I binged this audiobook! It completely captivated me. The narrator was great- pleasant voice with perfect inflection & speed. This may be the fastest I’ve gotten through an audiobook in quite some time.

The Wife Upstairs kept me guessing the entire time. We meet Jane and know there’s more to her but have no idea what. She is dog walking in a rich neighborhood when she meets a new (rich) widow. Things move pretty quickly between Jane and Eddie. This sends red flags to the reader about what their intentions are when both could fall into life together so quickly. I was also captivated by the title and waited on baited breath for the “shoe to drop” so to speak. There were so many twists and turns I never saw coming. I was attempting to figure out the puzzle and just when I thought I’d had a piece it would transform. This was my first Rachel Hawkins read but it won’t be my last! Quite a mysterious treat!

Wow. This book was such a surprise. This is my first book by this author and I can say with confidence that I will definitely be picking up her next book.

I loved her writing style especially with the southern references. This book definitely had me questioning everyone and their motive. I loved Jane’s story but I also loved getting to know Bea and how her marriage with Eddie was too.

Also I’m a sucker for rich women drama. I don’t know why but there’s something addicting about it and I loved that this is the center of the plot and the focal point with Jane trying to fit in.

Definitely recommend you check this one out.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin Press and MacMillian Audio for the advance copy.

More often than not, I really enjoy going into retellings being familiar with the original story to see how the new version has taken a fresh perspective. Well, in the case of The Wife Upstairs, I have never read nor seen Jane Eyre (I have no desire to read any Austen or Bronte, and I’m not going to start now), so I went into this book with zero expectations. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised at how this absolute train wreck played out.

For a book that takes place in modern day Alabama, which means there’s no shortage of front porches, sweet tea, and people who think they are a part of the bourgeoisie, this book still does an incredible job of maintaining a creepy and gothic type feel. I know that sounds oxymoronic, but just trust me on that one.

As far as characters, I won’t say that any of this cast is particularly likable. It is evident from the beginning that everyone is out for themselves, and they will destroy anyone or anything standing in their way. Jane has to live in the shadow of Eddie’s previous wife Bea, which definitely messes with her psyche. While Eddie may look like Mr. GQ, his mannerisms dictate otherwise.

I don’t want to give anything else away because this story is literally a rollercoaster of WTF. There were some plot twists that I saw coming, and then there were others that rudely left my jaw on the floor. All in all, I devoured this book in one sitting, and I have no regrets.

As far as the narration goes, this cast does a spectacular job of bringing this audiobook to life. I am a huge Lauren Fortgang fan, and of course, she does an incredible job as per usual.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Libro.fm for providing an advanced listening copy. Thank you to Flatiron books for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.

This story is intriguing. I was unsure for many moments thought out the story but ultimately I did enjoy this re-telling of a few great classics. What I really enjoyed most was the modern setting for this story. The main character is a dog walker and she gets involved in the lives of many of her clients in a very well to do neighborhood. As the story develops and as she learns more and more truths the sinister and often times haunting moments become inescapable. As addicted to know the truth as the main character was, I too wanted to know all the secrets of this story. Each of the main characters were interesting and had a different flair and feeling about them as did each of the settings in this story. You could tell this was a re-telling of a classic story so that was enjoyable. I listened to this on audio and I really enjoyed the narrators for each of the main characters. What I was a bit underwhelmed with was the gothic vibes. I think because this was set in the modern setting I didn't feel anything gothic about the story. 3.5 stars. I received an ARC via NetGalley and Macmillan Audio and I am leaving my honest review.

Jane Eyre for the 21st century. Jane is a down on her luck dog walker when she stumbles across Thornfield Estates, a gated community of McMansions. She sees a chance to change her life when she meets Eddie Rochester, a mysterious widow whose wife mysteriously drowned. As the two fall in love, Jane looks forward to a new and comfy life, even as her unease about the former Mrs. Rochester grows. How can she ever compete with Eddie’s glamorous first wife? Part Jane Eyre, part Rebecca, this is a fun twist on two classic, gothic tales

5/5 stars for this Adult Mystery/Thriller read! Great for fans of Verity, just without being as naughty 😋 Loved the characters and the storyline. Loved the cover, and the narration! I didn't see any of the twists coming, but I'm usually the worst at that anyway lol Definitely recommend if you enjoy the genre! This book releases in January, get your preorders in!

