Friday 19 February 2021

Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 A girl looking for love…

When Jane, a broke dog-walker newly arrived in town, meets Eddie Rochester, she can’t believe her luck. Eddie is handsome, rich and lives alone in a beautiful mansion since the tragic death of his beloved wife a year ago.

A man who seems perfect…
Eddie can give Jane everything she’s always wanted: stability, acceptance, and a picture-perfect life.

A wife who just won’t stay buried…
But what Jane doesn’t know is that Eddie is keeping a secret – a big secret. And when the truth comes out, the consequences are far more deadly than anyone could ever have imagined…


Review: Oh my goodness how did it take me so long to realise this was a Jane Eyre retelling even though it sys so on the back of the blurb and in the synopsis. So if you're wondering whether you have to be a Jane Eyre fan to read this book, no you don't! And also if you're expecting this to be just another retelling that does the same thing as the original-think again. This doesn't read like a straight retelling and I loved it for the twisty drama-filled read that it was without any mention of it's inspiration. 

Jane is such a mysterious character. Her whole persona reminded me of the characters created by Liane Moriarty or the mysterious characters in a Lisa jewell novel. I was so pleased to be spending the book with her because she is one of those characters that isn't necessarily likable but is definitely intriguing and those are the best kind of characters. I also loved how driven and scrappy she was. She has definitely made her own luck and found herself in the position that she's in because she has worked for it. 

The setting of this one was also something I really liked. I don't feel like I've read many books set in Alabama and the fact that this is set in an affluent neighborhood in Alabama makes this even more unique. My knowledge of Alabama is limited having only visited there once but I definitely recognised the talk of the college sports teams as they were everywhere during our visit. The neighborhood that the story centres around is also full of intrigue. It goes hand in hand with the old saying that you really don't know what goes on behind closed doors. 

This was a definite page turner of a novel. I started and ended the book reading the physical copy and I listened to the audiobook in the middle because I was out and about in the car for the day but I did manage to finish this in less than 24 hours. The whole thing played out in front of me like a movie and this would absolutely make an excellent adaptation to screen. I really enjoyed this novel, I loved the retelling and that over is just stunning isn't it? Highly recommended. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US


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