‘The Wife Upstairs’ is the latest book by Rachel Hawkins.

When Jane, a broke dog-walker newly arrived in town, meets Eddie Rochester, she can’t believe her luck. Eddie is handsome, rich and lives alone in a beautiful mansion since the tragic death of his beloved wife a year ago. Eddie can give Jane everything she’s always wanted: stability, acceptance, and a picture-perfect life. But what Jane doesn’t know is that Eddie is keeping a secret – a big secret. And when the truth comes out, the consequences are far more deadly than anyone could ever have imagined.

I started reading this book last night and I read it in one sitting, it was just that addictive. The story is dark, compelling with protagonists that kept the story moving at a fast pace.

The story is written in the past and present tense and is seen through the narrative of Jane and Bea. Jane is new to the Mountain Brook area and is settling with her dog walking business. Walking the dogs, she sees the glamorous lives of the women with their rich husbands and designer brands on tap and Jane occasionally helps herself to this lifestyle, so she’s not always looking in. But one day, she meets handsome Eddie Rochester and he takes her breath away offering her a new lifestyle and no shortage of money. But Eddie is the talk of the town, his wife Bea and her best friend disappeared on a boating trip and Eddie has always been a suspect. But Jane is convinced that charismatic Eddie is innocent but there’s something about him that makes her unsettled. The other perspective of the story is from Bea and the moments leading up to accident.

I loved this book, the characters are great, unreliable and this makes for gripping reading. I loved Jane, she’s deceptive with a tough exterior but underneath she’s soft and wanting to fit in and Eddie is the key to her success. Jane has her secrets and an old life that she’s running from.

The story is fast paced injected with unexpected humour and wit that really keeps the reader on their toes. Like Jane, Eddie is also a fascinating character, he’s handsome and charming and it’s obvious he’s a sought after bachelor with all the women in the town lusting after him, but there’s something underneath that charisma that’s unsettling.

A thrilling and dramatic story about murder and ambition, ‘The Wife Upstairs’ is a modern twist on the crime noir filled with unreliable narratives and an unexpected twist that leaves the reader bursting for more.

You can pre-order ‘The Wife Upstairs’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 29th April 2021.

Potential spoilers ahead - don't read on if you've not read The Wife Upstairs or the book on which it's based, Jane Eyre!


POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD!


We all know the story: girl meets boy, girl moves in with boy, girl discovers supposedly dead first wife is actually madwoman locked away in the attic. I personally loved the original story of Jane Eyre, plus the feminist rewrite Wide Sargasso Sea. So, when I saw that Jane Eyre was being reimagined once again, I requested a copy on NetGalley straight away. And I wasn't disappointed! The Wife Upstairs is exactly why it promises to be - a modern retelling of Jane Eyre, moved from 19th century England to modern day Alabama, USA. In the gated community of Thornfield Estates, Jane meets Eddie Rochester, a presumed widow struggling to move on after his wife Bea drowned in a mysterious boating accident, her body never to be found...

Now I've seen several reviews comment on how certain elements of the plot were predictable. Personally, I think it should be quite obvious that if you're reading a modern rewrite of Jane Eyre, then certain plot elements will remain the same. and thus be predictable. Plus, there were enough changes to the story that I still felt it was really fresh. I loved the changes the author made to the story in order to set it in modern day Alabama, and all in all I thought this was a really enjoyable thriller that I sped through - it was one of the those really easy books that you speed through really quickly, and just couldn't put down! Definitely one I'd recommend.


Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Jane has recently moved to Birmingham Alabama, she is broke and finds employment as a dog walker, for the rich folks who live in the gated community of Thornfield Estates.

Jane passes her time walking the dogs, dreaming about what life would be like to live in one of the McMansions and never having to worry about money ever again.

When Jane meets Eddie Rochester her luck changes and they fall in love and she no longer has to dream about living a privileged life. Eddie whose wife died in tragic circumstances seems to be a good catch!! Is it too good to be true?

I did not like this book- I loved it!! I was glued to my sofa reluctant to put this great story down. As the story unfolds you have a chilling feeling that something is going to happen and that it is not going to be good!!

A must read book full of OMG moments that left me with my mouth open wide!!

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

1. The Hype is Real
I know this book is hyped for a reason and I know I’m in the minority here and I get it, I get why this book is hitting the mark for so many readers, but these are my reasons why it completely missed it for me…

2. Make me Believe
Neither the characters nor their actions are believable and usually, I’m ok with this to a certain extent, especially if the book has other qualities to redeem it; this was not the case in this one.

3. Surprise Me
When I pick up a thriller, I look forward to a thrilling ride with twist and turns that keep me on my toes. The main twist of this book is crystal clear from the very beginning and it sets the scene for a series of predictably underwhelming twists.

4. Ridiculous
You know what’s worse than predictable twists? A ridiculous ending and this book managed to have both!

5. The Final Verdict
Not my cup of tea but it’s so many readers’ cup of coffee and as I said before, I get it!

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this book.

An interesting take on the concept of people bringing past relationships into their new relationships with a few unexpected plots twists. The ending left me wanting a sequel as I am sure there is more to come for Jane.

This book gave me a lot of verity vibes by colleen hoover. in the sense you didn't know which way the story was about to twist and also leaving some parts unresolved so the reader can guess. Well written and would love to find out more about 'Jane' and who she was before she came to be a dog walker.

.When Jane meets Edward Rochester her life changes forever. But, the man who appears to be a widower is hiding a secret about what really happened to his wife.

Sound familiar? Well, not quite. This modern reimagining if Jane Eyre takes those elements of independent thinking which the original Jane Eyre showed flashes of, and develops Jane Bell. This Jane is a girl on the run from her old life, a dog walker and thief who has even stolen the name she uses.

The Eddie Rochester she meets when he almost knocks her down in the street isn’t looking for a governess. His wife Bea is missing presumed dead, believed to have drowned with her beat friend Blanche in a drunken boating accident.

Jane moves in with Eddie in a whirlwind romance. She quickly has to readjust her life, trying to fit in with the society women who make up her new neighbours (and former dog walking clients). Curious Jane begins to hear rumours that things are not all that they appeared in the Rochester marriage. Bea’s successful lifestyle company borrowed heavily from her best friend’s life, and her relationships with both Eddie and Blanche had their tensions.

Jane begins to see a different side of Eddie, and is also aware of strange sounds in the house when no one should be upstairs.

While there are clearly familiar elements of this plot, there is also a sense of freshness which means that this book is never predictable. Jane Bell values her independence, she’s swept up by the excitement of a new relationship and access to a home and money she could never dream of. But, she’s also suspicious of people. A life in a series of foster homes has developed her skills in reading people, and she senses that not everything is as it appears.

An enjoyable read I finished in one day. A fabulous tale whether you’ve read Jane Eyre or not.

Rachel Hawkins reimagines the Charlotte Bronte classic Jane Eyre in this darkly funny, twisted and suspenseful contemporary retelling, The Wife Upstairs.

Jane is a flat broke dog-walker looking to catch a break. Down on her luck and newly arrived in town, it seems as the stars have finally aligned for her when she meets handsome, charismatic and charming, Eddie Rochester. A widower who had lost his wife a year ago, Eddie seems like he has just stepped out of one of her romantic fantasies. He is rich, good-looking and devastatingly attractive, but is he as perfect as he initially seems? Is Eddie being honest with Jane? Or is he hiding something sinister from her that could have serious repercussions on both of their lives?

Eddie can give Jane the picture perfect life she has always wanted that has long been denied to her. He is comfortably off so Jane no longer need worry about money ever again and he accepts her and loves her for who she is. Jane hasn’t felt this happy in a very long time. Yet, she cannot shake off this feeling that something isn’t quite right. How well does she truly know Eddie? Is the fairy tale lifestyle he is promising her all that it’s cracked up to be? Or is Jane about to walk into a terrifying nightmare where she will end up losing everything all over again?

As shocking truths and disturbing realities are revealed, Jane realises that she has found herself tangled up in a twisted web of lies and deception. Is Eddie Rochester the love of her life? Or will her Prince Charming turn out to be an evil villain who will end up ruining her life forever?

Rachel Hawkins’ The Wife Upstairs will delight Bronte aficionados and thriller fans alike. Smart, sharp and twisted, The Wife Upstairs is a chilling tale of dark desires, forbidden passions and jaw-dropping secrets sprinkled with wry humour, heart-stopping drama and nail-biting suspense that will keep readers on the edge of their seats and turning the pages late into the night.

This was a really fun read. The Wife Upstairs is a Jane Eyre retelling but there are elements of the story that were obviously different and it was set in the modern-day. I thought Hawkins did a great job at writing about a southern neighbourhood and I really enjoyed the gossiping and dramas of everyday life. I thought it was rather slow-paced but it worked well. However, I think the title gives too much away for those who have not read Jane Eyre and that characters like Blythe and Bea got mixed up at times.

An enjoyable book but. I had to suspend a great deal of belief. It was pretty easy to guess what was happening too with the oblique references to Jane Eyre.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters were believable and relatable. Apparently it is based on the story of Jane Eyre and I could definitely see the similarities.
Having been in a relationship where I too was manipulated I could see how easily Jane fell for Eddie and how she overlooked the warning signs.
The author has done some serious work looking at relationship dynamics and behaviours.

“The Wife Upstairs” was a quick, fun and easy read by the new to me author Rachel Hawkins and I had a great time with it.

