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The Housekeeper
She's a liar. She's a stalker. She's in your house.
When Claire sees Hannah Wilson at an exclusive Manhattan hair salon, it's like a knife slicing through barely healed scars. It may have been ten years since Claire last saw Hannah, but she has thought of her every day, and not in a good way. So Claire does what anyone would do in her position—she stalks her.
Hannah is now Mrs. Carter, living the charmed life that should have been Claire's. It's the life Claire used to have, before Hannah came along and took it all away from her.
Back then, Claire was a happy teenager with porcelain skin and long, wavy blond hair. Now she's an overweight, lazy drunk with hair the color of compost and skin to match. Which is why when Hannah advertises for a housekeeper, Claire is confident she can apply and not be recognized. And since she has time on her hands, revenge on her mind, and a talent for acting…
Because what better way to seek retribution—and redress—than from within the beautiful Mrs. Hannah Carter's own home?
Except that it's not just Claire who has secrets. Everyone in that house seems to have something to hide.
And now, there's no way out.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2019
About the author
Natalie Barelli
11 books2,136 followersYou will usually find Natalie Barelli reading a book, and that book will more likely than not be a psychological thriller. When not absorbed in the latest gripping page-turner, Natalie rides motorcycles, knits very badly and spends far too much time at the computer. She lives in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 2,300 reviews
January 4, 2020
When I began reading this I couldn’t decide if I liked it, or felt it was a similar, but not quite as good, “Jane Doe”. (Victoria Helen Stone)
Claire reminded me of our favorite character, Ms Doe, except that I loved Jane Doe, and could root for her success, as the person she plotted her revenge against was so deserving of it!!
I did not like Claire, and was not sure that her Victim, Mrs Hannah Carter, deserved what she was getting from her “housekeeper” so, I wasn’t rooting for Claire...
I was just observing...
The twist at the end, did surprise me, and it wasn’t a boring story, BUT, for me, it was just an average thriller (3 stars) with a fairytale ending that did not really fit the genre.
Claire reminded me of our favorite character, Ms Doe, except that I loved Jane Doe, and could root for her success, as the person she plotted her revenge against was so deserving of it!!
I did not like Claire, and was not sure that her Victim, Mrs Hannah Carter, deserved what she was getting from her “housekeeper” so, I wasn’t rooting for Claire...
I was just observing...
The twist at the end, did surprise me, and it wasn’t a boring story, BUT, for me, it was just an average thriller (3 stars) with a fairytale ending that did not really fit the genre.
February 14, 2020
"I don't want to be pulled out of it, April. I like my misery. It's taken alot of effort to be this miserable. Why would I throw it all away?"
The Housekeeper by Natalie Barelli
Where do I begin?
It is rare for me to cry from a domestic thriller. We read these books..and all genres provoke different reactions.
In the case of the domestic thriller, we read them for fun, for suspense..but usually we are not TOUCHED..to the point that what we're reading ceases being a standard thriller and becomes something else all together.
Well that is how I felt about The Housekeeper.This is a book I chose because I was in the mood for a non thinking book where I didn't have to try to hard to follow.
Turns out it was anything but non thinking. This is one of the best thrillers I've read all year. Don't get me wrong..this IS a domestic thriller. And it is written so well.
If I had to describe this book I'd say "Jane Doe" meets "Girl on a train" meets "the woman in the window". But it was original and unpredictable. It does not go in the direction I figured it would.
The plot revolves around Claire. Claire is hurting. Actually she's dying inside a little bit more each day. She is angry, has let her looks go..has let her life go..all because of Hannah.
From the start. we the readers, know Hannah did something terrible to Claire and her family which broke apart Claire's whole family. It ruined her life and the lives of both her parents who are now deceased.
When Claire sees Hannah at the hair salon, she is triggered. She wants revenge. For what we do not know. This will slowly be revealed to us.
Adding to the mystery..Claire and Hannah have only ever met once. And briefly at that. Which is why Claire is able to get a job working for Hanna..the rich and beautiful Hannah..as her housekeeper What will happen next? What will Claire do? What DID Hanna do? And who is the enemy? How will this enemy pay?
I cannot say anymore. This book started out great but it builds in intensity as more and more are revealed to the reader. It's a mindfuck of a book..in a good way..but there are important and serious themes it carries and there is a depth to this book that one rarely sees in books of this genre. Yes, my eyes watered a bit as the book went on to its powerful and totally unpredictable conclusion.
I would recommend this book to any fan of the genre. Stay with this one, do not even try to figure it out. There are so many twists in this one but it is written so seamlessly I just floated through it in one sitting.
The character of Claire was written beautifully and I do love when writers are able to capture the humility of a character, who may do bad things but are not bad themselves.
I would give this a strong four stars and highly recommend The Housekeeper.
The Housekeeper by Natalie Barelli
Where do I begin?
It is rare for me to cry from a domestic thriller. We read these books..and all genres provoke different reactions.
In the case of the domestic thriller, we read them for fun, for suspense..but usually we are not TOUCHED..to the point that what we're reading ceases being a standard thriller and becomes something else all together.
Well that is how I felt about The Housekeeper.This is a book I chose because I was in the mood for a non thinking book where I didn't have to try to hard to follow.
Turns out it was anything but non thinking. This is one of the best thrillers I've read all year. Don't get me wrong..this IS a domestic thriller. And it is written so well.
If I had to describe this book I'd say "Jane Doe" meets "Girl on a train" meets "the woman in the window". But it was original and unpredictable. It does not go in the direction I figured it would.
The plot revolves around Claire. Claire is hurting. Actually she's dying inside a little bit more each day. She is angry, has let her looks go..has let her life go..all because of Hannah.
From the start. we the readers, know Hannah did something terrible to Claire and her family which broke apart Claire's whole family. It ruined her life and the lives of both her parents who are now deceased.
When Claire sees Hannah at the hair salon, she is triggered. She wants revenge. For what we do not know. This will slowly be revealed to us.
Adding to the mystery..Claire and Hannah have only ever met once. And briefly at that. Which is why Claire is able to get a job working for Hanna..the rich and beautiful Hannah..as her housekeeper What will happen next? What will Claire do? What DID Hanna do? And who is the enemy? How will this enemy pay?
I cannot say anymore. This book started out great but it builds in intensity as more and more are revealed to the reader. It's a mindfuck of a book..in a good way..but there are important and serious themes it carries and there is a depth to this book that one rarely sees in books of this genre. Yes, my eyes watered a bit as the book went on to its powerful and totally unpredictable conclusion.
I would recommend this book to any fan of the genre. Stay with this one, do not even try to figure it out. There are so many twists in this one but it is written so seamlessly I just floated through it in one sitting.
The character of Claire was written beautifully and I do love when writers are able to capture the humility of a character, who may do bad things but are not bad themselves.
I would give this a strong four stars and highly recommend The Housekeeper.
June 10, 2020
This book gets off to a slow start. Clare is not a likeable character, so I wasn’t thrilled to keep hearing about how she’s a pathetic loser, all because of Hannah. I wanted to tell Clare to wash her hair and put on her big girl panties. But I stuck with it to see what lengths she would go to to exact revenge. Turns out, pretty far, including taking a job as Hannah’s housekeeper.
The plot is not at all believable. You have to be willing to accept a lot of coincidental plot points. And call me crazy, but wouldn’t Hannah notice earlier that Clare isn’t really cleaning the house? I can tell when my house hasn’t been dusted for a week.
The tale spins on two unreliable narrators. Clare, of course, and Hannah, from entries in her diary. Barelli does a good job of keeping us off balance not knowing which of them is telling the truth.
It’s a super fast read. No depth to speak of. I read too many mysteries and psychological thrillers to be impressed with this one. The big “twist” at the ending didn’t work for me at all.
I’m just glad to be done with this one and able to move on to something better.
The plot is not at all believable. You have to be willing to accept a lot of coincidental plot points. And call me crazy, but wouldn’t Hannah notice earlier that Clare isn’t really cleaning the house? I can tell when my house hasn’t been dusted for a week.
