"i’m not even going to sugarcoat it �� this book was horrendous

�� minus half a star for ‘Little Tuna�� 🥴
�� minus one star for the utterly stupid + delusional characters
�� minus half a star for the copious mentions of leg/ankle pain (we get it, you’re in pain!!!)
�� minus one star for the terribly annoying + repetitive writing
�� minus half a star for being anticlimactic and very predictable (that ending was awful)

so we’re at��. 1.5 stars! i am graciously rounding up like the nice human i am. (edit: nevermind, i decided to round down 🙂)

i have read four of freida’s books and i have previously described her writing as ‘bingeable�� and ‘easy to read��, just to be nice.

all along, i really just meant it’s genuinely BAD, uninspired , + simple writing and i wanted nothing more than to get it over with. this book is no different. how she’s so popular, i genuinely do not know.

i’m done with freida indefinitely��

◤���┶�•~❉᯽❉~•���┶���
book club read!

read with us ���
◣���┶�•~❉᯽❉~•���┶���&��ܴdz�;

&��ܴdz�;�� 2/5 stars

I’ve always been a fan of Frieda’s books, and I was so sure I’d love this one too, until I actually finished it. Honestly, this book felt like a repeat of The Boyfriend, her last release. I was beyond excited when I started it, but by the end, I was so disappointed. The entire story felt like a chaotic nightmare that led to a mediocre and predictable conclusion.

The plot twist? Let’s just say it wasn’t hard to figure out, and it honestly had me rolling my eyes. I don’t mean to tell Frieda how to do her job like she has written some incredible books that are absolute bangers, and I’ve been her fan for a long time, but her last two releases have felt so unlike her usual work.

Just like The Boyfriend, this book kept me on edge the whole time, only to deliver a twist that was way too easy to see coming. Even though the storylines are different, the predictable execution made them feel oddly similar. Frieda has so much talent, and I know she can do better!

�� ABOUT THE BOOK ��

This book follows Tegan Warner, a 23-year-old woman who’s pregnant and traveling to meet her brother in another town. But fate has other plans, she gets into a car accident and crashes into a tree. Thankfully, she’s saved by a man named Hank, who takes her to his home. Sounds like the start of a rescue story, right? Well, not quite.

Hank’s wife Polly, who happens to be a nurse, tends to Tegan but not in the way you’d expect. To say she keeps Tegan captive would be putting it lightly. Despite knowing the risks of not giving Teagan proper medical care, she couldn’t care less about her condition. But just when you think all hope is lost, the story takes a turn, and somehow, this wild ride wraps up with a happily-ever-after.

�� ABOUT THE CHARACTERS ��

Now, this might come as a surprise, but Tegan Warner is the only FMC I’ve read in a thriller who actually had a functioning brain. Even after everything she went through, being in a car accident, being pregnant, and having a broken ankle, this girl fought tooth and nail to save herself and her unborn baby. Her determination was incredible.

Sure, she made a few dumb decisions here and there, but they were easy to overlook because most of the time, she did what was best for both of them. What I loved most about her was that she never gave up, not even once. Her resilience made her the only tolerable character in the book, and honestly, I couldn’t help but root for her.

As for the couple who “s��������� her...where do I even begin? Hank was essentially described as a human Bigfoot, massive, giant, and large. We get it, he’s huge, but did it need to be repeated every other paragraph? It was more annoying than anything else.

And then there’s Polly...oh, Polly. This woman was infuriating. The lengths she went to for her selfish desires were downright disturbing. I get that she suffered losses, and I sympathize with that, but let’s be real, dealing with grief doesn’t give you the right to make others suffer. Her actions were beyond cruel, and I hated her guts for it.

�� ABOUT THE WRITING��

I’ve always loved Frieda’s writing, it’s simple, easy to read, and always manages to keep you hooked from start to finish. This book was no different in that sense. From the moment I started, I couldn’t put it down. Her storytelling has this undeniable grip, pulling you in with every chapter.

But then came the plot twist, and...well, it left me disappointed. I had high expectations, especially knowing what Frieda is capable of, but this one just didn’t deliver the way I hoped it would. The twist felt underwhelming, which made the overall story lose some of its charm for me.

That being said, there’s still something about Frieda’s books that I can’t resist. Even when the plot doesn’t hit the mark, the way she writes keeps you invested, turning the pages late into the night. That’s the magic of her stories, they reel you in and refuse to let go. For that, I’ll always be a fan.

°˖�� "Overall, if you’re in the mood for a thriller that keeps you hooked from start to finish, this could be the perfect pick for you, especially if you’re already a fan of Frieda’s work!" 💌

�� Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

-ˋˏ✄���┈�����
୨ৎ pre-read:
�� started - december 27, 2024

guess who got the arc of her most anticipated read of the year?! that’s right, me!!

yayyy, i can’t stop screaming omgg 😩🤌🏻"

" 2.75!

