Book Club Night Kit
The Divorce
Freida McFadden
Cozy night
A tense, quick-turning domestic thriller about a woman whose divorce curdles into something far more frightening when she fixates on her ex's new girlfriend. It is the perfect cozy-couch page-turner to gasp over together.
Cozy Up for The Divorce
Bring your slippers and your suspicions for a warm, blanket-and-cocoa night with Freida McFadden's twistiest domestic thriller. Comfort food provided, gasps encouraged.
Reading level: Easy
Best for: a warm, chatty group that loves a fast thriller and a good gasp over snacks
Discussion
Warm-up
- 1.Where did you end up curling up to read this one, and did it keep you up past bedtime?
- 2.What was the first moment that made you clutch the blanket a little tighter or say oh no out loud?
Digging in
- 1.Naomi's marriage ends before the danger begins. What did the story make you feel about the messy, tender ache of a chapter closing in your own life?
- 2.This book sits with jealousy and comparison. Was there a moment Naomi's feelings felt uncomfortably familiar, and how did the book handle that with (or without) kindness?
- 3.Home and safety get tangled up here. When you read it, what does a truly safe, comforting home feel like to you, and did the story shake that feeling at all?
- 4.Fresh starts run through this story. What comforted you about the idea of beginning again, and what unsettled you about it?
Going deep
- 1.Without giving anything away, when did your trust in the people around Naomi start to wobble, and how did it feel to second-guess someone you had warmed up to?
- 2.Looking back on the whole ride (no spoilers, please), what lingered with you emotionally after you closed the book, and did it leave you rattled, satisfied, or something tender in between?
On the table & to sip
To eat
Slow-simmered comfort chili with warm cornbread
A cozy one-pot supper for a story about a home coming undone, easy to keep warm on the stove all night
Loaded baked potato bar
Homey and a little indulgent, with toppings everyone can build to taste while they trade theories
Warm skillet brownies with vanilla ice cream
A gooey, soothing dessert to balance all the suspense with something sweet and grounding
To sip
Spiced hot cocoa with marshmallows (no alcohol)
The ultimate blanket-in-a-mug for a tense, curl-up-and-read night
Mulled apple cider (no alcohol)
Warm, fragrant, and nurturing, perfect for a story about turning a page on one season and into another
Spiked hot toddy
A soothing honey-and-lemon nightcap for a suspenseful evening, easy to make a big batch
Run of show
7:00
Warm welcome
Hand out cocoa or cider and let everyone settle into the coziest seats
7:20
Comfort food supper
Serve the chili or potato bar and ease in with the warm-up questions
7:45
Theme talk
Move into the theme questions while plates are full and the mood is relaxed
8:15
Deep dive (spoiler zone)
Confirm everyone has finished, then open the deep questions
8:45
Dessert and trivia
Bring out warm brownies and play the trivia round for a light finish
9:05
Scorecards and cozy goodbyes
Fill in scorecards, share one-word reactions, and send folks off with a bookmark
Host tips
- Set up a spoiler checkpoint before the deep questions so no one gets the ending ruined
- Keep drinks warm in a slow cooker or thermal carafe so no one has to get up
- Pile on blankets and soft lamps, and let quieter members ease in with the feelings-first warm-ups
Playlist
soft, slightly shadowy comfort music, like candlelight with a chill down your spine
- 01 The Night We Met - Lord Huron
- 02 Skinny Love - Bon Iver
- 03 Breathe Me - Sia
- 04 Liability - Lorde
- 05 I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix) - Lykke Li
- 06 Gasoline - Halsey
- 07 Landslide - Fleetwood Mac
- 08 Cardigan - Taylor Swift
Trivia
- 1.Freida McFadden is known for writing in what popular genre? (Psychological and domestic thrillers)
- 2.Besides being a bestselling author, McFadden has a career in what profession? (She is a practicing physician (a doctor))
- 3.Which of Freida McFadden's novels became a breakout viral hit before The Divorce? (The Housemaid)
- 4.McFadden's thrillers are especially known for spreading through which social media community? (BookTok on TikTok)
- 5.The Divorce centers on a marriage ending. What broad category of thriller focuses on danger within relationships and the home? (Domestic thriller)
- 6.McFadden's books are famous for a particular structural feature that keeps readers up late. What is it? (Short, cliffhanger chapters and sharp twists)
- 7.Freida McFadden is a pen name. True or false: it is a pseudonym used to keep her writing separate from her medical career? (True)
- 8.The Housemaid, McFadden's biggest hit, was adapted into what kind of project? (A film adaptation)
Bookmarks
Print, cut, and tuck one at every seat, a small keepsake from the night.
“Some endings only look like the beginning.”
The Divorce
Freida McFadden
bookclubnight.com
“Pour the cocoa. Lock the door. Keep reading.”
The Divorce
Freida McFadden
bookclubnight.com
“The warmest homes keep the coldest secrets.”
The Divorce
Freida McFadden
bookclubnight.com
Rate the book
Cozy factor☆☆☆☆☆
Gasp count☆☆☆☆☆
How rattled it left you☆☆☆☆☆
Comfort-read appeal☆☆☆☆☆
Twist satisfaction☆☆☆☆☆
One word for how this book made you feel: ______________________
The moment I had to put it down and breathe: ______________________
Read again on a rainy night? Yes / No / Maybe ______________________
That's a wrap
Thank you for coming
We hope the company was good and the conversation even better. Until the next chapter.