| Title | : | The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 318 |
| Publication | : | First published February 20, 2023 |
It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want.
It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…
That’s when I make a promise. After all, I’ve done this before. I can protect Mrs Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe.
Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It’s simply a question of how far I’m willing to go…
The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2) Reviews
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Book Two
3.5 🍿STARS
Millie is back and cleaning for a new wealthy couple,the Garricks. They live in a super swanky neighborhood in Manhattan, the Penthouse no less!
It appears to be perfect, not a speck of dust in sight. There is one room that she won't be cleaning though. Wendy Garrick is behind closed doors, recovering from an illness.
Millie discovers more than she was prepared for and makes a swift decision regarding Wendy.
This was an entertaining popcorn read. Seasoned thriller readers may want less "telling of the plot" and more discovering of the reveal (at least i did), but we still get some major twists, a nail in the coffin moment and a lifetime movie end. Thunder and lightening included!! ⛈️⚡
If you enjoyed book one or are a fan of the author, I think you'll enjoy this one too. I like the characters Millie and Enzo and would read more featuring them.
Thanks to Netgalley for my arc. OUT February 2023 -
![Rosh [busy month; will catch up soon!]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1649419869i/91622714._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
In a Nutshell: The good news is that this is just like ‘
The Housemaid.’ The bad news is that this is just like ‘The Housemaid.’ A fun thriller, as long as you don’t overanalyse it. Better if you read the series in order.
Story Synopsis:Millie is back, still working as a maid, and still struggling for finances. She is in a steady relationship with Brock, a lawyer who doesn’t know anything about her past. Not that she loves Brock, but as Enzo isn’t around, he will do.
After Millie loses her current job, she gets a call from Douglas Garrick, a wealthy tech specialist. He wants Millie to clean and cook, but on one condition|: she is NOT to interact with his wife Wendy, who is ill. As Millie is desperate for a job, she agrees. However, things are, but obviously, not as declared, and Millie finds herself in a quandary; risk her job by helping Wendy, or go against her values by ignoring what’s happening?
The book comes to us in the first person perspective of two of the characters, one being Millie.
This sequel doesn't exactly continue from the end of the first novel, but provides enough of context to help us bridge to the events of this book. Though this can work as a standalone, I recommend you read the series in order, because Millie’s personality is much better explored in the first book.
Since I complain about Bookouture blurbs quite often (Sorry, Bookouture! I still love you though!), I think I should also give them credit when they nail the task. The blurb of this book is spot on, revealing just as much as needed and creating enough interest without spoiling the fun or misleading. Good job!
On the pro side, the story has every positive element that was present in the earlier book:
👉 Quick-paced writing.
👉 A storyline that keeps you invested even when you know what’s to come (or so you think.)
👉 An intriguing prologue.
👉 Characters who say one thing and do something else.
👉 Twists – some foreseeable, some out of the blue.
👉 Some funny moments, courtesy Millie’s snide remarks in her first person pov.
👉 An ending that works well for the story.
On the flip side,
⚠ The pattern of the book is exactly the same as the first book. (And many other thrillers.) So the minute the prologue began, I knew it was not narrated by whom we would assume it to be. The appearance of the second character’s pov created a huge déjà vu moment, as I knew it would contradict everything Millie had told us so far. I was still interested in the proceedings; it is just that instead of enjoying the story as a fresh tale, I found myself playing detective and figuring out the twists based on the similarity to the first book.
⚠ Millie didn’t endear herself to me this time around. Her attitude towards Brock was quite irksome, and her thoughts very repetitive. While she shows her true spirit by the end, I wish it had been more evident throughout.
⚠ The writing is also somewhat basic, though, to be honest, I don’t read a thriller for its prose. But the overdose of foreshadowing and the back-and-forth rambling by Millie were somewhat disappointing.
All in all, this is still gripping enough to provide an entertaining ride. I liked the first book much better as it had plenty of dark undertones. This one offers standard fare in comparison.
I finally have the chance to use a phrase so many of my reviewer-friends do: it’s a popcorn thriller! Treat it as such than as a literary classic. As long as you read it with your logical side kept aside, you can have fun with it.
3.5 stars, rounding up as it allowed me to complete it within a day.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the DRC of “The Housemaid's Secret”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.
The book is also available to Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
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“The Housemaid's Secret” by Freida McFadden is another classic psychological thriller that will have everyone talking about it in 2023. A little backstory, “The Housemaid” was the first novel I read by her and I was instantly hooked. She is an exceptional author as I’ve read some of her other books as well but I was anxiously waiting for the sequel to “The Housemaid” because it was one of the best novels I read in 2022.
Now, before I jump into my review, I want to let you all know about two trigger warnings in case they could affect you while reading. McFadden does a phenomenal job not describing anything in any kind of detail which is great but there are insinuations of violence against women and self-harm. Again, nothing is too detailed or graphic, just insinuated so I wanted to give everyone a heads-up about that. McFadden gets major props from me for not going into any specifics in both potential trigger warnings.
I was very happy to get right back into what is going on with the main protagonist Millie since the ending to “The Housemaid” was pretty wild. Millie is awesome and I truly loved all the New York vibes in this novel. Being born and raised in Queens, NY, I loved all the references, especially to the NY Mets. It just felt so authentic and added another layer of immersion to this novel for me being a New Yorker and all.
Besides that, all the little references to the first book in this series were also brilliantly done. I’d recommend reading the first one and then jumping right into this one to see what I mean. McFadden is a great storyteller that delivers some incredible suspense, mystery, tension, and my goodness, her plot twists are on a whole other level. She’s fantastic when it comes to them and they will literally have your jaw on the floor with how crazy they are once revealed. That’s exactly what happened to me and I still can’t believe them.
This sequel delivers in ways only McFadden can conjure as it’s another incredible psychological thriller of a read. I love how all of her books are so fast-paced and addictive, you simply can’t put them down even if you tried. Her writing is so seamless that this novel was a genuine page-turner, especially when you get to the second half towards a crazy ending I never saw coming. Seriously, I’m still completely blown away by the ending.
I give “The Housemaid's Secret” by Freida McFadden a perfect 5/5 as it’s another amazing novel by her that I’d highly recommend to anyone that wants a wild psychological thriller with crazy plot twists, mystery, and an incredible reading experience. McFadden is truly making a name for herself and I look forward to reading every single thing she’s written and all her future novels. She’s that magnificent and is an author I look forward to reading for many years to come. -
December 8, 2022...the day that Freida broke NetGalley! When it was announced in her Facebook group that 100 copies would be released by her publisher to her group members first, the hysteria was greater than any Black Friday sale I'd ever seen. I secured a copy, counted the minutes until work was done, and got home and started reading. Dinner wasn't cooked, texts were ignored, and laundry was overflowing, but nothing could tear me away from this book.
Y'all. If you have to wait until February to read this book, I'm going to weep softly for you because this book is simply amazing. First, if you haven't read THE HOUSEMAID, get your life together and read it because you'll need the back story and characters to be established before starting this one. All I can tell you is that Millie became known for more than just taking out the trash in book one, and when she's let go from a lucrative job because an absent parent was chagrined over her toddler calling Millie "Mama," she can't believe her good fortune when millionaire Douglas Garrick calls her to offer her a job.
The Garricks' penthouse is stunning, and the pay surpasses her wildest expectations, but Millie is troubled by Mrs. Garrick's absence. Douglas explains that his wife is ill and sleeps a lot, which Millie accepts...until the day she hears crying from behind her closed bedroom door and finds blood on her white nightgown. She breaks the rules and knocks on the door, and when the door opens, Millie is stunned. She vows then and there to make Douglas pay.
