The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

The Wife Upstairs
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Expected Publication Date: January 5, 2020
Check it Out: Goodreads

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?

”I’m just a girl who got caught up in other people’s bullshit.”

This quote basically sums up the majority of this book. I’ve read and enjoyed a few of Hawkins’ YA novels, so I was excited to read an adult thriller from her. However, I wasn’t impressed with this book.

I was expecting something gothic and full of mystery, but I received none of that in The Wife Upstairs. I feel like we were teased with Jane’s “secret” throughout the book only for it to be lackluster. To be honest, I found Jane to be lackluster. But not just her, everyone in this book. We were given one dimensional characters with no dept to them at all. I didn’t care about them and thought they were all terrible.

What also made this underwhelming was the big reveal and the ending. While it wasn’t as boring as Jane’s secret, I felt like I was waiting for more. As soon as I finished reading, the first thought that came to mind was “that’s it?”. Basically, my thoughts about the whole book.

All in all, I was disappointed. Maybe if you are a fan of Hawkins’ writing or Jane Eyre retellings then give this a read.

I received an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review. Quote was taken from an ARC is subject to change upon publication.

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