The tale spins on two unreliable narrators. Clare, of course, and Hannah, from entries in her diary. Barelli does a good job of keeping us off balance not knowing which of them is telling the truth.
It’s a super fast read. No depth to speak of. I read too many mysteries and psychological thrillers to be impressed with this one. The big “twist” at the ending didn’t work for me at all.
I’m just glad to be done with this one and able to move on to something better.
November 17, 2019
Natalie Barelli has got to be one of my favorite authors. I've loved each of her books, and this one is no exception. This is a tense thriller, and what I love about her books is the dark and bitingly funny humor that gets weaved in. The twist was totally unexpected, and I was very satisfied from start to finish! I highly recommend this and all of Barelli's novels, especially the two Emma Fern books.
April 10, 2021
Started this last night & just cannot go on Claire was the most unlikeable character & her efforts at stalking Hannah were unbelievable not my cup of tea.
July 27, 2021
Great thriller!!! Although I was enjoying it, I thought this was going to be the typical thriller. Wow! What a wonderful surprise! The ending had a twist I did not see coming. I also really enjoyed the character development of the protagonist, Claire. She made me laugh at times, and also had me on the edge of my seat. This is a quick, suspenseful read that will keep you reading late into the night. I definitely recommend this to thriller addicts. I am looking forward to more books by Natalie Barelli.
April 21, 2020
3.5 Stars: Given the Covid-19 crisis, my book club needed a story that possessed enough of a thriller aspect to distract our sad hearts. “The Housekeeper” by Natalie Barelli is a highly rated thriller novel with promises of addictive reading. It delivered.
The protagonist, Claire, is a 24-year-old, very unlikeable and struggling young adult. She’s a bit crazy. Well, very crazy. Her life ambition at the beginning of the novel is scamming people to just get by. Claire sees a woman from her past, who Claire feels has wronged her. Through devious ways, she finds this woman’s new name and decides she’s going to frame her.
Claire’s thought process is off. Reading her thoughts is enough to give you the creeps. The plot, basically, is that Claire poses as a housekeeper to get into the home of this villainous woman from her past. As with all thrillers, how she does this is a bit over-the-top, but believable enough to be creepy. She plots and plans to force her enemy to confess to what she did 10 years ago.
There are some amazing plot twists that make this a deserving read. It’s dark and creepy and a fantastic read to take your mind away.
The protagonist, Claire, is a 24-year-old, very unlikeable and struggling young adult. She’s a bit crazy. Well, very crazy. Her life ambition at the beginning of the novel is scamming people to just get by. Claire sees a woman from her past, who Claire feels has wronged her. Through devious ways, she finds this woman’s new name and decides she’s going to frame her.
Claire’s thought process is off. Reading her thoughts is enough to give you the creeps. The plot, basically, is that Claire poses as a housekeeper to get into the home of this villainous woman from her past. As with all thrillers, how she does this is a bit over-the-top, but believable enough to be creepy. She plots and plans to force her enemy to confess to what she did 10 years ago.
There are some amazing plot twists that make this a deserving read. It’s dark and creepy and a fantastic read to take your mind away.
April 9, 2021
I read Natalie Barelli’s ‘Unfaithful’ and having liked it, looked forward to reading more of her books. Just maybe I chose the wrong one. To the book’s credit you can read it pretty quickly, if that is a consideration.
Claire’s life isn’t great – she has a part time job and her parents have passed away after some traumatic experiences. One day she sees Hannah at a hair salon who she blames for what her family went through many years back and is determined to get even. She finds out that Hannah is married to Harvey, a rich man and suspects she has manipulated him as well. She manages to become her housekeeper and has plans to get Hannah to repent.
The premise of the story had potential, but average characterization, far-fetched plot & forced twists to lend some drama to the story did not work for me.
Claire’s life isn’t great – she has a part time job and her parents have passed away after some traumatic experiences. One day she sees Hannah at a hair salon who she blames for what her family went through many years back and is determined to get even. She finds out that Hannah is married to Harvey, a rich man and suspects she has manipulated him as well. She manages to become her housekeeper and has plans to get Hannah to repent.
The premise of the story had potential, but average characterization, far-fetched plot & forced twists to lend some drama to the story did not work for me.
July 22, 2023
I liked the few first pages of this book, weirdly enough. Yes, the main character was truly unremarkable and constantly rambling how much of a loser she is but I was into her crazy thoughts and lies.
To like a character is one thing but the whole plot and how it was driven until the twists and the ending fell really short for my liking. There's just nothing special about the whole thing. I wasn't eager enough to know how the story would play out because it was boring most of the time.
I think The Housekeeper is a blend of lazy writing and uninteresting plot with unlikeable characters. Such a let down for me. Thankfully, it wasn't dragged into hundreds and hundreds of pages like "What We Forgot To Bury—that one is equally frustrating.
To like a character is one thing but the whole plot and how it was driven until the twists and the ending fell really short for my liking. There's just nothing special about the whole thing. I wasn't eager enough to know how the story would play out because it was boring most of the time.
I think The Housekeeper is a blend of lazy writing and uninteresting plot with unlikeable characters. Such a let down for me. Thankfully, it wasn't dragged into hundreds and hundreds of pages like "What We Forgot To Bury—that one is equally frustrating.
July 20, 2022
If you thought: "The Housekeeper" would turn out to be a story of revenge and retribution, like "If Tomorrow Comes," you were very wrong. The victim here is not at all as innocent and noble as Stephanie Harper (and often throws up, chivoustam). With the antagonist, too, everything is not easy, every now and then you catch yourself liking her.
And this will not be a confrontation in the classical sense, because there is still a third force, much more powerful and insidious than one can imagine. The force is cruel and pursuing unclear goals.
Natalie Barelli, whom you may know from books with talking titles "And then I killed her", "And then he killed me", feels free in the territory of hatred, manipulation, hidden hostility and violence. You will alternately find yourself in "Rebecca", "Poison Ivy", "Glass House".
The state of utter disorientation cannot be called cozy, so we don't take a thriller for comfort, no? Motivations and narrative logic are limping on both feet. But it won't be boring.
... которое едят холодным
Волк ночью, думая залезть в овчарню,
Попал на псарню.
"Волк на псарне" И.А.Крылов
Клэр Петерсен лузер. Жизнь только началась, а она уже проиграла и потеряла все, что можно было потерять и проиграть: любящую семью, богатый красивый дом, учебу в престижном месте, интересную высокооплачиваемую работу, путешествия, стильную одежду, дизайнерские украшения - все, что делает жизнь верхушки золотого миллиарда столь притягательной для остальных представителей человечества.
Все рухнуло, когда ей было четырнадцать. В их дом вошла тогда девушка из Канады Ханна, взятая няней к младшему братишке. Вошла ненадолго, но ударная волна от ее присутствия разметала уютный мир девушки в клочья, и теперь она могла бы сказать о себе фразой из "Буратино": "Пациент скорее мертв, чем жив". Могла бы, если бы было. кому спрашивать. Но друзей у Клэр нет, а с немногочисленной оставшейся родней она сама разорвала отношения после того ужасного, что случилось тогда.
Стоит ли удивляться, что столкнувшись неожиданно со злодейкой, которая вид имеет не бледный (какой должна бы), но вполне себе процветающий, словно она неким магическим способом забрала себе жизни, которую должна была проживать Клэр, подсунув той свою - унылую и бесцветную. Так вот, стоит ли удивляться, что героиня выходит на тропу войны?
Если вы подумали сейчас, что "Лгунья" окажется историей мести и воздаяния, наподобие "Если наступит завтрашний день", вы сильно ошиблись. Здешняя жертва вовсе не так невинна и благородна, как Стефани Харпер (и частенько подбешивает, чивоуштам). С антагонисткой тоже все непросто, то и дело ловишь себя на симпатии к ней.
И это не будет противостоянием в классическом смысле, потому что есть еще третья сила, куда более могущественная и коварная, чем можно вообразить. Сила жестокая и преследующая неясные цели.
Натали Барелли, которую вы можете знат�� по книгам с говорящими названиями "И тогда я убила ее", "А потом он убил меня" свободно чувствует себя на территории ненависти, манипулирования, скрытой враждебности и насилия. Вы попеременно будете находить себя в "Ребекке", "Ядовитом плюще", "Стеклянном доме".
Состояние полнейшей дезориентированности нельзя назвать уютным, так ведь триллер мы не за комфортом берем, нет? Мотивации и повествовательная логика хромают на обе ноги. Но скучно не будет.
And this will not be a confrontation in the classical sense, because there is still a third force, much more powerful and insidious than one can imagine. The force is cruel and pursuing unclear goals.
Natalie Barelli, whom you may know from books with talking titles "And then I killed her", "And then he killed me", feels free in the territory of hatred, manipulation, hidden hostility and violence. You will alternately find yourself in "Rebecca", "Poison Ivy", "Glass House".
The state of utter disorientation cannot be called cozy, so we don't take a thriller for comfort, no? Motivations and narrative logic are limping on both feet. But it won't be boring.
... которое едят холодным
Волк ночью, думая залезть в овчарню,
Попал на псарню.
"Волк на псарне" И.А.Крылов
Клэр Петерсен лузер. Жизнь только началась, а она уже проиграла и потеряла все, что можно было потерять и проиграть: любящую семью, богатый красивый дом, учебу в престижном месте, интересную высокооплачиваемую работу, путешествия, стильную одежду, дизайнерские украшения - все, что делает жизнь верхушки золотого миллиарда столь притягательной для остальных представителей человечества.
Все рухнуло, когда ей было четырнадцать. В их дом вошла тогда девушка из Канады Ханна, взятая няней к младшему братишке. Вошла ненадолго, но ударная волна от ее присутствия разметала уютный мир девушки в клочья, и теперь она могла бы сказать о себе фразой из "Буратино": "Пациент скорее мертв, чем жив". Могла бы, если бы было. кому спрашивать. Но друзей у Клэр нет, а с немногочисленной оставшейся родней она сама разорвала отношения после того ужасного, что случилось тогда.
Стоит ли удивляться, что столкнувшись неожиданно со злодейкой, которая вид имеет не бледный (какой должна бы), но вполне себе процветающий, словно она неким магическим способом забрала себе жизни, которую должна была проживать Клэр, подсунув той свою - унылую и бесцветную. Так вот, стоит ли удивляться, что героиня выходит на тропу войны?
Если вы подумали сейчас, что "Лгунья" окажется историей мести и воздаяния, наподобие "Если наступит завтрашний день", вы сильно ошиблись. Здешняя жертва вовсе не так невинна и благородна, как Стефани Харпер (и частенько подбешивает, чивоуштам). С антагонисткой тоже все непросто, то и дело ловишь себя на симпатии к ней.
И это не будет противостоянием в классическом смысле, потому что есть еще третья сила, куда более могущественная и коварная, чем можно вообразить. Сила жестокая и преследующая неясные цели.
Натали Барелли, которую вы можете знат�� по книгам с говорящими названиями "И тогда я убила ее", "А потом он убил меня" свободно чувствует себя на территории ненависти, манипулирования, скрытой враждебности и насилия. Вы попеременно будете находить себя в "Ребекке", "Ядовитом плюще", "Стеклянном доме".
Состояние полнейшей дезориентированности нельзя назвать уютным, так ведь триллер мы не за комфортом берем, нет? Мотивации и повествовательная логика хромают на обе ноги. Но скучно не будет.
November 25, 2020
I'm pretty certain Barelli is not an author I love. I read her previous novel, The Loyal Wife, and it was really bad. I hated it. There is an amateur quality to her writing (I know, who the hell am I to criticize) but there really is something missing. Something that separates her from other best seller authors....
All that to say, I found a way to enjoy The House Keeper. Almost as a guilty pleasure, because I know it's going to be bad before I start. This was a quick read and I enjoyed that the main character was a total snarky P.O.S, it made for a fairly funny read at times.
