3.5 stars // I'm not giving this book any awards for writing or complexity of plot, but it was an entertaining and easy-to-breeze-through thriller that held my interest. I liked that it was a modern take on Jane Eyre; Jane is a plucky orphan on the run from a secret in her past who finds herself working as a dog-walker in a ritzy Birmingham, Alabama, neighborhood. One of those clients just happens to be the handsome Eddie Rochester, whose wife recently disappeared under mysterious circumstances. It's not my favorite Jane Eyre re-telling (that would be Jane Steele) but fans of the classic novel will have fun picking up on all the references. I listened to this on audiobook; while I appreciated the different narrators for each character's chapters (the novel is told from multiple perspectives) I wasn't crazy about the narration.

Pick it up now! This book had me absolutely hooked from beginning to end. I have not read a thriller that kept me so engaged in such a long time. The characters were flawed, but that’s what made them so interesting.

This Southern gothic gem has all of my favorites... a handsome husband, a rich wife who is presumed dead after an accident involving her bestie and a young woman who is ready to slip into the perfect life. A definite must read. Thank you NetGalley for a gifted advanced reader copy.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the eALC of The Wife Upstairs. I love Jane Eyre, so when I hear about this purported retelling I was immediately intrigued. I was totally intrigued by Jane's story - the reader isn't immediately sure what to think about her. This book definitely kept me guessing and turning pages, and it was just the kind of escape I needed! I wish I hadn't initially thought of it in relation to Jane Eyre, but on it's own merits this book is definitely a page turner!

I was quickly drawn in to this modern version of Jane Eyre that is set in Birmingham, Alabama. Jane, a young dog walker with a mysterious past, walks dogs for several families in an upscale suburban neighborhood before meeting Eddie Rochester. Eddie's wife Bea was recently killed in a boating accident, but that doesn't stop Eddie from starting up a serious relationship with Jane. Jane clearly has designs on marrying Eddie and enjoying his fancy lifestyle, but it's less clear what Eddie sees in Jane. When the narration flips to another character, we learn more about Bea and her boating accident and the secrets she, too, had been keeping. I enjoyed listening to this story and loved the twists and turns and surprises. I didn't like any of the characters, and this book will not live in my memory forever, but it was an enjoyable read.

Blog: The Life & Times of a Book Addict.
Post on January 26, 2021.

REVIEW


Jane, Eddie, and Bea were very interesting characters to get to know. From pretty much the beginning, I was interested in Jane’s background and what she could possibly be running from. Then once Eddie and Bea came into the picture, I wanted to know more about their past…specifically Bea’s. The story seamlessly shifts between both present and past. Uncovering more of Bea and Eddie’s life as well as Jane’s past in the process. none of these characters were very likeable to me, but I think that is the point. However likeable or unlikeable, they all added something to the story and made it all the more intriguing.

I’m one of those weird people that like to occasionally switch between listening to an audiobook and reading the book. Oftentimes I will read the book during lunch and then listen to it when I get home or vice versa. The writing and pace of the story was done well. It never felt like anything lagged or became boring. The narration was good too. All three of the narrators did a good job of bringing the characters to life and making the book even more enjoyable. Listening to their voices tell the story, it was easy to get lost in the book for several hours.

The Wife Upstairs was a quick and easy suspenseful story to get sucked into. The more I read, the more my curiosity grew, and I had to find out how it all ended. This was the perfect book to read while I was on vacation. I look forward to seeing what Rachel Hawkins comes up with next.



RATING: 3½ -4 OUT OF 5.

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was an entertaining thriller. I really appreciated this modern day rendition of Jane Eyre that the author chose to write. It was fun to see a contemporary twist on a familiar classic.

I was, admittedly, rather distracted by the over-abundant use of a certain expletive throughout the narrative and given the familiarity of the basic plot, I didn’t find the reveal to be all that surprising. I was even a bit disappointed in the final outcome. It seemed not only open-ended and slightly contradictory to previous pages, but also a bit lackluster.

True, The Wife Upstairs didn’t blow me away, but it was an enjoyable and fun to read mystery and it kept me turning the pages until the very end.

