Team !!TOO LIT TO QUIT!!: Book Talk Reading Challenge April 2025 - Page 19

Hey,

I hope the pages/ books you're logging aren't from illustrated children's books? We're not counting those, unless they are regular chapter books. Ignore this if they are - just tracking cos you mentioned illustrations in one of your reviews in the sheet

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

I knew about The Housemaid and The wife upstairs (are you referring to the Family upstairs by Lisa Jewell when you say similar titles?). But the others I didn't know. Wow that is some level of plagiarism (if we can call it that!). How in the heck does she get away with it?

Ftr, I have read Verity and Wife Upstairs and was boggled with how similar they are right upto how two of the characters meet! Oh, of course, she changes bits and parts here and there, and Verity has a lot of spice whereas Freida's books are always non-spicy. But still ... that's a lot of plot copying for someone who is such a well-established (& read) author. I truly do not know how she gets away with it. The other authors should sue!

No, there's another book called the wife upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, but I believe the story. is quite different.

There is another novel by Freida which is copied, I can't recall now which one, but someone said the opening of it is a scene-to-scene copy of another book.

Also, The Coworker is copied from Gone Girl apparently.

I wonder if she just uses AI to come up with the plots?

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

No, there's another book called the wife upstairs by Rachel Hawkins, but I believe the story. is quite different.

There is another novel by Freida which is copied, I can't recall now which one, but someone said the opening of it is a scene-to-scene copy of another book.

Also, The Coworker is copied from Gone Girl apparently.

I wonder if she just uses AI to come up with the plots?

The opening of Verity and The Wife Upstairs is literally the same. The other woman meets the husband while she's crossing the road, narrowly escapes an accident, gets her blouse dirty, he helps her clean up, they get talking, he offers her a job to come work for him etc etc.

Oh yeah, I know the other book called Wife Upstairs.

Coworker and Gone Girl? I don't see it, though I haven't read Gone Girl, have only watched the movie.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

It's possible

The opening of Verity and The Wife Upstairs is literally the same. The other woman meets the husband while she's crossing the road, narrowly escapes an accident, gets her blouse dirty, he helps her clean up, they get talking, he offers her a job to come work for him etc etc.

Oh yeah, I know the other book called Wife Upstairs.

Coworker and Gone Girl? I don't see it, though I haven't read Gone Girl, have only watched the movie.

Someone said that it has the same plot but I havent read any of them.

She also copied a book by BA Paris called The Therapist, but I forgot which one it is.

She has a new book coming out called The Tenant, I wonder which one that's stolen from.

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

Someone said that it has the same plot but I havent read any of them.

She also copied a book by BA Paris called The Therapist, but I forgot which one it is.

She has a new book coming out called The Tenant, I wonder which one that's stolen from.

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

All this talk is making me lose respect for her as an author. Probably won’t be reading any of her books from here on, at least I won’t be spending money on them. If I get ahold of them easily through my library or elsewhere then I might still read cos they’re ways and quick reads - and quite mindless in a way. Don’t need to use your brains much which works as pure entertainment , though they lack the wow factor now for me

its kinda sad because I enjoyed her books

Waise, do you think TWU was better written or Verity?

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

its kinda sad because I enjoyed her books

Waise, do you think TWU was better written or Verity?

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Idk it’s hard to tell, I had quibbles with both of them. Verity had some smutty scenes which by itself I don’t mind but in this book they seem kinda gross and misplaced. Plus the whole premise was much more uglier in Verity. The twist was better in Verity too - but I have heard people complain about the bonus chapter that CoHo released later and claim that made them have the whole book - I haven’t read that chapter. I actually read these two back to back and at the time did not know Freida’s book came later so I was actually mentally bashing Verity a lot more thinking that’s the one that’s copied . But the plots do diverge quite a bit despite the similarities of the setting and the premise

I will still read it just to compare them I loved Verity actually, im a big fan of domestic thrillers, and some parts of this were so creepy that I had to stop reading at night because it gave me the chills. Especially the part where they are kissing and then she sees Verity watcching them from the staircase even though she was meant to be in coma...it gave me the chills! I also read the bonus chapter and was so excited for it because I was hooked to the book that much, but I really hated the bonus chapter! Id rather be left with the crappy open ending in the book.

My favourite by Colleen Hoover though is Layla. I know youre not a fan of her writing, but this one has a really unique story and its similar to Verity in the sense that some parts are spine chilling but other than that the concept is completely different and more of a paranormal psychological romance.

Another series I really enjoyed by her was Never Never (it was cowritten with Taryn Fisher so sometimes the writing seemed inconsistent which is expected when there's different writers), but the concept is so different and even though its not logical but I saw it more as a fantasy/spiritual romance and really enjoyed it. The ending of both Layla and Never Never is satisfying, better than Verity!

Originally posted by: heavenlybliss

I will still read it just to compare them I loved Verity actually, im a big fan of domestic thrillers, and some parts of this were so creepy that I had to stop reading at night because it gave me the chills. Especially the part where they are kissing and then she sees Verity watcching them from the staircase even though she was meant to be in coma...it gave me the chills! I also read the bonus chapter and was so excited for it because I was hooked to the book that much, but I really hated the bonus chapter! Id rather be left with the crappy open ending in the book.

My favourite by Colleen Hoover though is Layla. I know youre not a fan of her writing, but this one has a really unique story and its similar to Verity in the sense that some parts are spine chilling but other than that the concept is completely different and more of a paranormal psychological romance.

Another series I really enjoyed by her was Never Never (it was cowritten with Taryn Fisher so sometimes the writing seemed inconsistent which is expected when there's different writers), but the concept is so different and even though its not logical but I saw it more as a fantasy/spiritual romance and really enjoyed it. The ending of both Layla and Never Never is satisfying, better than Verity!

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Hey,

I hope the pages/ books you're logging aren't from illustrated children's books? We're not counting those, unless they are regular chapter books. Ignore this if they are - just tracking cos you mentioned illustrations in one of your reviews in the sheet

Oh shoot, yeah! Most children's books, even chapter books, have illustrations. Sorry, you only mentioned graphic novels/comics/picture books, so I assumed these would be fine.

Do you want me to remove them?