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9.12k reviews for:

The Wife Upstairs

Rachel Hawkins

3.59 AVERAGE

dark mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Am I the only person who hasn’t read “Jane Eyre”? I think this book may have been more meaningful if I had.

Nonetheless, it was a great psychological thriller, which I love.

I enjoyed the flip flopping of character perspectives

The ending was wrapped up nicely in a little tiny bow with a slight possibility of future drama but overall the ending of the main character was positive...maybe too positive...probably not at all realistic...and again if I had read “Jane Eyre” I would appreciate it more.

But based on its own story, I’d give this one 3.5 stars.




4.25? 4.5? stars

Jane is running away from her shady past and has found herself in Birmingham, Alabama. To try to get in with the rich folk of Thornfield Estates, she starts walking dogs in the neighborhood. Then she comes across rich, handsome, charming Eddie Rochester, who for some reason seems to be as enthralled with her as she is with him. She was in it for the money, but maybe there's more to it than that. But ever since her and Eddie have become an item, the topic of his missing-presumed-dead wife has started darkening what should be a happy time in her life. Maybe Bea Rochester is closer than she thinks.

This was a blast for me. To be clear: I read this as more of a Jane Eyre retelling than a thriller. Were the book attempting to be more of a thriller with a sprinkle of Jane Eyre, my rating would not be what it is. This, however, it took so many parts of Jane Eyre and made it into something new in sometimes a different order. It's now a southern gothic where all the characters are conniving and ambitious and striving for a status above their station. Hawkins also wasn't afraid to take a turn against how the original story went to better fit the story she wanted to tell. I had so much fun making connections (in plot, character names, or quotes) between this and the original work and also pointing out their differences. I loved how none of these characters are good people. I love the whole infiltrating the rich plot. I really want to draw Jane and Bea. I loved listening to this audiobook where half the people have southern accents. Fans of Jane Eyre will have a great time with this.
dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

this book was entertaining and easy enough, which is just what i needed. some of it was a bit cheesy but overall definitely a good one to read if you’re in a slump & just need something quick & fun 
emotional mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes
mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

The ending was super disappointing, the “twist” (you can’t even really call it a twist) wasn’t shocking and didn’t have a big reveal, it was just this is what happened in the middle of a conversation. The book had a few plot holes, one was Jane’s past they made such a big deal out of it but it didn’t effect the plot at all and didn’t have anything to do with the other characters, another one was John his character was not necessary for the plot of the book after Jane moved out he was just another unnecessary part of her past he didn’t add anything except an annoying extra character. One other plot hole was eddies past there was zero mention of his past the only thing told was he grew up in main, maybe he just had an unimportant past/childhood but it still feels odd there was absolutely no information about his past. Other than all that the book was fast paced and easy to follow

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of #LabPartners

Jane is a lot of things-- a dog walker, a foster kid, and now a woman running away from her past in search for something new in Birmingham Alabama. When Jane meets Eddie Rochester by chance, she falls into this upper class world of Homewood where secrets hide in plain sight and no one is exactly who they seem to be.

The Wife Upstairs is a perfect example of Southern Gothic fiction with a feminist twist set in Birmingham Alabama. I was glued to the story within the first chapter and had to continue reading until the very end. Perfect for lovers of modern adaptations of classical literature with twists that stray from the source material, Hawkins brings up a story that makes you guess if you really can know anyone around you.

Honestly, I picked this book in hopes that Rochester’s first wife would have agency and become more three dimensional than a hysterical woman hidden in the attic. The plot twists are worth it, a few catching me by surprise, making me gasp on my fifteen minute breaks where i snuck in reading time before having to go back to work. I was glued to my seat after I finished the first page and that counts for something. Jane feels real and the reader is drawn into wanting to know more about Rochester and the mystery surrounding this now dead wife.

The problem comes from the fact that this book would have been 5 stars if the author had cut the last 50 pages. The POV switches and the constant and redundant over explaining almost ruined the book for me. I wish the author would have left a little mystery behind, after building on the parallel between Jane and the “late” Mrs. Rochester, making the reader wonder what really happened on that boat a year ago.

I would definitely recommend this book though, if not for the fact that the setting is in my own home town, but for the fact that this book reminded me more of Rebecca, another favorite book of mine.he mentions of Birmingham and places nearby, descriptions that felt like home, made it cozy.

Worth the read, even if I left the book a bit disappointed.

Jane is a lot of things-- a dog walker, a foster kid, and now a woman running away from her past in search for something new in Birmingham Alabama. When Jane meets Eddie Rochester by chance, she falls into this upper middle class world of Homewood where secrets hide in plain sight and no one is exactly who they seem to be.

