Has me thinking maybe I should actually read Jane eyre. The guy is insufferable but I didn’t love Jane either tbh.

Quick and easy thriller, kept me entertained throughout the entire novel.
Rachel Hawkins always deliver and this was a great modern retelling of the Jane Eyre classic.

With echoes of "Jane Eyre", the title of this novel enticed me to read it. And indeed, this is 'Fan Fiction' with character names and parts of the plot loosely based upon my favourite classic novel.

However... this is touted as a 'modern' rendition. By modern, they have taken the action to an affluent suburb of Birmingham, Alabama. Then, peopled the novel with 'yummy mummy's' and entitled, wealthy couples. Also, I have to add, that though over the past few years I have become quite impervious to the F-bomb, I thought this novel carried it too far by adding the word into the vernacular such that most pages contained the word at least once...

'Jane' is an orphan that grew up in various foster homes. Now an adult, she seeks to better herself - she is a 'wanna be'. She travels over thirty minutes every day in her old clapper of a car, to walk the dogs of the prestigious suburban enclave of Thornfield Estates. It is via her dog-walking gig that she meets Eddie Rochester, a recent widower, whose wife Bea drowned in a boating accident, along with her best friend, Blanche - who also lived in Thornfield Estates.

Their attraction is immediate and after some time, Jane ends up living in Eddie's McMansion feeling that all of her dreams have come true. However, this is a prime example of 'be careful what you wish for'. In Thornfield Estates everything is about appearances. Everyone is striving for the perfect look, in their homes, their lives, and their relationships. Nothing could be further from the truth as the affluent neighbourhood is riddled with dark secrets and vacuous personalities who are privileged and entitled.

Despite some dark themes of confinement, betrayal, manipulation, and toxic relationships, this domestic thriller was an easy read. I found that I did not care for any of the characters, not even Jane who was a self-serving (slightly kleptomaniac) young woman who held some dark secrets of her own.

Mainly told from the viewpoints of Jane and Bea, this novel did contain a few plot twists, though it completely lacked the gothic factor of the original and lacked any form of character development.

Somewhat entertaining, this novel just didn't resonate with me the way I thought it would.

2.5 stars rounded up

When I read a book is a "modern take on" a classic book (Jane Eyre in this case) I know going in that I'm either going to love it or hate it. Imagine my surprise when I found myself solidly in the middle.

Quite a few twists and turns, some I was even surprised by. There's a fairly likeable main character, a sexy widow that Jane just happens to "run into"...have I mentioned the wife died in a mysterious manner, and secrets galore.

The book was well written and quite suspenseful...but somehow I feel like I read it all before.

I received this book complimentary from
NetGalley but all opinions are my own.

I read Jane Eyre years and years ago. This is similar but in a very unlikeable way. The main lead, Jane is just not likeable at all. There are no redeeming qualities that make up for the “petty” theft (I say petty but she stole expensive stuff!!) and constant lying. I just felt like Jane should own herself. Own that you live in a shitty area and whatever. Instead, she dupes Eddie who is also irredeemable. And the ending “twist” I just kinda felt Jane deserved as terrible as that is to say.

Whew! This was a wild romp! This modern day Southern gothic thriller is definitely a twist on Jane Eyre with a bit of Wuthering Heights and even Rebecca thrown in for good measure. I found this an engaging fast read that kept me turning pages to see what was next. Very entertaining! I've read several Rachel Hawkins books recently and have quite enjoyed them all. I'll be looking for more titles. Thank you NetGalley and publishers for providing a digital ARC for review.

Late to the game on this one, but it did not disappoint. When Jane sets her sights on moving social classes, Eddie is the perfect target. Who cares that his wife and her best friend mysteriously disappeared less than a year ago? When Jane starts asking questions, she finds her life in danger. Is Eddie everything he says he is? Thoroughly enjoyable read with twists and turns at the end. Rachel Hawkins is still a favorite!

I forgot to leave a review for this, but I really enjoyed it! It's been out for ages, so I won't say much more than I need to for my star rating. <3

Jane moved to a new city to escape her past. She was raised in foster care, and didn’t have an easy life. Picking up spare jobs, she falls into dog walking in an expensive neighborhood. On one of her walks, she meets a man who is dealing with his own past, and they quickly connect. In their whirlwind relationship, she even moves in after a few weeks, which is followed by a proposal.

Her new fiancé seems perfect - however, he is still dealing with the grief of his wife who has been missing ever since a weekend away with her best friend. When the best friend’s body is found months later, things start to unravel.

I really enjoyed this book!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Finally getting to this backlist thriller! Jane Eyre is one of my favorite classics, so when I heard there was a retelling coming out, I just had to read it. I really enjoyed this read. It kept my interest throughout and I wanted to find out what happens in the end. All the characters were extremely unlikeable, and I didn't really care about them, but I still wanted to know what happened. The audiobook was so enjoyable with the different narrators. Definitely helped keep my interest.

*Thank you @stmartinspress and @librofm for the #gifted egalley and audiobook in exchange for an honest review.*

I am sorry for the inconvenience but I don’t have the time to read this anymore and have lost interest in the concept. I believe that it would benefit your book more if I did not skim your book and write a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for the inconvenience.

I think I would have liked it more if I hadn't guessed the plot twist, which I feel was more obvious because I'm so familiar with the story of Jane Eyre. The direction of the plot made sense (I guess) and it was relatively short, but I think I would have liked it better if the obvious solution would've been the truth. Overall, not the worst retelling I've read but nowhere near the best. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

3.5 rounding up to 4. I’ve read so many thrillers at this point that it was pretty easy to figure out what was really going on. Regardless, this book kept me entertained and reading until I finished it very quickly. Liked but didn’t love, would recommend to some but not all.

Enjoyable but rather unforgettable! I’d be interested in reading more by this author, as I enjoyed her writing & storytelling enough.

The Wife Upstairs is my first Rachel Hawkins book, but it won't be my last. The story immediately pulled me in and had me coming up with my own theories about each character. I really enjoyed each twist and turn of this one and eventually coming up to the big reveal.

I was provided an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Do you love the classics? If so, you may enjoy Hawkins twisty and modern retelling of Jane Eyre." Told from three very different povs, this novel is bound to keep you on edge with each jaw-dropping revelation!

Jane is new to Alabama, and she is broke. Jane snags a job as a dog walker for the posh residents of the gated community - Thornfield Estates. To the residents, Jane is inconsequential. Luckily for her, she barely registers as a bleep on their radar. It definitely makes plundering their riches so much easier.

You see, the thing is, Jane isn't Jane at all. Jane is trying to outrun her past, and it looks like just maybe... finally...her luck has changed.

As chance would have it, Jane meets Eddie Rochester, Thornfields most mysterious resident. Eddie's wife and her best friend disappeared together in a boating accident years prior. Both women believed to have drowned, and no bodies were ever located. As typically happens in small communities, gossip runs wild, and there are plenty of whispers about what might have actually happened and if Eddie is to blame.

When Jane looks at Eddie, all she can see is opportunity. He is the answer to all her problems. He will provide the protection and riches she so desperately seeks.

Jane and Eddie seem to fall for each other instantly, and it's not long before she moves in. But Jane is nothing like Bea, and she is constantly haunted by her ghost. Will Jane get her happily ever after and at what cost?

'The Wife upstairs ' is a jaw-dropping tale of forbidden love and sure to be one the most twisted love triangles you will ever read.

While it is enjoyable and fast-paced and can be easily read, I personally enjoyed it as an audiobook. It is read by three separate narrators who all did a fantastic job breathing life into Jane, Bea, and Eddie.

As always thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A fun retelling of Jane Eyre, Rachel Hawkins was able to keep me intrigued and entertained the whole time - enough so that I was able to finish this in one sitting.

Such a great re-telling of Jane Eyre!
I loved the writing and Hawkins is an auto-buy author for me, so I may be a little bias :)
The only wish I had was that this book had a bit more thriller-vibes, but otherwise it was a great read that had me turning pages and truly enjoying the story.

Thank you to the Rachel Hawkins, the publisher and NetGalley for my complimentary eARC in exchange for an honest, unbiased review. Please excuse my tardiness in posting my review. My TBR list is continuously growing and I keep finding so many amazing books being requested + added to my pile! I have so much gratitude for this copy that has been shared with me.

A deliciously wry, yet still just as gothic, modern retelling of Jane Eyre that takes on Southern suburbia with ruthless charm. An excellent addition to a thriller summer reading list.

I felt this one was just average until I hit the ending. Don't get me wrong, it kept my attention but nothing stood out as memorable until the end. And then I knew I loved it. Everything all comes together. Great read, well put together. Definitely recommend.