The Wife Upstairs was a very enjoyable book! It follows a woman, Jane (which isn't her real name), as she meets a widower. She sees his wealth and decides this is the life she wants and she will get it for herself. Gradually the story unfolds as to what happened to his missing, and declared dead, wife in a lot of twisty revelations. 

I personally love a book with multiple points of view, so I loved that about this book. It really played out well and helped the story move along in the perfect way. Rachel Hawkins did a great job at making you go back and forth on what you think actually happened the night Eddie's wife went missing. 

If you love a book that keeps you wanting more and suspense added in with that, read The Wife Upstairs.

This is a quick, thrilling read that had me hooked on the various characters’ stories from the beginning. Although the ending was a bit predictable I enjoyed the story nevertheless. Great narrator.

I just could not get into this book. The narrator had varying speeds and it was difficult to follow along with the story. I was disappointed because I have heard so many positive things about this book. I will have to get it in an actual book format to try again.

This was a really solid Jane Eyre retelling. It took me a good 10% to get into the book but eventually I settled into the story and narration and was taken on a wild ride by Rachel Hawkins. This fast paced book made reading a breeze and the writing was incredibly vivid, which helped me sink further into the story. Overall, this was definitely one of the better thrillers that I’ve read in awhile and the Jane Eyre connections only made it better.

Here is what’s classic. Jane, who is not really Jane, is hiding out from something, while happily, ok that is an exaggeration, walking dogs in a sedate suburban town for a bunch of snarky, gossipy women whose husbands are no better. She sets her sights on someone who is hard to take her eyes off. While Jane is more accustomed to pull-out couch-surfing, she is determined to make this McMansion-background dreamscape her own. But the price she is going to pay is destined to be high.

Jane is determined to make a go of things with Mr. Rochester (see where I’m going with this) and the more she learns about his dead wife, she wonders if she can compete.

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS gave me all the creeps and had me constantly wondering what's up with all of these unlikeable characters. Which is what I wanted. Which is why I kept reading. And, as they say in the South, y'all, that ending.

I can’t say I loved this book, but I didn’t hate it either.  I liked the premise of the story.  It just seemed to take a long time to get anywhere.  The main character is unlikeable.  Several times the past that she is running from (including police involvement) is hinted at but once it is revealed turns out to be nothing significant.  It took me several tries to get into reading the book, yet there were times when I couldn’t wait to get back to it.  I didn’t like the ending.  It was too superficial and felt thrown together to meet a deadline.

I enjoyed the narration with the exception of the voice of Emily.  It grated on my nerves.  Fortunately, she didn’t have a lot of dialogue.

I would say that this book is worth a read (or listen), just don’t expect it to knock your socks off.


I received an ARC through St. Martin Press and Macmillan Audio.  This in no way affects my opinion or rating of this book.  I am voluntarily submitting this review and am under no obligation to do so.

This was a really fun, twisty and suspenseful mystery. I really enjoyed both the characters and the story. This modern take on a classic felt fresh and contemporary. 

Jane, the main character, was complex and interesting. She herself is a bit of a mystery--she has a past she is hiding from, and she is looking for a way to escape her current humdrum existence. The mysterious Eddie might be her ticket to a better life, but he is haunted by the recent death of his wife. Jane and Eddie start to fall for each other, but with both of them hiding secrets can they really build a life together?

This is a fun, quick and escapist read. It has plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The narrator is excellent. The story requires some suspension of disbelief, and there were some scenarios that I just didn't find believable. It detracted a little from my enjoyment of the story, but overall I would recommend it.

It's taken me several days after finishing this book to decide how to rate it. While a 3 star doesn't seem great, I will recommend this book and follow the author because overall it was engaging. It fell short for me on two counts. One, there is no redeemable character - not a one. Even the dogs were obnoxious. For me there are likable a-holes but I couldn't find one here. Eventually, they grew on me like mold but I still longed to cheer for someone. Two, it was predictable. The ending did have a twist but not enough to have me gaping. Again, I liked it and would recommend it but wish I could say I loved it.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing my review copy.

Wow. Just wow. It isn't often that I get to the last hour of the book and think, oh I didn't think of that. This book was described as a Jane Eyre modern retelling and I'd challenge that a bit. More like inspired by Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre is more accurate. The Gothic feel of Jane Eyre is lost a bit on the modern potty mouth, unlikable main character and we think we know each character and they each get tossed around until we can see the real picture. So good. I read Hawkins' Hex Hall and it reads similar to this actually, just toned down for YAs. I enjoyed all the little details in this re-imagining of Jane Eyre.

