Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #340: The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

 

Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event that had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlighted upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From the publisher:

A delicious twist on a Gothic classic, Rachel Hawkins's 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?

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins is due to be published January 5th, 2021 by St. Martin's Press.

Why am I waiting on this book? I like Southern Gothic literature. This sounds like it will be a Southern Gothic retelling of Jane Eyre. And while I haven't read it, I am familiar with the plot and interested in what the author will do with a retelling. 

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Lying Beneath the Oaks by Kristin Wright

Molly and Cooper wake up together in a car in Vegas sporting brand new wedding rings. Apparently somehow the night before, they tied the knot. Cooper needs to get home, but Molly has no such issues. Recently fired and pretty much footloose, she tags along with Cooper under the understanding they will stay together until an annulment is filed. And it's best for her if the annulment is filed sooner rather than later. She has a major skeleton in her closet that she doesn't want people to find out about or they will change the way they look at her.

Meanwhile, they arrive in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Cooper brings her to his familial home. Dad isn't too thrilled with him bringing a Yankee into his house and family. Sister is happy for Cooper and Molly as are most people they meet. Molly receives some cryptic offers of help, if she needs it, from a couple of the townspeople.

Molly's background helps her to spot some skeletons in the family closet. These are skeletons that Cooper wasn't even aware existed. And as they are revealed to Molly, the danger increases for her especially, but for other family members as well.

Lying Beneath the Oaks by Kristin Wright is a pretty suspenseful Southern Gothic tale. There is no supernatural, but there is definitely the odd character here and there and suspense as well as the setting for much of the novel being the southern family home.

I really liked the eccentric and helpful Miss Aurelia. And I absolutely didn't like Cooper's father. He's too manipulative among other things. My dislike for him, to me, means Ms. Wright wrote his character really well. Molly and Coop were both likable.

The book moves along at a good pace. Clues are revealed at an increasing speed as Molly puts things together as the book progresses.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written Southern Gothic. I enjoyed the mystery and the romance. The suspense and tension are done well. If you like romantic suspense or Southern Gothic, then you will probably enjoy this first novel.

Lying Beneath the Oaks by Kristin Wright was published January 15th, 2019 from Bella Rosa Books.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely given.

Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #262: Lying Beneath the Oaks by Kristin Wright

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings. 

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Molly Todd wakes up in a Vegas parking lot with a headache, a virtual stranger, and a wedding ring. Jobless and broke, she’s left with no other option but to go home with new husband Cooper Middleton to the Lowcountry of South Carolina to straighten out the mess they’ve made. It’s in Molly’s best interest to get an annulment sooner rather than later—before her hosts find out that she’s not the kind of guest anyone wants at their Thanksgiving dinner.

The more Molly gets to know Cooper and his family, the more she wonders if she and Cooper might have a real chance together. She longs to tell him her secret even though she knows the truth might get her kicked straight out into the nearby swamp. While she wavers, Molly’s unusual life experiences allow her to spot the skeletons in the Middleton family closet: ones Cooper’s never suspected, ones that are hidden in plain sight. What Molly discovers will shake Cooper’s foundations—and could threaten both their lives. 

Lying Beneath the Oaks by Kristin Wright is due out January 15th, 2019 from Bella Rosa  Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? I've got a fondness for Southern Gothic tales. This sounds like a good one. Plus it got good reviews of the ARCs on Goodreads.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!