The Wife Upstairs is a perfect example of Southern Gothic fiction with a feminist twist set in Birmingham Alabama. I was glued to the story within the first chapter and had to continue reading until the very end. Perfect for lovers of modern adaptations of classical literature with twists that stray from the source material, Hawkins brings up a story that makes you guess if you really can know anyone around you.

Honestly, I picked this book in hopes that Rochester’s first wife would have agency and become more three dimensional than a hysterical woman hidden in the attic. The plot twists are worth it, a few catching me by surprise, making me gasp on my fifteen minute breaks where i snuck in reading time before having to go back to work.I was glued to my seat after I finished the first page and that counts for something. Jane feels real and the reader is drawn into wanting to know more about Rochester and the mystery surrounding this now dead wife.

The problem comes from the fact that this book would have been 5 stars if the author had cut the last 50 pages of her book. The POV switches and the redundant explaining almost ruined the book for me. I wish the author would have left a little mystery behind, after building on the parallel between Jane and the “late” Mrs. Rochester, as well, making the reader wonder what really happened on that boat a year ago.

I would definitely recommend this book though, if not for the fact that the setting is in my own home town, but for the fact that this book reminded me more of Rebecca, another favorite book of mine.he mentions of Birmingham and places nearby, descriptions that felt like home, made it cozy.

Worth the read, even if I left the book a bit disappointed.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of #LabPartners

Jane is a lot of things-- a dog walker, a foster kid, and now a woman running away from her past in search for something new in Birmingham Alabama. When Jane meets Eddie Rochester by chance, she falls into this upper class world of Homewood where secrets hide in plain sight and no one is exactly who they seem to be.

The Wife Upstairs is a perfect example of Southern Gothic fiction with a feminist twist set in Birmingham Alabama. I was glued to the story within the first chapter and had to continue reading until the very end. Perfect for lovers of modern adaptations of classical literature with twists that stray from the source material, Hawkins brings up a story that makes you guess if you really can know anyone around you.

Honestly, I picked this book in hopes that Rochester’s first wife would have agency and become more three dimensional than a hysterical woman hidden in the attic. The plot twists are worth it, a few catching me by surprise, making me gasp on my fifteen minute breaks where i snuck in reading time before having to go back to work. I was glued to my seat after I finished the first page and that counts for something. Jane feels real and the reader is drawn into wanting to know more about Rochester and the mystery surrounding this now dead wife.

The problem comes from the fact that this book would have been 5 stars if the author had cut the last 50 pages. The POV switches and the constant and redundant over explaining almost ruined the book for me. I wish the author would have left a little mystery behind, after building on the parallel between Jane and the “late” Mrs. Rochester, making the reader wonder what really happened on that boat a year ago.

I would definitely recommend this book though, if not for the fact that the setting is in my own home town, but for the fact that this book reminded me more of Rebecca, another favorite book of mine.he mentions of Birmingham and places nearby, descriptions that felt like home, made it cozy.

Worth the read, even if I left the book a bit disappointed.

Jane is a lot of things-- a dog walker, a foster kid, and now a woman running away from her past in search for something new in Birmingham Alabama. When Jane meets Eddie Rochester by chance, she falls into this upper middle class world of Homewood where secrets hide in plain sight and no one is exactly who they seem to be.

The Wife Upstairs is a perfect example of Southern Gothic fiction with a feminist twist set in Birmingham Alabama. I was glued to the story within the first chapter and had to continue reading until the very end. Perfect for lovers of modern adaptations of classical literature with twists that stray from the source material, Hawkins brings up a story that makes you guess if you really can know anyone around you.

Honestly, I picked this book in hopes that Rochester’s first wife would have agency and become more three dimensional than a hysterical woman hidden in the attic. The plot twists are worth it, a few catching me by surprise, making me gasp on my fifteen minute breaks where i snuck in reading time before having to go back to work.I was glued to my seat after I finished the first page and that counts for something. Jane feels real and the reader is drawn into wanting to know more about Rochester and the mystery surrounding this now dead wife.

The problem comes from the fact that this book would have been 5 stars if the author had cut the last 50 pages of her book. The POV switches and the redundant explaining almost ruined the book for me. I wish the author would have left a little mystery behind, after building on the parallel between Jane and the “late” Mrs. Rochester, as well, making the reader wonder what really happened on that boat a year ago.

I would definitely recommend this book though, if not for the fact that the setting is in my own home town, but for the fact that this book reminded me more of Rebecca, another favorite book of mine.he mentions of Birmingham and places nearby, descriptions that felt like home, made it cozy.

Worth the read, even if I left the book a bit disappointed.