Matcha & Motifs Book Review: 3.5/5 

After many years of saving housewives with Enzo, Millie is trying to put it all behind her. She’s taking college classes in hopes to earn her degree in social work and help people within the bounds of the law. However, when she’s hired by a tech billionaire to clean their impeccably clean penthouse, she can’t help but notice that she’s not allowed to see or speak to the wife behind closed doors. Does Millie stay quiet to keep her employment or will she risk it all to save another woman? 

So, if you’ve been following this little series, I absolutely loved the first book. So much so that I had to read this one, which I enjoyed. The writing style and characters immediately pulled me back into Millie’s world, and I commend this author for being able to create such a seamless flow between books. McFadden does a great job at setting up the book with high stakes. The stakes that existed in book one are still relevant but with a twist: Enzo has gone back to Italy, and Millie has a new boyfriend who doesn’t know about her criminal record or background. I like it because it sets up the problems in the book to be familiar but opens up new doors for trouble. 

The pacing felt a bit slower in this book. The beginning felt like a repeat of book one, so it got me thinking where is this going? A lot of the nuggets that were leading to the grand reveal almost didn’t feel natural but instead, was tied to Millie’s paranoia or gut instinct. It was a very character-driven plot, which I typically like, but it felt a bit random and forced in this book. Personally, I felt that some of her actions didn’t feel logical and were only occurring because it was necessary for the plot.

***CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!***  

When the plot took its turn, I was in for a ride. I’ve got to say, McFadden continues to surprise me and that’s surprising because like I’ve mentioned, one thriller feels like all thrillers. But I loved the plot twist and I also love the first POV in the prologue chapter. It makes me wonder “how did we get here?” and also, “whose perspective is this?” although I instinctively think it’s Millie’s. Which adds to it, ya know? 

I think once we got to the end, the build up made sense, and things didn’t seem accidental anymore. For example, when she was at lunch with her boyfriend and noticed her boss in an unexpected side of town she decided to follow him. I thought this was so weird and crazy of her, but it comes into play when determining who this impersonating billionaire boss actually is, because we learn about a key identifier, his wife. It all adds up in the end, but Millie following her boss was scary because shouldn’t you be running from your potential stalker and not towards? Like I mentioned, these actions feels like it only works because this is who Millie is.

Despite my hesitations, I really enjoyed the plot twist. With Millie’s line of work, it feels inevitable that someone would take advantage of her services or outsmart her. 

I really liked the chapters from Wendy’s perspective. She has a strong personality that comes through in her voice. I wonder if this book would’ve been more interesting if she was the main character? Wendy’s morals, values, and devilish nature was hard to hear but only adds to how incredible it was that she was able to pull off her stunt. From discovering, to framing, and building such a strong case against Millie it was very impressive. 

Romance 

I know this isn’t a romance novel but the romance did feel… plain? 

Most of it was Millie convincing us and her boyfriend that she actually liked him, but she didn’t love him. 

And of course she loves Enzo, but without seeing the development, it feels matter-of-factly. It’s interesting because this is supposed to add to Millie’s lore, she was helping abused housewives with her partner-in-crime Enzo, but that all suddenly changed. Now she’s dating Mr. Perfect Lawyer guy, who only felt relevant because he took the same medication used to kill Wendy? Maybe. 

There are comparisons like “Enzo would immediately believe me” which is cute, especially because so many of the things that happen to Millie can seem far-fetched. Also, the way her boyfriend, Brock, left her immediately after finding out about her past just proves all her worrying was for a reason. 

Overall thoughts: 

It was a fun read, especially when the grand reveal came about. I think Marybeth is so valid and I have no qualms with Wendy dying, she deserved that. It was a nice follow up to book one, definitely felt like a chapter in Millie’s life. Although, I don’t think I love it enough to continue this series. I definitely would like to read some of McFadden’s other works, maybe it’s time for a change of plot and scenery in the thriller mystery realm. Please let me know if you’ve read some of McFadden’s work, and which one you would recommend!