The story starts with Jane, a dog-walker in a fancy, rich neighbourhood, when she meets a widower Eddie Rochester and her luck takes a turn for a better. Or so she thinks.

It’s one of those books you can devour in one sitting. The pace is incredibly fast and you just need to know what is going to happen next. The sequence of events or characters' choices sometimes made me raise my eyebrows but the writing was engaging enough to keep me interested in the story.

The book is not a shocking thriller by any means. I found the plot to be predictable and twist easy to work out (for someone like me who never read "Jane Eyre"). I would also prefer the the writing and candidates to have a little bit more depth and development but overall it was a good book.

I would highly recommend it especially for readers new to the thriller genre.

3.5 of 5 stars
https://lynns-books.com/2021/02/11/the-wife-upstairs-by-rachel-hawkins/
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Twisted reimagining of a Classic

The Wife Upstairs was, without doubt, one of my most anticipated reads of the year so far, mainly because I talked myself into thinking this was a retelling of Jane Eyre. As it is I would say that this is a story that takes inspiration from that classic story and updates it for a modern audience including a few twists along the way. Okay, I won’t deny that I actually enjoyed reading this (even though it wasn’t a straight up retelling) – Jane Eyre it isn’t, and I also had one or two issues that I had to put to one side, but even with those provisos, like I said, I enjoyed this.

Our main character, appropriately called Jane, is a dog walker for the rich housewifes who live in the gated community of Thornfield Estates. She is running from her past and a little down on her luck when we first meet her but within fairly short order her situation changes when she makes the acquaintance of wealthy, handsome widower Eddie Rochester. With almost indecent haste Jane finds herself living in the most impressive mansion on the estate and with the most eligible (and wealthy) bachelor to boot. Of course, the rose tinted glasses soon come off as the rumour mill runs amok. And the rumours are not about the latest little minx to snag herself a wealthy man, they are instead about the disappearance of said ‘wealthy man’s’ wife under suspicious circumstances and his almost ridiculous rush to start afresh, millions under his belt and a new woman tucked up in his mansion.

I wouldn’t call this a retelling because for the most part the story is pretty much it’s own beast – apart from some very surface similarities such as people and place names. That being said both books do share one particular thing in common – missing first wives.

This is a book of secrets, lies and deception which does make it difficult to say too much without giving away spoilers although readers familiar with the original may be able to guess at certain elements – although, even with some educated assumptions there is still a twist along the way.

Firstly, let’s take a look at the characters. Many of them are less than likable or morally a little ‘grey’. Jane for example is no angel. She’s not above stealing pieces of jewellery that catch her fancy, she has no love for the wealthy wives she mixes with and she is always weighing up the best way to speak or behave in order to manipulate people. Refreshingly, she is very open in terms of the information she shares with the reader and so we are well aware of her scheming and duplicitous ways, and yet, in spite of this, I began to feel a certain attachment to her or at least became worried about her safety at certain points. Mr Rochester, seems to be perfect, although we clearly don’t get to observe what’s taking place in his head instead learning about him through gossip and the rumour mill. Much like Jane, Eddie seems to have enjoyed a most welcome push up the ladder when he met and married Bea (the late Mrs Rochester) and of course the disappearance of both Bea and her best friend during a boozy boat trip, which left him sitting very pretty, is looked at with suspicion. Again, Eddie is one of those characters that I found myself veering from disbelief, to dislike to almost (but not quite) sympathy. Bea herself was also something of a rags to riches character creating a successful company that made her famous and wealthy beyond her wildest dreams, but again, she isn’t perfect. Nothing is exactly how it first appears with these characters, in fact between the three of them they really do test your patience at times and I couldn’t help but find myself thinking that they really did deserve each other.

The story itself is entertaining. We have a number of jaunts down memory lane as a means to find out more about the characters both present and missing and we soon learn that everything wasn’t quite as rosy as might first appear. Now, I did have a slight problem with one of the key elements here but it’s something I can’t really discuss and to be honest I was able to put it to one side and not let it affect the read. On the whole I really enjoyed the writing and found this easy to read.

In terms of criticisms. Well, not much to be honest. I think, personally, I went into this one expecting it to be a retelling but when I look back at the description, etc, it never really professes to be so, in fact it says ‘a delicious twist on a gothic classic’ and to be honest it delivers in that respect. So, firstly, don’t be expecting a modern day retelling of Jane Eyre. Secondly, the setting is completely different. This isn’t gothic at all and isn’t trying to be. Think more Desperately Rich Housewives – and you’ll be somewhat closer to the mark. Finally, the characters have a different twist, none of them are completely blameless but some are definitely guiltier than others.

So, with all that in mind, I had a good time with this one. It was fast paced, easy to read and it kept me coming back for more.