Where the fuck do I even start-

I was supposed to start it on the 28th but I scrolled insta all day 🧍🏻 and yesterday I actually had no hot to read this but l because I had so many assignments.... So by the time I got done ( 1 am) I picked this up and I literally finished it by 4:40 😭😭 like I read it so quick and I actually had no hopes of read it this quick but it was very easy to read.
I think that's what I like about Freida McFaddens books they are very enjoyable and easy to read so like that automatically puts them on the three star region and the plot twist or how well she carries the whole plot determines whether it's 4/5 or 2 😭 and in this instance it was the latter. While I love the thrilling vibe (minimal, but still enticing) and the fast paced nature of this book, I could not overlook the factors that hindered my enjoyment level for this book.

I don't know though to be honest, if the cause of this is Frieda working overtime when writing isn't even her full-time job, to publish four novels a year that is putting a strain in the quality of the books that she publishes but I fear, it's time for her to take a break because no matter what I rate a Freida book, I always manage to enjoy it. I've not read that many books by her- only 6 (including this one) and this and the one that was published before this were the only ones I rated two stars so the quality of her new books is definitely dropping. Her books are a guilty pleasure for me. You give me her books and I would enjoy them sm so I actually cannot give up on this author 😭✋�� but the plot twist in this one was the weakest and honestly it kind of made the plot look shallow.

Enough yapping ✋�� time to get to the characters.

Tegan, for a Freida McFadden FMC...she was actually decent loll. She didn't make me want to pull my hair out in frustration and she also had me hooked in her monologue like I was very invested and at first I thought the story revolving her would deal with her soon to be born babys daddy 😭 but boy was I wrong because the crash happened and everything switched and honestly I still didn't mind it. She was willing to fight and was actually smart (as compared to Frieda's other FMC'S 🙏🏻). I feel like Freida did a smart thing by making her injured so like she quite literally was bound otherwise I'm pretty sure considering the way this story went she would have annoyed the fuck out of me but I'm glad that didn't happen.

Polly, I wanted to punch her. This bitch was crazy asf like pls no one wants them to this extent and honestly I wasn't really a fan of her perspective. She was very psychotic but her povs just made me agitated, I think that is what the author was going for so good job(?) but yeah I feel like seeing everything happening from tegans perspective proved to be more thrilling because we were unaware of the things happening and there was this sense of mystery but from Polly's perspective it was just frustration 😭 because we knew what was happening and we just couldn't help.

Hank, :/ like???? At least he was better than the wife but honestly this couple made me never want to marry and I laughed so much because I remembered that meme- arranged marriage is scary, what if she.. and that fits so well 😭 but Hank was such a weird character. I liked seeing his morals play a role but the way things unraveled at the end all his morality thing going on felt so meh. I know this seems so messy because I'm trying to not spoil.

Jackson and Simon(?), I actually thought that the storyline would follow them and I was actually invested but then the story switched and there scenes just vanished. I absolutely despise Simon. He's so baaaaad and Jacksons alright I literally have no thoughts for him because there wasn't any development regarding his character for me to form emotions or opinions on.

SPOILERS GOING FURTHER

what was even the point of the plot?? like first we are made to believe that Tegan's conflict would be with Simon the baby daddy but then it quickly switches to her being trapped in a batshit crazy woman's basement so the woman (polly) can find a way to get Tegan's unborn child and LIKE?? Why do you want a kid so bad- like okay yes kids are cute and good and obviously love them but to go to this extent- thats too much work. If I was living where she was living with a partner like Hank, i would wrap myself in a blanket, make a cup of hot cocoa and read a fucking book. Honestly, I was enjoying the plot and I was very invested to see where this would go and like how Tegan will get out because each day she was getting more crazy but the ending?? nah uh.

The classic unpredictable frieda mcfadden plot twists were found dead here. It felt so predictable what was about to happen and like Polly coming to get that baby from Tegan WHILE SHE WAS IN A HOSPITAL but then thought yk what maybe later and went awayyy felt so meh and his brother being bad was just dropped out of nowhere. It felt so out of place and the whole hank killing sadies dad and adopting him..I saw it coming form a mile away but I thought that polly would do it instead of Hank but it was obvious when they found the police near her house that it was Hank and that for hank was very eh as well.

Honestly the plot wasnt plotting in this one.

SPOILERS END

Overall, I just wish that the tenant is better.
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Look this was very fun to read and I quote literally read it in one sitting but the ending was so shit 😭 RTC tbh because 🥴
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Slept at the wrong hour 🧍🏻 now I'm gonna be awake the whole night sooo might as well just read a Freida book
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Freida this is not good for your health 🙏🏻 sleep please.

That being said, I'll absolutely eat it up!!"