Welcome to my Readers Guide for The Divorce by Freida McFadden | Spoilers, Plot Summary and Character list. Freida McFadden continues to crank out new books at a very impressive speed. Is she okay? Is The Divorce good? I am here to reveal all about this short book that felt a little familiar…
The Divorce by Freida McFadden Spoilers, Plot Summary and Character List
Table of Contents:
- Jen’s Quick Take on The Divorce
- Character List for The Divorce by Freida McFadden
- The Divorce by Freida McFadden: Plot Summary
- Spoilers for The Divorce by Freida McFadden
- POLL: What did you think of The Divorce by Freida McFadden
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Jen’s Quick Take on the Divorce by Freida McFadden
- The Divorce is a lean 368 pages, which is because…
- Like many Freida books, The Divorce is sheer plot without an ounce of characterization or even much description
- I have to say that some of the plot elements seemed familiar to me. As I’ve said before, Domestic Suspense has certain tropes like husband stealing, gaslighting, and, in the 2010s and on, MASSIVE plot twists that spin the story into a new direction. The Divorce had ALL of that.
- I didn’t figure out all of it and there were a few red herrings, so kudos for the remix!
- The Divorce is not McFadden’s worst book, but it’s not her most original either. I think Dear Debbie, which also came out in 2026, was a better book.
Character List by The Divorce by Freida McFadden
This book had very few characters (another Freida trademark):
- Naomi Roth: former doctor, now stay-at-home mom
- Jeremy Roth: Naomi’s husband of five years
- Teddy Roth: Naomi and Jeremy’s son
- Veronica “Ronnie” Chesson: Jeremy’s new girlfriend
- Lola: Veronica’s friend from home
- Clay: Veronica’s ex-boyfriend
- Cora Janzen: mom of Teddy’s friend Zach
- Ezra Fletcher: Naomi’s lawyer
- Maxim Simington: Veronica’s former employer
- Rhona Simington: his wife
- Leonard Hardwick: Jeremy’s lawyer
- Lorraine Paxson: Naomi’s mother
Plot Summary for The Divorce by Freida McFadden
Prologue:
How to explain multiple dead bodies in the house? idk! But pay attention because we are going to have to discuss this later…
Part I
1: Naomi
When Naomi and her young son Teddy arrive home, neither the garage door nor the door to their house will open. Naomi’s husband Jeremy says he’s renovating the house as a surprise for their anniversary. (This feels a little like the opening of My Husband’s Wife, no?)
Naomi’s things are packed and Jeremy says they will stay at his parents’ apartment during the reno.
Naomi is suspicious as 1) Jeremy is a good liar and 2) he doesn’t kiss her goodbye
The next day, Jeremy shows up at the apartment and says he wants a divorce. A shocked Naomi asks Jeremy why and suggests counseling. He says that she can pick Teddy up from school, but that he has to sleep in the apartment, not the house.
Naomi gets a letter from Jeremy’s lawyer
Naomi is sure the other mothers at school are gossiping about her, She and Jeremy only got married because she was pregnant.
When Naomi goes shopping for things for Teddy’s new room, she learns that her credit cards have been cancelled and her bank account drained. Jeremy tells her to go back to work. She’s getting to the bottom of this!!! (She says this at the end of every chapter, James Patterson style!)
That night, Naomi goes to the house to spy on Jeremy and sees him with a woman with long dark hair.
The woman’s name is Veronica, and she tells Naomi that she is glad to meet her. Jeremy says that he’s in love with her.
Naomi gets served with divorce papers on the school playground
Another divorced mother, Cora, has figured out what’s going on. She gives Naomi her lawyer’s name.
Naomi learns that Jeremy hired all the lawyers in town. She gets the very last one: Ezra Fletcher (eccentric husband of Cora’s lawyer.)
At Naomi’s new apartment, the door is open and there’s a knife missing, which she finds in the sink.
Jeremy and Naomi meet for mediation. Jeremy wants full custody and tries to bribe Naomi to agree. Ezra says that if Jeremy gets sole custody, he will not have to pay child support.
Naomi decides to investigate Veronica. Again.
Cora says she will ask the cop she’s dating to look up Veronica’s license plate number. Veronica’s address is in Scarsdale, a wealthy New York suburb
Ezra comes over to discuss the case. In addition to being a former doctor, Naomi is a health nut who makes her own kombucha. There’s a bit of a romantic vibe between Ezra and Naomi.
Naomi finds out that Veronica has been charged with drug possession.
She’s also convinced that someone poisoned her kombucha. She drives to the address for Veronica that Cora found. The housekeeper says that yes, Veronica worked there. Also that she slept with the husband of the family she works for, the wife threw her out, and that Veronica pushed the wife down the stairs.
Naomi tells Jeremy what she learned but he doesn’t care. Cora tells Naomi that Jeremy is gaslighting her. Ezra manages to bring up Veronica’s heroin addiction to the court.
Naomi finds out that Veronica and Jeremy have planned a big party for Teddy’s birthday. Jeremy says he does not want her to come to the party, and she agrees to stay away. But Naomi does go to the party and is shocked to find Cora there. Jeremy accuses her of smashing Veronica’s present for Teddy.
Jeremy calls the police. Naomi is a little drunk and gets arrested. She calls Ezra who is not happy.
Jeremy files a restraining order against her.
Jeremy is off on a business trip. Naomi’s mother tells her to get rid of Veronica. Naomi tells Veronica she’s supposed to have Teddy and then bashes Veronica over the head with a rock.
Part II
Naomi binds Veronica up with tape and dumps her in the basement wine cellar, then cuts all her hair off. Naomi sees that Veronica got a text from a friend asking what she’s going to do about being pregnant.
The doorbell rings. It’s Ezra.
Ezra is not buying Naomi’s story about Jeremy asking her to babysit. He hears Veronica screaming so Naomi pushes him down the basement stairs.
Ezra is dead. Veronica accuses Naomi of stealing her baby.
Part III:
Veronica
“Naomi is a liar.” — Veronica
Six Years Ago
Veronica gave birth to a son, Dominic. She and her boyfriend Clay used drugs, but got clean when she became pregnant.
Dominic is crying and Clay offers to take him out for a drive. But Clay goes off to score drugs and comes back without Dominic. Veronica tries to call the police, but because she gave birth at home to save monty, there is no proof that the baby is hers.
Five years later, Veronica still has not found her baby.
Veronica is now working for the Simingtons (the family in Scarsdale) and the housekeeper is trying to get her fired. Her friend Lola calls and says she found out that a woman named Lorraine used to forge birth certificates and that she has a daughter named Naomi.
Veronica tracks down Jeremy and sees Theodore, who looks just like Clay.
Veronica learns that Naomi trapped Jeremy into marriage with her baby! But he claims he took a paternity test. Also, Naomi is not a doctor, just some sort of crystal healer.
Jeremy and Veronica are falling in love. He says Naomi is unstable, but finally decides to leave her.
Naomi follows Veronica and makes threatening phone calls. The next time Veronica is with Teddy she brings a DNA test and he takes it.
It’s the day of Teddy‘s birthday and Veronica is still waiting for the DNA test results. Naomi shows up at the party.
Veronica gets the test results by email. Teddy is her son. Veronica watches Naomi smash the present she bought for Teddy.
Part IV
Naomi insists she’s not the bad guy. Yes, she adopted Veronica’s baby. She found him abandoned in a car so she saved him. Her mother made a fake birth certificate. Naomi told her mother to put Jeremy’s name on the certificate since they had dated for a few weeks.
Naomi then showed up at Jeremy‘s apartment and claimed that Teddy was his. When Jeremy asked for a paternity test she swapped his swab with a swab of Jeremy‘s father who had Alzheimer’s and the test came out close enough. (okay….)
Veronica is terrified that Naomi is going to kill her (as she should be)
Veronica heard Ezra fall down the stairs. She told Naomi that Teddy is her son. Naomi seems to be planning to burn the house down with Ezra and Veronica in it.
But Ezra is not dead!
Veronica pleads with Naomi not to start the fire. Of course Naomi sets the fire and notices that Ezra is alive. He slams a wine bottle into her knees. After she falls down, he knocks her unconscious.
Veronica runs to get Teddy but he won’t open his bedroom door because his parents have a “stranger danger” code word for him.
Naomi wakes up in the wine cellar with Ezra. Teddy finally opens the door and Veronica says they have to climb out on the roof. Both Naomi and Ezra seem to die in the fire.
The fire is out. Jeremy arrives home.
Epilogue: Jeremy
Jeremy recalls when a man named Clay Barkley tried to take Teddy from him. (Clay found Naomi because she dropped a crystal with her logo on it in his car.)
This is how Jeremy found out that Naomi stole a baby. He then took another paternity test and learned he was not Teddy’s father.
Jeremy paid someone to stage an overdose to get rid of Clay.
Naomi was next on his hit list. He started gaslighting her (like stabbing Teddy’s stuffed elephant and poisoning her kombucha.)
Jeremy wants to start a new life with Ronnie and Teddy. Can this relationship work?
Familiar Freida Tropes in The Divorce
- This person is actually someone else (Veronica is actually Teddy’s biological mother)
- POV shift that changes everything (Similar to The Housemaid, when we switch from Naomi’s POV to Veronica’s, we get a WHOLE other story
- Person at the end with a secret (Jeremy was actually a murderer. This reminded me a little of the end of The Housemaid is Watching)
Questions You May Have About The Divorce by Freida McFadden
Thanks, Lisa for bringing this up in comments because I forgot to add it to the post. So the person in the prologue says “when the police arrive, how will I explain the dead bodies in the house” and also “I did it all for him.” In my opinion, this could either refer to Naomi, who did it all for Jeremy, or Veronica, who did it all for Teddy. AND that person leaves the house with their hands up.