If that sounds wild, that's part one. Part two will remain spoiler-free, but you do need to know I exclaimed "What the actual f*#k!" more than once. Freida doesn't mess around with her twists, and they are delivered precisely and effortlessly. I've long given up trying to predict her endings; I just sit back and enjoy the dark humor that permeates many of her stories and trust the ride that she takes me on. Released to the masses on February 20, 2023, but when that link goes live on NetGalley again, you need to have your account in order! -
I don’t know how to say this any better, so here it is: I have read all of Freida McFadden’s books. I am a junkie for her writing. Now that they are finished, for now, no doubt, I may get more sleep and be more productive. Maybe cook a nicer dinner now and then.
The books are all wonderful, very realistic, believable characters you want to be friends with. You should try some…but be careful, you too might have to read them all! -
I enjoyed The Housemaid with its brilliant twists and turns and couldn't wait for its sequel, which I received from Kindle Unlimited. Freida McFadden has shown she can engage readers with suspenseful and surprising plots. The author followed the same formula here, but I didn't find it as compelling as the first book. The characters were mainly unlikeable, except for Brock (Brocolli). I found myself feeling sorry for the way Millie treated him. She needed someone more exciting and considered him boring and too predictable.
Millie has a great deal of sympathy for abused women and will do anything to ensure they escape from harmful situations and by using any means necessary. Unfortunately, she often goes too far, further complicating the situation. She felt greater entitlement this time, and I found her more annoying.
She is working in a fabulous penthouse apartment owned by a wealthy man. The home is immaculate, with little cleaning necessary, only cooking, laundry, and shopping for groceries. Her wages are generous. The man of the house has warned her never to enter his wife's room as she is ill. Of course, Millie's curiosity and contrary behaviour causes her to open that door. She encounters a badly beaten and injured wife, who she is anxious to help.
The twists are surprising, and soon Millie will find herself in trouble with the police. Instead of an explosive, shocking reveal near the end, I found the conclusion to be drawn out and tedious.
I consider this a light, cozy thriller (with some killings), and I will certainly read more books by Freida McFadden as I have learned to expect the unexpected. 2.5 stars -
Once again Freida McFadden releases an outstanding psychological thriller! This is sure to be a hit for those who loved the first one The Housemaid! The audio was condensed enough to finish in one day.
Millie tells it from her POV and reminds us of her prison term she served. She doesn't share with her boyfriend, Brock, about her past because he is a successful attorney and afraid he will dump her.
Millie is hired by the very wealthy and handsome Mr. Douglas Garrick. He is a demanding arrogant man that has specific rules she must follow. One rule is to not bother his wife Wendy who is ailing and does not come out of her bedroom. When she hears her crying one day, she opens the door to find her bruised and bleeding. She vows to help her escape from this abusive man.
The second one references many highlights from book one, and better if it was read in sequence. It carries the same sarcastic humor and she displays the same confusion and controversial problems.
I was turned down for the ARC by NetGalley and was so excited to get my hands on this highly anticipated book. Freida McFadden did not disappoint! -
Gripping, shocking and hard to put down,
The Housemaid's Secret kept me turning the tables and left me sitting with my mouth open at one of the reveals in the book. This is the second book in the Housemaid series and it wowed me as much as the first book,
The Housemaid did!
Millie (the Housemaid) is back and looking for a job after being fired when the toddler she was watching called her Mama in the opening of the book. She goes on several interviews but then is contacted by Douglas Garrick, a wealthy tech genius to clean and cook for him and his wife. The only rule is to not go into the guest bedroom or bother his wife.
She can hear Mrs. Garrick crying the guest room and soon convinces Mrs. Garrick to open the door to her. The simple opening of a door changes everything......
Woohoo!
This riveting book kept me on my toes and turning the pages. Just when I thought I had things figured out, McFadden shocked me with brilliant twists and turns. This book was a well written fast paced thriller which I devoured.
If you have not read,
The Housemaid, I highly recommend it. This book does work nicely as a standalone but reading the first book gives you more insight into Millie and her need to help others. Millie is an interesting and fully fleshed out character. She has a prison record and takes whatever jobs she can to make ends meat. She it tough and vulnerable at the same time. She also tends to get into some interesting and tense situations.
I found this book to be captivating, well thought out, perfectly paced and tense. I was on the edge of my seat, flipping through this impressive page turner. If you have not read a book by Freida McFadden before, I highly recommend picking up one of her books.
Shocking, tense, hard to put down and captivating!
#TheHousemaidsSecret #NetGalley #Bookouture #FreidaMcFadden
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at
www.openbookposts.com -
another one, thank u
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Another book I couldn’t put down by my queen Freida! I love everything she writes, this was another 5 star read. I highly recommend reading the first book before this one. I cannot wait to read more from her Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
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I was thrilled to be on the blog tour for this one. My date isn't until February, but there was no way I was waiting until then to read it. The Housemaid, the first book, was one of my favourite reads this year (only pipped to the post by Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister) and one of those books that just BLEW MY MIND.
So yes, I rapidly finished my read and dove in to the sequel!
This is utter genius. As the plot literally unravelled in front of me, I was in awe. Freida McFadden, you are a master at plotting your books. This should be a set text in creative writing school! Whilst there wasn't a 'wait, WHAT?!' moment as with it's predecessor, this is unbelievably clever. So many twists, I could barely keep up! I did have to put it down at one point, just to get it clear in my brain! It is a totally thrilling read, and thoroughly enjoyable. I haven't read a book that fast since the first book!
Fabulous. -
I liked Mille’s first story so I was beyond excited to see she was getting a sequel. I absolutely could not wait to read it, and I devoured the whole thing in a matter of hours. After the unusual events of Millie’s first book (which should absolutely be read before this one) she and Enzo do side work helping women leave abusive or unsafe situations. Mostly with lawyer referrals or fake ids but sometimes it gets a bit more extreme so Millie has a sort of reputation. But she has tried to put all of that work behind her and is taking college classes working to be a social worker and help in a more traditional way. She is excited when tech billionaire Douglas Garrick reaches out to see if she would be willing to clean and do some light cooking for him and his wife. But his wife doesn’t leave her bedroom and Millie has a bad feeling about this home. The twists and turns were great, an entertaining thriller for sure.
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Millie is back in the sequel to The Housemaid. I did not like this one as much as the first.
Millie has spent her time after the Winchester’s helping other women in need with the help of Enzo. They part ways and Millie gets a job working for Douglas Garrick, cooking and cleaning. After her previous experiences she is alarmed to know that Wendy, Douglas’s wife is scarcely seen and when she is she has bruises everywhere. Millie insists she help Wendy escape. However, the plan backfires and Millie finds herself in hot water with the police.
The Housemaid’s Secret is available February 20,2023.
Thank you to Netgalley and Bookoture for this arc in exchange for my honest review. -
I have seen a lot of strange things in my years cleaning houses. A lot of bad things too. For a while, I used to try to fix some of those bad things. But I haven’t done that in a long time.
4.5 ⭐
I liked it! 🤩 And I was scared I wouldn't because I loved the first book so much, my expectations were set pretty high. But this one was also fun and exciting, with cool twists and clues that made me unable to put the book down.
The Housemaid’s Secret follows Millie once again, as she is trying to get a job to help her get through college. But surprise, surprise - there's something off with the family she started working for.
I'm not going to say much more, I’ll let you find out for yourselves everything she gets through. But in case you're still wondering if you should pick up this book, it definitely has my recommendations. It was one of the better thrillers I’ve read recently and I enjoyed it a lot.
If you want to see my much more in depth review, you can check it out on my book blog
NovelOnMyMind.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden in exchange for an honest review. -
This is truly a tricky one to rate. I love Freida's work, love her Facebook group and the fact that she shows so much interest in her fan group. That being said, honesty is the best policy...so with out giving any massive spoilers here is my short review.
