The Housemaid Is Watching (The Housemaid #3)| By Freida McFadden

Millie and Enzo are married with kids. They are moving into a house in a beautiful neighborhood and thrilled to finally have a home of their own. Millie is a social worker and Enzo has his own landscaping company. 

Millie, Enzo and their two children have dinner with their neighbor Mrs. Lowell but their is something off with their maid. She makes Millie uncomfortable. The maid isn't the only strange person in the neighborhood. There is a woman who lives across the street  that knows everything going on. Mille tries to befriend her but finds it's not exactly an easy task. 

Millie starts to question if buying the house is a mistake. She's been warned about the neighbors by other neighbors, Enzo is acting strange and something just feels off ---- then a crime happens that can unravel all of their lives. 

This book will keep you on your toes. It's a slow burn that turns into an explosion. 

Forever, Interrupted | By Taylor Jenkins Reid

 

It was a rainy new years day when Elsie and Ben meet my chance at a pizza place. Their connection and chemistry is instant. Ben gets Elsie's number and calls her the next day. The quickly fall in love and by May they are married. Nine days after they have been married, Ben leaves their apartment to go pick up cereal. Ben never comes home. He is hit and killed. 

At the hospital Elsie meets Ben's mother Susan. Susan didn't know about Elise much less than her son was married to her causing issues. Both women are consumed by their grief but perhaps if they come together they can help each other heal.

Forever, Interrupted is told in current day and flashback scenes. The flashbacks to Ben give an emotional punch. Prepare yourself for some heart-wrenching moments while reading this book. This book makes you want to hold your loved ones tighter. The characters feel real and this story is beautiful yet so so sad. 

The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid #2) by Freida McFadden

 

McFadden writes excellent psychological thrillers. The Housemaid's Secret follows Millie the housemaid from the first book. It's been five years and Mille is nannying, clean homes and going to school to become a social worker.  Enzo her partner is no longer around and Millie is dating a man named Brock. 

Mille is hired to clean penthouse for the wealthy Garrick family. Douglas Garrick has given Millie a rule - she is to leave his wife alone. She is not to disturb his wife who has a health condition and prefers to be secluded. Millie finds is an odd rule but the pay is too good to refuse the job.

Millie comes across bloodstains while cleaning this causes her to break the rule and knock on the wife's door. Millie isn't prepared for what she discovers - Wendy's face is battered and bruised. Millie feels the need to help her but things are much more complicated that she knows.

This book is an amazing second installment not something we see much in series. McFadden pulls out twist and turns. Be prepared to do nothing but read once you start this book.

Fake Skating | By Lynn Painter

 

Dani and Alec were childhood friends. They spent summers playing together when Dani and her mom would come visit her grandfather. They wrote to one another and then it stopped. No more words exchanged and no more visits but things are about to change. Dani's parents are getting divorced and this means that Dani and her mom will be moving back. 

Dani and Alec are both hurt with one another and neither are looking forward to Dani being back. They are seniors in high school and Dani just wants to focus on school and get into the university of her dreams.

Alec has big dreams too. He is the hockey star of his high school team and is hoping hockey will be his big break and make it possible for him and his family to have more financial security. 

Alec and Dani find there way back into a friendship of sorts. They have a lot to learn about one another as time has changed who they are but deep down they know each others true self they just have to discover it.

Fake Skating is super cute and an easy read. If you like Lynn Painter's other books you will enjoy this one. 

The Housemaid (The Housemaid Book 1) | By Freida McFadden

 

Millie is working for the Winchesters. They have a beautiful home and Mille cleans, cooks and picks up the Winchesters daughter. Mille is a live in housemaid and is given a tiny room on the top floor of the home. The room is plain but for Millie it is like paradise because up until she got this job she had been living in her car. 

Millie quickly learns that something is amiss in the Winchester home. Nina the wife only wears white (and so does the young daughter). Nina makes messes on purpose and takes pleasure in watching Millie clean them up. Nina also does and says things to make Millie doubt herself. Nina goes from friendly to unfriendly back and forth causing much confusion.

Andrew the husband is handsome, rich and kind. Him and Nina don't quite seem to fit together. The daughter is peculiar, spoiled and a bit spooky. Despite misgivings, Millie continues to work for the Winchesters because the pay is good and she is a recently released convict which makes finding a job difficult. 

Mille discovers a huge secret that Nina is keeping and that mixed with warnings from the landscaper has her questioning more than the door to her room that only locks from the outside. 

The Housemaid is told in a diary type form and the audiobook keeps you captivated and makes you feel personally involved in the story. This story is binge worthy and I am excited to read more books in the series. I was entertained the ending was satisfying. 

Love Me Tomorrow by Emiko Jean

Publication Date: February 3, 2026

Emma Nakamura-Thatcher is only 17 years old.  Her parents are divorced and this has left her jaded and not believing in love. When she receives a love note from someone claiming to be from the future. She dismisses it as a joke but then she receives another note. Emma is intrigued and writes back to the sender. They exchange note after note but the writer refuses to disclose his identity. 

