The Wife Upstairs by @ladyhawkins @stmartinspress . Thank you @netgalley @macmillan.audio for the opportunity to listen to this great book. Also, shout out to #BOTM for offering this as a selection in December. If you like short chapters, fast paced books that you can't put down to the last page then this is for you. If you don't have it... what are you waiting for?

#thewifeupstairs #rachelhawkins #stmartinspress #netgalley #macmillan.audio #newrelease #thriller #buythisbook #BOTM #audiobook #audiobooklover

This book was so awesome! First of all, being from Mississippi, seeing all the Alabama references was super cool! Loved seeing the Iron Bowl, different places in Alabama, and all the other Southern references. To the story though, this is an awesome mystery. It’s almost a cross between Verity and The Last Mrs. Parrish but in my opinion, better! I was hooked on every word. I loved the characters and the plot line. Even though the characters were unreliable, I felt for Jane and wanted things to work out for her in the end. The only down side is that due to other similar books as mentioned above, the ending wasn’t a big shock. I listened to this on audio, and the narrators were awesome! They gave life to the story and made it even more enthralling! 4/5⭐️

Rating: 4.5 rounded down to 4 stars
Recommend: yes! Lovers of Jane Eyre or well-written thrillers will enjoy this.

I greatly enjoyed listening to this modern retelling of Jane Eyre. The characters were developed just enough to grow an attachment but also make you wonder what they’re hiding. I was kept guessing the entire book and loved the different audio narrators - they all did a great job!

I was given an audiobook copy here on Netgalley but could not use it because it was not working properly. It seemed like there were words missing or it was robotic in some ways. I had to wait until the book was released and look for an audio copy else where to utilize. Here is the review I gave on GoodReads:

I didn’t give it a four because I didn’t feel it was a retelling but more so a good story using elements of a great story. While I understand this to be a contemporary retelling, some stories are not meant to be brought into a contemporary setting and can lose luster by uber fans of the originals. I decided to restart the story after 7 chapters and remove Jane Eyre from my thinking all together. If I didn’t, this would have been 2 stars.

That said, I enjoyed this story. It was a story I did not want to put down. There were a few plot twist, some I should have known were coming and some I absolutely had no clue would take place. I could have done without all the F bombs and wish authors would understand an F bomb doesn’t make you an adult writer.

After discussing the book with friends I wanted to look at what could cast similarities between stories. I look back at the literature study I did back in my forst round of college.

To me, Jane is two totally different people in each story. The only similarity being the name and having a rough upbringing. I find the original Jane much stronger.

I don’t feel John is represented in the same way and is just a way to smug the Christian view as a lot of books are doing now a days. I do think the original St John is a little grimy and off, not as saint like as many try to make the would be missionary out to be. In this “retelling”, John is made to be thought of someone who would harm or sexually advance on Jane without her permission when in the original, St John’s morals would not allow him to do such things. This all said, the character could surround the grimy cousin John Reed, in which suit would fit the grim he portrayed towards a young Jane. But it feels like they are trying to mix the two.

Making Adele a dog made me laugh ...

As you can see, I am a fan of the original much more than the new story but enjoyed The Wife Upstairs enough to keep it on my shelves and reread it at some point.

Thank you Net Galley & Macmillan audio for this audio book in exchange for a review.
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Ok I am so much more pleased with this book then I first thought. This was a book I thought I had completely figured out from them the beginning, which while books are still enjoyable it seems to take a bit of the wow factor out for me. But with ‘The Wife Upstairs’ Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint me in her surprises.

This book is told mainly from the view point of two characters :
•Jane- the once dog walker; now living the life of luxury in her new fiancé- Eddie Rochesters house. While some things Eddie does send some red flag alerts to Jane; maybe it should be Eddie who looks closer into who his fiancé Jane really is.
•B- this is B’s story before her best friend Blanch was murdered and she was locked away. She’s telling her tale of how she got to where she is now.
I found myself begging to hear more from B when Janes story let information come to light.
By the end of this book I was gripping my steering wheel wondering how I didn’t see this coming.
Great plot & the narrators were very enjoyable to listen to.

In this modernized retelling of Jane Eyre, the reader or listener, in this case, is taken on a twisted journey with Jane. Jane, a poor dog walker running from a mistake in her past meets Eddie a rich widower with secrets of his own. As the story unfolds you are taken on one twisted turn after another, even in the end you are left to wonder is the story really over?

Overall this book was pretty good. It kept me in suspense and wondering what really happened, until the very end. I didn't love any of the characters and I didn't find that I could relate to them either, but I didn't hate them and I enjoyed the journey the author took us on.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publishing house for the advance copy of this book.

This book was so hard to put down! I switched back and forth between audio and my kindle. The narrators on the audio version did a fantastic job of keeping me engaged with the story and gave me a feel for each of the main characters.

I loved that it was a modern retelling of Jane Eyre. Jane and Eddie fall into a very fast relationship and she quickly moves in with him. She clearly wants his money and to live a lifestyle she’s only dreamed of up until this point. She begins to fish for stories about Eddie’s late wife, who disappeared with her best friend. Both women are presumed dead.

We know Jane is an unreliable narrator. Up front, we know she has secrets and is lying about who she really is. I usually don’t care for books where I dislike the characters but Jane grew on me. I loved the twists in this book. You won’t know who to believe. This is a fast-paced, hard to put down book. Definitely recommend!

Many thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this copy!

The Wife Upstairs, or the story of nothing is what it seems. You think you know people? You don't. You think you have them figured out? Far from it. You think you are a fake among money? Maybe the money are worse than you and your stupid secrets. This mystery thriller is very well written, the plot is smart and evil and I enjoyed the many curveballs thrown at me throughout this read. And I definitely loved the mysterious ending that fitted the general atmosphere of the book.

I did not like a single character. This was, I am sure, the author's intention, but it did not prevent me from bowing down to their evilness when revealed. Hats down to them!

The narrators were amazing, carrying me through the story. I felt their passion, lots of intonations, a pure delight!

A successful contemporary gothic thriller, which I am sure will be a favorite among many in 2021.

Thank you Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Jane is a new arrival to Thornfield Estates, a gated community in Birmingham, Alabama. The people are rich, the wives barely see their husbands, and Jane's role in the community is to walk their dogs. For Jane, this means she is practically invisible, so if a bauble here or a trinket there disappears, nobody will notice. But Jane certainly notices widower Eddie Rochester, whose wife Bea drowned while out boating one day. Jane doesn't let that bother her much at first, for Eddie is rich, capable, and easy on the eyes. Jane was sure Bea wouldn't bother as she and Eddie grow closer, yet Bea was so successful, and how could Jane match that in the eyes, and heart, of Eddie? Jane is worried about her own past, but there are also secrets Eddie keeps close to his chest, and what neither of them knows is which dastardly secret will rear its ugly head first.

Such an interesting and fun take on Jane Eyre is this! Talk about a bunch of unlikeable characters, though! Then again, no one ever said that characters have to be likeable all the time, right? I think books that have unlikeable characters that get you invested in their well-being and the resolution of their characters arcs are genius. There are a number of twists and turns in this one, and once you think you've got an idea of the story's direction, suddenly a new path is taken. With that in mind, the story does take a few beats to get going, and patience pays thereafter as the pace quickens and becomes a crescendo for the last few chapters. With this one, it's important to take everything you read with a grain of salt! There are themes of being careful with what you think you know, and being wary of the pretty and polished, because appearances are not always what they seem.

I read this in audio format and it was a very engaging read/listen, so much so that I went to bed later than usual. I couldn't listen fast enough! 🤣 The southern accents and emotional personality traits came across really well in this audio recording of the book. I feel like the primary characters' personalities shone through very well in their audio recordings, especially when it came to Jane. Her emotional range was on point, and I feel that adds an extra layer of depth that audiobooks are adept at unearthing. I recommend giving The Wife Upstairs a go even though there were a few things that bugged me and I was able to figure out the "big" reveal about half way through. This is a strong contemporary retelling of Jane Eyre, and I hope to find more reads like this soon!

Great first read/listen from Rachel Hawkins! I was drawn in because it was set in my hometown of Birmingham but I couldn’t stop listening to find out what would happen next. I loved her twists and turns and how the ending wasn’t neatly tied with a bow. Did they survive? I like not knowing. Everyone has secrets but who can cover them up the best. Great book! Thanks for the advanced reader audiobook.

3.5 stars, rounding up. I’m glad I had just read Jane Eyre last year before reading this (coincidence!), and think I enjoyed it more because the classic story was fresh. The tone of Jane’s character bothered me in the beginning but the story kept me engaged and I couldn’t put it down toward the end, which makes it a good thriller for me.

I received a copy of the audio book from Net Galley after reading the print version. I like the voices selected for Eddie and Bea. Eddie’s voice is soothing, as I would have expected. The voice of Jane read much like I pictured it in the book from the tone of the character, especially in the beginning - a bit flat/bored sounding, as though she is unimpressed. While this is true to the book, it’s one of the things I did not like as much, a departure from the original story.

With the popularity of psychological thrillers, adapting a Gothic adjacent classic like Jane Eyre is a brilliant move by Rachel Hawkins. In this modern take on Jane Eyre, Jane is a bit of an anti-heroine. She's cunning and willing to do quite a bit to get what she wants in life - mostly freedom and money. While dog walking in the upper class Thornfield Estates neighborhood, she meets newly widowed Eddie Rochester and their whirlwind romance begins. The reader soon discovers, however, that Eddie is not actually widowed. His very much alive wife, Bea, has been confined to the homes secret panic room. I liked that this wasn't a straight adaptation of Jane Eyre. The bones were there, but Hawkins chose to change quite a bit of the meat of the story. There are twists that those familiar with the classic won't see coming and that make The Wife Upstairs its own story. This was a thrilling, exciting adaptation with enough flavor to differentiate it from Jane Eyre.

The Wife Upstairs

“Jane” is a former foster child apparently hiding from something dark in her past. She’s settled into a small Alabama town with an old acquaintance and is walking dogs in a posh neighborhood to get by. A chance encounter with the young, handsome, recently-widowed Eddie Rochester leads Jane through a whirlwind romance and a permanent spot in Thornfield Estates. Jane isn’t the only one with a super shady past, and soon she’s wondering if Eddie’s charm is less dream-come-true and more nightmare-waiting-to-happen.

The audio was spot on for this book.

Jane-Emily Shaffer narrates “Plain Jane” to a “t.” While Jane is an unreliable narrator, Emily nails it ;). I especially loved her interactions with the other Thornfield wives. Her inner dialogue vs. how she speaks with the other women is masterful. We literally hear how her personality changes to suit those around her and it's perfect.

Bea-Lauren Fortgang narrates Bea’s Alabamian twang perfectly. Her voice is as sweet as honey and drips with the “Southern Manners” essence that screams “Bea” for me.

Eddie-Narrated by Kirby Heyborne. We actually don’t hear from Eddie until about the last quarter of the book, but it’s worth the wait. I love a dual narrator but I LOVE even more narrators. I’ve finished a few books recently where I wish I could have had just a glimpse into a character’s mind, and hearing Eddie’s POV, even ever so briefly, added a lot to the story for me. Heyborne’s slight southern drawl was slow and deliberate without being fake or obnoxious for me.

The Wife Upstairs has just enough twists to stay intriguing, good pacing, fabulous narrators, and a pulse-pounding conclusion that will leave you more than satisfied.

Thanks to MacMillan audio and NetGalley for the ALC!

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for a fantastic audiobook! I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but when I saw comparisons to BA Paris and Megan Miranda, I decided to give it a go. And, man! Am I glad I did! At first this seemed eerily similar to The Last Mrs. Parrish, but it quickly spun its own tale. I expected to be rattled by that ending as I began to piece together what would happen in those last fifteen minutes, but I surprised myself finding some strange peace with it. I can't wait to talk more about this one with others! What a fun read to start off 2021!

I loved this book! I listened to it on audio and it was the perfect way for me to read this one. I never read Jane Eyre, so. I went into this not fully knowing what to expect. Even though I did find the plot and some of the twists a little predictable, it didn’t hinder my reading experience at all. Once I started reading, it did exactly what I expected it to, but personally I still really enjoyed it and found it fun to read. I wouldn’t say that it did anything new, but if you’re looking for a fun twisty thriller that’s a bit soapy with characters who have lots of secrets, this one’s for you!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. The Wife Upstairs was published on 5 January 2021. My review will go live on my instagram page on 09 Jan 2021.

It has been ages since I first read Jane Eyre and I don't remember much of it but this novel is supposed to be a modern retelling of the classic. Many of the things I look for in a Southern Gothic tale are missing from this book. The atmosphere, the creep factor and the high tension of "what is happening?!?" were not executed well.

That being said, this is a book that is addicting to read. It is fast paced and well written. There are so many twists and turns that I didn't see all of them coming. Once you start this book, you will be loathe to put it down.

What is true to many Gothic classics is the presence of unlikable characters. You never know who to trust or if the person/people presented are actually the good guy. Do you root for this morally grey character? Is their bad outweighed by the "antagonists" bad?

I did like that this story was a slow unraveling of everything that culminates in the ending. However, I blazed through this book and didn't get that sense of dread that usually comes with tales like this.

I would give this book a 3.5 star, as many of the Gothic elements were missing but it was still a great time.

This book was a modern retelling of Jane Eyre set in Alabama. Jane is a young woman in her 20s who begins working as a dog walker in an upper middle class neighborhood. Jane mentions early on that she has a past she is hiding from. After almost getting hit by an attractive widow in the neighborhood, they quickly spark a relationship. He adopts a dog to lure her in as a dog walker. Jane finds out that his wife and her friend went missing on a girls weekend getaway. Her friend's body was found, but B's was never located. Jane quickly moves in and fears her past is catching up with her and the reader starts to wonder what Eddie is hiding as well. Parts of the book were predictable, while other parts were unexpected. The book was well written and I kept wanting to read on to find out the truth about all of the characters. The narrator did a great job in this audiobook.

This is an interesting reimagining of Jane Eyre suitable for both Adult, New Adult, & Y/A readers. I am most familiar with Hawkins Y/A writing, particularly her Royals series. (Rachel, Seb needs a book of his own!) She is a sharp writer who provides sharp, original metaphors as well as engaging characterization. You may know all the Y/A tropes, but Hawkins has always pulled me in with her narrative voice & sharp writing. This Jane Eyre redux is no exception.

Fans of the Bronte original know what’s coming; however, even those not familiar with the original might be spoiled by the title (although Hawkins throws up a pretty effective red herring). Nevertheless, the reader will keep turning the pages for love of the story & suspense at how Hawkins will update characters & language. I especially enjoyed the extra little edge she gave Jane. The audiobook narrator was the perfect selection. Her dry, raspy voice doesn’t allow you to forget Jane is no ingenue. She is especially effective at reminding the reader that, while this is a love story for the ages, Jane & Mr Rochester are also weird, kinda creepy people. You will leave this work unsettled, maybe more so than with the primary text, but satisfied.

The Wife Upstairs was a great read by Rachel Hawkins. Jane just arrived in Birmingham, Alabama and is a broke dog walker. She walks dogs in a gate community with all rich clients. She steals knick knacks and jewelry that they never miss. She meets recently widowed Eddie Rochester. He's a mysterious man who's wife drowned in a boring accident with her best friend. Jane and Eddie fall for each other but Jane feels haunted by Bea. This was a great suspense novel. I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to read more by Rachel Hawkins.

Rating: 4 🍷 🍷 🍷 🍷
Book: The Wife Upstairs
Release Date: Available Now!!! (Released on Jan 5, 2021)
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers/General Fiction (Adult)

Sipping Synopsis: Jane is well, plain, but it does not stop this dog-walker from snagging one of the most recent eligible, rich widower- Eddie. Jane and Eddie’s relationship moves amazingly fast pace. So much so that Jane is unsure if she should trust Eddie or better yet if her should trust her. They both seem to have a sketchy past with an unforeseen future.

Final sipping thoughts: The title of the story had me thinking I knew exactly what was going to transpire however I was NOT ready for the mind ____ it gave me. My major disappointment in this book was the fact that I did not have enough free time to finish it sooner! I loved the twists and turns but my favorite part was how unlikable and likable these characters were. I kept rooting for them then condemning in the next breath depending on the chapter I was reading. One thing that was just a small letdown for me is the ending- I do not want to give anything away but I needed just a little more for the ending. The audio was done so well with these narrators Emily Shaffer; Kirby Heyborne; Lauren Fortgang really making me feel like a part of the story. With alternating narratives, The Wife Upstairs pulls you in so quickly so buckle up because this ride is full if twist, turns, and bumps. This is a must read for all those thriller fans like me!

Cheers and thank you to @NetGalley, @MacmillanAudio, and @ladyhawkins for an advanced copy of @TheWomanUpstairs

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