I started reading this book when I went to bed last night – and finished it off before I got up today (admittedly a bit late, but still). So that should tell you how compelling it is. A great thriller, with great characters.

Here comes the joke. I read Jane Eyre many years ago and it is still vivid in my mind. I never made the connection to Jane Eyre; despite the plot, despite the same names, despite the fate of the house So, if you read that this is like Jane Eyre do not let that put you off because it might not be for you – this is a really good book that stands on its own merits. It is interesting, well written with many twists and turns that were unexpected to say the least.

I cannot recommend it enough and I hope it is a huge success for Ms Hawkins.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

Loved this book. Read it in one sitting. It seems based on the story of Jane Eyre but in a modern setting that is oh so easy to be there with Jane. I loved it and even more the unexpected ending.

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS; A CHILLING RETELLING OF JANE EYRE

I’ve always loved Jane Eyre and love Wide Sargasso Sea too. So when I was offered to the opportunity to read and review The Wife Upstairs, a modern interpretation of the classic story which is published today in digital format, I jumped at the chance.

Jane Eyre is often regarded as one of the most romantic novels of all time, but I doubt anyone would use the word romantic to describe Rachel Hawkins contemporary retelling of the gothic classic. The Wife Upstairs is a menacing, modern day thriller. Please don’t think that because you’ve read Jane Eyre, you will work out the ending of The Wife Upstairs. Just like the characters, the ending is unnerving and unpredictable.

Similar to the original, this contemporary novel is a first-person narrative told mainly from Jane’s point of view. However Jane’s voice is also interwoven with the voice of ‘the mad woman in the attic‘ Bertha, now known as Bea. And then there is the handsome Eddie Rochester who appears to be able to give Jane all she has ever wanted – acceptance and money.

Growing up in foster homes, Jane is a survivor as she contends with social oppression, inequality, and hardship. However I personally struggled to like Jane. I also didn’t trust her which for me enhanced the tension of the novel. But grudgingly my admiration for this modern day protagonist grew.

Wide Sargasso Sea, the 1966 novel written from Bertha’s point of view detailing her marriage to the abusive Edward Rochester is often regarded as a feminist classic as it explores the unequal power between men and women. The Wife Upstairs is also in my view a feminist novel, but rather than exploring the power between men and women, it brilliantly and uncomfortably explores the shifting power between women. This is skilfully portrayed through the women in the Thornfield Estates neighbourhood, a mother and daughter relationship and the dynamic between Jane and Bea.

Set in the deep south of America, Birmingham, Alabama, the intense heat of the setting skilfully adds to the intensity of the story. This is fresh, contemporary crime fiction with dark humour. For example I loved that Jane in The Wife Upstairs is now a dog walker and Adele a puppy. This is an entertaining novel full of twists – but at times I did feel that some of the twists were a tad unnecessary.

The Wife Upstairs is published digitally on 5th January 2021 with the paperback release in April 2021.

Thank you to Anne Cater from Random Tours and Harper Collins for inviting me to the blog tour of this menacing thriller.

A modern day Jane Eyre. Jane, out of the foster care system is scraping a living walking dogs so she starts stealing things her wealthy employers won't miss. She meets Eddie the rich widower who moves her into his mansion. Her sinister past, including a dead wife trigger alarm bells in Jane. Rumours start to surface and you get hooked into the story line.

Thank you Netgalley for my copy

This book was fun and entertaining.
I enjoyed the Jane Eyre references.

Some things did seem unrealistic. But overall I enjoyed. Even though all characters were a bit mean and evil.

It's very binge worthy.

The best way to describe The Wife Upstairs is to say that it is a twisty contemporary noir retelling of Jane Eyre, but it brings such a freshness to the retelling, it really kept me on edge throughout. It is a slow-burn of a thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end, and beyond!

As a fan of Jane Eyre, I left my preconceptions to one side, and leapt in with both feet. There are plenty of characters within this story to dislike, including the protagonists Jane and Eddie. I spent the book trying to decide if they had any redeeming qualities, and I suppose in their own ways, they did, but those glimpses were fleeting. I have a confession to make, I’m notoriously bad at enjoying a book that does not contain at least one lovable character, but honestly, I found myself completely immersed and not distracted by the unredeeming personalities. To be honest, lovable characters would have felt out of place. This book completely blew me away, and I found it very hard to put down, and right the way through, the characters weaknesses and strengths kept me coming back for more.

