This is the perfect read for now. Quick, impossible to put down and some twists for good measure.

Jane’s life has been less than luxurious. As a product of the foster care system, she is skeptical, guarded and envious of those who have it easier. Scraping pennies to get by and forced to live with a roommate she truly cannot stand, she finds a job walking dogs in a ritzy neighborhood. Jane is not much of an animal lover but she is fascinated by the McMansions in this community and the people who live in them. The women, all rich and well-taken care of, have no idea what it’s like to not make the rent. Jane wonders what it would be like to be one of them.

Jane’s fascination with these women leads her to Eddie who is recently widowed. His wife Bea went missing in a boating accident with her best friend Blanche. Bea was eventually declared dead even though they never found her body because in order for Eddie to take over her home decor business her death had to be legally noted. Eddie lives alone in his big, beautiful house but when he sees Jane walking the neighbor’s dog there is a little spark. A spark that prompts him to get his own dog so that Jane can walk his dog too. The two find an instant connection but Jane senses something more there.

Eddie’s wife has only been gone for a short while and since many of the ladies in the neighborhood were good friends with Bea and Blanche, they can’t help but be skeptical over this new, young woman in Eddie’s life but Jane is determined to be one of them and when Eddie provides free use of his credit card, she begins to find her way in.

It all sounds very superficial but it’s superficial in the way those rich housewives shows are. Juicy and full of gossipy goodness. Jane is not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but as the story unfolds, you quickly begin to realize that something much darker is at play and it’s good, very good. I picked this book up and didn’t put it down until I turned the last page.

It’s being called a modern retelling of Jane Eyre which I find interesting. I didn’t see it as that myself but it was juicy and twisty in all the right places and perfect for my mood. Very entertaining.

This was just the book I needed to jump-start my reading for the new year. Twisty, dark, and indulgent, The Wife Upstairs was a fun take on the original Jane Eyre story. Hawkins nails the Birmingham setting perfectly. There were enough differences and surprises that I knew it was not going to be too much like Jane Eyre, and it was delightful to see what twists would come next.

I have to admit: I was hesitant about this book. I teach Gothic lit and the Brontes are my jam. So I always hesitate on re-writings or re-visionings of their work. But I'm glad I gave this one a shot.

This story borrows tropes and names from Jane Eyre (obviously) with a healthy dose of Rebecca thrown in for good measure--which also makes sense since the latter was so heavily influenced by JE. What worked for me in this novel was that the writer didn't try to just "re-tell" the story in a modern way. The characters do NOT follow the characteristics of the originals nor does the storyline follow the original narrative too closely. I enjoyed the fast-pace of this novel and, since Hawkins was making willy-nilly changes to the story I know so well, I wanted to keep turning the pages to see how things would work out.

As others have noted, there are a number of plot holes here that require the reader to turn a blind eye. And the borrowing of lines from the original (and, in at least one odd case, from Emily Bronte) sometimes crossed the line from twee to cringey (if you read this, you KNOW the one line I'm speaking to!). But really--this was good fun for me. If you want a fast-paced read that doesn't take itself too seriously, give this one a try!

The Wife Upstairs is a domestic thriller with many parallels to Jane Eyre's classic and I loved that novel.

In this version we are going to meet characters that were not very pleasant to me but that are a fundamental part of that frivolous world and opulence that the author recreates to give life to the story of these characters who have everything, including lies, deception and manipulation.

Jane is a twenty-three year old girl who walks dogs in the luxurious and wealthy neighborhood of Thornfield Estates, there in addition to walking the dogs Jane is stealing objects such as jewelry to their employers who do not even realize or notices that they have disappeared. One rainy day while walking one of the dogs, Jane literally bumps into widower Eddie Rochester.

After that encounter Eddie and Jane start a relationship in which she ends up moving in with him and later getting engaged, but Jane has not been completely honest, she has secrets but so does Eddie, it seems that in the disappearance of his wife Bea and Blanchet, her best friend, there are too many questions and suspicions that will begin to come to light discovering that the Rochester mansion is not exactly the dream so ambitiously desired by Jane.

With a few twists that are not so surprising because they can almost be guessed, the novel manages to catch the reader's attention, or in my case it did.

I enjoyed it very much, if you decide to read it I hope you enjoy it too.

Thank you so much to the author and NetGalley for my ebook copy, i freely give my honest review as a thank you.

#thewifeupstairs is a Southern Gothic retelling of Jane Eye.

@ladyhawkins does a creative job reimagining what the literary classic would look like in our current (pre-COVID) times, and also gives a voice to the “wife upstairs”. This one had a bit of a slow start for us, and part of the enjoyment of this book was waiting to see how the story was being adapted and would end. Everyone has secrets in this novel, and it was entertaining to see them being uncovered.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is an exciting retelling of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. It is a thriller that has an interesting concept and a fast-paced plot. The dual narration and drama-filled story will keep you flipping pages right up until the exciting end.

It has been quite some time since I have read Jane Eyre, so I went into this one without high expectations. For those quite familiar with the original story, there may be some disappointment, as it is very hard to retell a popular classic. This story is a modern take on the original and has some unique elements that make it a page-turner.

❀ DUAL POINTS OF VIEW

The story is told from the points of view of both Jane and Bea. None of the characters in the book are likeable, yet there is something that draws you into their stories. Jane is an underdog who has clawed her way into a position of privilege. Also, as Bea’s story emerges, we discover that the two women are not so different after all.

❀ NO SHORTAGE OF DRAMA

There is no shortage of drama in this book and if you enjoy a soapy novel with lots of backstabbing characters, this is one to try. It seems like there isn’t one character in this book that can be trusted and that’s what makes it so intriguing. It has Desperate Housewives vibes, in my opinion, and will be enjoyable for those who are fans of a soapy thriller.

❀ INTERESTING RETELLING

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is one thriller that will be enjoyed by those who love drama and a fast-paced plot. This Jane Eyre retelling is an interesting take on a classic and has some intriguing characters. It is a perfect book to start off the new year.

3.5 stars rounded up

Having never read Jane Eyre, I can't compare the two, however this book was entertaining and a fast read. Told from the past and present, with alternative viewpoints, it's my favorite style of writing, however I felt it lacked a bit of oomph. I wasn't as attached to any of the characters as I would have preferred.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was not good. It took me forever to get into even a little of it, and then when I did I was immediately disappointed with the utter lack of story development. At one point an interaction between two characters was so poorly executed and out of nowhere that I assumed it was a dream sequence. When I discovered it was not, I lost complete faith in this book. Not sure how it got so much hype.

The Wife Upstairs is exciting, thrilling and full of twists and turns. I honestly don't want to say too much about it, because I feel the less you know, the better the experience will be. But if you love well written suspense books that will keep you on the edge of your seat, I highly recommend this one!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book really took me by surprise and I loved it! I’ve read from this author before and have enjoyed her work, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well her first foray into mystery/thrillers went. The plot lines were well balanced, the characters were fascinating, and the plot twists were truly shocking. Will definitely be reading more from this author, and I hope she writes more in this genre!

Wow! This book was incredible. Full of interesting characters, vivid detail and twists and turns. I would highly recommend this one to anyone that loves a good thriller! 4.5/5 stars!

Great book! Couldn’t wait to read it, and it didn’t disappoint! Grabbed my attention within the first two chapters, and then I didn’t want to put it down. Excellent character development - I think that every reader will find a character to whom they relate. I enjoy books where there is character development, and then also a surprise, and this book provided both! Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Definitely took me a bit to get into it, definitely a slow burn kinda book. But it was worth it. A new twist on an old classic that you are sure to love.

Rachel Hawkins has done an amazing thing here- she took Jane Eyre, a great gothic novel on its own, and twisted it into a fresh, 21st century Southern gothic that had me riveted. Jane is a dog walker in the upscale Birmingham neighborhood Thornton Estates when she meets the intriguing Eddie Rochester, whose wife Bea mysteriously disappeared six months earlier. There are twists and turns that I did not expect and I loved every minute of it!

Meet Jane. She has just arrived in Birmingham, Alabama and is looking to make a new start. Luck has brought her into dog walking in a gated community, Thornfield Estates, filled with McMansions and bored housewives. It’s the kind of place where Jane can pocket a piece of jewelry or tchotchke without anyone noticing. Things start to look up for Jane when she meets Eddie Rochester, the neighborhood’s most mysterious resident and recent widow. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies never recovered. As Eddie and Jane fall for each other, Jane can’t shake the haunting feeling Bea left behind. Jane must decide if she can look beyond the ghost of Eddie’s former wife and move forward in her relationship.

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS is a modern day retelling of JANE EYRE that perfectly embraces the atmospheric suspense of the classic story, while shifting into a current timeline. As a massive fan of JANE EYRE, I have to tell you, I was a bit apprehensive when I heard about this book, but decided to take the chance. What I found was quite impressive despite already being aware of the path the story would ultimately take.

How does one bring JANE EYRE into 2021? Well to start they must find the most dramatic, Southern, wealthy neighborhood filled with a cast straight off of one of those real housewives shows. Holy cringeworthy! In comparison to this crowd, the reader instantly likes Jane despite knowing she’s not being completely honest with the reader about her past. I loved the juxtaposition between the two worlds and how Jane finds herself acclimating to her new surroundings.

The setting and the cast are in my opinion the strength of THE WIFE UPSTAIRS. As a long time thriller reader and fan of the classic this book is based on, I was able to put a lot of the pieces of the puzzle together ahead of them happening. In no way did I feel this was a negative, but I do think the element of surprise would be stronger for someone else.

Overall, I was very impressed with THE WIFE UPSTAIRS and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a domestic thriller to read!

Bonus: This book is excellent on audio!

This one kept me on my toes! I can usually guess what is going to happen, but the final thrill kept me guessing until the end.

The audiobook kept me on the hook the whole time. Great narration.

I received a copy of the audiobook to listen to from the publisher via NetGalley.

I tried to like this book. I was intrigued by the premise and was looking forward to a fresh take on the story.

However, I dislike Jane so much that I couldn’t finish the book. I so was put off by her that I really didn’t care what her secrets were.