But then at the end of the book, we don’t see anyone leave the house that way. Veronica is on the roof with Teddy and Naomi is (presumably) burned alive. Naomi is feeling her skin scorch and her last thought (or so we think) is hoping that Veronica is able to get Teddy out.
So who is it? I feel like it has to be Naomi, but why not mention that at the end? I forgot about it after 368 pages. What do YOU think??? Did I miss something?
Naomi was certain it was Veronica, but it was actually Jeremy. He also stabbed the toy elephant and did various other things to gaslight Naomi.
Naomi says she found the baby (in St Louis) in a parked car. Clay (Teddy’s father) had passed out with a needle in his arm so Naomi took the baby home. Naomi’s mother (who worked in the city records department) then made Teddy a fake birth certificate. Naomi chose Jeremy’s name for the certificate because they had dated briefly.
Clay came looking for his son Dominic. He’d found a crystal with Naomi’s woo-woo business logo on it and traced it back to her.
Veronica’s friend Lola happened to work in the St Louis records department and remembered that there was a woman named Lorraine who worked there and sold fake birth certificates. She is Naomi’s mother. Lola finds a certificate made out to Lorraine’s daughter Naomi shortly after Dominic disappeared.
As far I could find, no. Veronica says she is going to tell Jeremy “everything” when he gets home from his business trip, which I assume means that she is Teddy’s mom and that they didn’t meet by accident.
There is a possibility that Jeremy asked Clay who the baby’s mother is, but I don’t think the book showed that. (If I missed it, please let me know in the comments!)
Poll: What Did You Think of The Divorce
The Divorce
What did you think of The Divorce?
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I must have missed this but does Jeremy know that Roni is the birth mother?
Ooh good question! I looked and I think (probably?) no.
In chapter 62 Ronnie says that when Jeremy gets back from his trip, she’s going to tell him everything.
Then I considered that Jeremy might know because Clay told him when they met, but unless I missed it I don’t think Jeremy asked him about the baby’s mom.
I listened to the audiobook. (Marin Ireland NEVER disappoints!)
I agree that the intro reminded me of My Husband’s Wife.
Clay and Jeremy were performed by the same voice actor, so I thought the twist might be that Clay was the father, but Jeremy’s paternity test came back positive because he and Clay were identical twins.
I think Freida can bust out these books (even if some of them fall short) because she has such a large fan base that even her weaker books will still rake in a fortune. She is one of my favorite authors, but I never feel compelled to buy her books because I find her stories aren’t worth revisiting. I just get the audiobooks on Libby for free.
I’m glad the whole “burn down the house and claim two people died in a fire” plot didn’t go anywhere because that’d be easily debunked by the lack of smoke inhalation — indicating the two victims were dead before the fire started.
Love your reviews and the summaries! Permission to put it on my reading journal? But I wish we know what happened after they were rescued from the fire. I wanna know what’s Jeremy reaction to know that Veronica is the biological mother of Teddy/Dominic haha
That is a great point about the ending. So much left unexplained and an epilogue would have been nice. What is your reading journal???
Who is the person in the beginning of the book that leaves the house with their hands up when the police arrive ??
Thanks for reminding me about this. It makes no sense when compared to the end of the book and the only thing that seems to fit is that Naomi got out of the house after all. But still there are inconsistencies!
I thought that related to the birthday party?
Oooh, that’s a good theory. The party scene is a little closer to the prologue than the ending is, but it still doesn’t really match. No one comes out of the house with their hands up (the police arrest Naomi in the yard) and there are no bodies in the house (except a smashed robot car).
I think it must be Ronnie. Smell of scorched flesh…
It has to be her!!!
I thought that there was a mention of Naomi being a Peds Doctor and then she is a crystal “Doctor”? Hmmm. It’s never revealed who Lola is or did I miss it. I thought that Jeremy offed Clay? The conclusion seemed a bit rushed. 5/10
Early on, Naomi suggests she’s a doctor who “heals people,” but no, she just waves crystals over them.
Sorry, I left Lola off the character list. She’s a friend of Veronica’s from home.
And yes, Jeremy paid someone to kill Clay, staged as an overdose.
I agree with you; not her best work!
You might want to proofread this again and update. There are a few instances the names are switched (between Victoria and Naomi). But I appreciate this article because I couldn’t bring myself to spend my free time finishing this book.
lol thanks! I think I found the issues and fixed them. And no, it wasn’t great.
Do you think Teddy will be allowed to/will remember his “mother”(Naomi) in the years to come? Will anyone aside from her mother mourn her death? Did you feel bad for Naomi throughout the whole book like I did?
I did feel a little bad for her, but because I’ve read The Housemaid (and other domestic suspense like The Wife Stalker) I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. I find most of McFadden’s characters hard to relate to because they are so flat and underdeveloped, but that could be just me!