A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B.A. Paris and Megan Miranda.
Meet Jane. Newly arrived to Birmingham, Alabama, Jane is a broke dog-walker in Thornfield Estates––a gated community full of McMansions, shiny SUVs, and bored housewives. The kind of place where no one will notice if Jane lifts the discarded tchotchkes and jewelry off the side tables of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.
But her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates' most mysterious resident. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Jane can't help but see an opportunity in Eddie––not only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection she's always yearned for.
Yet as Jane and Eddie fall for each other, Jane is increasingly haunted by the legend of Bea, an ambitious beauty with a rags-to-riches origin story, who launched a wildly successful southern lifestyle brand. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie's heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?
With delicious suspense, incisive wit, and a fresh, feminist sensibility, The Wife Upstairs flips the script on a timeless tale of forbidden romance, ill-advised attraction, and a wife who just won't stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature's most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?
My Review:
Oh, this was a fantastic read! I haven't read the original, but the idea of a wife hidden in the upstairs, that's just creepy, and I couldn't wait to see how it would play out! Watching Jane find her place in this society, with Eddie-but for things to just start going wrong, it was fantastic to read!
The way this story was told was so great. We would go between Jane's perspective, and then Bea, with the diary that she's writing. And it's like, who can we trust? And as the story went on, things got more and more complex, and I loved it!
Jane knows what she wants-she wants a better life for herself. And she works to position herself in a way to get that better life. And who can blame her? Sure, some of her methods are not great, but that just made it all the more entertaining, because that better life comes with a few secrets, and I loved it!
That ending though? That was pretty intense! I loved how things worked out, the reveals, and the uncertainty of the ending. I really liked what Jane imagined, so that's what I'm going with, it seems fitting, after everything that happened in this book!
This was another great read from Rachel Hawkins, and I can't wait for whatever's next!
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Read: June 6th 2022
Read: June 6th 2022
Source: NetGalley/Bought
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a 2022 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: January 5th 2021
Reason Why: Love her writing and it sounded really great, and it's a 2022 Retelling Reading Challenge Book, SAC 2022 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: January 5th 2021
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| 5/5 Hearts |
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| 5/5 Books |
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| 5/5 Stars |
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