We all loved The Housemaid, it had everything a true thriller novel should have and more. I was building up so much anticipation for this book that I think I let myself down. In no means at all is it bad, its great actually but I feel The Housemaid was so much better. The first half of this book was a little boring and felt openly annoyed with Millie and her choices. The second half, were it all comes together is good. Some of it a little far fetched but hey, that's FICTION! I also love that the tone is set for another book, but I would expect greatness from it to pull it through. So 4 well deserved stars for writing style, plot style and that really great second half!
Thank you Netgalley, Bookouture and a massive thank you to Freida for the opportunity to read and review this ARC! -
4.5 stars. I might have loved it even more than the first book. Can we get another book, please?!?
This author is fast becoming a favorite for busting some book slumps.
Love the snark, twists and short chapters. I’ll definitely be recommending both books to suspense fans. -
⇢Recommend reading book one prior to reading this book or review. Potential spoilers ahead.
Summary: When house cleaner Millie takes on the wealthy Douglas Garrick as her newest client, she is taken aback by his never seen wife Wendy and the “illness” that keeps her locked away. Then one day, Millie finds a bloodied bathroom and hears sobs coming from Wendy’s room. What she sees upon knocking on her door will forever change the course of Millie’s life.
Thoughts: I didn’t think if possible, but I somehow loved The Housemaid’s Secret even more than the first in the series. Action packed, twisty per usual with the perfectly executed game of cat and mouse, I could not put this one down. Lucky for me, it is short enough to binge in a sitting.
There is nothing like a morally grey character you cannot help but root for, and McFadden gives that to us in droves with Millie. I fear her as much as I love her and cannot get enough of both her backstory or her current day predicaments. I so hope we get at least one more Millie centered tale.
Read if you like:
•twisty thrillers
•bingeable books
•domestic suspense
•dual pov
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. -
Do you want a gripping psychological thriller that you won’t want to put down? Frieda McFadden is your girl.
Millie has returned and this time she is the housemaid for an absurdly wealthy couple, who reside within a sprawling NYC penthouse apartment - The Garricks. The husband, Douglas, is a handsome, charming and successful businessman. The wife, Wendy, is supposedly unwell and spends most of the time locked away in a bedroom in the house. Millie is instructed not to bother her whilst doing her duties. The only time she sees Wendy is when her piercing green eye peers through the keyhole of the door. But the more Millie goes there, the more strange she finds the whole situation. What secrets are the Garricks keeping?
Millie is also being followed by the same old car with a cracked headlight. She keeps noticing it wherever she goes. Who is it? And why are they keeping an eye on her?
The Housemaid’s Secret is a fine follow up to the first. The first was one of my top reads of this year - so I was excited to see a sequel was being released so shortly after. I didn’t quite fly through this one as quickly, but the twist at the end of Part I left my mouth agape.
I despise the character who narrates chapters in Part II aswell as Millie. It almost made me angry to read from their perspective. They are the textbook definition of a sociopath/psychopath. Absolutely zero regard for anybody else and will try to destroy anyone who gets in their way. But have they messed with the wrong person this time?
This is a tale of deception and of revenge, with a satisfying conclusion.
I saw a Reddit thread discussing how Frieda’s books have similar plots to thrillers by other authors. Some are saying that some of her stories are written better, and she has argued there are only so many different plot-lines to explore. I cannot personally comment because I haven’t read the other books mentioned. I didn’t see the The Housemaid’s Secret flagged up, but apparently the first Housemaid is similar to The Last Mrs Parrish by Liv Constantine. I may check out that one when I fancy another gripping tale that is akin to the first Housemaid as I enjoyed it so much, and see if I can spot the similarities myself. (
https://www.reddit.com/r/books/commen... )
4 Stars -
Here's "the dirt" on "The Housemaid's Secret":
1) Overall, this was a very disappointing and underwhelming sequel to "The Housemaid".
2) In "The Housemaid", characterizations were strong and the story never dragged.
In "The Housemaid's Secret" characterizations were shallow, the plotline was convoluted, and the story dragged.
3) Although the book featured Freida McFadden's classic twists, these twists failed to "sweep me away" and, instead, left my eyes rolling.
I listened to the audiobook and the narration was good but not great.
2 stars rounded up. -
"Millie, the heroine, is back, better than ever. Twisty, crafty, and humorous—this is one powerhouse of a series!"
Freida McFadden, the queen of psychological thrillers with a twist, returns following
The Housemaid with the highly anticipated followup, THE HOUSEMAID'S SECRET.
Cleverly plotted, complex and multi-layered, Millie discovers that she is not the only one whose life is built on secrets and lies and comes face to face with a master manipulator. Will she be able to turn the tables?
It all started with a simple cleaning job. Now it might end with her blood mopped off the cabin floor. This is how the book begins and then jumps to three months earlier.
Picking up from book #1, Millie finds a new cleaning job but loses it quickly when the woman's child, Olive, starts calling Millie mama.
Millie has an apartment in the South Bronx with some freaky sleazy neighbors. She has accomplished quite a lot since the last book. She and Enzo (love him) have helped women and victims escape abusive relationships. However, he had to return to Italy to take care of his mom, and she has not heard from him. They made a perfect team and she misses him, but clearly, he was not coming back. It has been a year. Enzo knew about her past and she did not have to pretend around him as she did with Brock.
She has also gone back to college to get a social work degree. She will be able to help people and stay within the confines of the law. Enzo encouraged her. For now, she is doing a part-time bartending gig but needs to make more money. That is rather difficult with her prison history.
She has been dating Brock for the last six months, an attorney from a well-to-do family, but he does not know about her past, nor is she planning on telling him. He is perfect, except for a heart pill he takes daily for a condition he developed as a child.
However, he is putting pressure on her to move in with him. That would solve her housing problems, but she just cannot give up control of her life. If she tells him about her past, she will lose him.
Millie finally lands a job that is too good to be true. She meets a man named Douglas Garrick, who lives on the Upper East Side just west of Central Park, on the penthouse floor with a doorman. Like $20Million.
The owner is the CEO of Coinstock and seems friendly but Millie cannot stop thinking about the closed door on the second floor. The wife who could not come out to meet her.
She lands the job, but one stipulation is his wife Wendy is sick with a chronic illness and she stays in her room. Millie is not to disturb her for any reason. Tell someone they can't do something, making them even more curious.
But Millie soon cannot keep from thinking about the woman in the room. She hears her crying one day and then sees blood in the bathroom. She must help her. But the last time she tried to help, it came back to haunt her.
What is behind the locked door?
Clearly, this woman is in an abusive relationship and is afraid of her husband. She must help her. Something sinister is going on. She cannot allow this man to kill his wife.
Then the creepy neighbor comes around her apartment and she must protect herself. If only Enzo were here. Then she senses someone is following her.
What is going on between Wendy and her husband? What happens next is not what Millie expects. Now someone is trying to set her up once again. She cannot go back to prison. Nothing is as it appears.
Is Enzo back? Will Detective Ramirez believe her? Someone is dead. Someone else will wind up dead.
Told from the POV of Millie. Then we hear from Wendy's POV around 60% into the book, which is creepy, and flashbacks of four, three, two, one year, and six, four months before to a few weeks earlier to the night of the murder.
Predator or prey? Cat or mouse?
Wow! McFadden does a masterful job of creating in Millie a complex character, making her both scary, sympathetic, and appealing. A balanced thriller with dark humor that will keep readers surprised, pleased, and shocked as Millie unfolds her revenge comeback plan once again!
Loved the Epilogue - three months later!
