THE HOUSEMAID by Frieda McFadden

Wow, what a crazy ride this book took me on. Lots of unexpected twists and surprises that I didn’t see coming!

Millie, recently released from prison for murder, finds herself living out of her car and desperately In need of a job and a place to live. She answers an ad for a live-in maid for the wealthy Winchester family. Nina Winchester and her husband, Andrew, have a daughter, and need someone to clean and cook for them, as well as help out with CeeCee. At Millie’s job interview, Nina seems to like her and even gives her a tour of the house, leaving Millie hopeful that there’s a chance she’ll get hired for the position.

After waiting several weeks, Millie assumes she was not chosen for the job at the Winchesters and goes in search of other job opportunities, working for low pay and with no hope of being able to move out of her car. Surprisingly, Nina calls her soon after and tells her she’d like to hire her! She can’t believe her luck and immediately tells Nina she will accept the position.

Once hired, Millie moves into a tiny storage room on the top floor, where the only window is painted shut and the door only locks from the outside. Regardless of her immediate feelings of apprehension, she’s desperate for a job and a place to live, even if her bedroom seems more like living in a closet. The job turns out to be quite a challenge, as Nina’s behavior swings from caring and appreciative to purposely making things difficult for Millie. Nina starts accusing her of doing things she didn’t do, playing mind games, and leaving huge messes for her to clean up. CeeCee is also difficult, as she’s moody, demanding,and disagreeable about everything. The only appreciative and understanding person in the house seems to be Andrew.

Things continue to worsen as Nina’s personality seems to change on a dime and she has increasing demands. She rarely shows appreciation for anything, choosing to criticize everything Millie does, especially when her husband is there. As confused as Millie is by this abusive behavior, she toughs it out in order to keep her job and have a place to live. Things progressively come to light about this family and she really questions whether it’s worth it to stay. Even the Italian gardener tries to warn her that she’s in danger. The situation only get crazier and she is getting an even stronger feeling that something sinister is going on. What is really going on with this family? She’ll soon find out, but by then it may be too late.

If you love a good mystery/thriller, I highly recommend this book to you! I was given an audio version of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

The Housemaid was a great book to listen to. It was a wild ride from beginning to end. Millie obtains a job at a new home as The Housemaid who is responsible for the cleaning, cooking and occasional child care for Nina Winchester, her husband and their daughter. The daughter is a "brat" and creates a scene every time Millie tries to do anything for her and Nina seems to be a bit out of her mind, as she never remembers things she has said and makes some wild accusations. The husband though -- he is pretty dreamy and awfully nice. Millie doesn't mind too much living in the attic room upstairs where the lock is on the outside of the door -- it is certainly better than living in her car. Millie thinks she has landed the job of a lifetime... but she might be wrong. She might be seriously, completely wrong. However, the Winchester's also do not know Millie's background or how well she can handle herself in difficult situations.
This was such a good book from the characters, to the plot of the book and all the way to the narrator who did an excellent job. I found myself making extra excuses to listen to my book as I had to hear more of the story. Part of the ending was a bit convenient, but even so, it landed on the side I wanted it to, so I can excuse that! If you like domestic thrillers, like the Golden Couple by Greer & Pekkenen or The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, you will definitely want to listen to this one.
Thank you to Netgalley & Bookouture Audio for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Well, that was definitely a ride on the crazy train!

Millie is not in a good place when she applies for the position as a housekeeper/maid at the beautiful home of the affluent Andrew and Nina Winchester and their daughter Cecilia. Against the odds, she gets the position and, as is usually the case, things are too good to be true and all is not what it seems.

I can't really say much without giving the game away but I will say that I found it riveting and intriguing and I didn't really know who or what to believe or how everything was going to play out. It was great and exceeded my expectations and whilst I found it a little unbelievable, it was extremely entertaining and I was hooked nevertheless.

I listened to the audiobook and although I think it would have worked better with 2 distinct voices for Millie and Nina, I think the narrator did a fantastic job.

I haven't read or listened to any of Freida's books before but this definitely won't be my last and she will be an author I will look out for in the future and I must thank Bookouture and NetGalley for introducing me to her books, for allowing me to listen to this one and share my thoughts.

Review of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another McFadden book I loved and flew through. I listened to this one on audio and I really enjoyed it. The characters and the pace of the book were spot on. I loved how the parts were told from different point of views and loved some of the twists.

Quick synopsis: Millie is thrilled when she is hired by Nina and Andrew to help them with the cleaning and cooking as well as with their child. She is very down on her luck and needs the money as well as a place to stay. But right away she begins to sense trouble with Nina’s cruelty as well as an outside locked door on her room.

Thank you so much to @netgalley for a copy of this book which is out now!

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdiVyVXLrXM/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I adore domestic thrillers like this one!! Twisty, suspenseful and clever!! It had me hooked from page one.

When Millie accepts a maid position, working for the Winchesters, she gets more than she bargained for. Nina, her unattractive employer, is demanding and rude. Andrew, Nina's husband, is accommodating and kind. He cowers and concedes to Nina. Millie can't understand what handsome Andrew even sees in Nina. And then there's their odd and entitled 9 year old child. All Millie wants is to do her job without complications but she also dreams what it would be like to live in Nina's shoes.

Honestly this was such a terrific read. I loved the ending. The reveals exploded like nuclear bombs. It had me shaking my head in shock and giddy disbelief.

The audio version was superb. Great performances by the narrators. Thank you to Bookouture Audio for an advanced audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

STOP what you're doing and get a hold of this book! From the prologue to epilogue and every chapter in between I was mesmerized by the storyline of The Housemaid. Freida McFadden weaved a tale of mystery, suspense, and even humor at times.

Millie is recently hired as the housemaid for the wealthy Winchesters, but she soon learns working for Nina and Andrew Winchester isn't as wonderful as she thought it would be. Just when you think you know what's going on the rug gets pulled out from under you and you start rethinking what you thought you knew. Who's gaslighting who??? Twisty and turny all the way to the final sentence! This is the first book I've read by the author and it definitely won't be the last.

I listened to the audiobook and the narration by Lauryn Allman was superb. She did a phenomenal job making it easy to visualize the events as they were unfolding and differentiate between the various characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for the Advance Review Copy.
#TheHousemaid #NetGalley

This was my first @fizzziatrist novel and it won't be my last. This was a quick and easy physiological suspense thriller, with twists and turns. The twists weren't anything cray until it was. It's always the housemaid.... or is it? It's always the husband... or is it? The desperate house wife is the crazy one.... or is she?

Synopsis.

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train won’t be able to put this down!

I loved the narrator and thought she performed the story beautifully. I loved the plot twists. I'm glad I chose this as my first book by freida McFadden. The characters were so lovable, except Nina. I hated her. She was hateful and bossy. Until she wasn't, she became a lovable character and victim.

#TheHousemaid #freidamcfadden #bookstagram #bookreviewer #bookreviewerofinstagram #arcreview #arcreviewer #audiobook #netgalleyreads

Very well written and good plot with several unexpected twists. I enjoyed this thriller. For a long time it kept me wondering what was going on. I enjoyed it a lot.
The narrator did a great job. It was a nice voice to listen to.

Good plot about a couple who take in a housemaid who was previously in prison for murder. The job seems to be to good to be true except for her tiny room in the attic. But not everything is as it seems and the wife appears to have mental issues and be schizophrenic. Fortunately the husband seems kind and helpful. But the listener soon realizes that not all is as it seems. Even the landscaper, Enzo, who barely spoke any English, is suddenly able to speak fluent English. A good book with a number of twists.

Not my favourite read of the year, but also not my worst. This moved along at a nice pace and was well-researched. I'll be keeping my eye on more by this author.
Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my ARC.
3 stars.

The audio edition of this book gave an extra dimension to a book that was already very good. I was very concerned re the hype of the book as in my experience it sometimes is a disappointment. This wasn't and worked very well. I do have plot point questions but go with pure escapism which is why you read.

The narrator was very talented.

I was given a free copy by netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely my own.

A thrilling page turner with twists that blow your mind.

Millie wants to start her life fresh, she is looking for a new job as maid, unfortunately no one wants to hire her because of her past in jail.She knows she has flaws but she also knows she can do her job well.Circumstantially she gets hired by Nina Winchester to help her with the chores and her kid.
Everything seems to go well until Millie finds things not going as she expected with Nina and her spoiled daughter,
Where as Andrew is very considerate of her and protect her from his wife’s cruelty.She is confused by Nina’s behavior at how she get her in trouble and then behave like nothing happened.Also Millie thinks someone is locking her door from outside.How long can she survive in that house like nothing is wrong???

My thoughts:

The book is fast paced and easy to read.I loved the development of the story and the characters.The author gave a clear objective for each characters.The twists were predictable for me but that didn't put me off while reading.The story wrapped very well nevertheless it had its flaws

Enjoyment: 5
Total rating: 4.71

The Winchesters hire a new live-in housemaid. Millie accepts the position without a second thought; everything about it sounds too perfect to be true. And it was.

