her best friend, Blanche, died under mysterious circumstances. When Blanche's body was finally found it was clear that it was no accident. But Bea's body still hasn't been found. Jane seeks to find everything she can about Bea and tries to copy her. Her style, her clothing, and even her friends. But then Jane hears things around the house and hears things about Eddie that makes her very suspicious. What is Eddie keeping from her and how will their relationship survive?


I read Jane Eyre when I was a teenager. It was the first classic book I ever owned, but it was so long ago I only remember the basic plot. Almost immediately I recognized the parallels between the two boos, but Holy cats. Talk about unreliable narrators. I did not really care for either Jane or Eddie, but we only know Eddie through Jane's eyes. Until the end. I am telling you, it doesn't matter who is currently narrating, don't trust them to tell you the truth. But that is what makes the plot twists so shocking. - CLICK HERE FOR SPOILERS.



Bottom Line - The Wife Upstairs is definitely a buzz-worthy book. While the characters are undeniably unlikable, the twists at the end make it all worth it. Who doesn't love a book with a great twist.



Details:

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
On Twitter
Pages:304
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 1/5/2021
Buy it Here!
Thank you to NetGalley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Book Title: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Published Date: 5 January 2021

No. of Pages: 290

Line Summary:
Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker, meets Eddie Rochester rich, handsome and recently widowed ,Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea ,Eddie’s late wife/ or not??

My Review:
After a long time, I finished a book in a week! It’s a decent mystery! But nothing special about it other than that. From the beginning, the story hypes the thrilling part and I could assume most of us could easily predict the twists, still the rap of the story is good to grip us on. I was expecting the climax to be something different with an amazing twist but no it’s just plain and the final twist seems very illogical. Overall I would recommend it if you are looking for something peaceful yet good thriller!

Thoughts while reading:

From the beginning, we can look forward to the answers and so the first part of the story was engaging us.



After revealing the suspense the story was chaotic, the reactions were not so acceptable and the logic less fire and the way the story finished after that disappointed me!



The most unbelievable thing is the climax, I would prefer if something darker should have been a climax than this squeezed feel-good climax .



Overall the climax could be much better!

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WWOWOWWOW!! This was an intense, fast pace domestic thriller. Definitely did not see the twist coming! I did not realize it was a Jane Eyre retelling until a friend told me! Now I have to read the Jane Eyre book.

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(3.5 stars)
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics and this was a fun re-telling. It was a super quick read and I felt pretty engaged throughout. I thought the climax was done really well and the multiple perspectives helped to add more suspense.

That all being said, the characters fell flat for me. I really didn’t care about any of them and wasn’t convinced about any of the relationships.

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Do you like retellings of stories? “The Wife Upstairs” by Rachel Hawkins is a refreshed version of “Jane Eyre.” Jane is new to Birmingham, Alabama. Strapped for cash, she reaches out to someone she vaguely knows from the foster system and snags a place to live. Jane, unsure what else to do, becomes a dog walker for the social elite. One rainy day, Eddie, almost runs Jane over and Jane can’t believe her good luck when sparks begin to fly. But suddenly, her little romance doesn’t seem so lucky. What happened to Eddie’s wife? Is there more to the mystery than a simple boat accident? When Jane begins to hear noises upstairs, she begins to wonder…

By mixing in some southern charm and dark pasts, this book is an excellent recreation. Jane’s past seems dark and adds a sense of urgency to her lifestyle. Eddie, despite being attractive and single, has his own dark past. The secrets in the air between the two creates a tension, only increased by the noises Jane hears above her head, that Eddie explains away as nothing.

It’s always a great writing technique when the reader knows something the characters do not. The minute the past begins to unwind for the readers, the book becomes irresistible. Hawkins captured the essence of the story without being dull or too obvious. She added her own twists that made this story impossible to put down.

In the end, I gave this book 4 stars. It wasn’t a complete challenge, but it was definitely an interesting thrill ride.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

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I had high hopes for this one because I heard such good things, but to me it just seemed like another predictable mystery/thriller.

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I really enjoyed this book!! I couldn’t put it down after I started it! It had me from page 1! The twists I didn’t see coming!!! I would definitely recommend this book!

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Synopsis: Jane stems from meager and mysterious beginnings but dreams of being rich. So far she has only managed to infiltrate the exclusive, ritzy Thornfield Estates as a dog walker. However, her situation abruptly changes as soon as she meets Eddie Rochester. A whirlwind romance leaves Jane trying to fit in with her intolerable former employers. On the surface, it appears Jane's dreams have finally come true...

My Evaluation of the Book: The Wife Upstairs was a uniquely modern version of Bronte's classic Jane Eyre. I have to admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It kept me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns that kept me guessing. It is definitely a thriller worth reading.

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Interesting twist on Jane Eyre with excellent commentary on cattiness and backstabbery among women, especially those who create and control small queendoms. I never knew quite whom to trust when I read this book, keeping me curious. A satisfying read with very few likable characters, which isn't always a good thing, but Rachel Hawkins did this one admirably.

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I have been recommending this book to everyone. I love domestic thrillers, and The Wife Upstairs was just what I was looking for. Twisty, thrilling, and fun, this is the perfect book for fans of unreliable narrators.

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This was a great retelling! As someone who knows the basics of the Jane Eyre plot but has never read the book, I found Jane, Eddie, and Bea super interesting and that there were some good twists on the original story. A great adult debut from Rachel Hawkins.

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Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
Review of this novel will be posted soon.

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The characters were a little bit too shallow for my liking, but I enjoyed the storyline. The main character's secret was definitely lack luster; however, one twist surprised me. I did want to keep reading, that's always a plus.

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Though I am personally not especially moved by the tropes and atmospherics of Gothic literature in general, one of my favorite classics is Jane Eyre. The title character, with her determination to be true to herself, is one of my all-time favorites. So when I read that Rachel Hawkins (a truly delightful Twitter follow) was writing a southern-inspired take on the Bronte novel, I was really excited to get to pick up The Wife Upstairs! In her work, Hawkins transports Jane, Rochester, and Bertha from Georgian England to modern-day Mountain Brook, the most upscale suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Jane is now a young dog-walker, on the run from a mysterious but clearly rocky past. She meets Rochester (or Eddie, here), a widower, when he nearly hits her with his car and then hires her to walk his own dog.

Eddie is both very handsome and quite wealthy, having inherited the successful southern lifestyle brand of his deceased wife, Bea. Jane, a much more savvy manipulator in this version of her story, is both genuinely attracted to him and definitely cognizant of the benefits to be gained from getting into a relationship with him. There's a whirlwind courtship, but something isn't quite right. The police keep stopping by to ask questions about Bea, who died in a boating accident with her best friend, Blanche. He does his best to wave it off, but what did actually happen on the lake the night that Bea disappeared? Could it be that Eddie is using her just as much as she's using him? And what are those occasional banging noises coming from the attic?

I spent three years living in Alabama for law school, and had plenty of classmates that came from Mountain Brook, so I was extremely excited to see how this story played out in this setting. Anxiety about social class is a hallmark of British society, but also American Southern society, so it had lots of promise. Alas, it never rose beyond the level of "mildly entertaining but not really compelling" for me. There are twists in the story, different than the original, but even someone like me who is generally not great at guessing twists shouldn't find them too challenging. Ultimately, though, what really lost me were the characters. I've already mentioned that Jane is much more street-smart and open to using people, but what is charming about Jane in the original is that she's both strong-willed and level-headed. Her romance with Rochester is a slow burn, often veering off course because Rochester himself is awkward and stilted. But Eddie is a charmer who seems to see Jane as a useful tool almost immediately, and their relationship goes from 0-100 real fast. It's based not in genuine mutual longing, but mutual deception.

What did stand out was Hawkins's writing style. She's witty, funny, and sharply observant. Her plot moves quickly, developing a good momentum. Although I didn't love her departures from the original characterizations, I did appreciate that this didn't feel like a retread. The changes she's made to the narrative are more than just window dressing. I liked the structural changes she made, like giving us perspectives outside of Jane's own. And this book isn't bad in any way, just not especially good. If you need something to keep you distracted without overly taxing your brain at the beach or on an airplane, you could make worse choices. But you could make better ones too.

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