I'm upgrading my rating from 4.5 stars to a solid 5, thanks to the clever twists, and eagerly looking forward to delving into more of the author's twisted tales sooner rather than later.

Let's not even mention how far-fetched the twist about the policeman's daughter is, and how it would be absolutely impossible to simply drop an investigation like that, even if a random policeman decided to. if you replaced millie with me…the plot would look no different. if you’ve read this book, then please tell me you know exactly what i’m referring to🫣i would’ve 100% fell face first into that trap😩i loved millie’s character a lot. her past is a crazy one…it’s pretty much a mystery throughout the entire book so there’s nothing more i can say about her. this poor girl has been through it😭 There was no alcoholic in this domestic thriller. Thank you for not using that trope, dear author. I am so fed up of reading thrillers with unreliable narrators who can’t control their addition to booze. 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.

Games

Now how to tell you about this one without spoiling anything. Like Freida is known for, this one is a twisty tale with many big and small twists that happen throughout the book. A few I did see coming, but not most of them. That easy writing style lulls you into the story. When I read a thriller especially when I am reading one that will be twisty, I am on high alert watching for everything little tell and suspecting everyone of being dishonest. And still Freida pulled the wool over my eyes. Kudos to her! Yes, there were a few discrepancies that I caught while reading this (but who’s counting, 😉), so I’m going with 4.5 stars rounded up. I will say that I do hope we see Millie again in a third book 🤞. I will also be cutting this review short as I plan on doing some cleaning up of my own 🧹🧽🪣 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! Perhaps naturally enough, this leads to the novel having a fairly huge number of twists, at least many more than I’ve seen contained with in a single book in recent memory. While this did lead to a bit of numbness in regards to the surprise inflicted upon me by certain unexpected turns, on the whole they are handled well enough to be impactful, and whenever necessary Freida McFadden raises the stakes just a little bit. The Psychology of Vengeance I love trying to figure out what is going to happen, where the plot is going, who is telling the truth, who is reliable, etc. This one kept me on my toes. I found it to be fun, dramatic, surprising, and hard to put down!

I have gotten into the habit of listening every time I pass the guest bedroom door. It’s snooping. I know it is— I won’t deny it— but I can’t help myself.Jesus H. Ok. So, the gun Millie shot was full of blanks. Fake Douglas was fake dead, so then Wendy killed Real Douglas and made him real dead. Millie hides from the police because they are after her. Wendy and Fake Douglas go to his wife Marybeth’s remote cabin to hide out and do some hot-tubbing, but then a very angry Marybeth shows up and Fake Douglas gets his throat slit (!!) and Wendy gets killed with digoxin heart pills and is forced to write a suicide note explaining everything, so now Millie is off the hook. Yay. Then comes Wendy, I HATED her so much. She is such a narcissist, all I wanted was Douglas to just tell her her reality and find a life of his own. I wouldn't even mind if her pathetic little gold digging arse got killed off in a brutal manner. What she got was so mild compared to what she deserved. *insert multiple swear words here* welcome to my spoiler free review🤭this was my first freida book and it has me feeling like i need to take a trip to the nearest psych ward. i finished this book in SIX hours. more like four because i spent two of those hours spam texting shei throughout the entire book🙈she pulled an all-nighter for me🥹🫂please go into my review with very low expectations because since it’s spoiler free…i won’t be able to say a lot🥺

Perfect if you are looking for a thrilling read that is book-believable even if not a hundred percent real-life-believable. Which is pretty much what I hope for entering any new thriller. But I actually quite enjoyed this book. It had many elements I liked in the first one, like the chill atmosphere, fun plot, and it was quite immersing. But it was also different enough so that I didn’t feel like I was reading one and the same story. A description perfectly suitable both for The Housemaid and The Housemaid’s Secret, and yet. It was just a different story and I don’t think I can describe it better than that without spoiling things.Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester said as she greeted Millie, her new housekeeper. Millie desperately needs a new job. She doesn't have too many choices and one that provides her with a place to live, sounds like heaven as she has been sleeping in her car. Sure, I realize this story is meant to be taken with a grain of salt, preferably served on buttered popcorn, 🍿 but, the last two parts were too crazy for my taste! For those among them who have not yet read the maid (what are you waiting for?), Don’t worry. The Housemaid’s Secret can be read as independent, there is nothing in this book that spoils the first, but I would not recommend it, it is too good to get lost. Then came Part Two, and there is a SURPRISING twist, but it’s very OTT and the story goes off the rails at this point. 🚂

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. 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!There are also a few convenient coincidences. (Then again, these are found in almost every thriller, which is why I don’t read much of this genre.) 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? Nina seems to be delusional, even crazy at times. She loves her husband and her daughter Cece but for some reason, can’t stand Millie. But then an ad has been posted for a live-in maid with light duties. Millie interviews with the elegant wife/mother in her elegant house with her elegant handsome husband. Against all odds, Millie gets the job. But Nina, her new boss, is a bit "off". Nina has spent some time in a psychiatric hospital. She spins on a dime from day to day. Cecelia, nine years old, is spoiled rotten and lights up Millie every chance she gets. Millie feels sorry for Andrew, the husband, who is caught in this emotional blender on high speed. During the interview, McFadden shared some of the challenges she has faced as a writer and how she overcomes them. She also provided valuable tips and advice for aspiring writers looking to break into the competitive world of publishing.