I was so delighted to score an early copy of this audiobook. Freida McFadden is an autobuy author for me so anytime I can get my hands on one of her books I’m psyched. I’m currently working through her whole catalog.

Onto the review for this one…

The MC, Dawn Schiff is strange. A real odd duck. I was immediately fascinated by her character and her fascination with turtles. 🐢There was just something about her…a sadness and something else, something deeper….I needed to know more.

The there was the other MC, Natalie who seemed ok at first but as the story went on, reminded me of the character Jenny from Workin Moms (a rude selfish b). I was just like REALLY NATALIE!?! 😡

The beginning starts out great but things were a little slow towards the middle (timelines and dual narrators) and I wasn’t sure if I would like the book…but as always #infreidawetrust so I stuck with it and I’m glad I did. It was a good story with various storylines tied up nicely.

However, if I hear the word TURTLE 🐢 one more time I might scream. Jk…sorta. I really liked learned a lot of cool stuff about turtles while listening to this audiobook #noregrets

Seriously, Freida McFadden is amazing…always.

Freida did it again🙌🏻

The Coworker is about two women, Dawn and Natalie, who work in side by side cubicles. All of a sudden, Dawn turns up missing and strange things start to happen.

I loved, loved this book and as usual, Freida keeps me guessing to the very end!!
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy!

Well, that was a very twisty ride. This was the first book I've read from this author who I keep hearing about. This is a fast paced psychological thriller filled with twists and turns. The narrators are unreliable, making it even more a twisty ride. I appreciated the character development and how you start to like them but then you're just not so sure about them half way through and by the end, well you'll just have to read the book. The audiobook narrator did a pretty good job of helping the listener distinguish between the characters. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced audiobook for an honest review!

The Queen of thrillers, Freida McFadden has done it again. A fast paced, gripping, psychological thriller about turtles!! Yes!! Wow what a wild ride it was! I was lucky enough to be chosen to get the audio version from NetGalley and the publisher in advance for my honest review. I loved the narrators too! Freida is the best!!! When is the next book coming out Freida? This one is due out in August 2023.

I really enjoyed this one! Frieda has such a knack for writing bingeable books that you can finish in a couple hours. This one was short enough to keep me entertained without being too unfinished.

While part of the book was a tad predictable, I still enjoyed the story and didn't guess the whole ending.

I loved the bits of information we learned of Dawn and her obsession with turtles. I know a few reviewers weren't happy with the way she was portrayed in the book--most likely on the autism spectrum--but it's fiction. She made this character up to be how she wanted her to act in this fictional mystery, so I can't fault her for that. I think it was entertaining and just quick enough to get the mystery and twist across.

The only thing I'll say about it is it's not memorable. I'm rating three stars because I did enjoy it, but it wasn't my favorite book EVER. I'll recommend to friends who are in need of a popcorn mystery they can finish in a single sitting.

Oh and last thing. The narration was great, but I could tell in certain parts when an edit took place. I could hear like faint background noise. I probably should have marked when in the audio, but I was lazy. So maybe just do one more "read through" and listen because it was obvious to me. Didn't take anything out of the story and I'm not faulting that a star, but just something to know.

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Freida McFadden for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What I enjoy about this author is the funny and entertaining escape her books provide. There’s nothing overly deep or life changing here, it’s just plain fun. The door is wide open in my opinion for writers who bring the fun! And turtles of course.

Thank you to NetGalley for an audio copy of this entertaining story. I enjoyed it and the narration was excellent.

Thanks NetGalley for the Arc of this audiobook. I am making myself clear on this review. I love all Freida McFadden and I am very loose on my ratings when it comes to her books because I’m obsessed with quick thrillers. This wasn’t my favorites of her books but I did enjoy it. I love that this book gets right to the characters and sets the plot right from the beginning. Her character development in this book is very simple which makes them so easy to follow. I think the cheesy factor of this book was definitely there and i ironically guessed early on where this book was going. The narration of this book was great, I think her voice was perfect for the main character.

This was my favorite by Freida McFadden! The plot was fast paced, the characters were well flushed out and the narrator was suburb. Definitely a can't miss this August!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC

This is such a painful review to write. I need to preface this by saying that I love Freida McFadden! I have read almost all of her books….I think I have two left. I recommend her books to everyone I know. They are fast paced and grab your attention from the first page and suck you in until the very end.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way. This book was a 2/5 for me. I found it to be very slow. There was an extreme lack of character development. I didn’t like any of the characters. I was appalled at the way Dawn and her autistic traits were portrayed. It broke my heart the way her little quirks were exploited and how she was ridiculed. Yes, she liked turtles but there was so much filler talk about turtles that I never want to hear the word turtle again. It was very repetitive and annoying.

Frieda is known for her twists. This one fell short. I found myself not really caring what happened to anyone in the story. I’m usually sad when I finish a book by this author but I’m happy to move along.

This won’t stop me from reading more of Freida’s books but I do hope the next one is similar to the rest of her books.

Thank you Netgalley, Dreamscape Media, and Freida McFadden for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I totally knew it!!! I had a feeling from early on because it gave me vibes from another popular book. I loved the characters in this book, despite being awful in their own ways, they seemed really well developed. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to see what would happen. I've been turning into a big Freida McFadden fan lately. She really has a way of building suspense and I love how fast paced her books are.

Wow, I really enjoyed this one! This was a perfect fast, easy, escapist thriller. When we hit a big twist and there’s still so much of the book left, I knew we were in for a roller coaster of a ride. And it really was a whirlwind of whiplash at times. The unreliable narrators will constantly throw you for loops and keep you guessing. If you like a story where you never quite know what is real, this is a great book for you. Everyone in this story is kinda crazy - it’s a wild ride. I ended up really loving this book and how it ended too. It went in so many directions I was not expecting. I devoured this in two days.

I currently have some of this author’s backlist books on my shelf right now and I am super excited to dive into those soon. I didn’t particularly like The Housemaid, which is her most popular book. So even if you didn’t like that one either, I still highly recommend giving this one a shot!

I listened to the audiobook version and it was really well done. The narrator did a great job with the voices of the characters. The perfect audiobook for me is one where nothing about the narration sticks out to me. It all flows well and keeps me absorbed, with no little niggling annoyances that pull me out of the story.

I absolutely loved this audiobook. The narrator absolutely nailed it.

Natalie and her coworker Kim made fun of their turtle obsessed and socially awkward coworker Dawn.
Dawn doesn’t show up to work one day. Natalie is concerned as she is always so punctual that this out of character for her. She goes to Natalie’s house and goes inside to discover blood on the floor and calls the police.
All the key players have secrets and nothing is as it seems so be prepared for twists and shocks you didn’t see coming.

Freida has once again delivered an incredibly binge-worthy and fast-paced read in her latest book. True to her style, she skillfully lured me into a false sense of security with a seemingly predictable plot, only to blindside me with a major twist. It's this ability to keep readers on their toes that sets Freida apart.

One of the standout aspects of the story was the portrayal of Dawn with autism. I think many readers will either like or dislike her character. In my instance I did find her likeable enough.
There was one minor issue that slightly detracted from the overall enjoyment. The recurring mention of "turtles" became a bit excessive, and by the time Chapter 5 rolled around, I found myself growing weary of it. Freida certainly ensured that turtles would forever be associated with this book in my mind. Nevertheless, this minor gripe did not overshadow the strengths of the storyline.

In terms of the writing style, I must admit that it differed somewhat from her previous works, and there were moments when I didn't particularly resonate with it. Despite this, I still found myself engrossed in the story, largely due to the engaging storyline.

This book definitely too me on an emotional rollercoaster, expertly weaving a gripping psychological thriller. The pace never lets up, and kept me captivated from beginning to end. And speaking of the ending, it was an unexpected twist that left me in awe. The narration on this book was not the best and voice came over monotonous at times, but still gripped me enough to continue.

In conclusion, Freida's latest book is a must-read for fans of psychological thrillers who crave an exhilarating ride. While the abundance of turtle references and the occasional issue with the writing style may have dampened my experience slightly, the strength of the plot and the skillful characterization make up for it. Prepare to be enthralled by this suspenseful tale that will leave you questioning everything you thought you knew.

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to listen and review this ARC.

Book : The Coworker
Author : Freida McFadden
Narrated by : Alyson Krawchuk
Pub Date : 29 Aug 2023

Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, Hollywood Upstairs Press, & the author for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Whelp—here we go again! Another Freida book that sucked me right in from the beginning to the very end. I could not set this book down. I literally can not get enough of her writing. The writing & dialogue was on point, the character development was wonderful and the storyline/plot was fabulous! The twists you guys THE TWISTS. Love!

Nothing like a book about women and an office of secrets. An employee who is always on time without a doubt doesn’t show up to work one day & Natalie gets a phone call from someone unknown that chills her to the core and then the line goes dead. You will sit down with this book and get a massive case of whiplash from all the twist and turns that this page turner puts you through. You will not be able to set it down until it’s done and over and I bet you never figure out how it’s going to end until that very last page! DO NOT get me started with how Freida likes to end her books—the ending I never saw coming.

Freida once again blew my mind and I am going to just patiently await her next incredible story. She is an auto-buy author for me and you need to have this on your TBR. This book just may go on my 2023 book club list because my group is going to gobble this up. I will be telling everybody about this one!

Like all of Frieda’s books, this was a very bingeable and quick read. I love how I was convinced I knew where the story was going and then was caught by a big twist. One of the main characters, Dawn, was on the autism spectrum, and I thought Frieda did a great job depicting her quirks and personality. The early copy of the audiobook did sound robotic at times, but I still enjoyed the narration.

Thank you Dreamscape Media for the AlC!

Summer is for thrillers. I don’t make the rules. Lol. This one really hit the spot.

Dawn and Natalie work for a supplement company and could not be more opposite. Dawn is an accountant, everyone finds her odd. Natalie is the super star salesperson everyone either wants or wants to be. Dawn is always at work at the exact same time everyday and when she doesn’t come in Natalie knows something is up and tries to find out where she is.

Dual POV with emails from the past.

I. Could. Not. Put. It. Down.

I can’t pin point exactly what it was that I really enjoyed about it with out spoilies but I loved the pacing and the way things unravel especially because the main characters aren’t very captivating but god you need to know where it’s going.

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an advanced listening copy.

Freida McFadden is becoming an author I like to reach for when I want something entertaining and easy to read. Her writing isn’t exceptional or life changing literary works, but she is a good storyteller and I enjoy seeing where the twists will go. Her popcorn thrillers make for great pallet cleansers or beach reads.

At first, the voices the narrator used didn’t click with me…the way she narrated Dawn, (who most definitely is on the spectrum) felt exaggerated and stereotypical rather than realistic, but as the book went on I came to appreciate the distinction and it was easy to tell the character POVs apart and the narrator grew in me.

This book was almost comical at times. I couldn’t stop picturing the little boy from the viral video who says “I like turtles.” 🐢

Although the characters were mostly shallow and not likable, I can’t deny I was intrigued and wanted to see how it would all wrap up. This wasn’t a favorite for me, but that won’t stop me from picking up another of Freida’s books. I’m hooked on her wild stories.

● Book Review●
• Name: The Coworker
• Author: Freida McFadden
• Genre: Thriller
• Rating: 4 ⭐️
• Pls check the TW before proceeding!
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●Thoughts ●
Yall know I am a major fan of Freida McFadden! When I got approved for the audiobook, I literally screamed HAHHAHAHAHA 😂😂😂. This book reminds me of gone girl and I absolutely enjoyed that show! Before proceeding, there is TW associated with this book such as self harm, manipulation, death, bullying, suicide, etc. Please search up the TW! This book has drama, revenge, mystery, and it has me hooked! Fast paced as always and short chapters too which we all loveeeeee 👏. I would say that some of the plot twist were predictable but there are some twist that were not but it didn't stop me from devouring the book. The mind games in this book and the emails that goes back and forth got me in a wild rideeeeee 🎢. There are also implied details that Dawn maybe neurodivergent as well as mentioning of Cerebral Palsy in the book. Overall the audiobook did a great job and I love the different accent and emotions the audiobook portrayed. I'm so happy that I got the chance to get this audiobook hehehe. There are also a lot of turtle facts in the book which I learned a lot about turtles hahaha 🐢.
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● Appreciation ●
Thank you Netgalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Freida McFadden for this audiobook ARC copy in exchange for an honest review 🩵🩶.
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● Tags ●
#bookreview #freidamcfadden #thecoworker
#thrillerbooks #thrillerbookrecommendations #mysterybook #bookstagram #booktok #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations
#books #mysterybookrecommendations #bookish #booksta #audiobooks #audiobookrecommendations #arc #arcrecommendations #arcreview #poisonedpress

The Coworker

By: Freida McFadden
4🐢🐢🐢🐢

When Natalie shows up for work one day she quickly noticed Dawn is not at her desk. Dawn is always punctual. No one seems to know where she is. Soon Natalie gets a phone call which clearly says “Help me”. She believes this to be Dawn.
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Dawn is a little different than most. She has an obsession with turtles and they are all over her home. When Natalie goes to her home all she sees is blood and notified the police.
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Little did she know she would be the prime suspect. As always Freida stumps you with what’s coming! The audio was wonderful!
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#thecoworker, #freidamcfadden, #netgalley, #audiobook, #dreamscapemedia, #bookreview, #bookstagram, #booksconnectus, #stamperlady50

Dawn Schiff is a turtle-freak weirdo who you can set your clocks by, so when she doesn't show up for work one day, her cubicle neighbor Natalie Farrell, the top sales person for their company, takes notice.

Natalie goes to her house to check on her after work that day, and finds a bloody mess at Dawn's house. The police keep finding more and more evidence that Natalie Dawn's killer, but Natalie knows she didn't do it. So who did?

This was very entertaining, although it was fairly predictable if you read a lot of McFadden's books. Without spoiling anything, I really enjoyed the writing and the way the story kept me engaged and turning pages. I really liked the main characters and the way the plot thickened throughout the story.

The narration was done well, although I think it would have been better if there were two different narrators for Dawn and Natalie.

If you like Freida McFadden's writing style, you will definitely enjoy this one. Even though I had it figured out about halfway through, it was still engaging and entertaining. I really enjoyed this!

Thanks to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for a copy of the advanced audiobook in exchange for an honest review!