Modern day Jane Eyre! I can’t decide if I liked how obvious it was a retelling or wanted at least the names to be different. It was a good mystery, and partially bc I’d forgotten about Jane Eyre ends, I quite enjoyed this modern twist!

I give The Wife Upstairs 3.5 stars. I have come to find that you can reach a point where you get into what I have now dubbed "thriller burnout". The first 50% of this novel, I felt refreshed, like I was reading something different than prior thrillers I had read this year. But then at about 60%, I started to feel that familiar thriller twinge, and I couldn't wait to be done with the book. I have to say that I never really connected with any of the characters. The main character, Jane, really annoyed me and got under my skin. I am always a sucker for reading about rich housewives in rich communities, in their own little high priced world, and this book definitely had that aspect to it. Backstabbing, murder, blackmail, deceptiveness, money, you name it, this book had it. Not one of my favorite thrillers of the year, but it was not horrible either.

The Wife Upstairs
Rating: 2 stars
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC given through NetGalley for review. All opinions are my own.

The Wife Upstairs is a supposed retelling of Jane Eyre. Let me just say that I loved Jane Eyre, but this one was a no for me. Jane is a dog walker who steals from her rich clients. She steals in order to make do with her bills. It is during one of these walks that she meets Eddie. She's very attracted to him, but I felt it was his (or his wife's money) she was mostly attracted to. Eddie's wife has been missing for some months. The case is under investigation, since eventually it becomes a murder investigation. We do learn early on of his wife's whereabouts.
I really was looking forwards to see how all their lies would be uncovered but honestly I was bored through out the story. I feel that what made it worse for me was that I didn't like Jane. To me her only redeeming quality was that she liked dogs.
Sadly this story was not for me.

Damn- this was one unputdownable, insanely intense ride, and I loved every minute of it! The characters are broken, real, fake and cloying all at once. The plot is like a roller coaster; smooth until the twists come and they don’t stop until you’re wrung out and begging for more. Hawkins put this story together seamlessly, with threads of varying points of view, so you get an entire picture of the events, and you are simply left shaking your head, saying...Damn. It’s just that good.

I found this to be an exciting thriller that kept me on my toes! I found it easy to dislike some of the characters that Jane interacted with and wondered how the author got the idea to develop those characters. I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and felt that they kept me on my toes. I appreciated being able to get some perspective from Bea and then Eddie towards the end of the book. I thought that added some depth to the story and allowed the reader to connect with more than one character.

Wow! Don’t plan to do anything else after you start this book because you will not want to put it down. Fast paced and easy to read, this well written book keeps the reader guessing with all its twists and turns.

This thriller will be hitting store shelves on January 5th and was the perfect winter read-it-in-a-day kind of thriller.
Jane is working in a ritzy neighborhood as a dog walker. Down on her luck, meeting Eddie Rochester couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
Eddie is a widow, after a tragic boating accident takes the life of both his wife and her best friend. Although it may seem a bit soon to be pursuing a love interest, he falls head-over-heels for Jane and can’t wait to start a fresh chapter with her.

As the title implies though, this widow’s story might not be all that it seems. Lucky for him, Jane’s isn’t either. Told in alternating perspectives this novel was a treat. I hope you enjoy this game of cat-and-mouse as much as I did.

Title: The Wife Upstairs
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Publisher: St. Martin Press
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"The Wife Upstairs" by Rachel Hawkins

My Speculation:

The author gives the reader quite a thriller read that will have you guessing while turning the pages to see what is coming next for Jane Bell, [Helen Burns], Eddie Rochester, Bea, Blanche, and Tripp.
Be ready for a well-written story where you will be taken back and forth with many twists and turns before you get to the end of the read. From the story, we find that Jane is a doy walker and meets a widowed man named Eddie. Eddie's wife was supposedly drowned in a boating accident along with her best friend. Eddie is rich, handsome, and everything Jane could have wanted. Will Eddie fall in love with Jane? Well, if you are into a good thriller where cheating, crafty, and cunning connivers set in a southern gated community, then 'The Wife Upstairs' would be a good read for you. This was quite an interesting read where the story is told from three perspectives, Jane, Eddie, and his wife, Bea. Ok, prepare yourself for secrets as the story pulls you in that will come out and have you saying, wow, I didn't see that coming!

I enjoyed the read and loved how the author broke down the story into sections that left no room to wonder whose story was being conveyed. Would I recommend 'The Wife Upstairs?' YES!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

This book was an utter delight of a thriller! I was taken in right away by the storyline, none of the characters were what I thought they were, the twists just kept on coming! Perhaps it is a clever retelling of Jane Eyre set in Alabama, maybe it is not, but it is a great read either way. Our main character, Jane, grew up rough and had only herself to count on and has had to do things to survive that have made her not trust people. She does her best to get herself in a position that she wants for her future and as things start to fall into place when she meets the handsome, mysterious and enigmatic Eddie she starts to actually fall for him but is he who she thinks he is or is he going to be her downfall. Jane tries to live up to the ghost of Eddies missing and presumed dead wife, Bea, but is Bea really dead or is she closer than she thinks and who is Jane, is she who we think she is. The story is twisted and exciting; I really enjoyed this plot and the ending was very satisfying.

I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them as well, but this one might be my favourite so far. looking forward to more books by this talented author

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Libro.fm for my arc and alc. I ended up listening to this and it was an enjoyable listen. The two female narrators were excellent. I do have to say that I did not care for the male narrator for Eddie as his voice didn't seem to fit for the way Eddie was described. Luckily, his part was very small.

I've never read Bronte's Jane Eyre and didn't know the storyline. I was going into this blind, which worked for me. Jane (as she calls herself now) has landed in Alabama as a dog walker to the rich. She happens upon Eddie Rochester one day as he almost runs her over. Eddie is a recent widower as his wife, Bea, and her best friend have presumably drowned. Jane is intrigued by him and soon the two are inseparable, with her moving in with him. In Bea's house. Her presence is everywhere. Can Jane compete with Bea? Is Eddie who he seems? What exactly happened that night on the boat.

I enjoyed getting both Jane and Bea's POV and getting some of Bea's backstory with her best friend. I listened to this audiobook so fast and was never bored. I highly recommend this book.

A fast read with a twist on a classic. I love this modern version of Jane Eyre set in Alabama. It was fun and kept me guessing even though I know the premise. I love Rachel Hawkin's writing and characters. She keeps me reading long into the night. Did she twist the end or do you think you know it? You'll have to read it to find out.

The Wife Upstairs is a southern gothic twist on the classic Jane Eyre. It follows Jane who starts out the novel walking the dogs of the wealthy families who call Thornfield Estates home. It is on one of these walks that she meets the handsome, and recently widowed, Eddie Rochester. But everything is not as it seems as Jane and Eddie are swept up in a fast moving, passionate romance. While some of the twists and turns may be predictable, I was entertained until the very last page.

Now I have to show my hand and express my bias. As problematic as the source material is, I absolutely adored Jane Eyre when I was in high school. It remains one of my favorite classics. It should not surprised you then that I was utterly enthralled by this retelling. If you are familiar with the classic you will appreciate the many little easter eggs the author plants throughout the story.

The story of Jane Eyre lends itself well to a southern gothic novel with a flair of thriller page-turnability (yes I did just make up that word and you are welcome to steal it). The author does not pull any punches, I hated every single one of these characters at different points in the story for various reasons which were frequently petty. They are terrible and that was part of what made this story so completely addicting and quick to read.

I was given an advanced listening as well as a advanced reading copy thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio and I loved the narration of this book. The narrators suited the style and feel of the novel perfectly, were engaging, and really brought the story to life.

This is definitely a “rich people problems” book and the money thrown around so frivolously is arguably disgusting. But I think it created a nice, abnormally cut throat backdrop as the events of the story unfold. While I knew exactly how it would probably end that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

Overall I give it: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I would recommend it to anyone who loves domestic thrillers like the works of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Sarah Pinborough, or Lisa Jewell.

Jane is on the run and arrives in Alabama. She’s broke and decides to start walking dogs for a rich neighborhood. There she meets Eddie and is drawn to him. Eddie is recently widowed. His wife, Bea and her best friend Blanche went missing when on boat and they are presumed dead. As Jane and Eddie fall in love, Jane finds herself trying to measure up to Bea. What really happened to Bea and Blanche and is Eddie involved?

What did I like:
1. The story is pretty fast paced. For the most part I felt pretty drawn into the story. I know is a Jane Erye retelling and reading this story made me want to pick up that classic and read it.
2. None of the characters were likable but at the same time I wanted to keep reading to find out what would happen to them. I actually love when an author can make the reader dislike the characters but you still want to keep reading. I think it speaks to strong character development.
3. Multiple points of view and dual times, when done well I love these things and boy did this author delivery.

What did I not like:
1. While the story was fast paced it was also a little underwhelming at times. I could have used a few more plot twists and turns.
2. I wanted a little more with the ending. I won’t say much more than that because I don’t want to spoil it.

Overall a pretty decent read. Great for thriller lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for the advanced reader's copy. As a Jane Eyre fan, I was really intrigued, yet nervous, about this adaptation. My suspicions were correct as I grappled with the "crazy" lady upstairs (read The Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar for more context).

This book was OK. I thought that the characters were underdeveloped and the story was a little too predictable. I was interested with what the author did with Jane ... making her an unreliable, troubled character with a secret identity. It was definitely a unique spin on one of my favorite books.

Overall, I ranked it as 3 stars, which means that I liked it. It was an average read, but I was expecting more twists and turns. It fell flat for me there. I look forward to reading more from this author!

This was one of my most anticipated books of 2021. When I saw that Rachel had a new book coming out (an adult book!) I was super excited. I absolutely loved her Hex Hall series novels when I was younger.

This did not disappoint.
Real Housewives with a twist!
This book was so good y’all. I’ve been having issues with some thrillers lately but I binged this one.

This was told in multiple POVs which I usually don’t love. The author did a fantastic job with all 3 characters that it never got confusing at all.

One thing I loved about the book was the way the characters were written. They all had secrets and it kept you guessing about them the whole time. I hated them but that was the point.
I did figure out the big mystery early on but I blame that on my true crime obsession. It was a good twist overall.

This book is a retelling on Jane Eyre though I have never read it so I can’t judge this book on that. I don’t think you need to know that story to enjoy this book.

I highly recommend this book. I’m hoping Rachel starts writing more thrillers from now on.

This was a cross between Real Housewives and a psychological thriller. I loved the description of the wives and houses in the town where Jane worked as a dog walker. Some parts were a little unbelievable to me, such as when she met Eddie and almost immediately he moves her in to his house and gives her a credit
card. I mean, I'm sure it happens in real life but it just seemed strange.

When I got into this book I couldn't put it down, I had to know how it ended. It did not disappoint! I didn't see the ending coming. A great enthralling read!

4.5 stars

There's nothing like reading a thriller full of crazy drama that you can just sit back and relax with and enjoy the show. It was a very fast read for me as I did feel invested in the story to want to see it all play out. If you can handle an unlikeable character, this book is worth picking up.

Jane recently moved to Birmingham, Alabama and works as a dog walker for some families living in the ritzy section of town. She occasionally swipes something nice from the homes of her wealthy clients because hey, no big deal, they're rich. One day Jane meets Eddie Rochester and well, that's when things get interesting...

While Jane is not someone I would want to know in real life, she was a fascinating fictional character. The story is a good combination of things you are anticipating as well as a surprise or two thrown in there. I absolutely loved the ending although I have no idea if that is a popular opinion or not. I thought it was a bold choice by the author and to avoid giving away spoilers, I will just leave it at that.

Jane, who is escaping her previous life finds herself in Birmingham, Alabama working as a dog walker in an affluent neighborhood. There she meets Eddie Rochester, a recent widow and man of mystery. Eddie's wife Bea and her best friend disappeared in a boating accident. As Jane starts to fall for Eddie and edges her way into becoming another one of the housewives in Thornfield Estates, she can't help feeling like the ghost of Bea is still around.

As I was reading, I thought this may be up there as one of my top thrillers of the year! It was fast-paced and grabbed my attention from the very beginning. That could be part that I am from Alabama, therefore I love the setting of the high society gated community and could easily picture it. I also loved the domestic drama and the idea of the rags to riches story of Jane. Unfortunately, when it got to the end is where it fell a little flat for me. It seemed like a quick resolve and left me wanting more. I didn't realize it was a retelling so maybe if I went in knowing that my perception would have been a little different. Still happy to have ended the year with this 4 star thriller and would happily pick up more books by Rachel Hawkins!

Thank you Netgalley, St. Martin's Press and the author for my arc in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars

This was a quick light read. Jane has lots of secrets and she moves in with Eddy who has even more secrets. Knowing that it’s a Jane Eyre retelling meant that I easily guessed the twist at the end but I still enjoyed it. And the very end was clever.

Wonderful!! Just a touch of creepy in this modern Southern Gothic novel. I loved disliking EVERYONE at some period of the book... which is EXACTLY what the author was going for I bet!! I would definitely recommend to all my women’s fic friends who want to read something thrilling and to all my mystery friends who want to read something “a little different”. Wanted a little more neatness in the epilogue otherwise, great job!!