Wife Upstairs

I am a fan of this author, but I was hoping for a little more from this book. Don't get me wrong, it was a good thriller. I just wished that it moved a bit faster. I also wished that the characters of the wife and the best friend were a bit more memorable. I found myself forgetting which was which.

I do think this book was a fun read. I loved all of the direct references to Jane Eyre since this is a retelling of that story. It was nice seeing references to John Rivers, Jane, Edward Rochester, and Thornfield.
There are two storylines to help keep the reader engaged throughout the story. There was the mystery of Jane’s past and a one involving two missing women.
Overall, I didn't think this story was very innovative or groundbreaking, but enjoyable nonetheless.

3.5 stars rounded up because it kept my interest. This is an entertaining and twisty modern novel based loosely on Jane Eyre. I read it for my book club and it will make an interesting discussion.

The perfectly engaging thriller/sort of romance to get me through a bout of COVID. A modern retelling of Jane Eyre, a book I hated from the first time I read it in high school. This Jane is far less insipid, and this novel has much more fun with the twists and turns of gothic literature, plus some added social commentary.

I have mixed feelings about The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. The beginning was a little slow and took me a bit to get through, but once it picked up, I was really into it. The tension built nicely and I was curious to see how everything would unfold. Unfortunately, it started to feel pretty predictable, and I could see most of the twists coming. The ending left me with a lot of questions, though, which I’m still not sure how I feel about. Overall, I’d give it 3.5 stars. Entertaining, but not quite as surprising as I hoped.