This was a very interesting retelling of Jane Eyre, one of my favorite books. Now I understand that a lot of people loved this book. I just felt meh about it the whole time. I really liked Jane and how scrappy and feisty she was --I was slightly disappointed with her big secret from her past though. I just thought it wasn't as big as the author made it out to be.

Eddie was a bland character for me. I didn't really care about him, nor did I sense any chemistry between him and Jane. And the story about Blanche and Bea was just a bit boring. I didn't really care about either character. The end was surprising and I was satisfied with the end to Jane's story. I just didn't love this one as much as other people.

The Wife Upstairs is a quick and easy read, but a bit too formulaic and predictable in my opinion. Nothing really stood out to me and I'm already starting to forget the characters just a few days after finishing it. I read Jane Eyre too long ago to talk about whether or not this is a good retelling, but as its own entity, it was just okay. I'm giving it three stars, rather than two, since it kept me engaged for the short amount of time it took me to read it.

Thank you to Netgalley, Rachel Hawkins and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader's copy.

I love classics, especially anything written by the Bronte sisters. The Gothic atmosphere, the unreliable characters, the ominous settings...I can't get enough of these stories. So when I saw that this novel was a retelling of Jane Eyre, I could not pass this one up. And, from page one, I was hooked.

The Wife Upstairs tells the story of Jane, a young dog walker who is running from a secret past while trying to make a new life for herself in Alabama. One day, she meets Eddie, a handsome widower whose wife died mysteriously the year before. Jane falls hard and fast for Eddie, becoming wrapped up in the lifestyle of Eddie and his wealthy neighbors. Soon, she finds herself ingratiated into the society of Thornfield Estates. When secrets from Eddie and Jane's pasts begin to surface, the picture perfect life Jane has remade for herself slowly starts crashing down around her.

If you have read the original novel, Jane Eyre, then you will see the twists of this novel coming-you will know where the story is going. However, that does not diminish the enjoyment I had while reading this book. All of the characters were intriguing and fun to follow, and the subtle changes Hawkins made from the original story bring it into the 21st century. Even the side characters, such as Blanche and Tripp, are well-developed and fun to read about. The central mystery is strong, but again, if you have read Jane Eyre, you will be able to predict the ending of the novel. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, from the characters to the setting to the dialogue. Hawkins writes in a way that is easy to follow and leaves the reader wanting more and more as the progress through the story. I did not want to stop reading!

Overall, this was a great mystery/thriller to begin the new year off with. I knocked off half a star purely because the storyline was predictable, but again, this is because I know the story of Jane Eyre. I would recommend this book to all who love Gothic stories, Jane Eyre, and/or just a fun mystery to get wrapped up in. See for yourself and pick up The Wife Upstairs today!

Rating: 4.5 stars

Jane is a dogwalker in a rich Alabama neighborhood, jealous of the wealth and class of her clients. When Eddie Rochester employs her to walk his new puppy, she sees a way in–and Eddie himself is captivating. The two quickly fall in love, and Jane makes it her mission to play the part of wealthy wife, while keeping her secrets buried. But the specter of Eddie’s late wife looms large, and Jane soon realizes that she’s not the only one keeping secrets.

While the character names and descriptions of this novel recall both Jane Eyre and Rebecca, it didn’t follow either too closely. This is a fast-paced thriller and is entertaining enough, but I found it also to be filled with holes and unresolved questions about the motivations of so many characters. Many readers loved it, so give it a try if you love domestic thrillers–but skip it if you hate loose ends.

I love thrillers. The Wife Upstairs was such a fun read.
It kept me guessing and I love all of the little twists and turns of the story.
With thrillers you generally can't say much without spoiling the plot, but if you're a thriller or mystery lover too, I definitely recommend this book!
Thank you so much to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I've previously read a couple books from Hawkins' various YA series and always enjoyed her writing, but mostly I requested this book because I love Rachel Hawkins on twitter. It's pitched as a Southern gothic mystery that is a retelling of Jane Eyre, which is not even a classic I like, so I really wasn't sure if I would. The fact that it's a retelling of one of my least favorite classics that I actually read the whole way through (twice) is part of why it took me so long to actually pick it up and yet, I absolutely loved it.

The book starts with Jane's perspective, as she is walking various dogs in this fancy neighborhood, and occasionally taking valuables from her wealthy clients. When she meets Edward, Eddie, Rochester, she's immediately intrigued and wants to know more about his wife who has been declared dead, Bea. Bea died, allegedly, in the same boating accident that killed her best friend, Blanche. Anyway, as Jane and Eddie start spending more time together, there are starting to be things that just don't quite add up.

I am afraid to say too much because I don't want to spoil anything so I'll not mention any more plot details here. What I will say instead is that I was absolutely captivated by this. I found it a quick read and when I hit about the 60% mark, I did not want to put it down. I kind of wish we had gotten to know a couple of the characters just a little bit more and I sort of thought the ending was going in a very different direction than it wound up going, but overall, this was really fun and I loved it a lot.

Thank you so much @StMartinsPress & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 05 January 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Jane is a dog-walker in Thornfield Estates which is a gated community in Alabama full of mansions, wealth and privilege. Jane longs to be a part of their world (beyond being 'the help') and when she meets Eddie (a brooding widow) she puts her plan into action.

WHAT I LIKED:
- alternating short chapters were fantastic as we pieced together what really happened
- atmospheric vibe only heightened my paranoia & suspiciousness
- kept me guessing right up to the last few pages
- everyone was unlikeable

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- the ending was illogical & unnecessary

Murder. Gold diggers. Affairs. Betrayal. What's not to love!? Jane meets Eddie after his wife's death. Bea and her best friend die in a terrible boating accident. Or, did they?

Jane is the dog walker for the neighborhood when she sets her sights on Eddie. Their relationship moves at the speed of light from there. (almost to quickly in my opinion). Meanwhile, they are both hiding their own secrets. Secrets that could destroy their future. Slowly (and I do mean slowly) those secrets start to come out. The pieces all start to fall into place. What you see is not always what you get, especially with these two.

While this book was tolerable, the characters were not. Sometimes, it is nice to have unlikable characters. But Eddie, Jane, and Eddie's deceased wife are all horrible people, who are unlikable from page 1. The book is good enough to hold your attention. It is not a "run out and get it right now" book. However, it is a recommend. I think with more character development, this could have been a 5 star review.

I ended up liking this one which I wasn't expecting. I tend to find thrillers rather predictable (and don't get me wrong, this one was) but something about this one kept me engaged. I listened to the Audio and found myself speeding up the narration. The narrator was good just a little slower than I'd prefer.

3.5 stars

It took me a while to get into this book but once I did the story was great. It was different than I expected and I ended up really liking it despite the slow start. I’m glad I stuck with it.

Booknerd confession: I’ve never read anything by the Brontè sisters. A billion and one retelling of Austin’s Pride and Prejudice? Absolutely! But not one diddly dang dong thing by Charlotte, Emily or Anne. I can only assume The Wife Upstairs follows the plot of Jane Eyre fairly closely with the only major adjustment being the fact that it is set in the present day. I’m not going to bother with much effort in rehashing the plot since this was a modernization of a golden oldie. Simply put, this is a story of “Jane” - a dogwalker in a fancy neighborhood in Birmingham who meets the charming Eddie Rochester and then marries him after a whirlwind romance. Jane then starts to question whether Eddie is as perfect as she believed him to be. The title alone leads the reader to the first big reveal and I have to say the other twist was completely foreseeable as well. That being said, this was still a highly enjoyable time for me, it read faster than I could have ever imagined, I finished it in half a day and all in all mommy likey.

I’m giving this one 4 Stars simply for being so much fun.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Jane is determined to be a part of the elite. She is a dog walker but she wants to live like the people she works for. She meets Eddie one morning and her dream, all of a sudden, is within reach. But, Eddie’s first wife, Bea, is ever present in their relationship. However, Jane is determined to be the one and only.

I enjoyed so much about this read! This story moves so quickly and takes the reader through all sorts of loops and flips. I didn’t know whom to trust.

Jane is a character you want to trust and like but her motives are not exactly pure and honest. Then there is Eddie. As a reader you know something is just not right but you just can’t put your finger on it. And finally there is the ghost of Bea…boy oh boy….you must read this to find out.

Talk about twisted and full of suspense. This one is it. Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

I will have to be honest. I was really looking forward to this book. It's been given such high praise. I admit I have never read the classic, "Jane Eyre" and this was supposedly a very loose re-telling.

It started out good for me and I was intrigued but I found it just went nowhere for so long. Perhaps I've read too many domestic thrillers and I was expecting something to really WOW me. It just didn't and I found the ending to be pretty predictable.

I liked it enough to keep reading and the writing is good. It was just so-so for me.

I'd like to kindly thank NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for granting me access to this Advanced Reader Copy.
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FIVE FABULOUS STARS!!!

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This has got to be one of my favorite books so far this year, and in quite a while. I loved the twists and turns, and never really knowing who was responsible for things, and feeling quite suspicious of people...awesome writing, great story!!

This has to be one of the best psychological thrillers of the year. The plot pulls you in and doesn't let you go with the writing style and quick pace. It honestly has you on the edge of your seat never wanting to put it down. HIGHLY recommend this!

Okay so I loved this book!! I really enjoyed the setting, the characters & just the storyline in general. I did have mixed feelings about Jane tho. Part of the time, I really liked her, & other times I didn’t. I liked all the twists and turns throughout the story & I loved the ending!! I thought that I knew what was coming, but the last couple chapters really caught me off guard. My only complaint about how the story ended, is that it kinda leaves it up to your imagination & I’m not good at that😂 I need to know forsure what happened to them.

If you like domestic thrillers, Jane Eyre, and unlikable characters, this one is for you.

I'd like to start off by saying I absolutely love this colour. The robin's egg blue wallpaper is beautiful and it both contrasts the tone of the book while simultaneously giving you the Southern living vibes referenced so frequently in the book.

Overall, this was an enjoyable domestic thriller. I enjoyed the southern setting and how the backstory was unraveled throughout the book via multiple POVs. That being said, I can't say it blew me away. I didn't find the story to be super suspenseful or shocking. Because this is a Jane Eyre retelling I don't necessarily think it was meant to be shocking so that's important to remember.

I did find myself wanting to keep reading as I enjoyed the writing and overall tone of the book. One thing worth mentioning is that this book is chalk full of unlikeable characters which in general is not my favourite, so if that's you're thing I think you would likely enjoy this one more than I did.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with a free e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I will start this book by saying I have never read Jane Eyre, and didn't know it was a modern retelling until someone told me. Also, I know really want to read Jane Eyre!

I think modern retellings of classics are some of my favorite books. This one was a little cliche (maybe because Jane Eyre, without reading is such common knowledge that I had a dejavu feeling throughout). I was caught off guard by a couple of the little twists. And as always, gotta love some unreliable characters!!

4.5 stars!
Jane is trying to build a new life and a new identity. She is walking dogs in a wealthy neighborhood after a fluke opportunity presents itself. She stumbles upon wealthy widower, Eddie Rochester, after he almost hits her and one of her dog friends on a walk. After a whirlwind romance that Jane cannot wrap her head around, she is living in Eddie’s mansion and he has added her to his bank accounts. Jane is hiding from her past but so is Eddie, who is trying to cope with the recent death of his first wife, Bea. When red flags start to pile up, Jane tries her best to ignore them as she is finally living the life she has always dreamed of.

You. Guys. This was my first read of 2021 and wow! This is a modern spin on the classic tale of Jane Eyre. In my opinion, it couldn’t have been executed better. Hawkins’ versions of Eddie, Jane and Bertha are delightfully selfish. They all have their own motives that drive them and create chaos. This novel is written from multiple perspectives and Jane’s narratives are so vibrant I could not stop reading. We also hear from Bea (Bertha) and even Eddie. The knowledge that there are other perspectives coming just adds to the suspense of the story. I loved the tone and voice that came through in Hawkins’ writing and it made this book what it is! Thank you to @librofm, @netgalley and @stmartinspress for this audiobook.

A sort of mystery/thriller re-imagining of Jane Eyre, this is fast-paced, a but funny in places and nearly impossible to put down! I thoroughly enjoyed this - and can definitely see why this was selected as part of the Book of the Month Club! Told mainly from the perspectives of Jane, a young woman recently arrived in Birmingham, Alabama, and Be a, the titular wife who lounged her own successful company but is missing and presumed dead at the start of the book, this book has a lot of swearing that may offend some readers. But the pacing makes it easy to keep turning pages!

Jane is a likable heroine despite her rather potty mouth, with an aura of mystery to her own background and difficult past in foster homes. She struggles to find a place to really belong and her rise from dog-walker to fiancee of grieving Eddie makes it fun to see a fresh eye and voice into these ritzy suburban lives. And there are some real surprises to the plot, too! I really enjoyed this one - it's a genuine pleasure to read. Hawkins does a wonderful job of bringing all of the characters to life and laying it all on a lively setting. I especially appreciated all of the fun home design details. I think that fans of Jane Eyre will have fun with this - and it may inspire those who haven't yet read the original to pick up a copy! This may have been my first experience with Hawkins' writing, but I am quite certain that it won't be my last!