I do hate how this author wraps everything up for all the characters and side characters in to a neat little bow at the end. She did that at the end of The Loyal Wife too. It's pretty insulting and really detracts from any grit, thrill, intrigue etc that might have built up over the course of the story.
All in all, entertaining but not a mystery that's going to move you.
All that to say, I found a way to enjoy The House Keeper. Almost as a guilty pleasure, because I know it's going to be bad before I start. This was a quick read and I enjoyed that the main character was a total snarky P.O.S, it made for a fairly funny read at times.
I do hate how this author wraps everything up for all the characters and side characters in to a neat little bow at the end. She did that at the end of The Loyal Wife too. It's pretty insulting and really detracts from any grit, thrill, intrigue etc that might have built up over the course of the story.
All in all, entertaining but not a mystery that's going to move you.
October 12, 2020
Well written with all the bits you could want in a psychological.
March 25, 2024
I thought this was absolutely terrible 😂
I didn’t see the twist coming and yet I still didn’t like the book 😂
I didn’t see the twist coming and yet I still didn’t like the book 😂
August 15, 2020
I found this a really good read! The strong character voice kept me glued to the pages, wondering what was going to happen next. I confess, I'm a sucker for an unreliable narrator who has a little bit of an edge to her, and I see the book has had some mixed reviews because for some readers the main narrator would be quite unlikeable. But if that's not too much of a problem for you, I think you'll enjoy The Housekeeper. It would be especially good for fans of John Marrs.
December 18, 2019
Claire, while not a likable character, is extremely entertaining. She is deceitful, manipulative, callous but also snarky and snide, which adds a nice humorous tone to the book. I enjoyed getting inside her head (scary I know) and understanding why she did the things she did.
I did enjoy the twists of the book. One was pretty obvious to me at about the halfway point (but then I read a lot of these books) while others came as a surprise. Despite figuring out some aspects of the ending, it didn't deter my enjoy of this book.
This is my first read by Natalie Barelli, but I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.
I did enjoy the twists of the book. One was pretty obvious to me at about the halfway point (but then I read a lot of these books) while others came as a surprise. Despite figuring out some aspects of the ending, it didn't deter my enjoy of this book.
This is my first read by Natalie Barelli, but I'm looking forward to reading more of her books in the future.
January 18, 2020
Fun, easy, quick little domestic thriller. Binged in one day. Free on Hoopla. Life is good 😎
April 24, 2020
This was a crazy read! Claire is definitely a sociopath, she is beyond messed up, but she owns it! This was quite a trip watching Claire enact revenge on Hannah. We find out pretty quickly why she’s so vengeful, which I appreciated. I’m not a big fan of when authors drag out the secret. I was definitely engaged the whole time and I really liked the twists! Looking forward to more books from Barelli.
January 14, 2021
Cheesey.
Unrealistic- even stupid dialog.
Far fetched at best.
Mediocre.
I have nothing nice to say about this book, so I won’t say any more.
Unrealistic- even stupid dialog.
Far fetched at best.
Mediocre.
I have nothing nice to say about this book, so I won’t say any more.
January 14, 2020
Audio...3.75
Story...2 stars
Story...2 stars
August 10, 2020
Give me all of Natalie Barelli’s books! Lots of twists and I did not see that ending coming!
December 21, 2024
a queen of self-deprecating,
(un)claire is a hilarious narrator
and her revenge plan went great
until the plot twist: clever, but it
became a cliché since then. :x
(un)claire is a hilarious narrator
and her revenge plan went great
until the plot twist: clever, but it
became a cliché since then. :x
February 17, 2023
I started out hating this book because the two main characters were crazy but by the end I was enjoying it and could not wait to finish to see what happens. It's a story about two women who had a past connection and how the one blamed the other for so many problems in her family and tried to get even. Then the husband of the one who is not really know what is going on gets involved and that's when the interest comes to center for me. It's more like a psychological thriller and many things going on.
January 8, 2020
The Housekeeper has been categorized as a "twisted psychological thriller." I do not share this opinion. Psychological ? Yes. Twisted ? A little bit. Thriller ? Not so much. The story line has potential for greatness, but in the end it falls flat. Towards the end I started wondering if there was only one main character and the other woman was merely an alter personality. Sadly that was not the case. It's never a good sign when you find yourself wanting to rewrite the end of a book.
January 11, 2020
I listened to the audiobook and stopped listening after 20 or so minutes. The narration was horrible. The main character is 24, but the narrator made her sound like a 45-year-old. A 29yo character sounded like an 8yo. And am older woman with a lisp sounded just ridiculous. The narration makes or breaks a book.
Because several people said that the plot surprised them, something difficult to do in a thriller these days, I gave it a second chance. The narration was still horrible, but I got through it. The story indeed took a turn I wasn’t expecting.
If the book had better narration I would have given it 4 stars. If you enjoy thrillers and read the book, it would probably be a better experience than I had listening to it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧
Because several people said that the plot surprised them, something difficult to do in a thriller these days, I gave it a second chance. The narration was still horrible, but I got through it. The story indeed took a turn I wasn’t expecting.
If the book had better narration I would have given it 4 stars. If you enjoy thrillers and read the book, it would probably be a better experience than I had listening to it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧
January 3, 2020
5 stars audio
5 stars story
5 stars story
Read
June 10, 2020This was a DNF at 30% for me. I tried several times to pick it up and give it another go, but I despised the main character and every other character so much that I decided not to waste another minute of a my time on this one.
February 25, 2020
*****SPOILERS*****
This is a bag full of spoilers since I'm using this space to summarise the book, just in case I forgot what it was all about. Overall, it was a good book, I read it in one sitting, though the ending seems a bit rushed. I also didn't expect such a happy ending, given how dark the beginning of the book was.
My first book by Natalie Barelli, which goes like this
Claire Petersen is a sad soul with nothing to look forward to in life. She lived with April, a kind and sensible lady. Claire came from a rich and seemingly happy family, until they hired a young nanny named Hannah Wilson. Hannah lasted for only a short while before quitting the job and moved back to her hometown. She confessed to her parents that she was sexually assaulted by Claire's father, leading to a court case that was all over the news. Amid the accusations, Clair's family fought back, countering that she was a fraud and gold diggers who was trying to blackmail the Petersens for their money. While the legal battle was still ongoing, Claire's father died from a heart attack and the case was closed. However, the family faced a financial collapse because Claire's mother had to spend a lot of money to pay back her father's "clients". It turned out that the accusations were true after all, and Claire's mother had been using all the money to silence other victims, but our Claire didn't know all this. They moved to a small apartment and her mother drank herself to death, leaving Claire with nothing to live for, until she ran into Hannah at a salon one day. Burning with revenge, Claire started stalking Hannah and found out that she is now married to Harvey Carter and the couple has a four-month old baby named Mia. Claire then went on to impersonate Louise Martin, someone who went to Hannah's house for an interview for a housekeeper position. After successfully tricking Louise and making her give up on the interview, Claire planted herself into the Carter's household as a housekeeper. While pretending to work there, Claire/Louise discovered Hannah's somewhat unusual behaviors, like feeling tired all the time or afraid of certain things. Claire/Louise also discovered Hannah's journal, which wrote about things that did not happen. Claire/Louise thought that Hannah was a dangerous gold digger who was trying to harm her husband and baby and put the blame on the housekeeper. However, it turned out that it was the husband, Harvey, who was the dangerous one. He was a psychopath who loved to hurt people and he was the one who wrote "Hannah's journal" and intended to kill both Hannah and Mia while using the fabricated journal as evidence to frame Claire. Harvey discovered Claire's secret and told her his intention. The ending was a rush one where Hannah ended up getting poisoned by Harvey and Claire trying to escape all this shit. Then a family friend, Eryn, came over and witnessed Claire running away with Mia and Harvey chasing after them. Eryn then called the police and they came over to arrest Claire which she somehow managed to convince them that Harvey was lying and the evidence was in the baby monitor. After being discovered of his true crime, Harvey jumped off from the building and died. Hannah survived and Claire after knowing the truth about her father, told Hannah everything and they reconciled. Together with Mia, Hannah moved in with April and Claire. April and Claire set up a flower shop together while Claire managed to get back on her feet and enrolled herself in college and lived a happy life with her boyfriend Dominic. The end.