Revenge drives this twisty jaw-dropping thriller, and the author keeps the suspense high throughout. As always, there is a twist you do not anticipate. Readers will root for Millie as she tries to even the score. How will she ever trust again?
I loved Enzo, and he is a perfect match for Millie. Every time I read his name, I thought of Enzo (plumber) on the show Younger, also Italian that married Diana and loved him as well. I enjoyed this one even more than the first one and hope we get a #3 and more, Millie! I adore this author; the 12th book I have read by her (have not posted all the reviews yet).
Thank you to #Bookouture and #Netgalley for a gifted e-ARC.
Blog review posted @
www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins |#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars +
Pub Date: Feb 20, 2023
Jan 2023 Must-Read Books
My Review of
The Housemaid -
Great sequel to The Housemaid! Kept me on my toes and guessing more than the first. Love the twists that Frieda McFadden pulls off!
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Am writing a joint review as I would be duplicating much of what say for both books 😎
WOW and WOW again, just when you might think you have read it all and maybe be a bit jaded these 2 books come along and you realise once again why you love reading
These are the kind of books you read before and during Christmas and are pleased you haven’t done your Top 10 books of the year ( if you do that ) as these would totally ruin any list I had made as they zoomed into that top 10
I seriously had to train myself not to ‘jump my eye’ to the end of each new page to see what was happening as was so keen and keyed up to see what was next, both books grabbed me, held me and kept me until the very last satisfying word, the only disappointment being I had finished and there was ( as yet ) no Book 3
Dark, light, scary, intoxicating, mega readable, fascinating, humorous at times, personable in it’s unique style and just a top reading experience that mesmerised me
If you haven’t read the first one you have to and then be ready for the next nerve jumping book end of feb
Both 10/10 and 5 Stars -
“The Housemaid” was one of the first books I read in 2022, and now its sequel is one of the last. When the author posted on Instagram that the book was live on NetGalley, I jumped right on this and was so lucky to again get the ARC! I was worried going in that the second one wouldn’t be as good because the first one was so mind-blowing. If that’s a concern of yours, throw it to the wind, because this book is also fantastic.
Millie is back, still a badass, and still a housemaid since conventional jobs can be hard to come by when you have a prison record. Trying to help people in more conventional ways has her in school studying social work, and she has a boring but dependable boyfriend, Brock. She’s now working for a new family, but that quickly changes after the child in the house started calling Millie “Mama” instead of her own obnoxious mother.
In a fit of maternal jealousy, Millie is fired and is once again in need of a new housekeeping position. She soon gets a call from Doug Garrick, whose wife has fallen ill and he now needs help around the house. Doug is handsome and kind, if not slightly demanding, but Millie never gets to see Wendy, the ailing wife. Until she does, and just like the first book, the story turns completely upside down and around.
I didn’t know how the author would be able to make a fresh storyline if she used the same layout of Part One, THE BIG TWIST, then Part Two like in the first book - but she pulled it off. While this is about the same person and the story is laid out the same way, this is a completely different book…and it was just as great as the first, with so many twists that had my jaw dropping and even had me laughing.
One thing I forgot about the original Housemaid book was how darkly funny it was in places, and this one was the same. It had the same layout, the same crazy amount of twists, but this was a completely fresh and original story. Five stars, hands down, and I can’t wait to see what happens in book three!!
(Thank you to Bookouture, Freida McFadden, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review. This book is slated to be released on February 20, 2023.) -
The Housemaid's Secret
by Freida McFadden
The Housemaid #2
Pub Date: 20 Feb 2023
Bookouture
General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers
Rating 4.25/5
The Housemaid's main character Millie is back for a sequel. Currently, she cleans a Manhattan penthouse for the super-rich businessman Douglas Garrick. Douglas forbids Millie from entering his wife Wendy's room to clean, saying she needs rest. Millie discovers blood smeared on Wendy's bathroom floor. Wendy opens the door with Millie's persistence, showing visible signs of abuse and bruises. How far will Millie go to help Wendy?