I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

My rating – between 3.5 and 4 stars (7 out of 10) but will probably err on the side of 4 rather than 3 because I did find this easy to get on with.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.

I love a book that surprises me, I’ve read so many Psychological Thrillers and Domestic Noirs that not only do I normally guess the ending, but pretty much the whole direction of the book. The Wife Upstairs was a breathe of fresh air and really helped me out of my reading slump, and got the books of 2021 off to a great start.

So reading the blurb, and taking in the title, I thought I had this one pretty much sussed out, a modern take on the Daphne du Maurier’s classic ‘Rebecca’, the perfect first wife, Bea, that continuously overshadows the new love interest in Eddie Rochester’s life, plain Jane, no matter how dubious her motives are. Hell, there was even the infamous scene where Jane comes across that perfect picture of Bea and Eddie, that Eddie just can’t bring himself to take down. The broken hearted widower, who everyone’s heart goes out to, but just how broken hearted is Eddie?

We all know an Eddie, he’s charming, has money, knows the things to say to charm you off your feet, and before long, Jane the dog walker has moved into Eddie’s McMansion. Thornfield Estates makes Wisteria Lane look pale in comparison. Precisely mowed glowing green lawns, flowers bursting with heady scents and colours, perfectly paved paths and Townhouses to die for. What’s best about Thornfield Estates, is that there are no crazy murderers pretending to be the perfect neighbour, or are there? The harder plain Jane tries to fit into Eddie and the rest of the street’s lifestyle, the more she uncovers about the perfect Bea and as she starts digging around into people’s private lives the clearer it becomes that someone is watching Jane very closely, manipulating and coercing her, and leading her down a very dangerous (put perfecting paved) path.

The Wife Upstairs had me hooked almost instantly, as Rachel Hawkins dives straight into the story with short, punchy chapters leaving you desperate for more. What captured me the most was the strong imagery Hawkins created I felt I had teleported and could see the bright colours of the street, the pastels of the housewives and vividly smell the exotic flowerbeds and cookies baking in every oven. I was in love with the dogs and their contrasting owners Jane walked at the start of the story when she was just the mere help, before being catapulted into being part of the glitterati and before I knew it red flags were flying all over the place for me. Jane soon gives up her dog walking business when she move in with Eddie;

“You’re welcome to use my card to get whatever you need. And I can add you to my checking account today. My personal one, not the Southern Manors account. Lot more fucking paperwork to that one, but we can get that worked out eventually, too.”

Guurl nooooooooo!! Always be wary of a man so willing to throw his money at you, especially one with a nickname for you too! Total red flag.

The characters are vividly drawn, all “pop” in their own way, each one memorable getting under your skin for either the right or wrong way, and for me one or two that I changed my mind on throughout. The plot is exceptionally well crafted, and so so clever, I thought I saw where the plot was going, on the whole I did, but it gave me so much more than I bargained on, throwing up a few curve balls towards the end.

I devoured The Wife Upstairs in one sitting almost and I didn’t want to put it down. At times I had to remind myself to relax as my body was knotted with tension at some parts of the book. With so many red herrings I thought I could start my own fish farm!

The Wife Upstairs is an immersive Domestic Noir bursting with suspense and intrigue. It’s so indulgent and perfect for those post-Christmas lockdown blues.

The Wife Upstairs meets all the criteria I have for a decent mystery novel: characters with shady past, unresolved relationship issues, manipulative characters. I enjoyed the story, but the ending disappointed me - like many of the decent mystery novels, the resolution isn't satisfying and is not shocking. Toward the end of the story I want my heart bearing faster, I want to rush toward the end. Instead, the more I read the more bored I was getting, the story was hitting all the expected themes and I was just loosing interest. There was nothing that surprised me, there was nothing that kept me wondering what could the ending be. The last few pages, I just didn't care about the story.

I really enjoyed this book and read it in one sitting. I actually didn’t expect much before I started but it surprised me and is a stand out read.
The writing is wonderful and I enjoyed the links to Jane Eyre as it was subtle and clever.
The characters are intriguing and there were enough twists to keep me guessing throughout.
I’d definitely recommend it.

The wife upstairs by Rachel Hawkins.
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
Really enjoyable read. Good story. I was surprised by the ending. 4*.

This book was truly brilliant, a modern take on Jane Eyre. Jane finds herself walking dogs on a posh estate, she wants to have what these woman have, then she meets Eddie who runs her over, she falls for his charm but there’s something that doesn’t quite sit right about him. As more and more of the story unfolds, Jane learns more of his secrets, his late wife Bea, what happened to her? This book was so well written, I can’t praise it enough, I read it in one sitting, highly recommended.

Omg this was so good! I loved the plot and there were a few good twists and turns almost the way. Absolutely brilliant!