“If you read too many books, your eyeballs will fall out.”

Oh, no. I'm in trouble. LOL!

The residents of Locust Street in Long Island are no different from the type of grasshopper after which their street is named. These insects, like the residents, undergo a unique transformation, gregarization, which causes them to change their behaviour and appearance. Both cause devastation alike.

At the root of this story is an ultimate revenge plot, but McFadden makes you go the distance to get your ‘aha’ moment. In the final pages you’ll understand the title and the plot will suddenly make sense. In her denouement, McFadden gives you an alternate POV that clears up any seeming plot holes.

The antagonist in this book stole the show! I loved to hate Suzette Lowell at Number 12, Locust Street. She makes life so difficult for those she comes in contact with and I have no doubt she’ll have you gasping and shaking your head in disbelief.

The protagonists are introduced as they move back to Long Island after a 20-year absence. Readers are aware that the Accardis are hesitant, but no reason is given…until the end. In this family, the focus is on the parents, Millie and Enzo, but don’t disregard their nine-year-old son, Nico, nor their 11-year-old daughter, Ada. I was fascinated by Little Kiwi and a pasta dish containing my name, Pasta alla Norma.

This is another winner for McFadden!

I was gifted this copy by Bookouture and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Thank you Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC of this book. I am a huge Freida lover, but this one didn't live up to my love for the housemaid series, and that pains me. I loved seeing Millie and Enzo navigating life together. But I feel that it was predictable in some aspects. It was still a fast read, but it just didn't do it for me. 3/5 stars

This book is simply phenomenal. If it's not already on your TBR list, now's the time to add it.

"The Housemaid is Watching" was my most eagerly awaited read of 2024, and it surpassed all expectations. It marks the thrilling third chapter in the Housemaid series.

The entire time reading this book, I was on the edge of my seat, fully immersed in Millie's journey, agreeing with her, rooting for her, doubting her suspicions, and occasionally chuckling at her take on the troubles she faced. Millie is so amusing! She stands out as my favorite protagonist in all of Freida's works. She gives her all, she's fundamentally good, but life always throws unexpected challenges at her. She navigates through them with a mix of grace and struggle, though sometimes, she resorts to extreme measures.

In "The Housemaid is Watching," the pattern persists. Just when Millie feels she's finally got a handle on her life, a parade of peculiar characters and bizarre events throw her world into chaos once more. She's left grappling with dilemmas, questioning who to trust. The story delves into the complexities of morality, forcing the characters to confront the blurred lines between right and wrong, and the hefty prices one pays for their choices.

Millie is back, years later married with two kids and just moved to a new neighbourhood from The Bronx. Everything seems perfect in this new neighbourhood and their beautiful new home until Millie meets the neighbours. It is clear that Mrs. Lowell is hitting on her husband right in front of her and her other neighbour seems to be watching herand gives her a strange warning: be careful of your neighbours. Millie begins to wonder, was moving here a huge mistake?

Was a third book necessary? Absolutely not. Was I going to read it anyways? Of course. Before I even read the housemaid or any Freida books, I knew the housemaid was an “it” book, and of course it was. Now, it’s so clear how hard Freida is milking the book that made her pop off. Was this the typical “has you hooked the entire time”? Absolutely yes! Was it profound? Not at all. A typical Freida popcorn thriller and nothing more. I was shocked, yet found it mildly predictable and couldn’t find a reason to give a book that kept me thoroughly entertained less than 4⭐️s. Worth the read, easily devour-able in one sitting, but truly nothing special. Freida, I think we can be done after this one!

3.5 rating⭐️

The third (and hopefully final) book of the Housemaid series was good, but my least favorite of the three. I did see some of the twists and turns coming, and didn’t see some of them. Usual for Freida books. The first half was slow, but not a turtle pace. The second half really picked up and had a lot of turns! Overall, I’d say read the book.

Loved this addition to the housemaid series! I thought it fit very well.

We get to see another side of Millie and Enzo; as parents. They move their family to the suburbs and, of course, things begin to seem weird right from the start. How were they able to afford such a nice house? Why is there always someone in the window, watching? Will Millie keep her past a secret? Will we finally find out what it is Enzo did back in Italy?

