The unfolding of this story was kind of predictable, though I didn’t know how one of the MCs was involved but the ending gave me the answer to that question so all in all it was a good read. It was fast paced and kept me locked in. Good story with a satisfying ending.

I have so many thoughts and I do not want to reveal a single twist by talking about them. The narration was okay. I usually stop when the man does a "girl" voice but I stayed listening and I am glad I did. That is my personal pet peeve. Obviously he was good if I kept going.
I love the weird twists, the gross parts, and the end.

The newest title from Freida McFadden is a solid one, with strong narrators.

I was classically annoyed in the beginning by the repetitive nature of the main characters' thoughts--a common fault in McFadden's books--but once those died down and the story picked up more, I was cheerfully along for the ride. I partially guessed the twist as this title is a bit formulaic but still enjoyed the process of getting there and the change-up in narration. I heard once that one reason readers stick with their known authors is that sometimes predictability is a comfort and this book? Comforting (for being a suspense title) in chaos.


My thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Select for the opportunity to preview this title in exchange for my honest opinion.

Title: The Tenant
Author: Freida McFadden
Format: 🎧
Narrators: Will Damron and Christine Helen Larkin
Publisher: Dreamscape Select and Hollywood Upstairs Press
Genre: Psychological Satire
Audiobook Pub Date: May 6, 2025
My Rating: 3 6 Stars!!
Pages: 368

Blake Porter seems to have it all – happy with his job as VP of marketing. However, when he is let go he is wronged and doesn’t defend himself but takes the way he was treated.
He and his fiancée, Krista have recently put a down payment on a three-story brownstone but with Blake losing his high paying job it is now difficult to make mortgage payment. Krista suggests a tenant until he is able to get a suitable job. He is against it but realizes she is right. After interviewing several undesirable prospects, attractive, charming young Whitney who works as a waitress at a near-by Diner seems perfect.
At first Whitney seems to flirt with Blake. When she states she needs to go to the store to purchase shampoo and shower soap. Blake tells her no need she can use his. Then later one morning at breakfast Blake is having ‘Frosted Flakes” and she tells him she loves them but hasn’t had any in years; Blake immediate shares.
Well later his offers turn into a modern day “Hatfield & McCoy feud - Whitney uses all his soap, shampoo as well as finished off his “Frosted Flakes”
To me this is such Freida type humor! I went into it thinking it was atypical Psychological Thriller but definitely a satire!

However, the first part did get ridiculous plus these characters were soooo unlikeable especially Blake with his foul language – true he was a mess well actually close to being completely unhinged so I guess entitled to cuss!
I knew Freida likes to pull surprises so hung in there!
Part I - Blake’s POV
Park II - Psychopath’s POV
Part III - It all comes together

I call myself a Freida McFaddenfan - this is my nineteenth thriller- although not my favorite- I am looking forward to her next crazy ride with another bunch of psychos!

Want to thank NetGalley and Dreamscape Select-Hollywood Upstairs Press for granting me this audiobook!
Publishing Release Date scheduled for May 6, 2025.

THE TENANT is yet another pulse pounding thriller by Freida McFadden. The story started out strong, I was hooked by the end of the first chapter. It's cleverly written and full of surprises. I certainly didn't see the ending twist coming. Bravo for another amazing book! Definitely get yourself a copy. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Many thanks to NetGalley and DreamScape Select for my gifted ALC.

This review will be shared to my Instagram @coffee.break.book.reviews closer to publication date on May 6th.

One more chapter. Just one more chapter. This is what you’ll be saying to yourself again and again once you start reading or listening to Freida McFadden’s newest novel: The Tenant. I don’t know how she does it, but McFadden just has a way of crafting insanely engaging stories with some seriously twisted characters.

Blake had it all…emphasis on HAD. A great job, plenty of money, and he’s engaged to the woman of his dreams. But just like that he begins to lose it all. Being fired from his job is just the start of the downward spiral. In need of money, he agrees to rent out a room in his brownstone. After interviewing a series of bizarre potential tenants, Blake and his fiancee settle on Whitney, a young woman who seems completely normal. But could this be a case of ‘looks can be deceiving’? For Blake his life has become a descent into madness or his own personal hell. The fast chapters and constant upping of stakes, kept me listening. I nearly listened to the entire thing in a single sitting. The story reminded me a bit of the movie Pacific Heights from the 90s. The story is narrated by Will Damron with Christine Helen Lakin and they do a fantastic job. McFadden never disappoints and while The Housemaid remains my favorite, this wasn’t that far behind. McFadden fans will not be disappointed. I’d like to thank Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy of the audio version of The Tenant.