Emma makes is her mission to discover the identify of the writer and by doing so she opens herself up to others leading her to discover things about herself and others. 

Emiko Jean knows how to write. She creates a realistic world with characters that are relatable to (even if you aren't a teen or young adult). There is a lot of character growth. Jean's writing keeps you guessing and wanting everyone to be the secret letter writer. 

This is my first read by Jean and I feel as though I just discovered a writer I will be revisiting again an again.

** I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. 

16 Forever | By Lance Rubin

 

Publication Date: January 6, 2026

Carter Cohen has been reliving his 16th birthday for 6 years. Every year on his birthday his memory of the previous year is erased. He goes back to looking 16 and his family has to explain his situation. He is stuck in a loop and despite trying over and over again he can't seem to break out of it. 

The friends he grew up with are in college and living the lives of 22 year olds. Carter has to go back to high school, make new friends and live with the knowledge that everyone is aware of his condition and works around it. 

His previous girlfriend, Maggie who he has no memory of has decided to sit this loop out. She is leaving for college next year and doesn't want to go through the pain of losing him again. Carter finds himself drawn to her but she is doing everything she can to pretend she doesn't know who he is and has asked others to not remind him of their previous relationship.

Lincoln who is Carters brother is away at college and is now older than his older brother. Lincoln feels like he is to blame for the loop and is living with guilt.

This time loop book is a different take creating a fun and exciting story.  The characters are well developed and the plot flows with ease. 

I was given the opportunity to listen to a free copy of the audio book and the narrators are amazing. They bring the story to life. I was able to visualize it and felt as though I was watching a series on tv. 

This is  a time loop book you don't want to miss out on.

** I received a free copy of this audiobook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Most Eligible by Isabelle Engel

 

Georgia Rose is going undercover to do an expose on a hit reality show called,  Love Shack.  It's an important piece for her because it will make her dream job as a journalist possible. She plans to expose the show, producers and give backstage secrets on what it's like to be a contestant. Georgia is ready go integrate herself but when Rhett Auburn is introduced as this years host Georgia knows her life just got complicated.

Rhett was previously on the show and about a year ago Georgia had a passionate one night stand with him.  Rhett recognizes her but her knows her under a different name.  They will need to keep their one night stand a secret and pretend they don't know one another in order to both keep their part on the show.

This season's bachelor is Roland Marchetti. He is a tennis pro who has secrets of his own. The producer's of the game play a larger role in the selection process and his forced to play by there rules. There is a lot of manipulation going on behind the camera and in front of it. 

Engle's writing pulls you in as she captures the real feel of emotions and complicated relationships. You feel like you're experiencing a tell all in real time. This is a fun and charming book. You don't have to be a fan of reality shows to like this book (I am not). 

Anatomy of an Alibi | by Ashley Elston

 

Ben Bayliss is dead. He has been found murdered in his home office. He is a successful lawyer and married to Camille Bayliss. They appeared to have the picture perfect life but Camille had a gut feeling that Ben had been hiding something very important for years. 

Aubrey Price's life was changed over a decade ago. She is convinced Ben Bayliss had something to do with it and she wants to find out exactly how she was involved. 

Aubrey and Camille team up in order to spy on Ben but the day Ben is murdered only one of them has an alibi.

This book will hook you in however at times it's unbelievable and there are a lot of characters. It takes a bit to keep track  and sort them all out but once you do it's easy to understand why there are so many. There are lots of suspects.

The story is told from various points of view and in present and past form. It's a fun book with lots of action. I strongly suggest that you pay attention to dates in order to keep stories straight. It will save you some frustration. 

Best Offer Wins | by Marisa Kashino

 

Margo Miyake is tired of house hunting. Her and her husband have lost bidding war after bidding war. Eleven in fact. Margo is tired of living in her cramped apartment and when she gets a tip on a house that's going to hit the market she becomes obsessed. 

The house is perfect and is in the most perfect neighborhood. Margo wants to purchase the house before it hits the market and her path to making this happens includes stalking, trespassing and befriending the owners! Margo will do anything to make her dream come possible but some lines shouldn't be crossed.

This is Kashino's debut novel. It's dark, funny and if you have ever been house hunting you will relate to a degree.  It starts off strong and then slows and build up again. You can sense where the book is going but it's still a satisfying read. 

Served Him Right | By Lisa Unger

 

Expected Publication Date: March 10, 2026

Ana Blacksmith is celebrating the end of her relationship with, Paul. She is having an Ex-orcisim. It entails removing Paul from their social media accounts but the celebration is cut short when they receive news that Paul is dead. Ana is suspect number one.

Then one of the women (Iggy) from the friend group falls deathly ill. It is suspicious. 

Ana and Vera (Ana's sister) team up to prove Ana's innocent. Despite the amount of enemies Paul has finding who is responsible for his death is proving to be difficult.

Served Him Right is told through multiple points of view. The characters are well developed and the drama is at an all time high. Fans of Unger will love this book.

** I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.