I saw a bunch of people raving about this book so I decided that I had to read this book. First off I have to saw that the narrator did a good job. It is not her fault that I did not like this book. I found the characters to be very annoying t the fact that I found them to get on my nerves. Yet, I pushed past it as much as I could. I will give the story some props that it does get better with the intrigue in the latter part of the story but no real surprises there. I could see where the story was heading. I will have to say that this hyped book did not do it for me.

This is a modern retelling of Jane Eyre with lots of twists to it. I absolutely adored this book and think it would be equally enjoyable to someone who hasn’t read Jane Eyre, but for me having read both I just was in bookworm bliss. Some of the twists were predictable to me because I read a lot of thrillers, but despite this I still completely loved it.

This is a hugely enjoyable and smartly done re-casting of Jane Eyre into present day Alabama. The move from 19th century Gothic to contemporary Southern Gothic is surprisingly successful and the author makes many clever tweaks to characters and plot that will entertain those who know their Bronte but it stands alone just fine if you don’t.

Jane has moved about a lot since she had to leave Arizona and is currently sharing a dingy apartment with creepy John Rivers. She’s built up a dog walking business in the very upmarket Thornfield Estate and while on one of these walks, she meets handsome widow Eddie Rochester. Just 6 months ago, his wife Bea and her best friend Blanche Ingram had gone missing, presumed drowned at the Rochesters’ lake house.

Ms Hawkins manages to hit all the signature points of <i>Jane Eyre</i>, though often in twisted and unexpected ways: I enjoyed the transition of the original Mr Rochester’s ward Adele into a red setter puppy. But above all of that, this is a terrifically atmospheric thriller with some nifty twists and Jane is a hardnosed independent young woman who works hard to get what she wants.

I wasn’t completely wowed by the narrators of the audiobook. Jane’s reader has a slightly metallic/robot element to her voice and Eddie just sounds wrong, but this only slightly detracted from a very pleasurable listening experience.

I really liked this story! I went in fairly blind, other than the short little description from Book of the Month. I wasn't sure what to really expect, but even if I thought I had an idea I totally would have been wrong. I spent the entire book really wondering who did it. Who committed this crime? Will we ever find out? I also couldn't decide if I was supposed to like these characters, hate these characters, like some but hate others, etc. I probably shouldn't have loved Jane, considering her whole life is basically a lie. But I really did find myself rooting for her. I like how the author separated this book into "Parts" with different narrators, rather than flipping back and forth on each chapter like some dual timelines/dual perspective books. The narrators for the audiobook did really well and I'm glad I chose to listen instead of just read.

But also, what the heck? Who comes up with this?!

4.25 - Would recommend.

I didn’t dislike this one, it did keep me interested. However the ending is extremely rushed and leaves way too much unanswered. I think the author was going for an open-choose your adventure-style ending, but it falls flat because there are too many variables in play.


I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

**4/5 Stars**

I absolutely devoured Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs, which the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, graciously let me read via NetGalley. This was my first audiobook ever, and it did not disappoint!

The book revolves around two characters – Jane and Bea – whose lives become intertwined thanks to a shared love interest: Eddie. Bea supposedly passed away in a tragic but highly suspicious boating accident, leaving Eddie a grieving widow. Bea was a successful businesswoman, starting her own line of highly sought-after decorative goods for Southern women.

Jane comes into Eddie’s life after a bit of time has passed since Bea’s death. Jane has lead a down and out life, one that is shrouded in mystery. She has relocated to build a new life, taking on a job as a dog walker in Eddie’s wealthy subdivision.

One day while on the job, Jane gets distracted and lingers in the road while looking longingly at one of the towering mansions. Eddie nearly barrels into her, causing damage to his fancy SUV. Instead of worrying about his car, however, he immediately jumps out of the car and asks if Jane is okay. Jane ends up following Eddie into his house, eventually befriending and working for him.

Jane falls for Eddie overnight, eventually getting engaged to him. She is so consumed with hiding her dark past that she misses red flags about Eddie. But slowly Eddie’s secrets surface, leading Jane to question everything she thought she knew about her fiance.

What I loved about this book was the first person narrators. Both Bea and Jane have strong, well-defined voices in this book. The audiobook was definitely worth listening to, as the actresses did a fantastic job portraying and voicing the characters. Their personalities really came through thanks to the actresses. This book is a well-crafted, character-driven thriller that was hard to put down. Highly recommend!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced audiobook of The Wife Upstairs.

