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The Wife Upstairs
The Wife Upstairs: A Novel | Rachel Hawkins
A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, 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 Estatesa 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 cant help but see an opportunity in Eddienot only is he rich, brooding, and handsome, he could also offer her the kind of protection shes 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 Eddies heart before her pastor hiscatches 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 wont stay buried. In this vivid reimagining of one of literatures most twisted love triangles, which Mrs. Rochester will get her happy ending?
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EmilieGR
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Pickpick

A tentative thumbs up. I don‘t think Brontë would approve. The characters are very different from their models, but some of the story elements align. Once divorced from the source material in my mind, I was able to enjoy this book a lot more.

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Its_Amanda_Plz
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Pickpick

Oh. Em. Gee. I typically take about five days to read a book but I finished this one in two. It gave Verity vibes. It gave suspense. It gave who the ham can you trust??! LOVED the ending. But can I say… Southern Manors sounds a little tacky?? lol

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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick
TheSpineView Well done! 5mo
29 likes1 comment
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ImperfectCJ
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Mehso-so

This Jane Eyre retelling is a little too straightforward for me. The things I love about the characters in the original are lost in a Pretty Woman-like poor-girl revenge story crossed with a modern thriller and populated with regional and class stereotypes. It has given me a lot to think about in regards to what elements go into a good retelling. And it's my #doublespin for October!

37 likes1 stack add
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CBee
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Pickpick

I almost bailed on this one, to be honest 🤷‍♀️ Then it went a totally unexpected way and I was hooked 😂 A low-ish pick, but a pick nonetheless!

JenReadsAlot This is on my list for this month. 5mo
CBee @JenReadsAlot I ended up liking it 😊 5mo
59 likes2 comments
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Erin.Elizabeth10
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Mehso-so

I picked this audiobook because I‘m getting married next week (!) and I haven‘t had a ton of brain space recently, so I‘ve been trying to read books that are easier reads. I figured this one would be an easy page turner. It was easy to listen to and finish, so I was right with that, but unfortunately I didn‘t like it. I disliked all the characters and the Jane Eyre motif wasn‘t working for me. Anyone read this and like it?

TheBookgeekFrau Congratulations and may you be relaxed enough to enjoy every moment!! 🥂 6mo
Erin.Elizabeth10 @TheBookgeekFrau Thank you so much!! 🥰 6mo
SilversReviews A good one!! 6mo
15 likes4 comments
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fictionaddictbooks
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A man who overestimates his intelligence is a man who can be easily manipulated.

Rachel Hawkins, The Wife Upstairs

20 likes2 stack adds
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IMASLOWREADER
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fun easy read that could have been a lot shorter…still enjoyed it tho… #readinggoal #rushathon @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES

DieAReader 🥳🥳🥳 7mo
17 likes1 comment
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fictionaddictbooks
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#FirstLineFridays @ShyBookOwl

“It is the absolute shittiest day for a walk.”

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KateReadsYA
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Pickpick

Twisty plot and intriguing characters. @BooksNBowls knows how to pick em. Couldn't put this book down, I needed to know the ending.

BooksNBowls Hehehehe and for next month…. Be prepared to cry.. MWAHAHAHAHAHAH 8mo
KateReadsYA @BooksNBowls ahhhhh shoot. You know I don't do emotions. 🤣 I'll prepare myself 8mo
65 likes2 comments
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KateReadsYA
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My Book Bestie sent me this one for our monthly swap, starting today! 🤩
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𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚙 𝚒𝚜𝚗‘𝚝 𝚊 𝚋𝚒𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐—𝚒𝚝‘𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜. -𝙿𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚘 𝙲𝚘𝚎𝚕𝚑𝚘
@BooksNBowls

BooksNBowls Awww the book mark! It looks so good I love it and you ❤️😍 8mo
KateReadsYA @BooksNBowls Love you too! Hehe. It's so aesthetic I was like okay Rach did that. 🤩 8mo
49 likes2 comments
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Nicki_K
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
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Pickpick

Pitched as a modern retelling of Jayne Eyre, it was so much more in my opinion. This was a page turner for me, so much more than I ever remember Jayne Eyre being. I was hooked by the evil characters and their dark back stories. Told through 3 POVS it was a well written, riveting and engaging read. I was left thinking WTH had I just read in all the best of ways this was a perfect thriller. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SilversReviews A good one. 8mo
8 likes1 comment
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AsYouWish
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Pickpick

I was not fully expecting that. I mean I knew, but I didn‘t know, but I did know, you know?! Wait, do you want to know too? Then you are in the right place, if you love twists & turns & unexpected secrets to pop up out of nowhere! I loved this book & could not put it down. I was shocked by how quickly things were pieced together & then shattered on the next page. Highly recommend, but beware the skeletons in the… well read & find out!

💙💙💙💙

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5feet.of.fury
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
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Mehso-so

Really straightforward Jane Eyre retelling for this era.

I have no real problems of it but I wasn‘t surprised by anything. IMO the tension wasn‘t there & the ending came on too quick after all the build up. Mediocre, but a fine palate cleanser.