Have you ever read a book and hated/disliked every single character in the book? This was that for me. Every time I remembered this was supposed to be a retelling, I cringed. The Jane Eyre I know wasn’t anything like this. Not even a little. The narrators in this audiobook were great! There voices worked well for the story.
This mystery thriller that had way to many liars and schemers for my taste. The women were at times to much because of their very foul mouths.

If the author had left out the “retelling genre” I might of went into this differently. I just didn’t care for it.
It had the feel of a Gillian Flynn, sorta. I’m not trying to give anything way so if you like mystery and don’t know the Jane Eyre story you might like it.


Thanks Macmillan Audio for this audiobook via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I just cannot give this audiobook anything other than 5 massive stars. Love me a good domestic thriller, and this sure as heck counts as one.

I think what I loved about this book the most is the combination of uniqueness and seductiveness of it. The story follows Jane, a new resident of a very rich neighborhood of Birmingham, Alabama who is quite broke herself. One day, she meets a wealthy resident called Eddie, whose wife and her friend had drowned in mysterious circumstances during a girls'. trip Jane is attracted to the rich and protective man, and the two fall for each other. But Bea's story keeps haunting our heroine, like a red flag she tries to bury in her mind.

Bottom line is, everyone has SECRETS. And those can be dangerous ones.

I am a sucker for love triangles, especially ones as unique as this; in addition, we're not reading about rich people in NYC or LA, but Alabama, which is a truly unique setting for this kind of story. In addition, the audiobook was truly expertly narrated, amplifying the suspense and the emotions even more than the text alone.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

“There’s a trick to spinning lies. You have to embed the truth in there, just a glimmer of it. That’s the part that will catch people, and it’s what makes the rest of your lies sound like truth, too.

First the quote, then the first line. That was the best way to open a book. I thought, “oh, this is going to be good. I can tell.” It did not disappoint.

Eddie made me yell major stranger danger from the jump. This plot took some absolutely WILD jumps. I’m talking, I did the same “WHAT” as I did when I read Verity. This gave major Verity vibes. Some of the jumps could have been a bit more thought out or executed better, but, regardless, still a wild ride.

But oh a serious note, Bravo, can y’all give me a RHOB, please? This brought me back to my college days, and my sorority sisters. (I went to school in Alabama, I’m from a town in Georgia that’s on the AL/GA line... we take our college football very seriously here) These we’re just the adult version of the conversations we would have at school. We’ve got old money Blanche and new money Bea. Bea’s mama confirms the new money status. They try so hard to be rich, to be successful, but something always stops them from becoming that “elite” status. I hate how that’s the status quo here, but trust me, I know Blanche and Bea, minus the whole missing bodies part. 😂

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I read it in one day as I was really intrigued to get the real answers. I’m still kind of left with a few unanswered questions, but that’s okay. I did listen to some of the audio, and thought the cast of narrators were perfect. Bea’s voice was obviously the best for me. It really sold the character. The inflections and tone were great.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the gifted copy. This one is out Jan. 21st!

This book seriously had you guessing what the flip was going on from beginning to end. This author is so so good at suspense was really the amazing plot twists that have you saying what the heck? I seriously could not figure out who the bad intent person was in this scenario. The book was written so beautifully descriptive and from all angles my mind was just spinning. And the end. Oh my goodness the end. I did. Not. See. That. Coming. This book is a beautiful beautiful piece of work. A poor dog walker catches an eye of a widow - his wife has recently gone missing, presumed dead with her best friend who was also presumed murdered. But who killed them? Everyone has skeletons in their closet they are trying to hide from each other. But everything comes out. Literally. Highly recommend. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.