Tag Archives: freida mcfadden

Apr7

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Crash By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Crash By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! My sister, mom, and I tend to read a lot of the same books and I love our little makeshift family book club. The most recent book my sister read was The Crash by Freida McFadden and she quite enjoyed it so I thought I would give it a try too. It was pretty good and I finished it in just two days. In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing my sister’s book club pick. The Crash also is a big fat trigger warning as it deals with infertility, sexual assault, violence, and highly disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Tegan may be young, flat broke, and heavily pregnant but her luck is about to turn around big time. She might not remember the one night stand that resulted in her daughter’s conception but that’s okay too. The man who got her pregnant, Simon, is married, rich, and willing to pay a jaw dropping sum to keep Tegan quiet. Simon’s lawyer, Jackson, assists in all of the details of the contract and Tegan simply has to sign at the dotted line for more money than she can imagine when Simon and Jackson visit her tiny studio apartment. She’s ecstatic, until she smells Simon’s cologne and it helps her remember the night she had forgotten. It wasn’t consensual sex at all that got her pregnant.

After this memory resurfaces, Tegan refuses to take the hush money and decides to stay with her older brother for a few days. She picks up one last shift at the grocery store she works at before her trip, packs her meager belongings, and hits the road. There might be a heavy snowstorm coming but Tegan is confident she can beat it and arrive to her destination safely. After all, it’s barely snowing once she’s on the highway. As Tegan continues her journey, the light snowfall turns into a full fledged blizzard and her beat up car is struggling. At this point, she has no idea where she is, the snow and ice are devastating, and she ends up running into a tree.

The baby is okay from the crash but Tegan isn’t. Her ankle is completely shattered and she can’t get out of her car. She is convinced this is the end until a stranger in a pickup truck helps her. This man should be her savior but his huge build and looming presence scare her. She is in no position to wait for someone else, though, and agrees to his help. His name is Hank and he carries her into his truck and takes her back to his home in the woods that he shares with his wife Polly. The snow is piling high and there is no way she can get to the hospital until the next day.

Once Hank and Tegan arrive at his home, him and Polly decide the best place for their guest to stay is in the basement. Polly, a former nurse, took care of her sick mother and converted the space into a hospital room. Tegan doesn’t like this idea one bit but the living room couch she is laying on is uncomfortable and she reluctantly agrees to the hospital bed. The roads will be plowed tomorrow and she can go to the hospital so what’s one night? Or two? Or three? Tegan has something that Polly wants desperately and her stay will be extended until she gets it. What happens next? Read The Crash to find out!

As I ravenously read The Crash, I couldn’t help but to laugh because this book honestly felt like reading a reboot of Misery by Stephen King. Misery also just so happens to be one of my favorite Stephen King books. The similarities between both books was striking – the plots might have been slightly different but the circumstances were basically the exact same. I wouldn’t say it was a bad thing but it almost felt… lazy on Freida McFadden’s part. Countless scenarios in The Crash felt so “been there done that” or should I say “been there read that” because I most certainly have. I think Freida McFadden got the cliche of “steal from the best and make it your own” wrong because it was more like “steal from the best, change things ever so slightly, and make it your own” lol.

Despite The Crash being a LifeTime movie remake of Misery and the fact that I spot on predicted everything but one twist, there was still a lot I liked about it and this was primarily because of Tegan. I absolutely loved her as the leading lady and she was so easy to root for. Yes, The Crash was very predictable. However, that didn’t take the worry I felt for Tegan away but almost intensified it. I knew what was coming next and the only question was how she was going to get out of it. And, of course, Freida McFadden is an extremely gifted writer regardless of the deja vu plot. She kept The Crash at a one hundred mile per hour pace and it completely solidified the urgency of the situation and kept me turning the pages.

Overall, I am going to rate The Crash with a four out of ten stars. Was it worth the read if you have read Misery before? That’s up for you to decide, but I’m still glad that I gave it a shot!

What is your favorite Freida McFadden book? What are you currently reading? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb4

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid Is Watching By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid Is Watching By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! Today, in a spoiler free setting, we are going to discuss the third book in The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden called The Housemaid Is Watching. I have heard mixed reviews about the third installation of the series so I was expecting a lackluster read. I was so wrong because this ended up being my favorite one in the trilogy after devouring The Housemaid and The Housemaid’s Secret! Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Housemaid Is Watching for violence and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

We reunite with Millie over a decade later and she has officially made it. She has two children with Enzo named Ada and Nico and they are happily married and moving to their dream home in a quaint col-de-sac. Can they afford it? Barely. Are the kids thrilled about moving in the middle of the school year? Hard no. But all Millie has ever wanted is a quiet, normal life and she finally has it. As the family gets settled into their new digs, Millie can’t help but think how incredibly lucky she is – minus the minor sense of dread after meeting her new neighbors, of course.

In the col-de-sac, there are two homes next to Millie’s. One belongs to a woman named Janice and her son, Spencer. Janice is the neighborhood busy body who is stern and rarely has a kind word for anyone. She spends her days at home and you can almost always catch her looking out of her window. We also have Suzette and Jonathan Lowell. They are youngish, very wealthy, and might be a good fit together. Millie can’t tell, though, because Suzette cannot take her eyes and hands off of Enzo.

The days go by in suburbia and Millie notices a lot of changes. 1) She is constantly hearing scratching sounds in the middle of the night. 2) Enzo seems to be spending a lot of time with Suzette. And 3) Her son, Nico, is showing some alarming shifts in his normal, happy go lucky demeanor. After breaking the Lowell’s window with a baseball, Millie hoped that Nico would learn some responsibility by doing chores at their home to pay for the damage. Nico doesn’t improve but only worsens by getting into fistfights and withdrawing from his family.

Millie has so much on her mind between her son’s deteriorating mental health and her growing confidence that Enzo is cheating on her. He is working in Suzette’s yard almost every day, she saw him talking to her outside at ten at night, Enzo returned home in the early morning hours smelling like her perfume, and Suzette all but undresses him with her eyes every chance she can get. Millie has had enough. She marches across the lawn to confront Suzette and enters the home when she doesn’t get an answer. She doesn’t see Suzette, but a body on the ground and lots of blood. Not again. Who has met their demise? And whodoneit in the most shocking reveal of the series? Read The Housemaid Is Watching to find out!

I understand why The Housemaid Is Watching might have been a miss for some fans of the series. It is very different than the setting and general plot that we have grown used to. However, that is why I liked it so much! In fact, after completing the second book, I found myself hoping that the third one would throw a curveball and it delivered. While I loved plucky young Millie in her vigilante glory days, it was a welcome change of pace to see where she ended up well after the fact. I suppose I would have liked to know a bit more about the in between from then and now, but it was still a fully cohesive read.

What I liked the best about The Housemaid Is Watching was the grand reveal. I did get some parts of it right but not all of it and I literally couldn’t believe my eyes! I wouldn’t say it shocked me as much as the reveal in The Housemaid’s Secret because I had no idea what was going on in that one. That doesn’t mean it wasn’t still really good, though. And, finally, another great part about this book is the reintroduction of a few characters that you will totally not see coming, tying the series together in a perfect little bow.

Overall, I am going to rate The Housemaid Is Watching with a ten out of ten stars. It was my favorite of the series so it deserves the highest recommendation!

What did you think about The Housemaid series? What do you think about the movie casting? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb1

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid’s Secret By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid’s Secret By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing the second book in The Housemaid series by Freida McFadden called The Housemaid’s Secret. Like its predecessor, I devoured this one in a few days. Unlike its predecessor, this one left me absolutely shook because I did not see anything in The Housemaid’s Secret coming! This was an excellent change of pace as I literally predicted the first book in its entirety less than fifty pages in lol. Before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Housemaid’s Secret for violence and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

We reunite with Millie at her new housekeeping/nanny position for yet another wealthy family. Life is good. She has a new boyfriend, is taking classes at a community college, and has steady work. Until she gets fired, anyways. Back to square one and with a criminal record, Millie begins an endless loop of job interviews and doesn’t hear back from any of them. Then, she gets a phone call from a Douglas Garrick as he and his wife, Wendy, are interested in her services.

Millie makes the trip to the Garrick’s lavish penthouse apartment and expects to be greeted by the lady of the house. Rather, she interviews with Douglas. He says that Wendy has been incredibly unwell and that she spends most of her time in the guest room resting. Normally, Wendy would handle the housework but has requested the extra help as she recovers. The job includes cleaning, cooking, running errands, and the most important rule of all: Do not bother Wendy if her door is shut. Millie accepts her new position and is eager to start. She needs the money, badly.

As Millie settles into her new gig, she notices that there really isn’t much to do at Chez Garrick. The house is essentially already spotless, but she cleans anyways as Wendy spends her day in bed. Next on Millie’s to do list is laundry and it is then that she does spot a spot. Spots of blood on the collar of Wendy’s nightgown. Immediately, Millie is suspicious and her “battered wife” senses fly off the charts. Why was Wendy bleeding from her face or neck? Why has Wendy not even introduced herself yet? What does her husband have to do with it?