You will question everything. You will suspect everyone. You will be wrong..

“The third in a series usually isn't that great, so it's not his fault.” I saw what you did there, Freida. What a chuckle that line gave me because the Queen of thrillers has done it again! Yes, the third in this series WAS THAT GREAT! How I have loved following Millie for three books.
In book three we find Millie and Enzo, married with two children, Ada and Nico, and moving to a new neighborhood! The house is more than they can afford, but it was such a bargain! A safe neighborhood where Millie can answer the door without looking—how fortunate! Except…nothing is ever as it seems. This neighborhood isn’t as safe as Millie expected.
Overly friendly neighbor, Mrs. Lowell seems to have her eyes on Enzo, not on Mr. Lowell. The Lowell’s housemaid, Martha, seems to be looking straight through Millie. Nosy neighbor, Janice seems to have her eyes on everybody. With so many eyes watching…how many lies will unravel?
A story spun in true Freida fashion, you won’t be able to put it down and the turns will shock you until the last page.

I devoured this book in less than 5 hours. Everything else I had to do yesterday went completely out the window. I could not stop reading it. Millie and Enzo are back 11 years later and are moving into their own house with their 2 children. But when they get there the neighbours are SUPER sus.
As a thriller girly (who isn't a fan of detective stories) thriller series are RARE. Especially with characters who are as BADASS as Millie. So you best believe I was dying to read the third housemaid book.
This instalment definitely took a different direction than what I was expecting. It was a lot more suspenseful than thriller, but had an AMAZING change of pace half way through. Most of the action did happen in the latter half of the book which wasn't maybe needed as it's a series, but Freida probably left this open so it could also be read as a standalone. The best part was seeing previous characters and the relationships they had built.
I'm so excited for you guys to read this!

In The Housemaid is Watching, we begin 11 years later, in a new adventure of the married life of Millie and Enzo with their two children, Ada and Nico. The family has just moved into a new home in the suburbs, ready to put their past behind them and start a new life in their dream home. However, almost immediately, they begin having strange interactions with their new neighbors - from an overprotective mother with her son on a leash to their next door neighbor, Suzette, being much too friendly with Enzo. Millie also has some uncomfortable interactions with her neighbor's maid that begin to make her uneasy and wonder if her past has been found out already. Not only that, but her children have begun acting differently as well - from mood swings, to violent outbursts. Millie begins wondering if she has made a huge mistake moving into this new neighborhood, but this is only the beginning of what's to come.

Freida has done it again with an exceptional addition to the Housemaid series. I was instantly hooked trying to figure out where the story was going and what twists would happen. I was kept guessing with each new character and interaction as the story went on. I can honestly say the ending was one that I did not see coming - which is what I've grown to love about Freida's books! Just when you think you have the story figured out, the next chapter throws a curveball you didn't see coming. This was probably my favorite of the 3 Housemaids books and I would highly recommend it to anyone that's grown to love Millie's story. The short, often cliffhanger, chapters make this an easy, quick read that you just don't want to put down. It is the definition of a "just one more chapter" kind of book.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and the author for sending me this ARC … so excited to be an early reader on this one!! Gah!

This book right here has got Freida Fans all over the globe counting down the days until June! It FOR SURE was at the top of my list as one of my most anticipated releases of 2024! Like all of Freida’s books, I devoured it!! And let me tell you right now, it did not disappoint!

We catch up with Millie a little over a decade past where book two left off. Millie, Enzo & their 2 children are finally settling into their suburbia dream home & their much deserved happily ever after. But in true Millie fashion, things don’t stay calm & dreamlike.

Because .. The Neighbors.

There are NO spoilers here, so that’s all you’re gonna get from me other than you need to prepare yourself because Freida brings the twists & reveals that just make your head go boom! How she gets us to think exactly what she wants us to think … and then blows it all up is just WOW!

I’ve heard that this is the final book in this series, but is it? I can see where there’s an idea for a spin-off to emerge & that would be ok with me! I guess Freida doesn’t save suspense for just her stories, we’ll just have to wait & see what she’s got for us next!

Note to Housemaid newbies: because there are quite a few throwback references to previous books, I suggest reading them in order … you won’t be sorry! They are ALL 3 da bomb!

Ok miss Freida! I need another one and asap!!! This was outstanding!!! Omg!!!!

I need to know what happens to ……. And to….. I don’t want to give it away but I NEED TO KNOW!!!!

I always have a good time reading Freida Mcfadden. 😊 I love the Housemaid series and Millie especially. Millie’s character is always doing shocking and unexpected things. I didn’t see most of the twists coming.

I want to begin by giving a huge thank you to Poisoned Pen Press for the early copy of The Housemaid is Watching. The story follows Mille & Enzo Accardi who have since the previous two books, grown up, started a family, and just purchased their first home. As anyone, Millie and Enzo are ecstatic about their new home, but Millie can’t seem to shake the feeling that something seems off. They were taking a financial risk getting this home. Enzo will have to find new work near their neighborhood to avoid the commute back to the Bronx. Good thing their friendly neighbor Suzette Lowell is a realtor with connections!

What could go wrong in a cute neighborhood cul-de-sac ON Long Island?

I love how everything ended up tying together in the end. Freida has done it again, I couldn’t guess what was coming next.

👁️ Spoiler-free ARC Review for The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden 👁️

The third and final installment in Freida’s viral Housemaid series! Taking place more than a decade after the events of The Housemaid’s Secret, Millie just wants the simple suburban family life she’s always dreamed of with her husband and children, but most of all to leave her past behind. With a nosy neighbor on one side and a judgmental neighbor on the other, Millie begins to wonder if this life she dreamed of is all it’s cracked up to be.

Such a beautiful ending to a great series! I loved to see Millie begin to live her dream life as a wife and mother. Freida is so excellent at hooking readers. I started it this morning and next thing I knew, I’d finished it in one sitting. She’s the only author that happens with basically every time 😂

Character development is huge in this novel. We see characters we already loved grow into even better characters. We meet new characters that we love and others who get under our skin. Of course it wouldn’t be a Freida without some amazing plot twists! My mouth was gaping in surprise more than once. If you’ve read her other Housemaid books (if you haven’t, why?!) give this one a go! 👏 It releases on June 11th in stores and on Kindle Unlimited!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Absolutely obsessed with this series! I thought for sure I’d figured it out this time and again I was wrong! She is my favorite author and I love all of her books!

This was the third book in the Housemaid series by Freida and as much as I wanted it to be a 5 it fell short.

We get to see Millie become a mom and how she handled all that. We get to see that her kids are turning out like both her and Enzo. It was actually quite predictable for a Freida novel.

I don’t think the novel was necessarily boring or anything like that. It just was very different than what I’m use to reading by Freida. It still had mystery and suspense and kept you guessing,

Overall I would say it was a 3.5

Once you get past half way point there’s no putting this book down. Was supposed to go to bed like 2 hours ago…. Couldn’t. Had to know what happened next !!

I am very blessed to have had the opportunity to read this ARC. Freida, you’ve done it again. I didn’t really enjoy the 2nd book The Housemaid Series. Very very happy with this 3rd book. You won’t ever see it coming. It’s genius. 🤯

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Pub Date: June 11, 2024

I have loved this entire series. Millie continues her story with Enzo as they move to Long Island. She wants her past to stay in the past, but noisy neighbors are NOT what she wanted. This home is is meant for her, Enzo and their two children.

The neighbor Suzette, who is married flirts and shows unwanted attention to Enzo, and this does NOT set well with Millie.

As anticipated, this novel is the perfect follow-up to this MUCH loved series. I cannot get enough of Millie. No spoilers, but McFadden always gives US what we want. Millie is such a fun character. I would love to see this in a movie or a series.

I want to start out by saying this book Definitely has some trigger warnings. If you haven’t read any of the housemaids books, please do yourself a favor before this book comes out in June. Pick them up and read them all because this book was a 10 out of 10 for me. Every time you think that you need to look out for a character, you are dead wrong. She definitely knows how to tug on those heartstrings and also drive that knife in.

In true Freida McFadden fashion, I never knew what was going to happen next. Shock and awe, jaw on the floor, loved this one!!