Publication: January 5, 2021
Publisher: St. Martin's Press / Macmillan Audio
Source: Publisher
Time: 8 hrs. and 40 mins.
Narrators: Emily Shaffer, Kirby Heyborne, and Lauren Fortgang
Synopsis:
A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins' The Wife Upstairs pairs Southern charm with atmospheric domestic suspense, perfect for fans of B. A. Paris and Megan Miranda.
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?
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Jane, Eddie, and Bea were very interesting characters to get to know. From pretty much the beginning, I was interested in Jane’s background and what she could possibly be running from. Then once Eddie and Bea came into the picture, I wanted to know more about their past…specifically Bea’s. The story seamlessly shifts between both present and past. Uncovering more of Bea and Eddie’s life as well as Jane’s past in the process. none of these characters were very likeable to me, but I think that is the point. However likeable or unlikeable, they all added something to the story and made it all the more intriguing.
I’m one of those weird people that like to occasionally switch between listening to an audiobook and reading the book. Oftentimes I will read the book during lunch and then listen to it when I get home or vice versa. The writing and pace of the story was done well. It never felt like anything lagged or became boring. The narration was good too. All three of the narrators did a good job of bringing the characters to life and making the book even more enjoyable. Listening to their voices tell the story, it was easy to get lost in the book for several hours.
The Wife Upstairs was a quick and easy suspenseful story to get sucked into. The more I read, the more my curiosity grew, and I had to find out how it all ended. This was the perfect book to read while I was on vacation. I look forward to seeing what Rachel Hawkins comes up with next.
RATING: 3½ -4 OUT OF 5.
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