Every time Millie cleans at the Garricks, she tries to knock on Wendy’s door and is told to go away. That doesn’t stop her from listening in every time she passes the guest room, though. She has heard crying, screaming, and shattering but has never laid eyes on Wendy. Then, one day, Millie notices a trail of blood on the ground going from Wendy’s room to the bathroom. Like a punch in the gut, she sees a red, bloody hand print on the sink. It’s time for Millie to take action.

Millie pounds on Wendy’s door and threatens to call the police if she cannot get visual confirmation that she is okay. Finally, the door opens and Millie sees the elusive Mrs. Garrick for the first time. It takes her breath away. Wendy is emaciated, her face is badly bruised, and she has a split lip. Now, this is not Millie’s first experience with an abused wife. In fact, since her stint at the Winchester home, she has helped other wives leave their violent husbands. And, now, she knows that she must help Wendy too – by any means necessary. Millie is certain that Douglas is a dangerous man, but is he really? Read The Housemaid’s Secret to find out!

The Housemaid’s Secret was a wild ride and Freida McFadden truly outdid herself. The first Housemaid book was essentially “crazy husband with a secret room” 101. Like many people, I’m sure, I was expecting more of the same in the sequel. This was not the case at all and McFadden flipped the formula on its head. I’m so glad she did because The Housemaid’s Secret was infinitely better than the first. I legit had no idea what was going to happen next in this book and it made for a very exciting read.

In The Housemaid’s Secret, we were really able to see Millie come into her own and she is a formidable heroine. Of course, I liked her in the first book but I LOVED her in the second. Millie is strong in so many different ways and, oh my goodness, is she funny too. The beauty of Millie, though, is that she isn’t just a tough vigilante for hurt wives. She can be soft, gentle, and vulnerable and it makes her character highly dimensional. At the end of the day, Millie is going to do whatever TF she wants to do and I cannot wait to see where this reckless abandon takes her in the third book.

Overall, I am going to rate The Housemaid’s Secret with a nine out of ten stars. Very rarely do I find a sequel to be better than the first book of a series but this was the exception. I just got the third book from the library so stay tuned for another new Book Club installment soon!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Jan22

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Housemaid By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello! Every year, I like to spoil myself with a Christmas gift and I knew just what I wanted: The completed set of Preacher! I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth back into one of my favorite graphic novel series and that meant waiting for all of them to ship. In the meantime, I had nothing to read and noticed that my mom had a copy of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden sitting on the table. I decided to crack it open and I was immediately in. Unfortunately, the book was due to be returned the following day but I still wanted to see it through. I didn’t have to wait long for the book at the library and devoured it in days. In a spoiler free setting, as always, let’s discuss. However, before we begin, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Housemaid for domestic violence and highly disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

Millie is an ex-convict who is living in her car and recently got fired from her job at a bar. As per her parole, she needs a new job and fast. She applies here, there, and everywhere and by some miracle, gets an interview with a Nina Winchester for a live in housekeeping position. The job seems too good to be true: Cleaning, cooking, occasional care for Nina’s daughter, and a roof over her head. Millie felt satisfied with her interview but didn’t hear back from Nina immediately. Then, after another agonizing week of calling her car her home, Millie got the call. She’s in!

The next day, Millie heads to the Winchester mansion as a new employee. As she walks to the door, she expects a warm greeting from the landscaper, Enzo. Rather, she gets a message from him in Italian that she is in danger. Okay… That was weird, but she needs this job and into the home she goes. Nina gives her the lay of the land, including Millie’s new bedroom – a tiny attic with a single cot, dresser, a window that doesn’t open, and a door that can only lock from the outside. Once again, weird but did I mention that Millie needs this job?

Despite her less than luxurious accommodations, Millie is determined to make the most of this opportunity. She likes Nina and her dreamboat husband Andrew, she’s not opposed to hard work, and she doesn’t want to go back to jail. However, after one day of work, she notices oddities in Nina’s behavior and they don’t let up. She accuses Millie of throwing out her PTA meeting notes and destroys the kitchen trying to find it. She tells Millie the wrong location to pick her daughter up from school only for her to learn that she doesn’t need a ride after all. Millie is gifted with Nina’s old clothes and is then threatened with a call to the police when Nina claims she stole them.

Millie isn’t the only one to notice Nina’s strange behavior. Her gossipy friends find pleasure in laughing behind her back about it. Andrew, on the other hand, finds no humor in the situation and as he and Nina grow apart, him and Millie get closer. Millie knows it’s wrong to be pining after a married man, but Andrew just seems so sad and dejected and she doesn’t understand how such a good person could be married to someone like Nina. He should be with Millie, instead. As their forbidden love blossoms, Nina is slowly but surely edged out. With the crazy wife out of the picture, everything should be perfect, right? So wrong! What happens next? Read The Housemaid to find out!