I found the setting intriguing, it was very much a luxurious setting, where appearances matter, and I enjoyed the way in which Jane modified how she looked to fit in with the other women in the community, never quite finding a way to fit in. I enjoyed the friendships Jane made with some of the neighbours, even if their motives may not always have been so pure.

The Wife Upstairs is a straightforward thriller, where knowledge of Jane Eyre is absolutely unnecessary, and I was kept me guessing right to the very end. The Wife Upstairs will keep you on the edge of your seat until the final page, with so many twists and turns that you will wonder if you’re ever going to work it out! This was a strong 5 star book for me.

This was Rachel Hawkins first adult novel, although she is an accomplished and very successful writer of YA books, and I am really looking forward to seeing what she does next.

Jane is on the run. She has managed to find herself a job as a dog-walker & is staying with a somewhat obnoxious acquaintance. Eddie is a widower. His wife & her best friend having died fairly recently. He is rattling around in his big house, so when Jane comes along to walk the dog he sees an end to his loneliness & Jane sees a way out of poverty.

From the start the reader is aware that this is going to be a new slant on Jane Eyre set in the Southern USA. Not even the names have been changed to protect the innocent- only nobody appears to be that innocent! Told from various points of view by a cast of pretty flawed characters, I thought this was a clever idea that made sure the reader was never quite sure how things would turn out. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.

I read and loved Jane Eyre so I was really excited to get my hands on this book. It had a really fast pace and I read it quickly, but I have to admit I was disappointed.

Escaping her turbulent past, anonymous Jane arrives in Alabama to start a new life. Part of that new life includes walking dogs for the uppity residents in Thornfield Estate, catching the eye of single hunk, Eddie, and integrating herself into the lives of the rich. But Eddie is hiding a terrible secret; did his wife and her best friend really die in a boating accident? Or did one of them survive?

Although the story has similarities to Jane Eyre (character names, well-known phrases, and a fairly obvious but semi-spoiler in the title), I felt like everything relied too much on trying to be a reimagining of Jane Eyre. In reality, it was very far from Jane Eyre, so I think it would have probably been better if it just separated itself from the classic.

A lot of the plot felt unrealistic to me and coincidental in many places. I guessed the main plot twist fairly early, and was eagerly anticipating something to throw me off-guard but it never arrived. I disliked all the characters, especially Jane who was really quite a horrible, self-centred person. I wasn't a fan of the different POVs either, from Jane, Bea, Bea's diary and Eddie, as there were different tenses thrown around and it just felt like an easy way out to cover each person's side of the story.

One thing I did really like was the writing style and I would be definitely open to reading the author's other books which look to be more YA/fantasy-based. I just have super high expectations for thrillers and this one didn't meet them.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

the Wife Upstairs is Rachel Hawkins first adult novel and it is an impressive first adult novel. It is extremely clever and well thought out and the storyline is interesting and intriguing.
The characters are not particularly likeable but it doesn’t really matter. The main characters Bea, Eddie and Jane are all people who came from nothing and wanted everything. Bea and Eddie are the ones who wanted it all but Jane just wanted a better life.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.

I really do love a good unconventional thriller. And The Wife Upstairs is just that!

While at some points I felt that the story was slacking and I got distracted, I still am pleased I finished it.

Jane becomes a dog walker for a bunch of posh folk when she meets Eddie Rochester, will he change her life for the better or just add more complications? Considering Jane seems to have some secrets of her own.

I haven't read the classic novel in which this was inspired by so there for I feel like perhaps I enjoyed the experience better than those who have? However I will say some of the twists I did see coming.
This novel is very well paced, had me turning the pages and not wanting to put it down in my opinion its a great all round thriller.

A short, suspense filled murder mystery. I didn’t LOVE it, but it wasn’t completely terrible. I didn’t feel like the characters had much depth and I wasn’t a massive fan of the main character Jane. Everything did seem to happen a little too easily.... meeting the perfect guy, moving in with him and unwravelling a murder mystery.... there wasn’t much ‘thinking’ left for me to do as the reader.

