Audiobook Review: The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden
The Housemaid is Watching
Series: The Housemaid #3
Author: Freida McFadden
Narrators:
Lauryn Allman
Ina Marie Smith
Published: June 11, 2024
Audiobook: 11 hours 42 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: July 1-17, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Audiobook Description:
“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…
I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.
Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes.
But her cold stare gives me chills…
The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.
Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?
I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?
Jessica’s Review:
This is the final book in The Housemaid series and I have enjoyed getting to know Millie over the course of the three novels. This final book is unlike the other two. The focus is Millie’s family. It is also a bit slower paced, but still enjoyable with of course: twists that only McFadden can deliver.
We had a good ending to the series and I liked seeing a character from book one return all these years later! In some way this character helped to move along the story and bring back the first novel.
This final book wasn’t as strong as the other two and was it really needed? No, it wasn’t. Am I glad I read it? Yes. I adore Millie and Enzo and enjoyed saying goodbye to these characters that you grew to love over these three novels.
I started out reading it on kindle but then saw that Lauryn Allman was a narrator again! I was excited for that as she really is Millie for me. Her narration is just brilliant. We also had a second narrator: Ina Marie Smith. I won’t say who her character is as it might be a bit of a spoiler, but she also brought it on 1000% with her narration!
McFadden is one I will keep on reading! Eventually, I will get a copy of this one to add to my library!
Audiobook Review: The Teacher by Freida McFadden
The Teacher
Author: Freida McFadden
Narrators:
Leslie Howard
Danny Montooth
Published: February 6, 2024
Audiobook: 9 hours 35 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Read: February 19-23, 2024
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
Lesson #1: Trust no one.
Eve has a good life. She wakes up each day, kisses her husband Nate, and heads off to teach math at the local high school. All is as it should be. Except…
Last year, Caseham High was rocked by a scandal involving a student-teacher affair, with one student, Addie, at its center. But Eve knows there is far more to these ugly rumors than meets the eye.
Addie can’t be trusted. She lies. She hurts people. She destroys lives. At least, that’s what everyone says.
But nobody knows the real Addie. Nobody knows the secrets that could destroy her. And Addie will do anything to keep it quiet…
Jessica’s Review:
There are a couple of trigger warnings with The Teacher that should be addressed: Inappropriate teacher/student relationship, grooming/pedophilia, and bullying. People seem to not realize this from the book description, but it is there! Go in knowing this, and you won’t be surprised if you can be triggered by these circumstances.
I had no idea going into listening The Teacher how mind blown I was going to be by the end! I also gave it 5 stars! I’ve read several of McFadden’s books and enjoyed them, but I wasn’t prepared for the sheer direction the twists were going to go this time! In fact, I need to listen to the book again knowing how it ends! My mouth just dropped in shock with her final two twists! McFadden knows what she is doing! It helps that her chapters are shorter, which makes it harder to stop reading the further you get into the novel!
These characters were just unlikeable and I felt so much emotion for them. McFadden captured Addie beautifully: It helps she has a teenage daughter (and at one time was one herself), so she was able to capture the angst and emotions of a teenage girl. At the end of the book there is a note from McFadden with the help she got from her daughter. Leslie Howard was one of the narrators and she also captured that teen angst! Danny Montooth was the other narrator, and while his was a much smaller narration, he did a great job with capturing Nate!
This is the sixth book I’ve read from McFadden (also her Christmas short story) and I think I can say I’m a ‘Freida Readah’ now! She is another author I think I will read or listen to no matter what, and she has two more books coming out this year: Bring them on!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Audiobook Short Story Review: The Gift by Freida McFadden
The Gift
Author: Freida McFadden
Narrator: Alyson Krawchuk
Published: December 4, 2022
Audiobook: 1 hour 4 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Date Listened To: December 20, 2023
Jessica’s Rating: 3 stars
Short Story Description:
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?
The Gift is a gripping Christmas-themed thriller inspired by the classic O. Henry tale, The Gift of the Magi.
Jessica’s Review:
I wanted to share my review for this one before we got too far away from Christmas, so I am sharing it now!
Please note that this is not a full-length novel, but a short story. The book is about 50 pages and the audiobook (which I listened to) is just over an hour. I knew this going in as it says right there on Amazon the pages/ how long this story is. It is not the author’s fault if the reader does not notice that, and yes, I knew going in that it was short. I was ready for that as my commute is right at an hour and I knew I could get completely listened to then carry on for my work day!
The reader should also be aware that is inspired by that classic that we have all read in school: The Gift of the Magi, so we know the general direction this short story will go. But in McFadden fashion she has her own twist to it!
For me this short story was just average. The buildup was good, but the big twists didn’t shock me as I was hoping they would. It was more of a ‘what goes around comes around’ in a way certain characters did not see coming.
The narrator was Alyson Krawchuk and I have listened to her before. Her narration was good, especially with the old lady portrayal!
I’d love to see McFadden try her hand at more short stories, but with the ‘negative reviews’ as to the length of it (which again is mentioned if readers would actually… read ‘about the book’) I don’t think she will write more short stories.
If you enjoy McFadden books give it a try, but please realize that this is a short story!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK