A review by booklistqueen
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

After ten years in prison, Millie can't be picky about the jobs she takes so she feels extremely grateful to land a position as a housemaid to the Winchesters. At first, Nina Winchester seems grateful to have Millie clean up her disastrously messy house. Quickly, Nina's erratic mood changes have Millie on edge. Worse is watching Nina's perfect (and sexy) husband forced to live with such a wife, which has Millie imagining what it would be like to be in Nina's place.

When The Housemaid's Secret won a Goodreads Award in 2023, I realized I had somehow missed the train on McFadden's series. Let's be honest, The Housemaid is not particularly clever, deep, or original. The writing, in particular, left much to be desired. Yet Millie's darkly humorous personality made for a quick fun read. I could have done without the "pining over the married employer" vibe, but the ending took an unexpectedly dark turn that makes it stand out.