This is a bag full of spoilers since I'm using this space to summarise the book, just in case I forgot what it was all about. Overall, it was a good book, I read it in one sitting, though the ending seems a bit rushed. I also didn't expect such a happy ending, given how dark the beginning of the book was.
My first book by Natalie Barelli, which goes like this
Claire Petersen is a sad soul with nothing to look forward to in life. She lived with April, a kind and sensible lady. Claire came from a rich and seemingly happy family, until they hired a young nanny named Hannah Wilson. Hannah lasted for only a short while before quitting the job and moved back to her hometown. She confessed to her parents that she was sexually assaulted by Claire's father, leading to a court case that was all over the news. Amid the accusations, Clair's family fought back, countering that she was a fraud and gold diggers who was trying to blackmail the Petersens for their money. While the legal battle was still ongoing, Claire's father died from a heart attack and the case was closed. However, the family faced a financial collapse because Claire's mother had to spend a lot of money to pay back her father's "clients". It turned out that the accusations were true after all, and Claire's mother had been using all the money to silence other victims, but our Claire didn't know all this. They moved to a small apartment and her mother drank herself to death, leaving Claire with nothing to live for, until she ran into Hannah at a salon one day. Burning with revenge, Claire started stalking Hannah and found out that she is now married to Harvey Carter and the couple has a four-month old baby named Mia. Claire then went on to impersonate Louise Martin, someone who went to Hannah's house for an interview for a housekeeper position. After successfully tricking Louise and making her give up on the interview, Claire planted herself into the Carter's household as a housekeeper. While pretending to work there, Claire/Louise discovered Hannah's somewhat unusual behaviors, like feeling tired all the time or afraid of certain things. Claire/Louise also discovered Hannah's journal, which wrote about things that did not happen. Claire/Louise thought that Hannah was a dangerous gold digger who was trying to harm her husband and baby and put the blame on the housekeeper. However, it turned out that it was the husband, Harvey, who was the dangerous one. He was a psychopath who loved to hurt people and he was the one who wrote "Hannah's journal" and intended to kill both Hannah and Mia while using the fabricated journal as evidence to frame Claire. Harvey discovered Claire's secret and told her his intention. The ending was a rush one where Hannah ended up getting poisoned by Harvey and Claire trying to escape all this shit. Then a family friend, Eryn, came over and witnessed Claire running away with Mia and Harvey chasing after them. Eryn then called the police and they came over to arrest Claire which she somehow managed to convince them that Harvey was lying and the evidence was in the baby monitor. After being discovered of his true crime, Harvey jumped off from the building and died. Hannah survived and Claire after knowing the truth about her father, told Hannah everything and they reconciled. Together with Mia, Hannah moved in with April and Claire. April and Claire set up a flower shop together while Claire managed to get back on her feet and enrolled herself in college and lived a happy life with her boyfriend Dominic. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2022
I rated this a 5 but I could rate it a 6. Its so good.
This was a psychological thriller that pulls you in. Your so distracted by the main events, you don't even know your being strung along lol. The twist is so unexpected, it leaves your mouth hanging open like an idiot. Your left questioning everything.
This was every part gripping and compelling. This was enticing and enthralling. It has you hooked by every word. It's so good. I highly recommend.
This was a psychological thriller that pulls you in. Your so distracted by the main events, you don't even know your being strung along lol. The twist is so unexpected, it leaves your mouth hanging open like an idiot. Your left questioning everything.
This was every part gripping and compelling. This was enticing and enthralling. It has you hooked by every word. It's so good. I highly recommend.
March 23, 2020
Stayed up all night to read this book because I couldn’t put it down! Such a fantastic read!!! I couldn’t put it down and the twists are amazing! Highly recommend!
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