Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

La femme de ménage by Freida McFadden

34 reviews

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Oh damm. Oh DAMM. OH DAMM. This is awesome. Millie is an ex-con looking for a new job after she was fired from her last job. Nina Winchester is looking for a housekeeper to help cook and clean but, also look after her daughter Cecelia occasionally. As Millie spends more and more time in the house she realizes that the perfect Winchesters aren't so perfect. This book is the perfect mix of slow burn and engaging. The plot unfolds at a nice pace but leaves a lot for the ending climax. My only real issue with this is a level of predictability. Not sure if its my Criminal Minds addiction or what but, The first few chapters of character description and background told me all I needed to know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Drug use, Infertility, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, and Violence

ghi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Murder, Bullying, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, and Grief

cla773's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Absolutely loved this book, helped me break out of a reading block. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Torture

add_a_little_spook's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Murder, Confinement, Gaslighting, Torture, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Blood

Minor: Rape, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Infertility

jessclarkee's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body shaming, Confinement, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Toxic friendship, Torture, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Mental illness, Violence, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Murder, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

dezaraemd's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is without a doubt one of the top 3 books I’ve ever read. Possibly number 1. I can’t wait to start the next one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Torture, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia

Minor: Classism, Cursing, Deportation, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, and Alcohol

bimsa's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Plot was foreseeable and perspectives weren’t varied. Such a slow pace book into a quick ending. Excessive use of trauma for no reason.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Medical trauma, Torture, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Death of parent

kyahs's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Child abuse, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Rape

rachelguy72's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.0

Flew through this book for the Weekly Drip book club! 

I'm not usually a self harm gore thriller reader. This book was hard for me to get through even though it was fast.  The unending narcissism and gas lighting was almost unbearable, The end was pretty clear to see but the writing style and plot kept me in the world!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse

ellaticonstellation's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Damn! This book hooked me. It was written in a way where I craved for more. Highly addictive to say the least. I couldn't stop reading. This is my third book from Freida and I thoroughly enjoyed this one more than the other two. Nina and Millie were both smart women who fell for the wrong guy. Good thing Enzo helped out. I thought he was undercover or something. Lol. God. It turned so dark, I had chills. Men like Andrew disgusted me. Who does that? Oh, one thing I wasn't crazy about was the police turned out to be Andy's ex's father. It was a bit too coincidental. But oh well, because of him, the women were free. Dear Cece will never be punished by a monster. The abuse stopped when he died and he turned that way because of Evelyn, his mother. And Millie's mission to help more women continues to the next book. I can't wait to read more. Thank you, Doc. (I heard in a book group on Fb that she's a doctor)✨

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Death, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Torture, Abandonment, Child abuse, Infertility, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence