I loved loved loved this book. Thank you! I'll be posting my review on Goodreads, Storygraph, and Amazon!

3.5 / 5 stars

 S U M M A R Y 
Jane arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, broke and desperate to get away from her past. She scrapes up a precarious living as a dog walker in a very upscale neighborhood. She meets the dashing, recently widowed Eddie Rochester while there, and she thinks that perhaps her fortunes are literally on the rise. This is a Southern Gothic sort of take on Jane Eyre.

 C H A R A C T E R S 
Not having read the Bronte classic, I cannot comment on any kind of closeness to the original. All of the narrators and honestly, all of the characters, all are highly unreliable and untrustworthy for various reasons. This leaves you uncertain of exactly what is going on at times, and who to believe and trust. It does add a fair amount to the suspense and tension, and I grew to like Jane more over time.

 P L O T 
Again, I cannot comment on the plot matching to the inspiration. But I found it intriguing and suspenseful enough, and not really sure how things would ultimately end. It kept me reading til the end.

 N A R R A T O R S
Three narrators, one for each of the main cast: Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne, and Lauren Forgang. I feel like they did a pretty good job.

 O V E R A L L 
A good, solid mystery gothic read. I think lovers of domestic thrillers will on the whole enjoy it, especially if they appreciate the classic Gothic vibes. I didn't find it outstanding, but I DID enjoy it.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for this advance copy, and here’s my opinion freely given.

Jane, Mr. Rochester, and a wife who’s supposedly dead but isn’t - sound familiar? The Wife Upstairs’ modern twist on Jane Eyre is buoyed by fantastic narration of the audio book, and the writing style is solid. Story recaps can be found elsewhere so let’s get to the good and meh.

A struggling heroine succeeding, and a cast of characters to love and hate, all brought into modern day worked well. The twists and turns of the story holds your interest, but unfortunately I felt the overuse of the f-word served as a distraction, and the play of a political card felt more like a reveal of the author’s position than a fit for the storyline. I want to escape and be entertained when reading fiction, not get into political leanings.

The ending is satisfying, and if you don’t mind the “meh” things above, you’ll find much to like in The Wife Upstairs.

This was good! SO GOOD!

Let me just say, I have not read the classic Jane Eyre....so I didn't know how the story would go or if it's similar or not....

OMG! I was hooked from the beginning.. This was so twisty! Literally made my jaw drop and even made me scream! No other book has done that as of yet. Of course I have cried before and laughed....but screamed. NEVER. I thought I knew where this book was going but I did not. The twist was so sharp! Definitely a fast paced novel which I love. Definitely recommend.

I listened to this, and I loved the 3 POV and different narrator for each. LOVED all 3. They fit perfectly.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a free audio copy of The Wife Upstairs in exchange for my honest review.

I lnow this was advertised as a modern retelling of Jane Eyre. Now Jane Eyre is my FAVORITE book so I was excited. This book is nothing like Jane Eyre. The similarities are that the author uses some names from Jane Eyre, the fact there is a secret wife upstairs, and that there's (spoiler alert) a fire at the end.

The story is about Jane, a woman with a secret past she is running away from. While a dog walker in a fancy neighborhood, she meets the charming Eddie Rochester. There is a whirldwind romance, but both of them are hiding secrets.

I really don't understand why the author used the names from Jane Eyre. Jane in The Wife Upstairs is nothing like Jane Eyre. In fact, she was incredibly unlikeable, as is Eddie. I had a hard time getting into the novel at first because I found the two main characters so unlikeable. However, as I kept reading, other points of view were introdiced and the story became more intriguing. I'm happy I kept at it, because I loved all the twists and ultimately sped through the rest of the book,anxious to find out how it would all end. It was a satisfying read, and in my opinion, would have been better if not for the author's use of Jane Eyre as source material. (I found it to be more like Rebecca anyway.)

