The Housemaid by Freida McFadden #NetGalley #TheHousemaid #paperbackbook #bookreview @bookouture @Freida_McFadden

 

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

Published by Bookouture

Publication Date: 26th April 2022

Book Description:

“Welcome to the family,” Nina Winchester says as I shake her elegant, manicured hand. I smile politely, gazing around the marble hallway. Working here is my last chance to start fresh. I can pretend to be whoever I like. But I’ll soon learn that the Winchesters’ secrets are far more dangerous than my own…

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

My Thoughts:

Finally, this book filtered to the top of my pile! And I think one reason for this taking so long is all the hype that has surrounded it, and its sequel The Housemaid's Secret. I'm not one for following the crowd while the hype is high, it's more of a deterrent for me than a reason to jump on the bandwagon so now things are a little calmer, I felt the time was right to see whether I agree with the buzz that this book (and its author) have brought to the book world. 

This book is written from 2 points of view: the housemaid, Millie and her employer Nina Winchester. Chapters are clearly titled so it's clear whose voice we are hearing - although it would be difficult to mix things up in this respect. Millie has had a tough start in life, a fact she does not shy away from - it's made her who she is, right to her core. Nina, however, has many more layers to her character and not all of them are pleasant. Her daughter Cece is obnoxious and makes Millie's life a misery, but with the example she's been set by her mother it's not surprising that she behaves as she does. Nina's husband Andrew is charming, handsome, and Cece appears to have far more respect for him than she does her mother. 

The story takes place over a short time span of just 3 months, which when you consider all that happens within that timeframe, it's extremely intense. The rules and restrictions that Nina imposes on Millie are strict and unreasonable, leading Millie to seek friendship with the mysterious Enzo, the gardener at the property who speaks little English and keeps his distance from the house. The few words he does impart to Millie have her wondering if indeed she is safe in Nina's employment. 

I'm not going to spill any beans regarding the twists and bombshells that Freida McFadden drops into this book, but suffice to say that yes, every drop of the hype given to this book is well-deserved and earned throughout its pages. I was shocked and excited to keep on reading "just one more chapter" and stayed up far later than I should have done when I had to go to work the following day - but there are characters in this book who just get under your skin yet still manage to shock you in ways you'll never expect. 

A brilliant story - I went straight to my local library to grab the sequel to this book and read them back to back - one luxury of having left book one so long to read, I suppose! My poor bookshelves now have yet another 'must read' author queuing up for space! Freida McFadden, you're a legend!

About the Author:

New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, and she is a winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback. Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages.

Freida lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-storey home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

The Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart @BooksSphere @keefstuart #TheFrequencyOfUs #libraryloan

 

The Frequency of Us by Keith Stuart

Published by Sphere

Publication Date: 25th March 2021

Book Description:

In Second World War Bath, young, naïve wireless engineer Will meets Austrian refugee Elsa Klein: she is sophisticated, witty and worldly, and at last his life seems to make sense . . . until, soon after, the newly married couple's home is bombed, and Will awakes from the wreckage to find himself alone.

No one has heard of Elsa Klein. They say he was never married.

Seventy years later, social worker Laura is battling her way out of depression and off medication. Her new case is a strange, isolated old man whose house hasn't changed since the war. A man who insists his wife vanished many, many years before. Everyone thinks he's suffering dementia. But Laura begins to suspect otherwise . . .

My Thoughts:

This was a complete impulse pick at my local library recently, and probably my most successful random choice this year. I was wanting to read something different from the usual psychological thrillers I tend to gravitate towards, and this hit the spot perfectly. Completely different from anything I've read before, The Frequency of Us introduces us to a wonderful, if rather eccentric octogenarian, Will. Despite his frostiness with people, I quickly warmed to his character and loved how he tolerated young carer Laura who had been sent in by the agency to assess his ability to continue living alone in his once quite grand home, which like Will was showing considerable signs of age.

There's a dual timeline to this book which shows Will in his prime, as he meets Elsa Klein - the love of his life and the only one for him. The descriptions of Bath during the second World War are so moving and I felt quite emotional at times as the effects on the local population as German bombing raids ripped through the community and decimated whole families.

But was Will imagining his great love affair with Elsa? There are no records to prove her existence and nobody seems to have ever seen him with anyone, or even any photographs or anything to show she'd ever been there. Yet the more Laura visits him, the more she gets a feeling that there is some truth to what Will says. There's a vibe in the air, compelling her to look into what he's saying. But Laura isn't exactly the most reliable narrator and gets to the point where she doesn't know what to believe any more.

The conclusion to this book is beautiful. I'm a person who keeps an open mind when it comes to ghosts and supernatural type subjects (as you can tell, as I struggle to describe the ending but without spoiling the whole book) but I felt totally satisfied with how the story ended and even had a bit of a teary moment there for a moment. Thank you, Keith Stuart for a lovely story. It was just the right book at the right time for me - pretty ironic really! I certainly recommend this one if you have an open mind, fancy something a little sentimental and a step away from the norm.

About the Author:

Keith Stuart is a veteran journalist who has been covering video games and digital culture for over 20 years. In 2015 he wrote his first novel, A Boy Made of Blocks, which was selected for the Richard and Judy Book Club. It has sold over 200,000 copies and is translated into 24 languages. His second novel, Days of Wonder, is available in paperback, audio and ebook, and his third, The Frequency of Us, was selected for BBC2's Between the Covers series and is available in hardback, ebook and audio.

Wanderlust by Elle Everhart @ElleEverhart #Wanderlust #booktwt #bookreview @penguinrandom

 

Wanderlust by Elle Everhart

Published by Penguin RandomHouse

Publication Date: 6th July 2023

Book Description:

Two rivals. Seven countries. Could this be their chance to fall in love?

Dylan Coughlan has just won a trip around the world. The catch? Her travel partner is a random contact from her phone.

And it's Jack 'the Posho', the man she accidentally ghosted. The two couldn't be more different, and as the trip kicks off, Jack seems like he'd sooner fling himself into the sun than have a conversation with Dylan which does not bode well for her travel blog. She has to create a hit column documenting her travels...and her love life.

Dylan's willing to do anything, even if it means embellishing her budding relationship. But as the column's popularity grows, so does the bond between Dylan and Jack. There's no denying the fire burning between them.

Will Dylan finally let her heart take flight or will she and Jack come down to Earth with a bump?

My Thoughts:

My need for a lighter read hit strongly this month and having spotted a review by @JoannaLouisePar of @Jojosovertherainbowblog, this debut novel by Elle Everhart looked a promising choice. The concept of someone randomly winning a radio contest for a luxury round the world trip, but with the caveat that they would have to be accompanied by a random contact listed in their mobile phone, piqued my interest. Especially when the chosen contact turned out to be the guy she ghosted - Jack the Posho. 

I suppose the storyline is a little predictable: the whole enemies to lovers trope appears to be doing the rounds once again this summer. But for me, it's not the trope, it's how well it's written, and this is one book I did enjoy. Not only does Dylan have the whole awkward scenario of spending so much time with Jack, but her boss wants her to write a magazine series detailing their blossoming romance. But...there isn't one and Dylan's not quite sure how she's going to handle that part of the situation - I mean, she hasn't even mentioned it to Jack yet, let alone asked his permission to bring his name into things. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?!

I loved the character development as the story went along - and the descriptions of their destinations and experiences in the various locations was fun (if only we could have had Jack's photos in the book, that would have made this book perfect!). Even if the whole "will they/won't they" story has been done so many times before, I was totally involved in their personal journey as well as their travel diaries. There are two young adults here, trying to work out what they want from life as individuals even before you bring emotions into the equation. As the story evolved, I found myself cheerleading them on a personal level even more than for them as a potential couple.

To say much more than this will give too much away - but if you want a nice easy read with the opportunity to imagine yourself in some beautiful locations around the globe without the jetlag, this is one to escape into. A very strong and enjoyable debut novel - keep Elle's name on your radar, I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more from her soon.  

About the Author:

Elle Everhart writes romantic comedies featuring the internet, sarcasm, and lots of queer characters. She is a secondary English teacher in East London and, when she’s not writing or teaching, she’s hanging out with her son and obsessing over the worst shows on television. Wanderlust is her debut novel.