The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
Mystery/Thriller, Retelling
Rating:
Synopsis
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?
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Review
The Wife Upstairs is a Jane Eyre retelling that kept me guessing the whole time.
I liked this book’s version of Jane. She wasn’t innocent or naive. She was strong and manipulative, and I really enjoyed that. I loved the commentary about society in this book. The way that people treated Jane was based on what was happening to her in her life. It helped me to connect to her character even more. Even though Jane is not the most moral character, I couldn’t help respect her for her game. I liked that she was cunning and manipulative.
The story was told well. While I did have suspicions about where the story was going, I was kept on the edge of my seat. It was hard to get an accurate read on any of the characters, so anything was possible.
I loved how at certain parts of the story, you go from absolutely loving a character to feeling betrayed but them. Could they have really done that? I also loved how we got a lot of information about characters from neighborhood gossip. It was a great way to give information and make it known that this isn’t necessarily the truth.
I really enjoyed The Wife Upstairs. It was a great thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.
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