Honestly, I am surprised by this one. Rachel Hawkins has been an up-in-the-air author for me throughout time. So, finding out that there was a thriller by her, I was interested. It does fall into some predictable tropes; however, with Hawkins writing style it somehow works for the best.

With shades of Jane Eyre hovering in the background, this was a suspenseful mystery set in the south. A young have-not with a dicey past meets the man of her dreams. Of course he had to realize she was the girl of HIS dreams and she (Jane, of course) made that happen. It wasn’t easy being the live-in of the new widower but Jane was smart enough to do what was necessary to fit in to his world.  This narrative is brimming with deceit, murder, greed, and coverup, all presented with a southern drawl (audio book). A modern twist of a familiar story and familiar characters that have just changed with the times

Thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan for letting me listen to an advance copy of this book.

I did not finish the book. I got about half-way through trying so hard to give the book the benefit of the doubt. The main character, Jane, is spectacularly unlikeable. Every other word out of her mouth is a swear word. She starts out by saying how much she hates the neighborhood and its "poshness' and within chapters is doing everything, including turning herself into a pretzel, to become one of them. The narrator does a fantastic job of making Jane despicable.
I read other reviews and found I am definitely in the minority. People found the allusion to Jane Eyre believable and not just the names of the two main characters. I don't mind despicable characters but if they are the main character, they have to have some redeeming traits for me to go on. I just couldn't work up any care or wanting to know what happens. I love Jane Eyre the original book by the way. I could partly see where this might go but there are so many good books out there, I couldn't rationally give what precious time I have for reading to this book.

So I have to say if you like literature, don't waste your time.

I'm usually not one for a retelling of a story, but I have never read Jane Eyre so this whole book was fresh to me. I like the twists and turns, and the honesty of it all (I do not mind foul language in a story, if it fits the characters). The ending was great! A total recommend.

The Wife Upstairs, is a contemporary spin on the old classic, Jane Eyre. It also reminded me a bit of Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris. A book full of unlikeable people, but not so unlikeable that I wanted to see what was going to happen next. I often had a feeling of “I’ve read this before” but then something new would be revealed and my interest was renewed.

The story is about Jane, a child of the foster system who is used to surviving by theft and lying. Her latest job is walking dogs in the rich neighborhood, barely making ends meet. So she steals from her employers, taking things that they'll never know are missing. That is until she met Eddie Rochester.

Shortly after they start seeing each other, Eddie wants Jane to move into his mansion. Then suddenly they are engaged and discussing their wedding. But Jane has secrets and she has suspicions, too. Jane believes Eddie is just like her, in that he’s a liar and hiding some very important things. Then there is the matter of his wife's death. His wife’s body was never found even through her best friends was. There are rumors, lots of rumors, and so many hints from the gossiping neighbors.
Published January 5, 2021

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

I quit on chapter 10. I thought this story would be more interesting based on its good reviews but I couldn't get into it. The narrator also did not do anything for the story. I found her narration very dull. Perhaps a better narrator would've helped to keep me engaged.

The Wife Upstairs is a twisty-turny read that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Narration: This book was narrated by Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne, Lauren Fortgang, and they all did a phenomenal job. I’ve listened to all of these narrators previously and enjoyed their works. I thought they each did their characters wonderfully, but I would say that Emily Shaffer really shone as Jane. She conveyed the bitterness and jealousy so well. If I knew a book on my TBR had any of these narrators, it would be the icing on the cake, and I’d be inclined to go the audio route.

My review of this book will be going live on FreshFiction.com. I will be sure to share the link when it does.

A woman uncovers hidden secrets about her fiancé and his ex, in the Jane Eyre reboot, THE WIFE UPSTAIRS by Rachel Hawkins.

We first meet Jane as the neighborhood dog walker for the well-to-do residents of Birmingham’s Thornfield Estates. Jane is broke, so she helps herself to a shiny bauble here and there, sure the bored and well-heeled housewives won’t even notice. But her luck changes when she meets the recently widowed Eddie Rochester. Rich, handsome and charmingly enigmatic, Eddie is everything Jane needs to start over… again. And despite her disbelief at Eddie’s attraction to a plain girl like her, before too long, Jane moves in with Eddie and becomes the new, buzzed-about socialite of the Estates.

