An interesting twist on the O. Henry story, The Gift of the Magi. Stella is disappointed she doesn't have a gift for her husband on Christmas Eve. She encounters a customer at the diner she works at that offers her a 'deal she can't refuse' that will allow her to have something for her husband. In the end the deal was definitely 'too good to be true'. This story was a bit different for me from the other books I've read by this author. Not one of my favorites; but, was a fasting moving and quick read.

I really enjoyed this one. I just wish it had been longer!
The narrator was great and kept me gripped throughout.

This book was truly a wtf moment. I liked this the way I like a rollercoaster- short, twisty, and I wouldn’t mind another one. Interesting choice of expression- I can dig this for sure, McFadden is really a little fire cracker. Thanks for the early copy to review!

I love this author, but this was just so bad. It didn't even feel like it was from Frieda. This was just so bad.

This was an intriguing short story that I wasn’t expecting to go the way it did! It was a fun little read.

No doubt Freida McFadden has risen to the top of my auto purchase authors. Incredible storytelling. But sadly The Gift was just ok for me, it was a novella that I blew through with the quickness and it just left me waiting more. So I feel cheated and slightly disappointed. Had I better prepared myself and possibly read this one verse binge listening to it at record speed I may have felt much differently.

If you’re looking for a quick listen I would recommend this. Just be prepared it won’t be full of all the twists we have come to love from Freida. A domestic thriller coming in at about three stars. Good but forgettable.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC in exchange for my honest review. The narration was great and left me in shocked. It definitely added value to this one, it’s just I wanted more! I would recommend this to anyone who loves novellas, thrillers and a quick fun time.

Freida McFadden never dissapoints with her amazing thrillers! I really enjoyed this one as I did with her other thrillers that I have read/listen to. Really recommend this one!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

This was super duper short. I was thinking novella when I started it but I don’t know if I would classify it as that. I got to the epilogue and had to go back and make sure my audiobook didn’t skip chapters.

I feel like the storyline was just starting when it ended. Maybe it’s just a me thing and novellas aren’t for me. I did like the twist and the creepy old woman that I didn’t see coming.

Thank you very much NetGalley and the publisher for the audio arc in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 ⭐️ rounded up

Overall I enjoyed this quick and thrilling suspense! Easy to listen to and loved the narrator. Would definitely recommend and honestly wished it was longer!

Quite a twist on the favorite O Henry story! I got so sucked in to a sweet story, this author is the master of some twists!

This is a very quick read and the ultimate lesson in both "be careful what you wish for" and "minding your damn business". I enjoyed this fast paced story and loved the well served karma.
Thank you @netgalley and #dreamscapeselect for the gifted copy of this book.

⭐⭐⭐💫 (3.5)

I was very excited to receive this advanced copy for review as I have seen this author sell at a good pace on other titles and read many reviews. Perhaps I should not have started with such a short story as my first choice from the authors available works to read. Although it contains elements of horror, thriller and mystery which, are normally appealing, it did not work for me. It is a quick read or in this case just over an hour in audio.

The Gift
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Freida McFadden

I requested an audio advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: It’s Christmas Eve and Stella Hansen is broke.

She is so broke that despite working two jobs, she can’t even afford a present for her husband on their first Christmas as man and wife. But then a mysterious storekeeper at a pawn shop offers Stella an intriguing trade.

Stella wants more than anything to buy her husband the Christmas gift of his dreams. But will it come at a terrible price?

My Thoughts: This was a short listen at just over an hour, perfect for a lunchbreak. It was the perfect Christmas thriller novella. Suspense, creepy, mystery, twists, with everything wrapped up. It was Stella and her husband, Justin, first Christmas together. She is working two jobs and cannot afford to get much for her husband. Wrecking her brain to figure out what to get her husband when a mysterious storekeeper offers a trade. At what price is Stella willing to do this trade? What will we do for our dear husband?

The story is narrated in first-person POV by Stella. Stella wants more than anything to get her husband something special for their first Christmas together but does not have any money to do so. The closing the restaurant scene in the beginning is the best. I will not give more detail to not give it away. This was short and went by too quick. For being short, it was still well written, perfect amount of creepy, mysterious, twisty, and kept me invested from the first word to the last word. McFadden is the master in thriller books. I loved the twist at the end. Perfect Christmas Psychological Thriller!

I highly recommend picking this one up for a super quick read and book cleanse.

This was a very good fast paced short Christmas based thriller . I absolutely enjoyed every second of this book

This was the perfect holiday read.
A little sinister, a little devious, and a helluva lot petty.
This was a short little nugget of a book with your usual McFadden sauce.
I gotta say, I did get a bit of an otherworldly vibe, which just made me read faster.
I enjoyed this one, a shirt little thriller with revenge and of course scheming.
Well done.

Perfect Christmas suspenseful masterpiece by Freida McFadden! Overall quick audiobook, quick to jump into the plot and keep you interested until the end!

Thanks NetGalley for this audiobook, all opinions are my own.

I love Freida's writing so I was excited for this one.. however I did not realize it was a short story and short stories are not my favorite. I just didn't feel like I connected to this enough during it's short time in my mind. I thought it was a nice story but would have liked it much longer. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3 ⭐️
ARC Review - Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for the ARC!

This book was short and sweet. As with all Freida McFadden this book had a twist ending. Without spoiling much, this story follows our female main character who struggles trying to get her new husband a Christmas gift after working a long shift at her waitressing job. Her biggest problems are that, she has no money to spend, it’s 11pm on Christmas Eve, and everything is closed. That is until she stumbles upon a shop owner looking to sell something, but at what cost?

3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars! This book was good but could’ve been much better if it were longer. I needed more.