What a wild ride! It’s always dicey when there’s an unlikeable, unreliable narrator, but it worked in this case. Though some of the story was predictable, there were still plenty of twists that kept me engaged. Good character development, great dialogue, overall good pacing. Would recommend.

Wow! This book was very well written. The plot was focused and kept the reader on guard as the plot moved along. The characters were developed and creatively portrayed. This book is a true page turner and keeps the reader guessing...it can be read in one day!

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jane is living in a crappy part of town with a roommate that she knew in a past life and doesn't like. While walking dogs in a high end neighborhood, she meets Eddie, a rich widower, whose wife along with her best friend presumably died on a lake a year ago. They begin a relationship and Jane thinks she is going walking into a life of leisure but things are not as they seem with Eddie or Jane.

I liked this book. It was a quick read. I thought it was going to be pretty predictable but things took a turn that I wasn't expecting. I would probably read more from this author.

Jane has managed to flee her boring life in Arizona and wind up living a new, not so fabulous life in Alabama. It is not that she hates her dog-walking job, she likes the dogs, just not their owners. They have everything Jane doesn't have, money, style, and the ability to hire someone like Jane to handle the more mundane aspects of their lives.
When Eddie Rochester nearly runs her over, she sees a chance to live the kind of life she envies. Eddie is a recent widower whose wife Bea and her best friend are presumed dead, apparently drowned. So what if Eddie still lives in the house Bea bought and decorated, it screams money, and it is where Jane used to dog walk. The clients she once worked for will have to accept her as an equal now that Jane and Eddie have fallen in love. So why isn't Jane living her version of happily ever after?
Well, maybe because Jane's past is creeping up behind her and she doesn't want it anywhere near Eddie. Or maybe it is because there are a lot of unanswered questions about what happened to Bea. Or, it might be because the police are knocking on Eddie's door with some shocking news. What's a girl to do when she is this close to having everything she thought she wanted. I kept flipping the pages of The Wife Upstairs since there is more going on here than you will see at first glance.
A fast-paced story told mostly from Jane's perspective. I didn't care for the character of Jane, and Eddie did not strike me as anyone's knight in shining armor. What hooked me was wanting to know what happened to Bea, whodunnit, and why, and what was Jane hiding. 304 pages that I flew through.
A fun backyard read though this will not be published until January. I can picture it snowing out and settling in by the fireplace to enjoy this twisted tale.

I thought this book was amazingly written and hooked me from the beginning. Told in multiple POV’s this fast paced novel leaves you guessing at every step. I absolutely loved it!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
After leaving Arizona under not so great circumstances, Jane has a plan. She’s moved to Birmingham, AL and is ready for a fresh start. She begins walking dogs in an upscale neighborhood that she can only dream of living in. One day, as she’s walking one of her clients dogs, when she’s almost run over by the recently widowed Eddie. She begins to think maybe she can make her dreams a reality. Soon she discovers that Eddie’s wife’s death may not be the accident everyone previously thought but the police have another suspect in mind but Jane is not so sure anymore.

As an Alabamian who has always loved Jane Eyre, this book could have failed on several levels. Instead, it was successful on every single one. It even managed to pull off a few twists which only made me happier. Just when I was feeling extremely smug because I was so sure I knew what was going on because I was so familiar with the plot of the original Jane Eyre, the twists started.

Everything about this book was clever, and it felt true to the feel of modern Alabama. All the little nods to Jane Eyre, like using names from the book in different ways e.g. the name of the subdivision or of Rochester’s dog that Jane walks and even employing the “Reader, I...” quote, were charming. The plot was a fun combination of an old classic and modern mystery that made it a book that I did not want to put down until the very last page.

My copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to the the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review it.

Thank you to Rachel Hawkins, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a fantastic modern re-telling of Jane Eyre, which is one of my absolute favorite books. I loved how the story was told by three different POVs, and I especially loved Adele the dog.

I thought this book was "fine" but not overly absorbing. First, I didn't even get the Jane Eyre connection until Hawkins introduced the character Edward Rochester. After that, I started watching for similarities between the two stores, and other than the wife being locked in an upstairs room of an opulent mansion, there wasn't much. (IMO, the rags-to-riches story of a poor girl marrying a rich man has been done so many times before that it is no longer affiliated with Austen.) Second, while this book did have some surprises, I didn't connect with any of the characters so wasn't invested enough to care about their ups-and-down. Overall, this book was an easy read and I did finish it, but once it was over, it was easy for me to put it down and move on to a new book.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book for an honest review

This is a twisted tale told by 3 twisted people Jane, Bea and Eddy all keeping secrets. I enjoyed this read right up until the end, then I thought it was a bit rushed and not the juicy twist I was expecting. However a good story easy to read with plenty of mystery.

I really enjoyed this book! I knew the author sounded familiar then I realized I loved her Hex Hall series. The Wife Upstairs was gripping from the beginning and I finished it in just a few hours!

The Wife Upstairs is a quick and entertaining read, with a nod to the classic Jane Eyre. I appreciated that it isn't a modern-day retelling of the story, but rather a new story with inspiration clearly taken from the original Hawkins walked the line well between making her characters flawed, yet understandable (if not somewhat likable.). While the twists weren't shocking, they also weren't completely obvious, and I looked forward to seeing how the story unfolded.

This modern re-imagining of Jane Eyre kept the pages turning and the reader wondering which narrator to believe even after closing the book. A well-executed gothic mystery.

Love Rachel Hawkins! This book blew me away! I was unable to but it down. Perfect, dazzlingly, very well written. The details the author described throughout the book was so amazing. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers.

This story is a modern take of the Gothic classic "Jane Eyre". I must confess that I haven't read Jane Eyre for many years, and am determined to reread after having read this book.

Jane is a young woman fleeing her past, who ends up in Alabama. She begins to walk the dogs of the wealthy town's housewives, falls in love with recent widower Eddie, and becomes one of the wealthy townspeople she had envied.

As Jane moves in with Eddie and takes over his wife's role, she begins to have more questions about who he is and what he may have done.

I loved the twists and turns of this book. I like when I am surprised by the ending, and this book didn't disappoint.
I recommend this book to those of you who enjoy mystery, suspense and Gothic novels.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book takes place in my hometown, Birmingham, Alabama. It's odd reading a book and seeing the names of places you've been familiar with all your life. Birmingham's not that popular a place for book locations! The book itself reminds me of "Gone Girl," with all its twists and surprises. The author has that knack for sudden character reversals. What you thought you knew goes right out the window, and suddenly the plot is going in a different direction. I wish the character of Jane, the main character, had been fleshed out a bit more. Hearing about her earlier history would have made her a more believable and sympathetic character. Very clever story. My first book my Rachel Hawkins, and I'm sure I'll be looking for more to read.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for an honest review of this book.

I am not really sure where to begin on this one! The plot was so intriguing to me. I had never read any books by this author, but have heard her be compared to BA Paris, who is one of my favorite authors, so I know I had to give it a try and I am glad I did!

I have to admit, the characters in this book, especially the main character, Jane, was completely clueless. How did she not know what was going on right underneath......or above.....her nose? Eddie was a narcissistic player. Honestly, I didn't particularly care for any of the characters, which actually made the book even better because I wasn't really rooting for anyone in particular.

This book kept me guessing, but it wasn't as suspenseful as I had hoped.

When Jane meets Eddie she finds herself stepping into the life she not only dreamed, but planned for.
Though,Eddie’s deceased wife,Bea, haunts their relationship in more than one way.
Is Eddie truly as charming and perfect as Jane thinks, or is he, like herself, hiding something more sinister after all?
This was a good, small southern mystery, right until the end.

Thriller!! The title had me from the beginning. Each character had a deep, dark past. As the book went along, more twists and turns I did not see coming. Read in three days!! Thanks for ARC

This was a clever take on the Jane Eyre story. I liked the spunkiness of Jane and was intrigued by her mysterious past and her ambitious plans for the future. This was a well written page turner.

The only thing that jarred me a little was the ending. Some of the details didn’t make a whole lot of sense to me and the guesses about some of the characters’ fates seemed odd and slightly out of character.

This book kept me guessing till the end! I loved the different characters outlooks on the situation. Could not put it down!!!!