This audiobook is absolutely worth the listen. 

Apparently this book is a modern twist on Jane Eyre, a book I have never read, so I of course had no idea what wa going to happen and really loved how it turned out. There were some twists that I could see coming, but more often than not I was left in the dark. Rachel Hawkins is such a talented story teller.  I see her books all over my Goodreads, and it is for good reason. If you love a classic styled thriller, this book is for you. I highly suggest the audio! The narrator was so enjoyable and it was such a fast listen for me!

Since NetGalley and St. Martin's Press were kind enough to send me an advanced copy of The Wife Upstairs (I love NetGalley!!), and since I had cataract surgery this week, I figured that this was the perfect time for me to listen to my FIRST EVER audiobook!! And I was NOT disappointed!

The story was good - a mystery that I figured out a lot of when I was only halfway through the book, but other parts of it that were a surprise. The characters were unlikeable in an expected way, and I love a story that takes place in the south (this one was in Birmingham). But in fact the best part was, not only that it took place in the south, but that the reader used great southern accents for different characters - hence, my enjoyment of my first audiobook! The book was SO "cliche southern" - the descriptions, the accents, the MANY details, the way the characters talked to each other, and the main character's observation of these pointless infatuations with southern culture and tradition!

Thanks, again, NetGalley and St. Martins Press - this one was great!

Jane walks dogs in Thornhill Estates, an affluent neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama. She is struggling, hiding from something that happened in her past and has picked up a habit of stealing small items that her employers won’t notice. She sells the items on occasion to make ends meet but that’s she enjoys the thrill of it. One rainy day, as she is out walking one of the neighborhood dogs, a car hits her. The car’s owner, Eddie Rochester invites Jane inside and they get to talking. Eddie’s wife Bea went missing six months ago in a boating accident that killed Bea’s close friend, Blanche. After their talk, Eddie decides to get a dog and hire Jane as his dog walker. Things move pretty quickly from there...After a few weeks of dating, Eddie tells her to move in so that she can get out of her terrible living situation. After a few more weeks of play house and Thornhill Estates lady, Eddie asks Jane to marry her so that she doesn’t apply to grad school and leave. This seems both manipulative and strange. Why is he trying to move on so fast? Why does he want the exact opposite of his once beloved and gorgeous wife?Jane just accepts and decides she has hit the jackpot, even when her gut feeling tells her something is off.
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Bea shares her story through writing in the margins of a well loved book. She is being kept prisoner in the panic room of the house. Bea explains that after accusing Eddie of an affair, Eddie drugged both her and Blanche and then threw Blanche off the boat.. Why is Eddie keeping her? What was their relationship really like? Who was Bea? And is it telling that we get to read her story?
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Overall, a very enjoyable book that would be perfect for bookclub. I seriously read it in one day, which means it kept my attention, was the right pacing, and left some open ended questions. I was very interested in each of the three main characters and wanted to see how their backgrounds unfolded. And I was still a bit surprised by the ending.

*Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the eARC from Netgalley.

Jane is new to the Birmingham area. Jane leaves her past behind and takes on a new identity as a dog walker in an upscale gated community. Jane is interested in the mysterious widow, Eddie, once the two meet for the first time. Jane and Eddie soon enter a relationship, but Jane soon discovers that not everything about this seemingly picturesque situation is what it seems.

Overall I was very interested and invested in this story. I would definitely say that this is more of a plot and mystery driven story for me. The characters were okay, but it was plot, mystery, and actions of the characters that kept me entertained and puzzled. 

I like how Hawkins takes the idea of Jane Eyre and makes it her own. I loved how mysterious Jane herself was. You truly could not trust any of these characters. I also appreciated the setting of the novel and how it helped the story be more interesting. 

The ending was a little different from what I thought it would be, but overall I liked it. I enjoyed all the twists and complex reveals along the way. I also enjoyed how we got a split perspective between Jane and Bea. This inclusion helped pack more of a punch at the end.

I really enjoyed the narration of this audiobook. It was well performed.

A twisty flip on Jane Eyre. The book's main primary protagonist is a former ward of the state turned dog walker in a posh neighborhood of McMansions. It's here that she meets her Mr. Rochester and sets her sights on him to provide the life of comfort she has never before know. Lucky for her, he became a widower just months before due to a tragic boating accident. But once Jane moves in with Mr. Rochester she starts hearing strange noises. The author provides many turns in this twisty tale -- a fun remake.