I really wasn't expecting it! Full review to come soon, but I might have found another author to binge on! The housemaid is twisty, soapy, intense, and a lot of fun!

My Llama is well fed!

The audiobook was perfect. Lauryn Allman's narration gripped my attention from the beginning; The story itself, her pacing and delivery were so engrossing that I completely paid attention to it, even while multitasking. I highly recommend it!

Disclaimer: in exchange for an honest review, I am thankful to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of The Housemaid.

In this book Millie is fresh out of prison and and gets a job with the Winchester’s. She is hired by Nina who she quickly learns is crazy! Their daughter Cecilia is a brat, but Mr. Winchester is the man of Millie‘s dreams. Despite the fact that Nina shows her she is not just crazy, but calculating in demented Millie persist in her employment and her love for Andrew Winchester. There were many things I found illogical about this book and I know other reviewer‘s love the book. The first thing is when Nina told Millie she already explained Cecilia‘s allergic reaction to peanut butter when she hadn’t would’ve been my first clue. The other thing that was illogical is every time something would happen Millie would think who would do this… Hello! Another thing she fell in love with Andrew and I don’t know how any woman can think a married man is a man of her dreams. I also don’t understand why Millie didn’t look for another job when every time Nina was in front of her friends she complained about Milly and how good help was hard to find.By the time she goes grocery shopping and Nina calls and says someone by her description is planning on stealing from the store would’ve been the time I would think being unemployed would be better. The list goes on and on and as I said above I know some people truly enjoyed this book but I cannot suspend believe enough to get into it or find the plot believable. I was given this book by Net Gally and the publisher and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammar or punctuation errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.

This was a very interesting thriller and the narrator for the audio version did an excellent job of bringing two very unlikeable narrators to life. Millie has recently gotten out of prison and lost her job and cheap studio apartment. She’s living in her car and beyond desperate when she gets a job offer from Nina Winchester to be a live in housekeeper. Millie is beyond excited but soon finds that Nina has unusual mood swings that make working in the home difficult. Millie is far too entranced by Mr. Winchester and the lawn guy and honestly it drafted from my enjoyment how much she waxed on about their beauty. The twit wasn’t as twisty as I would like but overall it was a story I wanted to keep reading. I gave it 3.5 overall but rounded down for the pure ridiculousness of the focus on the beauty of the men in the story. This was my first by this author but I will be looking into more as it was a well paced story.

Let me begin this review by saying this is the first time I've read this author. I will break my review down into separate sections to make it easier
1. Narration: The narration made this book enjoyable in my opinion. I could just imagine the characters with the voices she put on. It added just the right amount of personality to them and honestly I think I enjoyed it more as an audiobook
2. Plot: The plot seemed pretty straightforward at first but then....... You will see the first twist coming but the others were just so out of pocket but it worked for the book. I just didn't enjoy the epilogue. I felt it had a pretty neat ending the way it did
3. Pace: The pacing of the novel was done well. The first half built up enough suspense to keep me hooked onto the second half. If not for that i probably would have been bored
4. Characters: I hated them then I loved them. Towards the very end I started laughing out loud with one of the characters and I was very concerned with myself because they weren't scenes I should be laughing about.
So my verdict is: Get the audiobook, it is hella entertaining

This is an incredibly gripping domestic thriller. I literally didn't want to stop listening once I started, it played on my mind constantly and still days after finishing it still is in my head.
Filled with epic twists I didn't see coming.
Brilliant storyline and incredibly strong and well written characters.
I really enjoyed this one and will be keeping an eye out for more from this author.


I voluntarily reviewed this audiobook , all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a brilliant listen, switching between the viewpoints of the two main female characters, Nina the employer, and Millie, the maid. There’s real psychological mind-games which are not at all ‘games’. There’s grim horror and twists.
I will say major trigger warnings for coercive control and physical abuse. It stuns right up to the very end.

Narrator 5 stars
Narrator was fantastic!

Story 5 stars
Whaaaaaaaaaat! No but seriously what did I just listen too?!

First time trying this author, DEFINITELY won't be my last!

I have only one fault with this read and it is that it is at times extremely repetitive. I'd be sitting here bewildered by something I'd just been told being told literally only a few minutes later.
However, I can't lie here and say anything else other than the storyline is fantastic. It's an intricate, misleading upheaval of peace and logic. A calculating and continue play of evil all locked up in that little place…. That book.

4.5/5