This is not my typical type of book as it isn’t really a thriller but a romantic mystery. Still, it was much better than I anticipated! Once I started, I couldn’t put it down.

Jane is new to the Birmingham area and is trying to leave her sad, mysterious past behind. She takes a job as a dog walked for a few people living in a wealthy neighborhood when she meets Eddie. Eddie is a recent widower and very handsome, and rich. Jane thinks this could be her chance at a new life, something she feels she always deserved. But as time goes on, she starts to feel haunted by Eddies dead wife. Told from dueling perspectives of Jane and Eddie’s wife Bea, this made for such an interesting read! I loved the back and forth and it was fun to read and wonder “who’s zoomin who?”

For some reason, this one just didn't click with me. Dialogue is one of those things that can make or break a book - badly constructed, unrealistic, repetitive, or melodramatic dialogue is a sure fire way to guarantee a quick check-out for me. And this had some shaky dialogue, stylistically. I wish there were less conversations - less talking and more showing, for lack of a better phrase to describe it. I think I would have enjoyed it much more if that were the case - I would have been better able to focus on the story (which WAS tense and suspenseful and fun to read) instead of being jarred into eye-rolls by the overly dramatic spoken interactions. The plot is interesting and the tension-building is good. If you're looking for some fun, mass-market domestic suspense (and you're not picky about style), I'd recommend giving this a shot!

In a page turning thriller, readers will be captivated by the sense of loss, misconception of true identity, and wonderment about what it means to really love someone.

3.5 stars // My second book from Rachel Hawkins, and I did enjoy it! Lots of parallels to Jane Eyre, which was a nice touch, but not something that's never been done before.

Jane finds herself enmeshed in the world of a rich community in the South, walking dogs while running from a past she isn't proud of. She meets Eddie whose wife has recently died under suspicious circumstances along with her best friend. Jane falls in love with him and learns more about him and his late wife than she expected.

For awhile, I wasn't sure who was the villain. Everyone in this book has a dark past, the tendency to lie and hide things, and that element really kept me interested. Like I said earlier, this isn't the most unique thriller I've ever read, but it definitely was good and I'd recommend it!

I’m honestly so sad that I did not pick this book up sooner. I read Jane Eyre back in middle school and just loved it. At the time, it was romantic but now… not so much. I haven’t read it since but have read a couple of retellings so the original plot points are a bit fuzzy. But Rachel Hawkins’s take on it was so good. This turned out to be the perfect book to pick up right now to break up a couple of larger fantasy books that I have on the go. It was the perfect popcorn read. Fast-paced and intriguing with the multiple perspectives we get over the course of the novel. It made it so hard to put down at the end of my lunch breaks to get back to work. Overall, would highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed this one alot. It was my first book by Rachel Hawkins. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more of hers. I liked the different pov in the book. Even though it guesses the ending fast into the book it still was good.

An engaging thriller that I couldn't put down. I've recommended it for our mystery/thriller book club.

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS by Rachel Hawkins blew me away. The intelligent plot, the perfect delivery, the intriguing actors, and the surprising ending twist made this book one of the best thrillers I have read. I am still processing all this and cannot stop thinking about how good this book is.

This book was so good! I really enjoyed the authors casual writing style. It made the story really interesting and grabbed my attention immediately. The story is told from a few different perspectives so things keep changing which keeps you on your toes. I was surprised by the twist and I loved the ending. I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes suspense thrillers.
Thank you too NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Jane is a dogwalker in Thornfield Estates when she meets widow Eddie. As the two of them fall in love, both of their pasts are revealed. Will the past catch up with them?
Why does Jane hate rich people so much? Not every rich person is a terrible person. Also, Jane swipes trinkets and jewelry from some of the homes where she walks the dog. This would not go undetected for long. It is not uncommon for a trap to be set out for the employees coming in such as setting a $20 bill on the counter and see if it disappears. Or some jewelry is sentimental and it would be missed. This book was so riveting. This is a must read!

Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. I would recommend this book.

I found this to be an easy quick read. I enjoyed it but did not feel that it was a real thriller. I found it to be predictable but not annoyingly so. Overall, enjoyable but would not be a ‘must read’. I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

Really enjoyed this book!! If you’re looking for a fun and pretty quick thriller to keep you hooked, this is a great one!

It's that time of year again for me:
#JaneEyreJuly - my birthday month, and the month I turn to for all things #JaneEyre.
I plan to read these two adaptation/retellings. First up (just started and enjoying the modern take already) #thewifeupstairs by @ladyhawkins - this came out this past January but I wanted to save it for this yearly project of mine. The second one is coming out in August : #MrRochestersGhost by @lindsaymarcott and Im happy to include that this month as well! Every year I think Ive come closer to reading the vast number of retellings, but every year more come out! Nothing beats the classic itself, and I obviously knowww the twist, yet I am sooo drawn to these retellings and I must not be the only one since so manyyy are written every year! Anyway, to the authors i say: thanks for fueling my obsession!!
More to come on these!

@stmartinspress thank you so much for the ARC of this. Please see my full review in my blog - link in my bio!

#janeyrejuly2021
#retellings
#adaptations
#classics
#classics
#booklover
#bookstagram

This title had me hooked up until the last quarter or so. Things went so off the rails and I can only suspend my disbelief so much. I was really hoping I'd like it more, since Jane Eyre was the first classic that I connected with but Reader, this book just wasn't for me.

THE WIFE UPSTAIRS is exactly the type of book I want when I read a gothic suspense. Hawkins, pushes the boundaries of a retelling of JANE EYRE by having threads of the original while still making this tale unique. It is a compulsive read filled with tension and darkness. I loved it!

The Wife Upstairs takes a different take on who did it mystery. The readers are given one perspective, that of Jane, they are introduced to two more narratives that hold the most twisted details. While the structure and idea of the novel seem great the execution of it wasn't as successful. The characters, all of them, are horrible people and don't really have qualities that redeem them or even lend to be liked by the reader. At times the reader is left feeling as if the story has no plan. The twist is very much surprising but may not be worth the work you have to put in to get to them

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was a pleasant surprise. Jane is a dog walker in an affluent southern neighborhood. She spends her days surrounded by wealth, wishing she was one of them. Until she sees her chance. Recently widowed Eddie Rochester is handsome and rich...and now single since his wife drowned in a boating accident. Eddie falls for Jane, and suddenly she is one of "them". She wears designer clothes and spends money lavishly. But the whole town knows it's Eddie's and never lets Jane forget the shoes she is filling. Jane is constantly haunted by Bea, and can't seem to escape her.

I did not expect the twist in this one. It felt refreshing, and I loved the southern setting. The characters were fun to dislike and it was hard to trust any of them. I am so excited for Hawkins' next book!

The Wife Upstairs was a well-written, fun thriller, easy and quick to read. It was full of twists and mis-directions, and it's virtually impossible to know who to trust or believe while you're reading. I've never read Jane Eyre, so I can't speak to how it works as a retelling, but just in terms of a thriller with gothic elements, I think it hits the mark really well. It's a little unsettling, a little uncomfortable, and there's really no one in the book worth liking, but it is so well-written you continue to care enough about them to keep reading. It's definitely not a book I regret reading, and I can see how it would be more popular with other readers.

I loved this Thriller. It was my first Rachel Hawkins book, and I believe her first thriller. I think she should definitely continue delving into this genre. She has the hand for narrative and building suspense without feeling like she used cheap plot devices. The flow and pace of this book was well designed, and it was impossible to put it down!

The book ambiance was also amazing. I could picture myself in affluent, contemporary Birmingham. I think the character development lacked a bit, as I had a hard time distinguishing between all the side characters and felt they were slightly stereotypical. Hawkins, however, delivered on the characterization of her mains characters.

I am happy, that the author played fair in her plotting, especially this being her first thriller. This is always something that I look for when reading mysteries.

This plot wasn’t the most original, but it never pretended to be. It is clearly inspired by a couple of classics. Hawkins’ execution was well done, though. I think she took the challenge and delivered an original book, very distinctly her own.

Whenever she writes another thriller, I will read it as soon as it’s released!

I absolutely loved this book! I was so engrossed by the characters right off the bat. Her writing is out of this world, if you've been in a reading slump this is a great place to start, it absolutely blew me away!