A review by firstimpressionsreviews
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.5

Reader, I murdered her.

The Wife Upstairs is all over the place. Is it gothic, a rom-com, or a thriller? In truth, it is probably all three. Being a retelling of Jane Eyre, the novel had a lot to live up to. Rachel Hawkins made sure to have parallels for the Jane Eyre fan to recognize but, they did not hit you in the face and therefore left the book to stand on its own. 

However, unlike the classic Jane Eyre which, is a gothic romance to its core The Wife Upstairs had Big Little Lies vibes. It felt like a rom-com with twists added in. Like Big Little Lies Hawkin’s novel had wealthy housewives who craved gossip and scandal with our down-on-her-luck heroine breaking into the group only to stir the pot more. 

I enjoyed the evolving relationship between Jane and Eddie. The dialogue between them set the tone for the book, letting the reader know when the plot was about to thicken.

Unfortunately, knowing the plot for Jane Eyre is a downfall; as I had a sense of where the devious twists and turns would take The Wife Upstairs. Although, it did not detract from the journey or climatic end. Rachel Hawkins has created a wonderfully messed up retelling of Jane Eyre with this reader engrossed until the very end.