Despite dealing with a serious subject, The Housemaid's Secret is captivating and intriguing. An engaging read with well-developed characters, it is highly recommended. An exciting and twisty series of events will keep you hooked until the very end.
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Maleficent Millie is at it again!
I was beyond excited to get my hands on an early copy of the sequel to The Housemaid!
Millie is one of those characters you can’t get out of your mind. When you first meet Millie in book one, it’s like you’re on a blind date. By the end of the book, you know it’s been a successful date and you can’t wait to have a second one. THAT’s what book two is like; a confirmation that Millie is truly maleficent and you can’t wait to see more of her.
Be assured that this is Freida McFadden at the top of her game. This sequel is packed with everything we expect from a great suspense and is worthy of pre-ordering! My heart was pounding, my hands were feverishly turning pages and a gasp and evil cackle escaped by lips more than once!
You deserve to go into this book blind; hence, the vague review.
Thank you to the wonderful team at Bookouture for the advance copy. I was gifted this book with no obligation to review. -
I’m not sure how Freida does it but her books just keep getting better! The Housemaid was and still is one of my favorite reads for 2022, but this sequel is just as delicious and twisty. My mind was blown so many times in this book and I LOVED every twisty second! I could not turn the pages fast enough. Freida book’s are just plain addictive!
If you haven’t already read The Housemaid, drop everything you are doing to read it and be ready for the release day of this sequel! You definitely won’t be disappointed.
***** Many thanks to Bookouture, Freida McFadden, and NetGalley for the gifted copy as it was provided to me in turn for my honest opinion. -
4.5⭐️ The most PERFECT sequel to one of my favorite thrillers of 2022. It’s hard to write a review that won’t spoil the story, especially if you’ve never read The Housemaid, but just know that this series is an absolute must, especially if you’re in a reading slump and want a quick, bingey read!!! I was at the edge of my seat from the prologue onwards and despite all the thrillers I’ve read, I couldn’t catch the big twists!
Thank you Bookoture for the ARC! Out 2/20/23 -
⭐️⭐️⭐️ I was excited to spend more time with Millie as she navigates the wild and twisty world of the Manhattan elite. I really enjoyed The Housemaid, but after reading The Housemaid’s Secret I think one reason I was so enamored was because I listened to the audiobook. Lauryn Allman did a fantastic job narrating Millie’s story and I think the casual tone and at times ridiculous plot worked really well as audio. Sadly, I read the physical copy of book two and I didn’t enjoy it as much.
The plot is highly unbelievable but entertaining. I didn’t need quite so many twists, but I respect that Freida McFadden can keep her readers on their toes. My biggest complaint is one I can’t really explain without spoiling, but I’ll say that part two was incredibly frustrating.
McFadden’s books are extremely fast paced and I was able to finish this in just a few hours. It’s not groundbreaking literature by any means and the writing didn’t blow me away but it wasn’t bad either. Maybe I should have waited for the audio or maybe I should have just left things as they were at the end of book one?
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me to be an early reader. -
This is the sequel to THE HOUSEMAID which was a 5⭐ read for me, and this one is right up there too. Another captivating, suspenseful, and twisty thriller. Couldn't put it down.
Millie has taken a job cleaning for Douglas Garrick in his gorgeous penthouse in the city. He tells her not to open the guest room door ever, because his wife is very I'll. As she's working she swears something sinister must be going on. She hears things, and sees things. I do not want to say much because I don't want to spoil it for you, but I will say that insanity pursues! If you feel like the beginning is slow, I promise, it 100% picks up. What a awesome and entertaining book. I will say to read these books is order though. Both are excellent and you'll be happy you did.
Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own. Out Feb. 20. -
Oh Freida McFadden, you have been rocking my world this year!
Awesome sequel to one of my favorite books of the year... She never ceases to surprise me with her twists and turns.
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