The Wife Upstairs is a modern retelling of Jane Eyre - and, if you are like me and only vaguely remember reading Jane Eyre in about twenty years (note to self: time to revisit some classics!), you’ll find plenty of unexpected twists and thrills that will keep you in suspense throughout this book.

Jane (not her real name) is a newcomer to Birmingham, Alabama who finds herself employed as a dog walker in the exclusive Thornfield Estates neighborhood. She enjoys picking up bits and pieces of gossip that she overhears from bored housewives - along with picking up bits and pieces of their jewelry that she can pawn for some extra pocket money. When Jane has a chance meeting with Eddie Rochester, a rich, handsome widower, she sees the opportunity to finally escape her checkered past and settle into the privileged life that she knows she deserves. But what should be a new fairytale life is haunted by thoughts of Eddie’s wife Bea, who died in a tragic boating accident alongside her best friend Blanche. As events from Jane’s past threaten to catch up with her new life, she dives into learning as much as she can about Bea and Blanche to try to uncover the truth surrounding their mysterious deaths.

The audiobook version was so well done - I was instantly captivated by Jane’s story - and while she wasn’t always an overly likable character, I was sucked into wanting to understand her past and how it would impact her future in Thornfield Estates. As the book unfolded, each part was told from a different character point of view - each voiced by a different actor - which I really enjoyed. Overall, the book was not as dark or suspenseful as I expected from the “gothic” description, and had a lighter, almost snarky, tone that I appreciated. It was a good read, and if you have the opportunity to listen to the audiobook I recommend it!

The Wife Upstairs was a fun, modern retelling of Jane Eyre, one of my favorite classic gothic novels. The premise of this one is fantastic: Jane is a dog walker in a wealthy subdivision who meets Eddie, a handsome businessman who lost his wife in a tragic boating accident... or did he? Although all the characters in the book at unlikable, Rachel Hawkins manages to pull of an entertaining, suspenseful thriller. I listened to this one as an audible book and it was well done. I wanted to keep listening to see how it would turn out. I liked the way Hawkins took this classic and found modern parallels to keep it fresh. Some of the language was a little too crass for my taste, but overall I liked this one as a light read. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy.

Southern charm, secrets, rich communities. The Wife Upstairs is a thrilling story that was entertaining and unpredictable. If you’re going to pick up the book to read I highly recommend the audiobook. The narrators did a beautiful job and really brought the story to life with emotion and southern charm. They made it so easy to devour the story and immerse yourself in Rachel Hawkins writing, which was amazing. This was on my highly anticipated reads of 2021 and it really lived up to my expectations. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher/author for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a free audio copy of The Wife Upstairs in exchange for my honest review. I was ecstatic to get an early listen of this domestic thriller after seeing so many glowing reviews on Instagram and NetGalley. I enjoyed the concept of a multiple-POV retelling of Jane Eyre set in the American south. There are plenty of lies, rumors, and twists to keep you turning the pages towards an ending you can't see coming. However, I found myself incredibly annoyed with the shallow, heavily stereotyped wealthy Southern characters. I think the stereotypes were further exaggerated in the audiobook due to the cheesy accents and "bless her heart" style dialogue. While I love a quick-read thriller to read in between my more serious reads, this one just missed the mark for me.

I picked this one up on a whim and am glad I did. This audiobook has three narrators, which worked really well , making the switch between characters less confusing.
The plot centres around Jane (who is not Jane) who is on the run from a past event. She walks into the life of Eddie (rich and handsome) and ends up worming his way into his life. We soon discover that they are two of a kind. He did the same to his ex who is missing presumed dead. And the plot thickens as we discover that she is just the same as them ... and hidden by him upstairs in the attic.
The plot twists and turns. I won't give it away but it is a strange one and, whilst totally unbelievable, I really enjoyed it

I listened to the audio version of this book. It was great. It is an unusual unpredictable thriller. The narrators (3) were excellent, they captured the characters well. The story takes Jane, Eddie and Bee through a complex relationship. Not to give much away , but there is the disappearance/death of Eddie’s wife and her best friend. Things get complicated and all comes to an unexpected end. Thanks @netgalley @rachelhawkins @stmartinspress for my audio.

I was immediately hooked by this book. I wanted to keep reading Jane's story and see why she acted the way that she did. This book definitely had characters I didn't know if I should trust and may not have been telling the whole truth. I loved how it unfolded! I highly recommend this book!

Rachel Hawkins does a fantastic job with The Wife Upstairs. Characters were well developed and plot was twisted. I enjoyed the perpetual page turning of this mystery.

I loved the ending!

I would like to thank the author, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free -audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I've seen this book EVERYWHERE! It's on all the lists and all the must reads, and I was avoiding it because I've been really, really disappointed with many of the thrillers I've read in the last few years. They have become so predictable, and downright boring, I've been dismissing them. Then I saw this offered - again - and someone I trust said that they enjoyed the book, that it was based on Jane Eyre (not Rebecca as I'd previously seen noted) and it was offered as an audio from Net Galley. I decided to take a chance.

I don't think I've read Jane Eyre. I'm not really a Jane Austen fan, so I probably skipped it. I have read - and re read - and liked Rebecca, though. One of my reasons for planning to skip this book. I can't say how similar this one is to Jane Eyre, but as I just re-read Rebecca a few months ago, the similarities between this one that that book are huge.

Everyone loved this book. I did not.

I won't re-cap the story - you can read the summary - but I have to say I was so disappointed in this book. It was so predictable, no twists or turns. And the writing seemed really ... immature. Overall, I don't like to read careless cursing in books - the English language is so full of descriptive words and phrases, why not use those? If you refer to everything as 'shitty' how can I tell just how awful you really find something? Is 'shitty' weather just not fun to be in, or is it so miserable you'd rather die? If a person is 'shitty' are they just rude and annoying or are they harming you or are you actually scared of what they may do to you? Books - especially big name books like this one - aren't a quick re-hash of the day written in your diary or told to your best friend, they are a story you are telling to the world. Possibly even something that the generations will be judged on 100 years from now. Is this really how you want to describe things? I'm not a fan of putting down words for the word counter's sake, and don't think you need to describe something in 20 words when 5 will do, but TELL me what you are thinking, feeling, seeing. Not just some random phrase or word. TELL ME THE STORY. SET THE SCENE! That is why I'm going to buy the book or read the book or follow the author! Or the publisher. Calling something 'shitty' tells me nothing, and gives me no reason to buy or read your books.

So, while the author didn't actually describe much in this book, she did spend a LOT of time re-hashing the fact that Jane (not her real name) grew up poor and didn't like it. You can say it just once, we get the picture. No need to repeat yourself endlessly, unless you needed that word count, in which case, maybe actually describe the weather, for example.

This was an audiobook. The writing was immature and not enjoyable. The narration by Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne , Lauren Fortgang was actually pretty well done. The narration is what earned this book 2 stars rather than just 1 from me. The diction was pretty clear and easy to understand, and although it was much slower than I'd like to read on my own, I was able to bump up the playback speed to 1.25 and it was a good pace for my listening. I would look for the narrators again, but will give a hard pass on this author ever again.

** I received an advanced copy of the audiobook from NetGalley and MacMillian Audio in return for an honest review**

I can't get enough of this updated, smart, and thrilling southern gothic retelling of Jane Eyre.

Jane moves to Birmingham broke and looking for a way to outrun her past. She takes a job walking dogs in the Thornfield estate neighborhood and looks forward to the thrill of stealing small items from her clients' homes. Nothing that they would miss, just an earring here, a bangle bracelet there, maybe a small figurine from a shelf. When she meets the charming neighborhood widower, Eddie Rochester, she sees a chance to change her life for good and maybe even become one of the women that she works for.

Eddie Rochester's wife Bea and her best friend Blanche both drowned in an accident not long ago, their bodies still not found. As Jane gets to know Eddie, she can still feel Bea's presence in the house; after all, she decorated it with things from her lifestyle company, Southern Manners. The more Jane immerses herself into Eddie's life and Thornfield Estates, the more she learns the truth about Bea and Blanche's love-hate friendship, and then there are the loud thumps that come from upstairs... but that couldn't be anything more than the house settling, right?

This book kept me guessing all the way to the end and painted such a vivid picture of all of the characters. While I usually struggle to find the time to listen to an audiobook to focus on it, I found myself planning out times to listen because I was dying to know where it was going to go next. The audiobook readers were all exceptional and really infused life into the story. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to be surprised.

This twisty psychological thriller will keep you on the edge of your seat until the explosIve ending.

The setting is Alabama and the southern vibes are evident throughout this story. The main characters are Jane a young woman with a secret past, Eddie an insanely wealthy widow with an explosive temper, and Blanche and B. the childhood friends with alot of baggage between them . This story definitely has a Jane Eyre feel but is still refreshing and new. The chapters told from different perspectives only enhanced the story by unraveling information that kept me wanting more. The characters in this book were so unlikeable, all flawed with questionable morals. Usually that puts me off in a book, but that is not the case with this story. I wanted to see what happened to them, did they get what they deserved in the end? Was there justice?

I love psychological thrillers and this one ticked all the boxes for me. Thanks to NetGalley and St Martins audio for sharing this arc with me in exchange for an honest review.

I ended up liking this one which I wasn't expecting. I tend to find thrillers predictable (and don't get me wrong, this one was) but something about it kept me engaged. I listened to the audio for this one and found myself speeding up the narration. The narrator was good just a little slower than I would have prefered.

Also, I don't know if this is a known issue but in the Netgalley app (on android) every time I pause an audiobook, the app freezes and I have to close it and reopen it. Very frustrating.

3.5 stars

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to listen to this audio in exchange for my honest review.
Jane is a girl just down on her luck and trying to keep her head above water walking dogs in this posh neighborhood. She meets the handsome Eddie, who is a resident of this posh neighborhood. Eddie has a sad past. His wife and her best friend have died in a boating accident. But as all good books go, someone has secrets! Someone is both Jane and Eddie.
This book was a good "read." The plot kept me glued to my earphones for several days! I totally recommend this book for any friend who loves a great twisty read!

I was very excited to eead this book as soon as I heard it was a modern retelling of Jane Eyre. Jane is a dog walker for the elite of Thornfield Estate. She happens to meet Eddie Rochester while dog walking for one of her clients and a whirlwind romance later, she moves in to his home. But is everything as rosy as it seems? The spectre of Eddie’s ex wife and her mysterious disappearance, Eddie’s secret and Jane’s past all make for a twisty fast paced domestic thriller retelling of one of my favourite classics.
Although I was entertained, the mystery or the thriller part wasn’t exactly surprising. I found myself predicting everything well before the reveal. Maybe it’s because I already knew how the original story goes or maybe because domestic thrillers all have a predictable pattern.
But it’s fun and fast paced enough to keep you listening till the end. The narration was also excellent which helped a lot. Looking forward to what Rachel Hawkins writes next

Audio: The narrator was well paced and clear. Although her tone seemed too rugged for the character. The mains character was a little rough around the edges but the tone didn’t seem to fit.

Story: Retelling of Jane Eyre. I loved Jane Eyre and this was a good story.
Jane grew up in the system passed from foster home to foster home. She has run from her past and is now a dog walker in the poshest neighborhood. She had the amazing luck to almost get hit by the dashing Eddie Rochester who just happens to be recently widowed and extremely wealthy.
As Jane and Eddie’s relationship progresses Jane immerses herself in the culture of the neighborhood. She also begins to question the circumstances around Eddie’s wife Bea’s mysterious disappearance.
As both their pasts begin to close in on them, Jane must choose between right, wrong, and what’s best for her.