A review by annegoodreads
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins was definitely better than Jane Eyre for me.  It is set in 
Birmingham, Alabama, and described as gothic Southern fiction.  I didn’t find it gothic in any way (there wasn’t a single ghost 🤣).  The characters were all so good though.  Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates trying to make enough just to move out of her “friend” John’s 700 sq ft apartment.  On a walk, she meets one of the residents of Thornfield Estates named Eddie Rochester.  Eddie’s wife Bea recently died in a boating accident.  Bea’s “best friend” also died in the accident.    Jane and Eddie hit it off right away and before long she moves in.  She befriends all of Bea’s friends in the neighborhood.  While some of the neighborhood girls are quite superficial, most are well-meaning.  Occurrences increasingly raise Jane’s suspicions and luckily she has street smarts.  The ending to this was so good.  It was kind of predictable but so satisfying.  I can’t wait to read Rachel Hawkin’s newest Reckless Girls.  
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