Book Review: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Title: The Wife Upstairs

Author: Rachel Hawkins

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Thriller, Adult

Pages: 290

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Meet Jane. Newly arrived in 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 table of her well-heeled clients. Where no one will think to ask 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."

My Rating: 3.5/5

This book wasn't as thrilling or as mysterious as I hoped for it to be. While there were twists and turns I wasn't incredibly shocked by many of them. I enjoyed the way that the story was told, but there were moments where I wasn't certain about the characters' choices. Also, the side mystery, wasn't as chilling or creepy as I hoped it would be. While people in these residents are vastly different than me, I still don't think that some of their reactions were realistic in the least. It was fun, quick, and entertaining. Just not the thriller I was expecting.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny