It’s always interesting when a sequel comes out because you have such high expectations and it’s hard to believe another book could be a clever and twisted but…..The Housemaid’s Secret did just that and it blew me away. It was so good that I devoured it in 2 days. You don’t need to read book 1 to enjoy this but I highly recommend you do as I feel it gives the reader a wider understanding of Millie’s character. And, the first book is equally as amazing.
Millie is back and her life is finally on track. She’s attending school, has a dependable, nice boyfriend and has just found her perfect job. So why does she feel so uncomfortable with it all?
I love the character of Millie sometimes. I often want to give her a good shake and a good talking too but she has such a big heart a huge sense of morality that she just cannot leave things alone. If there are future books I’d love to see her with a female close friend – particularly one who knows her and totally accepts who she is. I find her fascinating but also so vulnerable and impulsive and she is just an awesome character.
The plot is so different from the first book and absolutely unexpected. It has twists and turns until the very end and I couldn’t put it down. The story is very cleverly developed and deliciously dark in place and I loved every minute of it.
This is a must read for fans of dark crime novels and twisted thrillers. Superb!!!!

I am on a book tour today for @freidamcfadden and @bookouture for the release of The housemaids Secret…

Millie has to get another job and pronto. She does not have the money to cover anything if she doesn't, so when Douglas Garrick calls her and calls her in for an interview, she cannot believe her luck.

She lands the housekeeper job and cleans an immaculate apartment for a woman she never sees… A woman Douglas claims is sick… Everything is perfect until the day Millie finds blood on the wife’s nightgowns and Millie's protective instincts kick right back in…..


Oh I have missed MIllie. This sequel really lived up to the hype and I am so thankful I was part of this tour. First off I loved seeing where Millie had ended up and what she had been doing. She is fierce with a heart of gold and she is flawed in all the best ways that seeing her character develop was pure magic.


The plot was really very clever. I thought I knew what was going on and it turns out I was super wrong. This book had me whipped up harder than a tornado in the midwest. I had no idea where my feet were going to land and I loved every moment. I always enjoy a good roller coaster ride in my thrillers and Freida McFadden did not disappoint.
A page turning, heart thumping good read, you may want to have a glass of wine and shut your phone off for hours until you are done.
5 stars! Thank you @netgalley and #bookouture for my review copy! Out NOW!!

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Housemaid's Secret' by Freida McFadden.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Freida McFadden, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous

Publication date 20th February 2023.

This is the second book I have read by this author. I have also read the previous book to this sequel 'The Housemaid' which I would highly recommend!!

I was originally drawn to this book by its eye catching cover and intriguing sounding synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that 'This absolutely explosive and shockingly twisty sequel to international bestseller The Housemaid will keep you racing through the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window and Gone Girl will be totally hooked! This book can also be enjoyed as a standalone.' I am a huge fan of 'Gone Girl' so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I am also a HUGE fan of Freida and if this sequel is half as good as 'The Housemaid' it is guaranteed to be an explosive page turner!! I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).

This novel consists of a prologue, 74 chapters and an epilogue spread over 4 parts. The chapters are medium to long in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

This book is based in the USA 🇺🇸.

This book is written in first person perspective and the main protagonists are Millie Calloway and Wendy Garrick. The benefits of books written in first person perspective are as long as they are well written it makes you feel that you are being spoken to by the protagonist and it can create more of a bond between yourselves and them. If there are several protagonists you also get to see more of what is going on. The benefits of first person perspective with multiple protagonists are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.

This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.

OMG!!! MIND ABSOLUTELY BLOWN!!!!

Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolute page turner!! I absolutely LOVED 'The Housemaid' and genuinely didn't think a book could get more explosive and shocking than that but Freida did it yet again!! The storyline is absolutely ram packed with mystery, deceit, secrets, lies, romance, tension, suspense and OMG the twists just kept on coming again and again!!! Just when I thought everything that could happen had happened BOOM there was another shocker around the corner. Every time I kept telling myself one more chapter the one I was in ended at a point where there was no way I could stop reading so I absolutely devoured it in one sitting!! I WAS absolutely blown away and considering I read approximately 30 books a month that is certainly no easy feat so a HUGE congratulations on that Freya. My heart was absolutely pounding throughout and I loved being wrong about sooo many things (don't tell my partner I said that 😂)!! This is just one of those books that you will not forget and that you will devour in one sitting!! It can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend also reading 'The Housemaid' either before or after you have blown through this one!! Freida has an absolutely exceptional writing talent where she grasps your attention from the first sentence to the very last. I love the dark humour that she expertly weaves into an absolutely must read, addictive one of a kind psychological thriller!! I really could not recommend this book any more. If you are looking for something unique, filled with suspense and that will blow your mind then this is definitely the book for you!!

Although this is the second book in the series I would have had absolutely no problems reading it if I hadn't read the first book 'The Housemaid' . Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!

I wasn't just 100% invested in the storyline but also in the characters. The every one of the characters were well defined, realistic and strong. Unfortunately I am not going to be able to say much at all about them as I don't want to run the risk of giving anything away. However, I can say that I absolutely loved meeting Millie again who is one woman you do not want to get on the wrong side of!!! I really hope that Freida continues writing book with her in as she is absolutely unforgettable!! Needless to say they all worked perfectly together to make this page turner as amazing as it is!!!

A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Freida on what promises to be yet another massive best seller!!! I WAS absolutely shocked by so many events!! I thought 'The Housemaid' was epic but OMG you absolutely rocked this even more!! I can't say anything else but when you've read it you'll know!!! This is why you are one of my authors Freida and here's to your next explosive success 🥂!!!

Overall an absolutely addictive, explosive mind blowing page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished!!!

Genres covered in this book include Thriller, Psychological Fiction, Suspense Thriller, Domestic Fiction, Psychological Thriller, Domestic Thriller and Mystery amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of Carol Wyer, Lisa Regan, Robert Dugoni, The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose, The Woman in the Window, Gone Girl Rachel Caine, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, Angela Marsons and ANYONE looking for an epic page turner .



316 pages.



This book is just £2.99 on kindle, free on kindle unlimited and £8.99 for paperback via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!



Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.



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I liked this one more than the first book. And while Millie is still a tad bit annoying, her misadventures and exploits in this second book are more enjoyable and exciting to read.

Well I didn't see THAT coming!

Once again, Frieda McFadden has written a thriller that will keep you on your toes and racing to find out what the heck is going on! And, throughout the book, you'll get glimpses of McFaddens "infamous" sense of humor :-)

I am so happy to see the return of Mille, a main character who is definitely no shrinking violet. She manages to prefer her sketchy South Bronx neighborhood rather than committing to a relationship for the sake of a larger, safer apartment. She has a heart of gold, to the point where she's willing to take giant risks for women she feels are in danger.

The world needs more Milles. And authors like Frieda McFadden!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader's copy by one of my favorite authors!

Last year I read The Housemaid and was blown away. The book instantly made me a fan of Frieda McFadden. The book was crazy, the very definition of a wild rollercoaster ride. When it ended, I wanted more…though I’ll be honest and I say I didn’t actually expect a sequel. So I was totally shocked and delighted when I saw The Housemaid’s Secret was coming out! And yes, it’s most definitely a sequel. I’m going to be extremely vague to avoid spoiling any of the crazy twists (and oh lord are there some doozies) but Millie is back and as unbelievable as it sounds, she once again finds herself caught up in another insane situation (but I won’t go into detail…as I said, no spoilers)…and the ending…oh man the ending. I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Housemaid’s Secret. Oh, and could someone please get Netflix or Amazon to option these books!

https://www.amazon.com/review/R36KL7Z282ULX8/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

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!

Another winner from Freida! Her books are so easy to read/listen to. I got through this one in under 24 hours it kept my attention, and I couldn't stop reading/listening to find out what happened. I was provided an ARC from the publisher, but I ended up buying the audio because I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I have enjoyed every book I've read by this author and this was no exception! I don't want to give anything away for this one so I am keeping it vague. I don't think you have to read book 1 before this one, but I did really like book one as well and it's a quick read so I recommend starting with The Housemaid before jumping into this one.

Wonderful. An incredibly twisted, suspense packed, intensely gripping read. The perfect follow up to The Housemaid. Just wow. Love this author and her amazing books.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for the chance to read an advanced copy of The Housemaid's secret by Freida McFadden. This was a fantastic follow up to last year's The Housemaid! Fast paced and twisted with a dual POV, this is one of my favourite books for 2023! Word of warning...read the 1st book, The Housemaid, to meet Millie. You won't be sorry!

Millie lives in the South Bronx in New York and cleans homes for a living. She is going to college as well to get her degree as a social worker. She cares about people and is especially concerned when she sees a woman being abused.

Her apartment is not in a good part of town so she is always on the lookout for anyone trying to rob her or hit on her. She’s tough though and feels like she can take care of herself.

She’s been dating Brock Cunningham, a handsome lawyer, who wants her to move in with him. However, she prefers to be on her own and knows she would have to tell him about her past before she could move in with him. So, she just puts it off.

When she is offered a position to clean the penthouse apartment of Douglas Garrick at a good salary, she is happy to take the position. The man is an extremely wealthy man. He tells Millie that his wife, Wendy, is ill and is staying in the guest bedroom and does not want to be disturbed. She is to simply leave the woman alone. But, when she hears her crying, Millie’s instinct is to help the woman.

This is a really good book that kept me burning up my Kindle. The characters are great and when I found out what was really happening, it was a shock. There is lots of nail biting here and, believe it or not, some little chuckles of humor. A very good read. Don’t miss it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Release date: February 20th, 2023.

This is the second book in the housemaid series. I could not wait to dive into this since I loved the first one so much.

Millie is back in the second installment of this series. After everything she went through in the first book she continued helping women with the help of Enzo who we also met in the first book. Millie has decided to focus on going to college and obtaining a degree in social work so she can still help people, but legally. But she has to pay her way through right? She resorts back to house cleaning and she lands a gig with the Garrick’s making pretty decent money since Mr. Garrick is one of the richest men, ever. Millie soon realizes not everything is peachy keen between husband and wife. She wants to stay out of it but she just can’t help herself.

This had some twists and turns, I expected the first one but not the others and I absolutely loved them! If you haven’t read the first housemaid I highly suggest so you can read this one when it comes out next year.

Thank you to @netgalley for an arc copy in return for my honest review.

Gripping. Obsessed. Slow build to utter grip you by the eye balls and forget all else.
Millie has a job until the baby starts calling her mama. Desperate for work, she accepts a job from Douglas Garrick - a tech CEO.
Told specifically to stay out of the guest bedroom.
Epic setup for total destruction of any theories. Well done.

The Housemaid’s Secret is the follow up book to the outstanding The Housemaid which was one of my top 10 reads of 2022. When I heard there was a sequel coming out I was beyond excited and couldn’t wait to read it. Admittedly I was a tad nervous in case it wouldn’t live up to the standards of book one but I need not have worried as The Housemaid’s secret is absolutely brilliant. Right from the prologue this book will grip you like a vice and you honestly won’t be able to put it down. This book is so full of twists and turns that you may need at times to lift your head from the book to take a moment to think about what’s going on and to get your head straight. Whilst this book is full of twists it’s not a difficult read and it’s one that fans of psychological thrillers will adore. As mentioned it is a sequel but it can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend reading the first book as it’s a must read.

Reading The Housemaid was one of the best times I had last year. It was a book that I'd never heard of and completely shocked me in so many ways. When I was finished with the book, I was honestly so sad. When I saw that The Housemaid's Secret was coming out this year, I was thrilled. I wasn't sure how the story would be written, but I just hoped it had the same vibes as the first book. I'm happy to say that it does!

Please note! It's extremely important to read The Housemaid before reading The Housemaid's Secret. These are not just connected stories, this new book is a true continuation of the story. It's important to your full understanding that you read book one first. But trust me, it will be worth your time! Also, just a warning that if you haven't read book one yet, there may be some spoilers in the rest of this review.

In this new story, Millie, our resident housemaid, has moved on from her past life and situations and she now resides in New York City where she has a new boyfriend and a new job. When she is abruptly fired from her job as a nanny, she's soon on the hunt for a new job. All of this is happening while her boyfriend wants to move in together. But Millie is hiding a secret. A big secret. And she's not sure how to share this potential relationship ending news.

When Millie is contacted by a man in the city who is looking for a maid, she accepts the job. But what we soon find is that the job, the house, the people...nothing is as it seems. It's soon like we're back in book one territory. The story gets twisty and unpredictable. Even when you think you know what's happening, trust me...you don't!

I wasn't really a fan of the dual point of view in this story at first. It felt out of place, and it made the story slow down a bit for me. The dual point of view is section two of this book. But I quickly learned that it was important to see Wendy's point of view...as this is where everything changes!

It's hard to say much without totally spoiling the secrets, so I'll just leave it with this. Go read this book! It's incredible! I can't wait to read more of Freida McFadden's backlist! I hope her other books are as addicting as this series!

Finished in a day! The Housemaid’s Secret keeps you guessing right until the end!

Millie is a young woman struggling to make ends meet. Her job pool is limited because of a past that she is trying to forget. When she takes a job at the wealthy home of Wendy and Douglas Garrick, she thinks her luck may have changed—until she finds out that Wendy may not be “ill” as Douglas has said, something far more sinister is happening at the Garrick home.

The twists and turns in McFadden’s writing kept me guessing until the very end. I highly recommend if you are looking for an entertaining thriller that you won’t want to put down!

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC!

It hasn’t been easy, but Millie has scored another job. She is a housemaid yet again. With her past it hadn’t been easy, especially after having just been fired from her newest employer. She is also currently trying to earn a degree, so hopefully these jobs as a maid can one day be a part of her past.

Although Millie is pleased to get her newest job with the Garricks, things don’t feel right from the very start. For one thing, she only meets and sees Mr. Garrick, with firm instructions to never enter the guest bedroom. He informs Millie that his wife is ailing and that she needs all the rest she can get. Millie finds this strange, but she really needs the job. She shows up whenever she is expected to, following her employer’s orders, but one day things change. She has a strange feeling about Mrs. Garrick and becomes obsessed with wanting to find out whatever she can about the woman she has not met, despite being present in her luxurious apartment day after day.

The Housemaid’s Secret follows Freida McFadden’s intriguing first book in the series, The Housemaid, which came out last year. Although this second book could definitely work as a standalone novel, there is something very specific about Millie. So much so that this reviewer definitely recommends reading the books in order. This will not disappoint. In fact, The Housemaid was an outstanding thriller and would definitely fill in any blanks the reader might have about Millie.

For a satisfying read that throws in some major surprises and plot twists, you can’t go wrong with The Housemaid’s Secret. This is a book that is filled with such intensity that it was a one-sitting read.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy my YouTube video review - https://youtu.be/Rz0muhsjMFY

I devoured Millie's story in The Housemaid in one sitting and was excited when my request for the ARC of The Housemaid's secret was approved by @Netgalley and @bookouture.

I would not go into the synopsis here as it can be easily read off Goodreads. All I would say is that this was just as twisty, full of action and a perfectly executed domestic thriller as it's predecessor.

The start is a bit slow but the narrative picks up pace in a couple of chapters. As seen in The Housemaid Millie is a morally grey character you can't help rooting for. With dual PoVs, Freida's addictive writing and delicious twists, I found myself feverishly turning pages to see how it would end for Millie.

I highly recommend you read Book 1 in order to enjoy the sequel. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable and thrilling read !!

ARC BOOK REVIEW // THE HOUSEMAID’S SECRET

3.5/5

Pub Date: February 21, 2023

okay ya’ll…it PAINS me that I didn’t LOVE this one.

After reading The Housemaid last summer, I was OBSESSED and thought this one would follow suit, but unfortunately I was left underwhelmed.

I found Millie’s internal monologue to be extremely redundant and she talked about the same damn thing for like 75% of the book.

There was also a situation that was almost TOO perfect and was a plot hole, in my opinion.

The pacing was very slow and no true “action” happened until the VERY end, and when we got to the “big reveal” it didn’t wow me.

I didn’t think in this case, a sequel was necessary. It didn’t enhance Mille’s story in anyway

In true Frieda fashion, this book was highly entertaining and I am a sucker for ANYTHING that Mrs. McFadden writes!

I just think my expectations were a liiiitle too high, and I don’t think it delivered quite the punch that The Housemaid did.

BUT I am so excited to see everyone’s reviews when this book publishes TOMORROW!

a huge thanks to @netgalley and @bookouture for an advanced e-arc in exchange for honest review!

✨ My Review ✨

SWIPE 4 SYNOPSIS ➡️
•••••
📚
Title : The Housemaids Secret
Author: Freida McFadden
Genre: Thriller
Edition: NetGalley
Rating: 💊💊💊
•••••
Typical Freida McFadden book.
Very shallow characters (no depth)
Weird, stilted dialogue
Lots of plot holes
Twisty twists galore (unnecessary ones too lol)
Fast paced

Plot: the plot was all right. I pretty much had to figure it out the whole time once the big twist happened, I was like OK I know where this is going and I was not wrong.

Writing: it was all right, decent writing. Just very lack of meat to the story very shallow basic writing. Lots and lots and lots of plot holes.

Ending: the ending was the only satisfying part of the book. I liked that final twist, even though I saw it coming.

Decent book. Took me too long to get into though.
••••••
My Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Yearly Read: 33 out of 200
Category: NetGalley


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