I received an e-arc from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book.

triggers: abuse, manipulation, gaslighting, fire, murder, imprisonment, alcoholism

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is a 2021 release and a retelling of Jane Eyre, following a young woman who enters into a relationship with a wealthy man to avoid her past and ends up uncovering the unsavory details of his own.

I’ve not read Jane Eyre. A few months ago, I DNF’d it for the third time (after never getting past the first chapter) and decided to just cut my losses and move it over to my read shelf (because it matches my edition of Frankenstein and I think they look nice together). But it was a thriller by an author who I had enjoyed in the past. Admittedly, I had loved her contemporary sapphic romance and not anything in the vein of this book. But, nonetheless, I requested the book and wanted to love it.

My main issue with the book is the wasted potential. It is a book ripe with the chance for intrigue or the chance to say something or both. The book starts strong if not a bit slow. There’s a slow ease into the tension. At the very start, it could very much be a contemporary but the tension builds slowly, in part due to the fact that everyone by now knows the twist of Jane Eyre: the wife is the attic. It was a masterful use of the fact that no matter what this book did, the big twist was already laid out on the table.

However, after the slow start, it speeds up incredibly. There is no ever-creeping building of tension. There is no time for the reader to sit down in the discomfort. It just speeds through it all in favor of giving cheap thrills rather than offering a truly lasting and engaging story. I finished the book minutes before I started this review and even now, the middle is already blurring, not more than a few vignettes that never accounted to much.

The plot itself is not too strong. I am not one to criticize thrillers for being predictive. It’s in fact something that I seek out but this book, despite being unlike most other things I have read, felt formulaic. Reading it, especially the ending, reminding of books I liked more, books that actually engaged and entertained me. I thought of Gone Girl. I thought of my Lovely Wife. And then I was just sad I wasn’t reading those books.

There also is not a plot twist to save this book. If anything, the plot twist is what ruined it. It is not something that is built up to. Barely was there any foreshadowing for it. I think, had it been handled better, it might’ve saved the book for me. But the plot twist did not solve any puzzles I was trying to piece together. Instead, it presented me an entirely solved puzzle and expected that to be fun for me.

Another source of wasted potential is the characters. There are three characters we focus on—Jane, Bee, and Eddie. Of the characters, I would say that Jane is the most compelling, and she is the character that we spend the most time with. While we get points of view from the other two, she remains the primary POV and the character that anchors the story. From the start, it is teased that she has a dark backstory and once the reveal comes through, it’s so incredibly boring and lackluster. It was built up and up and then there was nothing much to it.

Bee and Eddie do not have much going on. They are manipulative and murderous and in love with each other. Their entire characters are based around a relationship that is not built within the story itself and that is barely shown in the book itself. Throughout the entire book, there is never a clear image of the relationship and thus never a clear image of the characters themself.

By the end, I was simply disappointed. If you want to read this book, I won’t try to stop you but for me, it was a largely unsatisfying and frustrating read.

The Wife Upstairs is a thriller that follows Jane who just moved to Birmingham, Alabama. This story leaves you wondering what is going to happen and if Jane is going to smarten up about the guy she's seeing. Their relationship moves to fast which I think he finally understands towards the ending of the book.
So, this book is actually a retelling but I never read the original book. I think that helped a lot when I reading the book because the story line didn't seem familiar to me like it did with a lot of other readers. It helped a lot with me really enjoying the story line of the book and not exactly being able to guess what was going to happen next. The ending is really surprising. I won't say exactly what happens but I really want to know what happened to certain character in the book because their ending is sort of left open for the readers. I think that's actually what surprised me the most when it came to this book
There are two things that I wish was different. 1) I wish we got more background on Jane. I get why her background is a secret through most of the book. I understand that. But I do wish that the readers could get to know her more at least later in the book. Because the was done like this I ended up not really being able to connect with her at all. And 2) This book saying that the plot has southern charm is misleading. A bunch of snooty women who judge way to much does not classify as southern charm. And that's coming from someone who actually lives in the south and deals with southern charm on a day to day basis.
Despite these two thing I ended up really enjoying the story! I can't wait to read more books by Rachel Hawkins!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an egalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of the classic, Jane Eyre, and anticipated reading this much talked about. January release. Rachel Hawkins presents us with Jane, a dog walker in Thornfield Estates, who meets the mysterious and handsome Eddie Rochester. The pair's whirlwind courtship sets the neighbour gossip machine into overdrive and as Jane desperately attempts to keep her secrets in the past, it is soon apparent that Eddie has a few of his own. And they're about to come knocking.

Although I don't really think you have to read the original to get an idea of what the story is about, I enjoyed seeing many of the original characters step into this contemporary reinvention. Although did poor little Adele deserve to be reincarnated into canine form? This book did have me transfixed from the beginning, but I just didn't like how it all ended. Finally, Jane Eyre is just one of those literary characters I am extremely hellbent on protecting and I didn't like Rachel Hawkins's characterization of her. That's just me! Overall, I felt it was worth my time and I glad that I made the decision to request the title.

Publication Date 05/01/21
Goodreads review published 26/01/21
Also reviewed on Facebook and Instagram