Reviews with content warning for Domestic abuse - The Wife Upstairs

I went back and forth with my feeling on this book and ultimately I think I liked it. I did read Jane Eyre a long time ago and I remember enjoying so I do come in with that background (I could see how some people who have not read Jane Eyre might not enjoy this. They are parallels with this having a modern twist). I always thought Bertha was done dirty in the original so I was excited for this read. That being said this book was not what I expected but it wasn’t bad.

I have to admit I did find Jane to be quite annoying from the beginning. She was complaining a lot and it was rough (I did remember that in the original). She got better as the book went on and you start to root for her some. She’s smart, brave, and tenacious and just had a string of horrible things happen to her which kind of explain how she is currently. I like the parallels between Bea and Jane.

I was a bit bummed at first that Bea was actually the villain I wanted justice for Bertha but I’m not mad with the way it ended. I like that Jane and Bertha got better in this novel than the original and it did feel like the right ending.

This definitely wasn’t a bad read just not what I was expecting. For the most part I enjoyed it and I loved the way Hawkins modernized the world and characters of Jane Eyre. It fit.

Content Warnings

hilaryreads89's review against another edition

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dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

🪴Twisty, Upper Class, Secrets🪴

🪴 Jane is immersing herself in the lavish world of Thornfield Estates walking dogs. As she begins to “collect” trinkets from her clients, she starts to slip into Eddie’s life and ultimately his house. But she feels the presence of his deceased wife in their home and in the community. Jane begins to uncover that there maybe more to her death than the community believes.

❤️ The setting details on this one are spot on! I love all the extras that Hawkins puts into the story. I felt like I was in Birmingham with Jane.

I am really not sure how I feel about the ending of this one. It would make an excellent book club discussion! If you’ve read it, message me your thoughts.

📖 Overall, this one was a solid thriller. Good twists. Excellent pacing. Atmospheric. I cannot wait to pick up something else by Rachel Hawkins.

Anyone looking for a fast-read in the form of an entertaining thriller full of secrets is going to enjoy this one.

Content Warnings

ekern1991's review against another edition

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dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

ameliaflint's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This was amazing!! It really gripped me right from the start. I fell in love with the characters and kept turning page after page. I adored this retelling and Jane’s ending. I have no critiques! (except I found one grammatical mistake.) Overall a great thriller that will keep you guessing.

Content Warnings