I loved the setting, with the perfect southern housing and the women’s brunches to discuss their neighbourhood beautification scheme... but I wonder whether they’d have been quite so accepting of a newcomer in real life. It was a really interesting twist on Jane Eyre.

All in all, if you like murder mysteries with a psychological twist then it’s a good book. I read it quite quickly and it was a good way to just relax and switch off after work.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC

Jane has ran away from her home town and become s someone else she rents a room from John the creep . Jane wants so much more in life she starts walking dogs for the very rich gated community . she loves one house there and meets the owner Eddie and he has lost his wife who s body has never been found and her best friend who s husband lives in that community . jane wants Eddie how this story unfolds is just brilliant wont say no more is a must read

The Wife Upstairs is good, really good! It is a modern and twistier reimagination of Jane Eyre. The characters are named after the classic novel, but the plot is darker than I expected and the suspense is high giving you a sense of dread that something is not as perfect as it seems in Thornfield Estates, a gated community in Birmingham, Alabama, where Jane works as a dog-walker for the wealthy families. Eddie Rochester is a widower. His wife Bertha ‘Bea’ Rochester disappeared a few months ago in a boating accident with her best friend Blanche and their bodies were never found. Jane wants a life in Thornfield Estates and she sees Eddie Rochester as her way in.

Jane and Eddie’s whirlwind romance is the talk of the community, but the more she tries to adapt to life in Thornfield Estates, the more she feels Bea’s ghost haunting her. Bea was beautiful and successful, her life perfect and while Jane tries to measure up to her, she has also a secret to protect. But is she the only one hiding something?

The Wife Upstairs is one of these thrillers that keep me on the edge of the seat the entire time I am reading and I love it!!! It is twisty, witty, and smart and I was completely engrossed in it until I reached the last page.The author’s writing style is brilliant and addictive and I admit that I loved the character of Jane. She is devious and manipulative, yes, but she is also a survivor trying to escape her past.

For me, The Wife Upstairs is a fast read because the more I read, the more the tension raised, the more I didn’t want to put it down because I needed to see what happened next (even though, most of the time my suspicions were correct). I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs which introduced me to a new author who I am looking forward to keeping reading.

This has been one of my most anticipated thrillers after reading rave reviews and it gets a big old 4 stars from me.

I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read Jane Eyre and so cannot comment on how true to the original story it is but for me I really enjoyed the fast pacing, the short chapters and the different perspectives. Even though I wasn’t particularly surprised by the ending, I was fully engaged throughout the book and couldn’t turn the pages quick enough. I think this would be a great recommendation to anyone who is new to the thriller genre.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ecopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Jane has a mysterious past she is running from, which has resulted in her living an uninspired life in a small concrete block with a creepy roommate next door. She spends her days as a dog walker for the wealthy, and her insight into how the other half are living has her aspiring to join them. A chance encounter provides her with the means to do just that but her target, Eddie, might have other plans entirely.

This contemporary Jane Eyre retelling instantly hooked me. I loved glimpsing characters or scenarios from the original that had been reworked into this modern-day setting. Initially there was still enough to differentiate this book from the former creation to keep me engaged, especially concerning the central character, Jane. She was self-serving and self-assured, which I liked, and it was interesting seeing her tactics to claim the life she desired play out.

What initially had me flying through the pages soon turned into something I found a little predictable, however. The original text is one I am very familiar with and so one major twist in this novel did not come as any great surprise. The secrets revolving around Jane's history, which formed the secondary mystery, were answered and resolved very quickly, and I did not find the suspense and tension surrounding it that I was hoping for, either. I definitely had a fun time with this book, am glad to have read it, and appreciated the open-ended nature of the conclusion, however.

#TheWifeUpstairs #NetGalley
I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. Masterful twists in the ending.
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.
A man who seems perfect…
Eddie can give Jane everything she’s always wanted: stability, acceptance, and a picture-perfect life.
A wife who just won’t stay buried…
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…
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK Harper Fiction for giving me an advanced copy.

