All I can say is that Frieda McFadden is the thriller queen!! I loved this book!

I didn’t think I needed a sequel to The Housemaid, but thank God she created one!

I loved The Housemaid last year and this was a strong follow up. A few years after the first book, Millie is cleaning for a new couple. The husband seems like a caring, kind man but he’s left Millie clear instructions not to speak to his wife who is on the second floor recovering from an illness. Millie learns more about her and again gets more involved than she should.
An exciting read and all the characters in this one. Although the first book was a tiny bit more exciting and unexpected, I still enjoyed this one just as much.

I absolutely adore Millie, I was so excited to see we are going to see more of her "career". Let me just say she is still up to "no" good. Millie takes a new job as the Garrick's housekeeper. Mrs. Garrick is locked in the guestroom because she is very ill. But Millie can't shake the feeling that something is wrong. When she finally see's the wife, all of her suspicions are true. What will she do about it?

Millie... how do you keep picking the wrong millionaires to clean for! This was a riveting who dun it type of story. I liked how real Millie stayed with her commentary on lack of dirt, strange vibes, wierd named foods and so on. I also like how Millie once again did everything in her power to protect people and I really cant say more without ruining it. If you loved book 1 then you will love this! ( you really dont have to read in order if you dont want to)

I did not know this was the 2nd book to a series but it read like a standalone.
Millis gets hired as a housemaid for the Garrick family. Douglas Garrick says don't ever go on the guest room. My wife is in there and very sick and never bother her. But who can stay away when told that. Millie tries to meet Mrs. Garrick and when she finally does then Millie needs to help her.
I was thinking one thing about this story but it totally changed to something else and the plot twists have you gasping.
Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the book to read.

While I did prefer the original to the sequel, this was a good follow up. I liked finding out how Millie’s story continued in the future.

Just fabulous! A mad caper that is unputtdownable with great characters. I can’t wait to read another by this author.

In THE HOUSEMAIDS SECRET you will find the signature twists of Freida McFadden. This was both a character and plot driven book and it was done well. Millie was a likable character that was trying to earn an honest living when she finds employment with the Garrick family. Millie has a secret that she’s worried about people finding out, but so do the Garricks. This book is great for thriller lovers and if you’re like me and love short chapters! Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. Freida McFadden does it again!

This is book 2 in the housemaid series and I feel like everyone and their mum has read book 1. I have to say I didn’t love this one as much. It was still a great read but I found Millie frustrating. Considering everything she went through in book one I questioned some of her actions. I did also see the main twist coming. However, I got way more invested in part 2. I love the different parts and perspectives these books offer and it definitely made the story so much better. There are also several twists and turns to keep you hooked until the ever dramatic ending. Highly recommend this series but you need to read them in order.

I’m not sure how Freida does it but her books just keep getting better! The Housemaid was and still is one of my favorite reads for 2022, but this sequel is just as delicious and twisty. My mind was blown so many times in this book and I LOVED every twisty second! I could not turn the pages fast enough. Freida book’s are just plain addictive!

WoW and Breath!!!!!!

The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden was a Superb read. It just took my breath away again! This is the second book in the excellent The Housemaid series and It will not disappoint.

If you have not read these books - where have you been?

I can't recommend these two books in this series. If i could give them more than 5 stars I would. These books are Just WoW amazing from the very first few pages till the last page.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of those books where I feel you definitely need to read book 1 before driving in.

Our gal Millie is back. She's now working for another rich couple, the Garricks. They live in a fancy penthouse in Manhattan.

There really isn't much to do, as the house is very clean. She does some cleaning, errands and fixes dinner. She is told, however, never to go into Wendy Garrick's room. Don't even knock or disturb her. She is recovering from an illness and needs to be left alone.

Millie starts poking around and discovers some things about Wendy and, being Millie, decides to take matters into her own hands. Things really take off here.

There were a couple twists I didn't really see coming!

I really enjoy Millie and Enzo together and would definitely read more of them!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Housemaid was one of my favorite twisted domestic thrillers I read in 2022 and when I heard she was writing a sequel, I couldn’t wait to read it.

The sequel follows Millie into another job and her personal love life. Unfortunately, the love interest was a boring story and the big twist wasn’t that unexpected for me.

I’m a huge fan of Freida McFadden, especially when she writes completely in the psychological thriller realm. For me, this book felt disconnected because it felt like she was trying her hand in the crime thriller realm and that writing style doesn’t mesh well with her prose.

The thing with thrillers is with each one you read, you’re constantly looking for the twist, knowing it’s coming and just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect what happened in The Housemaid’s Secret, though. I was a little hesitant to jump into this one because I found the Housemaid to be just so-so; it didn’t grab me the way that other readers experienced. This one grabbed me from the very beginning and didn’t let go! The story kept me guessing and turning the pages until the most shocking ending. Highly recommended for those who need a surprise ending.

Millie, the super maid with her side job becoming famous among rich women, especially those who have problematic relationship with their husbands. This time she got a strong opponent from The Garrick. A very rich family, holds many dirty secrets, and Millie's assistance is desperately needed.

