There is no shortage of drama in this book and if you enjoy a soapy novel with lots of backstabbing characters, this is one to try. Also, as Bea’s story emerges, we discover that the two women are not so different after all. Jane is an underdog who has clawed her way into a position of privilege. None of the characters in the book are likeable, yet there is something that draws you into their stories.

The story is told from the points of view of both Jane and Bea. This story is a modern take on the original and has some unique elements that make it a page-turner. For those quite familiar with the original story, there may be some disappointment, as it is very hard to retell a popular classic. It has been quite some time since I have read Jane Eyre, so I went into this one without high expectations. Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. ❃ I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. In this vivid reimagining of one of literature’s most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. 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. How can she, plain Jane, ever measure up? And can she win Eddie’s heart before her past––or his––catches up to her?

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. 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. His wife, Bea, drowned in a boating accident with her best friend, their bodies lost to the deep. Recently widowed, Eddie is Thornfield Estates’ most mysterious resident. Where no one will think to ask if Jane is her real name.īut her luck changes when she meets Eddie Rochester. 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. 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.

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