I told you I would be back weekly with book reviews!! Let’s hope I can continue this trend through out 2021. To be honest, my goal of reading at least 50 pages a day is what is helping me keep this reading drive going. Today I am excited to share my 4th book read in 2021. This book was gifted to me and the moment I opened the package I knew I had to add it to my MUST READ list.
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is a delicious twist on a Gothic classic, a mix of Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense! Hello page turner! For those wondering…it is a retelling of Jane Eyre but with some extra twists.
Book 4 Read in 2021
The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
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 of The Wife Upstairs
I’ve heard of Jane Eyre but I have never read it so I was worried that I would be lost with this retelling but it was clear that this book could be read by anyone so enjoys a suspense book. Over the years I have enjoyed some great psychological thrillers and while The Wife Upstairs wasn’t as much as a thriller it was still a book that had me turning pages.
This book is full of characters that you love to hate but that just makes the book that much better. We all have those people in our lives right? I have to be honest, while I enjoyed this book, I did feel like some of it was pretty predictable. And I did find myself wanting to know more about most of the main characters. This is a quick read and when I turned the last page I was kind of bummed – I wanted more!
At first Jane comes off as a girl lost in the world of the rich but after a while it is clear, she is no dummy! Jane knows what she needs to make this life work for her. I really love this part of the storyline. Plan Jane…not so much! I did enjoy the modern twists to the classic novel – and now I need to read Jane Eyre!
This book is bright – even in the midst of the thrill that is happening UPSTAIRS. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a classic, a mystery or a suspense read. BUT if you are one that loves those super psychological scary thrillers – this will not be your favorite.
2021 READING GOAL CONTINUES
Book 4 in the books!! Off to a super start for 2021! Guess what friends? I am currently reading book #6 already! I am so proud of myself and I really hope I continue on this track for the year. I am always looking for new books to add to my reading list so please share some books you have really enjoyed recently. Make sure you check out my 2021 Reading List and Goal too. Maybe you can add some of my books to your list this year!
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