Things I liked:

I predicted the twist (and felt smug about it)

It was just compelling enough to finish

The setup had potential, even if it didn’t deliver

This one started out with promise but fizzled hard. I guessed the twist pretty early—not a dealbreaker, but it definitely made the last chunk of the book feel like a slow march to something I already saw coming. It just didn’t hit the way I hoped. Maybe I’ve read too many of this author’s books recently, but the formula is really starting to show.

Blake, our main character, was… rough. Not layered, not likable, just kind of there making poor choices, which made it hard to root for him. Honestly, by the end, I was kind of fine with whatever happened to him. And while I’m usually here for a messy, twisty ride, this one felt padded out. It didn’t need to be a full-length novel—most of the real action doesn’t happen until you’re already way too far in.

I finished it, mostly because I was holding out hope for one of those shocking finales, but what I got felt lazy and flat. If you’re new to this author, maybe it’ll hit different. But for me, this one just didn’t bring anything new to the table.

This was still an enjoyable listen. The voice actors, Will Damron and Christine Lakin, were great. They did a great job keeping me engaged, and bringing the characters to life.

I love a good Freida McFadden book. However, I don't like one where I guess the ending half way through. I think the moment Blake called the school, I knew. It came to me like one of Quilizabeth's visions.

If you have ever had a bad roommate you can relate to this book. How it makes you just go wtf have they done now... but then as expected you get the super twist from this Author! Def one of my favs from Freida!

Freida sure does know how to write a book that you don't want to put down. As with the rest of her books, this one is filled with likeable and unlikeable characters, plenty of twists and turns and you never know who you can trust. Really enjoyed this one! There were a couple of scenes that grossed me out a bit and I cannot even imagine what it would be like to deal with these situations.

Will Damron and Christine Helen Lakin do a great job narrating this novel.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Select | Dreamscape Media for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, I have to say that I’ve been a fan of Freida McFadden ever since she published The Housemaid on Amazon/Kindle, and her mystery/thriller novels hit regardless.

However, I do believe that now the quality of the writing has gone down and the suspense is not quite hitting it anymore.

However, The Tenant reminded me of how I felt when reading The Inmate but continues to have the same aspects of a McFadden novel that I think it is getting too tedious.

The beginning was slow but then subtly ramped up in terms of mystery. However, I’m a little tired of how all the female characters of the books are so oblivious to the point it doesn’t make sense and I believe is just to move the plot forward.

I want McFadden’s books to go beyond than the commonality, get out of the comfort zone, think outside the box because it’s getting a bit predictable.

This was my first Freida McFadden book but I've seen the name around so much I was extremely curious and had high expectations. The characters were multilayered, the writing was engaging and easy to follow, the build up was slow and laborious in the way a good thriller should be. BUT I figured out the who-done-it of it all very early, there were some motivations and smaller things I didn't quite pinpoint but as far as the mystery element I was not wowed.

THE TENANT by Freida McFadden
ALC review • pub date 05.06.25
🎧 narrated by Will Damron + Christine Lakin
Length: 8h 39min

Blake Porter is at the end of his rope when he abruptly loses his job, and then is forced to bring in a tenant to his & his fiancés house in order to be able to pay his bills. Pretty quickly, things go south when the new tenant, Whitney, begins eating all of his food, using detergent that causes him to break out in a rash, and ultimately put a strain on his engagement.

This was more of a domestic suspense - which isn’t typical of her books - so that was a nice surprise! As with all of her books, this was super bingeable and full of suspense. Fans of Want To Know A Secret will love this one.

The narrators are two of my absolute favorites and they did this story justice 👏🏻 the pure stress I felt during Blake’s POV 😅

4⭐️

Thanks to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for my ALC!

The Tenant, on audio, was stunningly great.