As you all know, I love playing detective. I like to consider myself a decent sleuth and have a pretty high success rate in figuring out grand reveals well before they happen. In the case of The Housemaid, I knocked it out of the park. To the letter, I predicted Every. Single. Twist. that arose and it was a real feather in my cap lol. I tend to not like books that are “too easy” to figure out as I revel in a super shocking grand reveal. However, I still really liked The Housemaid and considered it to be unputdownable.

Regardless of essentially knowing how the plot was going to play out, it was a story that was juicy AF. I was invested in the characters, but also how the book itself was written. It felt like there was some minor twist or clue in every single page and it kept me turning them until there was none left. Freida McFadden expertly crafted this book because she truly gave you everything you needed to know. Whether you used it or not was up to you. I did and it didn’t make The Housemaid any less enjoyable and I never thought I would say that about a book where I saw the ending coming from a mile away.

Overall, I am going to rate The Housemaid with an eight out of ten stars. I wouldn’t call it my favorite book I’ve ever read, but I highly recommend it and can’t wait to read the sequel!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Oct24

Lil Red’s Book Club: The Boyfriend By Freida McFadden Edition

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Lil Red’s Book Club: The Boyfriend By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Freida McFadden called The Boyfriend. Even though I figured out the grand reveal well ahead of time, it was a pretty good and fast paced read. I finished it in three sittings! Before we begin our chat, I will be placing a trigger warning on The Boyfriend for assault, violence, and disturbing content. Now, let’s get to it:

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Sydney lives in New York City and is in her mid thirties. Saying she is unlucky in love is an understatement and she is well aware of the ticking of her biological clock. One of her best friends, Gretchen, has found a great new boyfriend. Her other bestie, Bonnie, who has a date almost every night has even found a dreamy guy to cozy up with regularly. So why can’t Sydney? As she scrolls aimlessly through dating apps, she solidifies plans for a dinner out with a match and is actually excited. Until her date arrives, that is.

What should have been Sydney’s handsome suitor turns out to be a catfish named Kevin. Sydney decides to see the date through because they did have some semblance of a connection over text. This nicety proved to be a bad idea and after their dinner, Kevin attempts to assault her on the way home. What was an already terrible situation could have been so much worse had in not been for a Mystery Man who came to Sydney’s rescue. When he looked at her, she felt sparks flying but she never even got his name.

Sydney is officially back to the drawing board and continues to go about her normal routine. Work, dating apps, and outings with her girls. Everything is almost back to status quo, until one of her best friends is brutally murdered in her own apartment. Of course, Sydney swears off the dating apps – for a while anyways. After what she considers an appropriate amount of time off for grieving, she has a coffee date with a new match. They are having a wonderful time during their meet up, but then Sydney suffers a nosebleed that sends him running out the door. Sydney is left with the bill and in a state of shock – Mystery Man is in the coffee shop and he is approaching her!

Finally, the man she has been pining over since their first encounter is talking to her and his name is Tom. He is a total babe, respectful, and a doctor too. Could things be any more perfect? As they pursue a relationship, Sydney has a hard time thinking otherwise – other than some glaring red flags, that is. Maybe, Tom is just a full fledged commitmentphobe. Or perhaps he’s harboring his own dark secrets that Sydney is none the wiser to. All she knows is that Tom might not be who she thinks he is. So who is her Mystery Man, really? Read The Boyfriend to find out!

I wouldn’t go as far as to say that The Boyfriend was the best book I have ever read. There was, however, a lot that I liked about it. As you all know, I love a book with alternating narrators and this one went back and forth between present day Sydney and Tom in the past. This really added to the sense of urgency revolving around Sydney because every time we circled back to Tom’s childhood, we learned a new disturbing fact. While we could see things for what they were, she had no idea and it made her situation that much more dire. The grand reveal was also quite the shocking one despite my super sleuthing.

Where this book fell short for me was in terms of characters. When I consider a “good” book, I think about ones where I felt really connected with the characters. The Boyfriend lacked this significantly. Sydney was a very milquetoast leading lady and read as completely desperate more often that not. Tom, on the other hand, was your typical “love interest with a dark past” and it was rather stereotypical as opposed to something fresh and new. This was too bad because the plot was definitely one I was interested in but the characters lacked that special something to really drive it home.

Overall, I am going to rate The Boyfriend with a six out of ten stars. If you are looking for a decent quick read, I recommend it. If you are on the hunt for a book with a bit more oomph, then it is one you can certainly skip on!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah