This reimagining of Jane Eyre in the thriller genre was everything I thought it would be. The references to Jane Eyre were mixed in perfectly. Some were blatant and some were more sneaky and niche. As thrillers go, this was good. I want to be entertained and surprised and this delivered. Everyone was morally gray which I love. The narration was also well-done. *ARC provided by NetGalley for review.

Jane Eyre is my favorite novel.. I have read the novel, listened to various narrators read it in audiobooks, and watched every movie adaptation I have found. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was my first "retelling" of it. I was a little confused by it at first....I mean right out of the gate its clear that Jane is not at all likeable in this story. She is scrappy and resilient, like the original Jane, but not particularly admirable. The Eddie Rochester character in this novel is not nearly as dark and brooding as his namesake.

At first, I had to get past my expectations of The Wife Upstairs being a literal retelling just set in Alabama in the present. It is not. In fact, after finishing it today, I would say it is more or less a wink and a nod toward Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Once I did that, I was able to enjoy The Wife Upstairs as a modern domestic thriller. The writing reminded me a lot of Joshilyn Jackson's Never Have I Ever...only with a lot more F-Bombs thrown in. (I'll be honest, though I am known to drop an F-bomb myself on occasion, I do think they have more impact when fewer in number. The author used that specific curse so frequently, I wondered if she had just needed it to boost her word count....very distracting.)

As a modern thriller, I loved the side story with Bea and Blanch. I loved how their story was woven throughout the novel's plot and ultimately made it all come together. While I usually prefer to have a character or two that I am really rooting for, I was fine with not having that in this novel. It sort of gave me freedom to know I would likely enjoy the ending, no matter how it had turned out. Eddie and Jane nor Eddie and Bea are a romance for the ages. But they make for a fun bit of escapism. The money that gets thrown around and the neighbors that are supporting characters are entertaining sides that give the story a bit of a "Real Housewives of Alabama" flare.

This is a novel that will satisfy readers who just want a fun novel that is full is dysfunctional relationships and characters. It will disappoint Jane Eyre enthusiasts who are expecting a faithful retelling. If they can get past that, they might appreciate seeing the parallels between the modern characters and the originals that they were inspired by. This comparison would make a good book discussion while the book itself might not otherwise be a typical book club choice.

Went back and forth between the audio and e-book versions of this novel. The narrators were top notch. So many audiobook narrators tend to make every lead of every book they narrate sound the exact same, the narrators of this novel gave each character a unique voice and sound. Great job.

The Wife Upstairs is a domestic thriller about a wealthy neighborhood in Birmingham, Alabama. Jane becomes a dog walker for rich families who don't have anything to do but gossip and plan activities just to get together. She meets her dream guy, Eddie­ Rochester, by accident and finds out he became a widower recently when his wife had a tragic boating accident with her friend. The relationship progresses quickly through Jane's orchestration until they are engaged to be married. A strange feeling keeps creeping up in Jane's gut telling her things are not as they seem.

The quick, suspenseful story kept me engaged throughout the unraveling of the wife's death and Jane's romance with Eddie. It touches on people's perceptions of what is or isn't reality and trusting your intuition. You will enjoy the unpredictable ending.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this audiobook for an honest review.

I read this book in ONE day because it was so addicting. I loved the plot, the characters, and the overall structure of the book. In recent months, I've had a hard time finding a thriller that was different than all the others -- and this one hits the mark. It's unique and captivating.

I found this to be an exciting thriller that kept me on my toes! The narrator did a good job at making some of the characters unlikeable purely from listening to their tone and word choice. I think it would have been more difficult to dislike some of the characters had I been reading it and not listening to the book. I was pleasantly surprised with the twists and felt that they kept me on my toes. I appreciated being able to get some perspective from Bea and then Eddie towards the end of the book. I thought that added some depth to the story and allowed the reader to connect with more than one character.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced listen. I really enjoyed this audiobook. Narrators did a wonderful job with the characters. They made it very easy to recognize each character. The author and the narrators kept the story alive and kept me listening.
Highly recommend.

I wasn't sure going into this as I'm not a huge Jane Eyre fan, and I don't always love re-tellings. The Wife Upstairs is an absolute exception to this. I was turning the pages and felt very surprised by much of the plot despite knowing Jane Eyre well. Highly recommend!

A fast read with a twist on a classic. I love this modern version of Jane Eyre set in Alabama. It was fun and kept me guessing even though I knew the premise. The narrators were great. I loved the performance, story, and I love Rachel Hawkin's writing and characters. She keeps me listening long into the night. Did she twist the end or do you think you know it? You'll have to read it to find out.

*I received a free copy of this book title in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of the author or publisher.

The Wife Upstairs is a southern gothic twist on the classic Jane Eyre. It follows Jane who starts out the novel walking the dogs of the wealthy families who call Thornfield Estates home. It is on one of these walks that she meets the handsome, and recently widowed, Eddie Rochester. But everything is not as it seems as Jane and Eddie are swept up in a fast moving, passionate romance. While some of the twists and turns may be predictable, I was entertained until the very last page.

Now I have to show my hand and express my bias. As problematic as the source material is, I absolutely adored Jane Eyre when I was in high school. It remains one of my favorite classics. It should not surprised you then that I was utterly enthralled by this retelling. If you are familiar with the classic you will appreciate the many little easter eggs the author plants throughout the story.

The story of Jane Eyre lends itself well to a southern gothic novel with a flair of thriller page-turnability (yes I did just make up that word and you are welcome to steal it). The author does not pull any punches, I hated every single one of these characters at different points in the story for various reasons which were frequently petty. They are terrible and that was part of what made this story so completely addicting and quick to read.

I was given an advanced listening as well as a advanced reading copy thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan audio and I loved the narration of this book. The narrators suited the style and feel of the novel perfectly, were engaging, and really brought the story to life.

This is definitely a “rich people problems” book and the money thrown around so frivolously is arguably disgusting. But I think it created a nice, abnormally cut throat backdrop as the events of the story unfold. While I knew exactly how it would probably end that didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.

Overall I give it: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

I would recommend it to anyone who loves domestic thrillers like the works of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, Sarah Pinborough, or Lisa Jewell.

I really enjoyed listening to this audio book! This is a mystery/thriller set in Birmingham, Alabama. Jane has just moved to the area and has started working as a dog walker in an affluent neighborhood. She meets a man with a troubling past and they soon seemingly fall in love. Eddie, Jane's new love interest, has recently been embroiled in a scandal. His wife and her bestfriend (who also lived in the neighborhood) went missing a few months prior while they at a lake house. They have been presumed dead when the book begins. I don't want to say much more so as to not give anything else away. This book is filled with twists and turns set against a Southern High Society backdrop where nothing is as it seems. I would recommend this to a friend! Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian for this advanced audio!

ah, what a great story. So many psychopaths in one place !
i liked the narrators, and that each character had their own voice.
Jane was a bit annoying but an interesting character.
i had no idea that it would end the way it did. i love a story that leads you to think one thing, but is totally different in the end!

Twenty three year old, “plain” Jane, is working on reinventing herself. After years of living in foster homes, she is out on her own living with John who she met in a group home and had known for two months before rooming with him. She is now spending her days among mansions and women who lunch, as she walks the neighborhood dogs and pockets what she can from their homes. All of this changes one day when she stands in front of Eddie Rochester’s home and he wraps his expensive car around a pole in an effort to not hit her. This unusual beginning starts a whirlwind romance that leads to engagement and what looks to be a happily ever after... but is everything too good to be true? What about his wife, Bea and her best friend, who died at the lake and were never found? Is it too soon to be planning a wedding? How about the noises that Jane keeps hearing from upstairs? Is it just the house settling as Eddie suggests?

This audiobook was completed with narration that makes you hate the characters, even more than the words. From the sickly sweet way the women speak to the gruff and obnoxious voices of the alcoholic male characters, you will be carried away with this psychological thriller. Production was done well, which adds extra character to an already action packed novel.

If you like JP Delaney and Mary Kubica, you’ll love The Wife Upstairs.

Thank you to McMillian Audio, St. Martian’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest review.

I have been anxiously waiting to get my paws on this book! I was so excited when I got it.
But to be honest it wasn't what I had hoped for. I had very high expectations for this LoL
This wasn't a terrible book I just wanted more I guess. I kept waiting for something bigger to happen. And it never did.
Jane she just wasn't a very likeable character to me at all. I did not care for her.
But the story was good it probably could have been better. IMO
I will say this I did listen to this on audio and the narration was amazing. I love audios with a good narrator.
☆☆☆☆/5

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Wife Upstairs was an okay book for me. Yeah, it had some mystery and twists/turns.. but it was somewhat predictable. Maybe it was the audiobook or the narrator for me.. but eh - they were just okay.

In this, you will meet Jane. I'm not going to lie.. I was starting to get 'Rebecca' vibes in the beginning and at some random parts throughout the book. It was pretty obvious that the man she fell in love with had secrets. Especially when they were in the house together. Things just weren't adding up and it was pretty easy to figure out that someone else was in the house. As for where, well.. the title kind of gives that away.

The characters were okay. At one point, I was wondering why people were just standing around or opening a bottle of wine to relax at the worst possible moment to relax.. but then things slide into place for my mind. Everyone was somewhat crazy and Jane ended up getting a great deal of hush money in the end.

Overall, it was a good book to keep my brain awake while working and was pretty easy to follow along.

I saw this reviewed somewhere else as a "country-fried retelling of Jane Eyre" and I CANNOT get over that description. I think it's perfect and it is exactly how I described it to myself and everyone else while I was listening to the audiobook. This was a lot of fun. Jane Eyre has a bit of a special place in my heart because it was the first classic I read all the way through and *really* enjoyed. And when I read it again in college, I enjoyed it just as much--maybe even more because of the conversations I got to have. I typically love retellings as long as they bring a fresh perspective and I think Rachel Hawkins did just that. The characterizations were enough to keep my guessing throughout and by the end, I was really rooting for Jane. This exceeded my expectations, and I think that was in large part to the wonderful cast of narrators: Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne, and Lauren Fortgang. Really wonderfully done.

While I really enjoyed this storyline and it's nod to Jane Eyre, I have found that for myself I don't care for the trope of "I think your life is better than mine, so I'm gonna take what I want (steal) anyway because I *deserve* it since I had such a bad life."

Jane makes her moves to move from dog walker to the new Mrs. Rochester. I'm from the South and loved identifying with some of the mentions of some of the universities big into football as well as how some southern women act and what they say. Lots of twists and turns and you are guessing until the end. I had a feeling as to who did "the thing" (no spoilers) about 75% of the way in but I wasn't sure how it was going to pan out. A solid thriller with twists.

The audio was excellent!! I didn't care for the male narrator but highly enjoyed the female narrator conplete with the correct southern accents!

I recommend to any Gone Girl fans. This domestic thriller follows plain Jane who is trying to get away from her past and falls for a wealthy widow. Felt like a modern-day Rebecca.

Thank you for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook. This book is somewhat of a retelling of Jane Eyre and Rebecca and I loved it for its gothic tone. The job is done well. Great retelling, awesome twists, and a dark atmosphere of a gothic novel in the current days. Recommended!

This was the first mystery I have read in a while. The back stories of all the characters were interesting and added so much to the plot. I think the different but similar worlds the women came from make it a different read from most. I also loved how (mostly) all of the characters were likable and had just cause to their behavior. I think it ended at the perfect speed, not rushed and closed up too quickly. The narrators did a good job defining between characters and accents. Thanks Net Galley, for the advanced copy.

Jane, a dog walker, is struggling to make ends meet. She wants nothing more than to start a new life and fit in with the women in the rich neighborhood she works in. When she meets recently widowed Eddie, she sees a chance to put her past behind her.

This book is full of twists and fun to read. I don't feel like. There was one plot point about Jane's past that wasn't fully wrapped up but otherwise I really enjoyed this one. If you like domestic thrillers then this is a great book to pick up. This will be available January 5, 2021!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press and McMillan Audio for the chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my review.