But it's not Frieda McFadden's book if we aren't got big surprises when Millie and us as reader are caught in plot's trap. I like the short chapters to describe the storyline. Millie as MC is growth deeper than previous book. We saw her daily life apart from cleaning up. How she take college life after works, how does he deal with her past life, and a new boyfriend.

Millie's pov is straight and fresh to follow. The secondary POV was suprising as hell. Extra suspense action and better tight plot than the previous book. Cozy suspense, easy to follow, fast pace, page turner and very addictive.

Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for provided my copy. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. The first 75 pages were slow but after that, I couldn't stop reading. I actually left work on a Friday night and wouldn't go to bed until I finished it. I think Mrs. Freida should write more books about Millie and Enzo.
Thank you net gallery

Wow! The Housemaid's Secret, a follow up to The Housemaid, was one heck of a ride. Freida McFadden is quickly becoming one of my go to authors. I love the twists and turns she writes- both those that I saw coming and especially the ones that blew my mind! I feel like McFadden has the art of writing characters that you love to hate down to perfection! Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars.

This is book 2 in the series. You could read this book without reading the first one. However, it did help to understand the story.

I did read The Housemaid when it first came out and I loved it. I didn't need to re-read that one before reading The Housemaid's Secret. The only character that carried over from book 1 to book 2 was Millie.

Just like the first book, the first half was told from Millie's POV. The second half in this book was told from Wendy's POV. The final part of the book surprised me. But, the rest of the book wasn't shocking. It was fairly similiar to the first book. I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

It was such an easy fast read. You can easily finish this book in a day.

(i'm posting the same review to IG later this week)

Millie from THE HOUSEMAID is back and cleaning for a new wealthy couple, the Garricks who live in a super swanky penthouse in Manhattan.

Wendy Garrick, the reclusive wife, bears visible bruises. Her husband forbids Millie from entering the room to clean, saying his wife is sick and needs to rest. Millie’s persistence leads her to uncover a bathroom smeared with blood. When Millie gets Wendy to open the door, she sets off a thrilling and twisty set of events that will keep you reading until the end.

McFadden’s expertise in the psychological thriller genre is clear in this gripping and disturbing tale of domestic abuse and betrayal and where nothing appears to be as it is.

The novel is both entertaining and witty, despite dealing with a somber topic. The characters are well-developed and engaging, making it a highly recommended read.

In a Nutshell: The good news is that this is just like ‘The Housemaid.’ The bad news is that this is just like ‘The Housemaid.’ A fun thriller, as long as you don’t overanalyse it. Better if you read the series in order.

Story Synopsis:
Millie is back, still working as a maid, and still struggling for finances. She is in a steady relationship with Brock, a lawyer who doesn’t know anything about her past. Not that she loves Brock, but as Enzo isn’t around, he will do.
After Millie loses her current job, she gets a call from Douglas Garrick, a wealthy tech specialist. He wants Millie to clean and cook, but on one condition|: she is NOT to interact with his wife Wendy, who is ill. As Millie is desperate for a job, she agrees. However, things are, but obviously, not as declared, and Millie finds herself in a quandary; risk her job by helping Wendy, or go against her values by ignoring what’s happening?
The book comes to us in the first person perspective of two of the characters, one being Millie.

This sequel doesn't exactly continue from the end of the first novel, but provides enough of context to help us bridge to the events of this book. Though this can work as a standalone, I recommend you read the series in order, because Millie’s personality is much better explored in the first 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!


On the pro side, the story has every positive element that was present in the earlier book:
👉 Quick-paced writing.
👉 A storyline that keeps you invested even when you know what’s to come (or so you think.)
👉 An intriguing prologue.
👉 Characters who say one thing and do something else.
👉 Twists – some foreseeable, some out of the blue.
👉 Some funny moments, courtesy Millie’s snide remarks in her first person pov.
👉 An ending that works well for the story.

On the flip side,
⚠ The pattern of the book is exactly the same as the first book. (And many other thrillers.) So the minute the prologue began, I knew it was not narrated by whom we would assume it to be. The appearance of the second character’s pov created a huge déjà vu moment, as I knew it would contradict everything Millie had told us so far. I was still interested in the proceedings; it is just that instead of enjoying the story as a fresh tale, I found myself playing detective and figuring out the twists based on the similarity to the first book.
⚠ Millie didn’t endear herself to me this time around. Her attitude towards Brock was quite irksome, and her thoughts very repetitive. While she shows her true spirit by the end, I wish it had been more evident throughout.
⚠ The writing is also somewhat basic, though, to be honest, I don’t read a thriller for its prose. But the overdose of foreshadowing and the back-and-forth rambling by Millie were somewhat disappointing.

All in all, this is still gripping enough to provide an entertaining ride. I liked the first book much better as it had plenty of dark undertones. This one offers standard fare in comparison.

I finally have the chance to use a phrase so many of my reviewer-friends do: it’s a popcorn thriller! Treat it as such than as a literary classic. As long as you read it with your logical side kept aside, you can have fun with it.

3.5 stars, rounding up as it allowed me to complete it within a day.

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.