My Thoughts on: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Publication Date: January 5, 2021 by St. Martin’s Press

Genre: Adult Mystery/Thriller 

Source: I received this eARC from the publisher via NetGalley

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 

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?

I have read some of Hawkins’ young adult books and enjoyed them, so I was interested to check out an adult book from her. I was super excited to read The Wife Upstairsbecause it sounded like it was going to be an interesting read, especially since it was supposed to be a modern twist on Jane Eyre. I thought I was going to love this book, but it ended up being an average read for me.

The beginning of the book definitely intrigued me, but the story became way too predictable and I guessed a lot of what was going to happen early on. This was a quick read, and I like fast-paced thrillers, but most of the twists did not surprise me. There were also many parts in the story that were very unbelievable.

I do like the author’s writing and I think the characters in this story were well-written. I just found many of the characters to be unlikeable and they became more annoying as the story progressed. I became frustrated reading from their points of view.

Overall, The Wife Upstairs was a decent mystery/thriller that I thought was too predictable. I was hoping for more, so I was let down. You may be interested in reading this story if you are looking for a modern twist on a classic book.