If the only knew her real name isn’t even Jane…

But as days turn to weeks, Jane is increasingly haunted by the memory of his ex-wife—the stunning and ambitious Bea, who is presumed dead after a tragic boating accident. Worse yet, she suspects Eddie is hiding something and Jane can’t seem to leave it alone. And just when her new, shiny future is within reach, everything comes crashing down when she discovers the terrifying truth.

Hawkins (ROYALS) delivers a gothic thriller with a fresh twist on a well-known classic. It’s a story about attraction, ambition, murder and love rife with unexpected twists that kept me reading. While I loved the premise and the noir sensibility of the story, parts of the book moved a little slower for me with my attention ebbing throughout. The ending felt a little rushed/a little flat too. I loved her book Royals, however, look forward to reading her next go at a thriller.

What an absolutely fantastic audible. My latest obsession is a thriller and this book hit all the marks for me.

I loved the dual narration and I was absolutely mesmerized while listening. The twists and turns were jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring throughout the entire book. I went into this book blind as I often think thrillers need to be a cold read.

Jane wasn't everything we thought she was, nor was Eddie or Bea...and that's exactly why I loved this book so darn much!! And of course - you will be left with so many questions when you are finished and for me - that makes it a great thriller!

The narrators were perfect and I felt as though I was in Alabama with these characters going through this whirlwind!

Thank you to Netgalley Audiobooks and to Rachel Hawkins for my audio book of The Wife Upstairs for an honest review. A good thriller was what I was looking for. Narrators Emily Shea, Kirby Heyborne were excellent at telling this wacky story. Jane, new resident to Birmingham, Alabama and neighborhood dog walker, doesn’t have two pennies in her pocket. She isn’t shy to steal feom her clients and she is looking for a way out of her dreary life. She meets Eddie Rochester, newly widowed and seemingly wealthy. The two fall in love and that it where things get good. When it turns out Eddie’s wife and her friend were murdered all eyes look to Eddie. Jane finds herself in the middle of this mess. The neighbors seem to have all kind of ideas why the two ladies were murdered. Bea, Eddie’s wife, was a self made millionaire. She had everything to lose and theories are everywhere about what happened. This story was well written. The characters were terrifically awful, in the best way. I thought I new how the story was going to go and every time I was wrong. It was definitely worth the read. I have recommended this to friends and family. I have featured it on my Instagram page. I have also shared my review on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. This was a four star read for me. I read it quickly and enjoyed it. I hope you do too.

Set in Birmingham, Alabama, this thrilling novel tells the story of Jane, the neighborhood dog walker in the upscale community of Thornfield Estates. The luxurious lives of her clients is far from Jane’s own life until one day she meets recently widowed, Eddie. As Eddie and Jane’s relationship continues to bloom, she learns more about Eddie’s late wife, Bea, and begins to question the story surrounding her death. Alternating between Jane’s perspective and Bea’s diary, the reader becomes aware that it wasn’t just a boating accident that supposedly took two lives but much more. This story was filled with secrets and drama making it hard to stop listening. The Wife Upstairs is based on the story of Jane Eyre which I have not read but I believe this book would have been more intriguing if I had! For those who have read both, do you agree?

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a complimentary audiobook of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Rachel Hawkins read and I loved it. It never left me uninvolved. The twists and turns of this book kept me guessing til the last sentence! You won't regret reading this one!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for my copy of The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, narrated by Emily Shaffer; Kirby Heyborne; Lauren Fortgang in exchange for an honest review. It published January 5, 2021.
I was so excited when I found out this book was a Jane Eyre retelling meets thriller! I thought the story itself was really well-written and not completely predictable, despite having read Jane Eyre before. I was definitely surprised in the ending. I didn't want to turn it off, but keep listening to the end.
What I didn't like was all of the language, (This is a personal trigger for me, I know most people don't bat an eyelash at it though). I feel like this book would've been 10% shorter had it not had profanity. I know that this is a modern retelling, and that the profanity was used as a device to take it from a regency period to current day USA. But boy did that leave a bad taste in my mouth. The book would've stood on its own without that. And I would happily recommend it to a lot more people, had it not been for that language.