The Wife Upstairs is a smart, twisty and addictive thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s going to be a difficult book to review as I don’t want to give anything away.

I love books that are based on Jane Austen’s classics so I was very excited to start this one. I loved that the author manages to keep similarities to Jane Eyre in the story but also keeps it slightly different by adding a modern twist to it.

Jane is a very interesting main character and, in a lot of ways, is a far cry from the original slightly passive Jane in Austen’s book. She is not a particular likeable character and while on the surface she seems very sweet, inside she is incredibly envious of everything her clients have. She’s quite a sarcastic person and her witty narration often had me laughing out loud as I read.

The story is told from the point of view of Jane, Eddie and Bea which I thought was cleverly done as it allows the reader to understand the whole story better. There are lots of twists which kept me guessing, including some very unexpected ones which helped ensure I kept reading. The ending was brilliant! Very unexpected, thrilling and thoroughly entertaining.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read more from this author in the future. If you are a fan of easy, twisty and addictive reads then I thoroughly recommend this one.

Huge thanks to Anne Cater for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Harper Collins for my copy of this book via Netgalley.

I was reading this thinking that it was creating tension, but was quite pedestrian for a thriller. Wondered how it would be explained away, but then came the twist that I did not see coming. For me it was a WOW moment. There is a lot to occupy you thinking ahead, but I didn't get it right at all! I'm not sure what I thought of the characters - I could see where Jane was coming from, but I think she would have been more genuine with more of her background clarified. #thewifeupstairs #netgalley

The Wife Upstairs is an absolutely stonker of a Jane Eyre retelling. Compulsive, enthralling but be prepared with that body armour because you are going to need it!

Tragic and astounding. The story immediately calls for audience participation. You want to jump into the book and knock some sense into a lot of people but that is what’s just brilliant about this story. This story is an escape, it made realise just how boring and dull my everyday life is. Dependable husband. Three kids. Nice house. Quiet. Something that the protagonist of the story has dreamed of her entire life.

The Wife Upstairs had everything that I adore about mystery thrillers. Every aspect, every component came together albeit at the end of a very twisty maze and delivered with impact and grace. The read is a quick one and you will find yourself thinking about the tale during random tasks – hoovering, laundry until you can’t ignore its siren call any longer. I fought with conflicting emotions and found myself more than a little glad that I didn’t need to compete with the shallow minded women of Thornfield Estate. I’m not really a girly girl and having to keep up that level of pretence would make me miserable.

Our pasts so often define us and set us upon a path one way or another. Traumatic childhoods. Mistakes. We can all conjure up an idea of a rough childhood, what level of strength would you need to have to make to adulthood, relatively unscathed. The protagonist, Jane has never wanted anything more than to fit in and have a best friend of her own. To not struggle every damn day of her life. If you thought that Jane had more issues than vogue, then you haven’t seen nothing yet. The residents of Thornfield Estate have suitcases filled!

To be honest, I didn’t know what I was expecting when I started reading The Wife Upstairs, but this wasn’t it! It restarted a tired heart, its different moments I felt as though I had been washed out to sea, constantly trying, and failing to keep my head above water. This was an enthralling read and sure this book is going to be on a lot of readers radars in the months to come. It’s so exceedingly difficult to sum this book in a way that it deserves but evil genius springs to min.

The Wife Upstairs is about Jane, a girl down on her luck, running from something that happened in Phoenix. She has managed to bag a dog walking job in the prestigious community of Thornfield Estate. Her clients are high maintenance IT girls. High end clothes, exquisite jewellery and they love nothing more than to gossip. These women have completely underestimated Jane and her kleptomaniac ways. She spots an opportunity and runs with it…what does she have to lose after all?

Imagine her luck when she quite literally runs into Eddie…charming, attractive, and attentive widower. His wife, Bea and her best friend, Blanche died in a boating accident. They were never found. Their relationship blooms and Jane hopes that this could be the answer to all her prayers. There’s only one snag; she feels Bea’s presence everywhere in the house. A ghost that will never leave and just why does Eddie act so strangely?

The Wife Upstairs is a tremendous book with a heart and a hand grenade. It is written with such a poetic beauty.