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Kris10H
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Book #53
4/5
VERY loosely (from whar I can tell) inspired by Jane Eyre and Wide Sargasso Sea, this one has a few surprises which, honestly, would have been more *surprising* if I hadn't read both of the aforementioned books. Still, there were a few things that I had not expected, and I would call it a worthwhile read. 😊

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BeeMagical
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Pickpick

Book 94🎧 4.2⭐️

Fill with a ton of twists! Very solid thriller.

So much deception, but who is lying to who?

33 likes1 stack add
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Acoleman
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Pickpick

Great thriller, told from multiple perspectives

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Andrea4
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Mehso-so

I'm not sure where the days or weeks have gone.
I'm not sure I entirely remember this book ?? ok, so I do remember most of it. It was OK. Good enough for entertaining me on walks and while babe was sleeping. However, no one seems particularly like a "good" person in this story so I really didn't care about any of them and tbh the MC seemed the most grating to me.

readingjedi My heart is melting - my daughter used to sleep in exactly the same position. 11mo
Andrea4 @readingjedi just liked little monkeys🐒🥰 11mo
dabbe Life doesn't get much better than that picture. 🤩🤩🤩 11mo
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Andrea4 @dabbe agreed! 11mo
Kimberlone Agreed this book was very meh…looks like you had a good reading partner though! 11mo
Gissy 🥰❤️❤️❤️ 11mo
Andrea4 @Kimberlone strong, silent type ...as long as I'm holding him 😉 11mo
marleed Baby Frog Legs - the best! 11mo
30 likes8 comments
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OrangeMooseReads
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Maybe now just wasn‘t the time for this one. I could not get into it at all. It was boring and honestly the MC seemed whiney.

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Lenamarcela339
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Bookwormjillk
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
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#12booksof2022

I read this right after we finished Jane Eyre for #PemberLittens

Reading them back to back was a lot of fun!

Andrew65 Not read this one yet. 1y
54 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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PunkedRocker56
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Mehso-so

I could see what the book was trying to do in terms of moments of suspense/plot twists, however I found it to be lackluster. I recognized those moments when they came up, but felt like they were missing something. I think a lot of the tension was supposed to revolve around the main male character, but as a reader, I felt the character wasn‘t introduced well enough for the suspense/tension to be effective. It needed to be fleshed out more. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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PunkedRocker56

Excited to finally read this one! I‘ve seen so many good reviews for it since it came out on Book of the Month. Seems like it‘ll follow a pretty basic formula for a thriller, but I think I might need a good reliable “good story formula” to help me relax into a good read as I close off the new year 😌

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DLQBOOKNERD
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Definitely needed a book to grab me right off the bat and keep me guessing til the end. This was it!

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Bookwormjillk
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Pickpick

This was a fun one to read right after we finished Jane Eyre for #Pemberlittens

There was no one to like in this retelling, but oddly that worked. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Thank you @Chrissyreadit for sending this as a swap gift over the summer!

I'm including a quote from the acknowledgements as a spoiler in the comments because I loved it, but it is a slight spoiler for this book and Jane Eyre.

Bookwormjillk From the Acknowledgements:

And lastly, thanks to every woman who ever got to the end of Jane Eyre and thought, “Honestly, Jane? You could do better.“

You are my people and I love you.
1y
TheSpineView Awesome 1y
See All 8 Comments
Chrissyreadit 😘😘😘 1y
erickahhh Oh nice! It has been on my TBR for a while now. I think I will finally pick it up now! 1y
Catsandbooks 🙌🏼👻🧡 1y
TheAromaofBooks I didn't realize this was a Jane Eyre riff. I should bump it up my TBR while Jane is still fresh!! 1y
Bookwormjillk @TheAromaofBooks they were fun back to back! 1y
46 likes8 comments
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MelKelsey
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Pickpick

Book 118

I listened to The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. A 20-something woman with a checkered past moves to a rich area and becomes the neighborhood dog-walker. Soon she's engaged to a recent widower, whose wife's death is suspicious. The twist, though it seems obvious, is s surprise. An enjoyable listen. 3.5 ⭐️s

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ElizaMarie
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Pickpick

This one had some mixed reviews, but I found it rather entertaining. I didn't see the twists to expect. Also, having to rely mostly on #Audio lately, its been good to get lost in a book with a good narrator.

My baby, Conor being such a good boy at his Vet appointment. #DogsOfLitsy

Deblovestoread So cute! 2y
26 likes2 comments
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ElizaMarie
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This is my newest #AudioCommute book :) I see all the mixed reviews. Hopefully it‘s entertaining enough so far.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 💙📚💗 2y
21 likes1 comment
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Outofcontroltbr
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
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Pickpick

I really liked this book. It had a bit of a twist that I wasn‘t expecting but it was fun.

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TJAhearne
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Mehso-so

It was a fast read and definitely intriguing, but a little rushed at the end. It had a great mystery and a good twist, but felt the epilogue was a bit too much. At times the repetition was annoying instead of leading up to suspense. The revelations were subtle and that was good. I recommend it as a fluff read… not one to really analyze and think about.

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Bookwormjillk
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@Chrissyreadit this box is great! Your cat story cracked me up! My neighbor‘s cat has been living in my backyard for 3 days because he saw a chipmunk there. They want what they want! Thank you so much.

(And I was was writing this my Daisy cat jumped up and tried to steal the stuffie 🤷‍♀️)

#spookysummerswap

Chrissyreadit 😘😘😘😘 2y
wisherwishinguponastar Are those teas? That is a great spread! 2y
Bookwormjillk @booksellerofyourdiscontent yes, aren‘t they cool? 2y
wisherwishinguponastar Absolutely!!!! 2y
49 likes4 comments
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lanecannon
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Pickpick

This was such a thrill ride! It kept me guessing to the very last page!

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IamIamIam
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Panpan

Thank goodness.... this was totally meh. A bunch of southern ladies gossiping, a too naive foster care kid who's jealous of them, a mediocre murder mystery....

Nope, this was not my cup of tea. I did add a book to my total for the year and that's all I've got...

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IamIamIam
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I'm not sure I'm meant for books like this... 🙄 The fact that it's a Jane Eyre retelling says a lot too, LOL... 18% in and I've already strained a muscle rolling my eyes.

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Bec_lectic
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Pickpick

Jane dog walks her way into the life of luxury when she comes across the gorgeous widow Eddie, whose wife went missing after a boating accident and is presumed dead. I give this book a pick as it was entertaining but found a few things underwhelming such as why Jane was running away from her past. In all, it‘s an entertaining story with a few twists, although predictable, it‘s still worthy of a read 🙂

SilversReviews I liked this book. 2y
Bec_lectic @SilversReviews I liked it as well! Sadly the author mostly writes YA novels. This was her first adult book. 2y
SilversReviews @Bec_lectic Ohhhh. I didn‘t know that. Thanks. 2y
58 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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emmaturi
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Pickpick

This is a modern retelling of Jane Eyre set in USA. It has a few twists and turns, it was an enjoyable read, but it hasn't stayed with me.

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candc320
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Pickpick

Enjoyable modern retelling of Jane Eyre that kept my attention even though it wasn‘t hard to figure out where the story was going or what the big mystery would reveal. All of the characters were unreliable and I liked that it changed between 3 different POVs, even while the main narrator was Jane. Very entertaining! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

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OriginalCyn620
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Pickpick

A retelling of Jane Eyre…so good! I was immediately sucked into the story and was hooked. The characters aren‘t particularly likable, but for this story, that works.

#bookspinbingo
#pop22 - book with a quote from your favorite author on the cover
#booked2021 - make your own prompt {flowers on the cover}
#pantone2022

Cinfhen I liked this book and fun prompt choice 🌸🌸🌸 2y
61 likes3 comments
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audreydmcgee
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Pickpick

This was a fun one! While the pacing was off at the end and didn‘t think we needed Eddie‘s pov, I very much enjoyed this. I love me an unreliable narrator.

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TamTracy
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Pickpick

Definitely liked this book a lot! I was totally bought in because I knew there were going to be twists and I couldn‘t wait to see what was next and how things ended up. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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maich
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
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Thank you @TheLudicReader for these gifts. Books came 4days after you sent email, other stuff arrived today. I didn't want to post them before, wanted to share the whole package together. But I opened books on February 14. Everything is so pretty💕❤
#LitsyLove #LitsyLoveValentinesDaySwap
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Bookgoil @rsteve388

SilversReviews Truly enjoyed THE WIFE UPSTAIRS. 2y
TheLudicReader I am so relieved that it all finally arrived. ❤️ 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Awesome gifts!! 2y
See All 7 Comments
maich @SilversReviews Hope I'll like it😊 2y
maich @TheLudicReader Me too😊 Thank you😘😘 2y
SilversReviews @maich 😊 I hope so too. 2y
46 likes1 stack add7 comments
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SheilaChew
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💙 when your coworker brings you a book at work 💙

32 likes1 stack add
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Aubgurl
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this book! I always love a good thriller, and being that I grew up in the area where this book was written made it that much more enjoyable. I could picture the exact women she was writing about.

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GidgetsTreasures75
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
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Pickpick

3-4-22: My 21st finished book of 2022! Jane is a dog walker in a gated community called Thornfield Estates when she meets Eddie Rochester. He is recently widowed, his wife Bea drowned in a boating accident with her best friend. Jane and Eddie fall for each other quickly but Jane is trying to live up to the image Bea has left behind. Fans of Jane Eyre will enjoy this retelling of the classic. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📖#️⃣2️⃣1️⃣

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rebbyj
The Wife Upstairs | Rachel Hawkins
Pickpick

Phew

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Melismatic
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Pickpick

A clever ‘Gone Girl‘ esque (tho not as crazy/gory) version of ‘Jane Eyre‘ (what a sentence). It‘s a bit predictable if you love the genre — but it‘s short, fast paced, and it‘s popcorn fun (as none of these characters are likeable).