This was my 20th (!) Freida McFadden book, but I do not consider myself a rabid fangirl that thinks she only writes 5 star books. She is prolific and some of her stuff is good, some great, and some meh. In fact, despite being a Netgalley reviewer, I am cheap with the stars. Goodreads tells me my average rating is 3.35. So when I say I LOVED this book, it is genuine praise well-earned by McFadden.

From the publisher:

Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancée, he's desperate to make ends meet.

Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she?

Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets...

Will Damron and Christine Helen Lakin were perfect as narrators and I was inside the story for the day I listened (non-stop until done).

If this is your first, or 20th, McFadden - go in cold and enjoy the ride.

Whenever I am in a reading slump, I turn to Freida McFadden. Blake has it all - a prestigious job and a sweet live-in fiancé. His world is turned upside down when he is abruptly fired. He thinks that he will have no problem finding a position, and yet he has yet to have a nibble. Soon they are forced to bring in a boarder named Whitney. It doesn't take long before odd things begin happening, and Blake blames Whitney. What began as irritating soon became threatening. The narration is top-notch!

When a man loses his job after false allegations are made against him, he and his wife decide to rent a room in their New York brownstone to make ends meet. Right away, the reader is thrown off guard by the husband, he’s just slightly sleazy. He soon begins to believe the new tenant, a beautiful young woman, is out to destroy him. What follows is a twisted tale that totally surprised me. I loved this so much, I went in search of more McFadden books as soon as I finished this one

Just finished The Tenant by Freida McFadden and wow—I was hooked from page one. It’s one of those books where you keep saying “just one more chapter” and suddenly it’s 3 a.m. The tension builds so well, and every time you think you’ve figured it out, something new drops and you’re like, “wait, WHAT?”

The plot develops at a perfect pace—never drags, never rushes. And the narrators? Spot on. They really brought the characters to life and amped up the suspense even more. Honestly, it was such a fun, twisty read. If you love thrillers that keep you guessing till the end, definitely add this one to your list.

In order to keep up with his mortgage repayments, a couple takes on a new tenant. Oh Freida...you've done it again! Never will an ordinary situation (getting a housemate) be just that. Now I'll definitely rethink things if I get into the same situation! This book was in typically Freida fashion, wild. Short chapters, lots of twists and me thinking I knew what was going on (I didn't) all adds up to a thrilling ride. Climb aboard if you dare!

I can never put down a Freida McFadden book! The twists always twist so hard!

About this listen
There's no place like home…Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancée, he's desperate to make ends meet. Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she? Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets…Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late. The trap is already set.

Thanks to NetGalley & Dreamscape Select for the ALC of this book!

The Tenant
by Freida McFadden
Narrated by Will Damron; Christine Helen Lakin
Publisher Dreamscape Select
Pub Date May 06 2025

Freida McFadden wrote another banger! I have yet to see her drop the ball, whenever I start one of her books I know I'm in for a good time. Pick this one up if you're into:
* NYC psycho roomie thrillers
* unlikable, problematic, but thoroughly charming characters
* revenge dramas
* the banalities of domestic life, but gruesome
* unhinged love stores

Premise - After Blake Porter loses his high-flyer job as a VP of marketing he needs a financial fix soon or he, and his lovely fiance Christa, will be out on the streets soon. Christa suggests they invite a tenant into their new brownstone and while Blake is reluctant at first, he ultimately caves.

Whitney seems perfect - beautiful, charming, down-to-earth - but soon after she moves in things start getting really weird. Their home smells like death, no matter how much they clean, and the neighbors start acting strange. Throw in some unsettling noises at night and the threat of past secrets coming out, and you've got a hair-raising psychological thriller!

Perfect pacing, rich character development, delicious deviance, and the sort of awful behavior that makes you grateful you're on this side of fiction. So so SOOOO good!

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Will Damron and Christine Helen Lakin. Damron's read is so wonderfully smarmy you instadislike Blake, but also can't look away from the five car pileup of his life. Lakin's Crista is no less compelling, though she only pops up for brief interludes. They're both strong narrators, delivering varied, engaging reads without ever veering into melodrama. The audiobook is a treat, I highly recommend enjoying this story in the audio format!

Thanks, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media, for the audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.