Member Reviews
This book is so much more than the psychological thriller it seems to be at first glance. It has a dedicated young woman with a tragic past, an adorable, intelligent child, a brooding misunderstood love interest and more intrigue than you can shake a stick at. The reason behind all the threats and "accidents" left me picking my jaw back up off the floor. I loved every page from beginning to end and have told everyone I've talked to all about it. If Eleonor Samuel can continue to write books of this calibre she will have a very lucrative and successful career in front of her.
First of all I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and author of this fantastic book for affording me the opportunity to read it.
It had twists, a bit of mystery with an additional element of romance. Now I'm not going to lie, I did guess one or two of the twists, but the one with India and the letters had me thinking something completely different, but I was definitely NOT disappointed.
This is the first book that I have read by Eleonor Samuel, but it will not be the last...I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for her others.
Highly recommended
Thank you NetGalley for the kindle copy in exchange for a honest review. India is struggling following the death of her mother and her best friend. To escape she takes a job as a Nanny to Alicia and moves into the old secluded Manor House. The family have secrets and lies. Strange things start to happen to India including letters from her dead friend. A gripping psychological thriller with unexpected twists.
When India loses her best friend and mother, she takes up a position as Nanny for a wealthy family.
All is never as it seems and the children, Alex and Alicia, form a strong bond with India - eventually.
I thought I had guessed what was going to happen, but again, I was wrong!
Some parts were a bit repetitive and dragged out, but overall I really enjoyed this book.
Thanks to the Publisher, author and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was the first book I have read by this author. While I didn't hate it I wasn't sure I loved it either. I found it to be a bit long and I didn't feel I connected or had any feeling toward any of the characters. I had a sneaking suspicion about one character and I was half right about him. Overall the ending was very good and I liked the book and would look for more by this author in the future.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read The Nanny.
I like the characters in the book and I thought that the plot was good too, albeit a bit slow for my reading.
I would definitely read another Eleonor Samuel book though!
Secrets Will Out..
Employment with a wealthy yet detached family, an isolated and remote Manor House - what could possibly go wrong? When India takes the job she is full of hope, everything seems rosy. Not everything is as it seems and secrets will, no doubt, out. Initially a pacy narrative which turns slow burn in the second half, with a well drawn cast, a well imagined setting and twists aplenty. Nicely done domestic drama.
With thanks to Netgalley for the book arc in exchange for an honest review.
India takes up a nanny position with the Maines, after moving from her hometown. As she wins around their daughter, Alicia, she writes to her best friend Hope about her experiences and updates her on each development with Alex. As India ignores Hope’s warnings about Alex, is he really as troubled as everyone thinks? Is India in danger or can she help him?
An enjoyable thriller with interesting characters and well developed relationships between the characters, which added to the intrigue. Some of the twists were predictable and the twist was somewhat anti climactic. However, the ending was enjoyable and the pacing was great throughout. While it wasn’t my favourite thriller, it’s still worth a read.
Intriguing and mysterious, perfect for fans of gone girl, the girl on the train. Will keep you entertained.
Definitely a page turner and one that scared me if I was reading too late at night. I did not see those twists coming! If you're looking for suspense, thriller, edge of your seat- it's in this book
BLOG TOUR REVIEW
Review for 'The Nanny' by Eleonor Samuel.
Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Eleonor Samuel, Joffe Books and ZooLoos Book Tours.
Publication date 26th April 2022.
This is the first book I have read by this author.
This novel consists of a prologue, 30 chapters and a postscript. The chapters are medium to long in length so possible to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!
This book is extremely well written with vivid descriptions that really set the scene and kept me on the edge of my seat. The cover and synopsis suited the storyline perfectly.
Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolute page turner!! It may be the first book I have read by Eleonor but I can promise you it won't be the last!!! Although it doesn't specifically say anything in her bio it looks like this is actually her debut book and if that is correct then it really does go to show what a talented author Eleonor is and will continue to be!!!! The storyline is absolutely ram packed with mystery, deceit, secrets, lies, romance, tension, suspense and OMG the twists just kept on coming again and again!!! Just when I thought everything that could happen had happened BOOM there was another shocker around the corner. Every time I kept telling myself one more chapter the one I was in ended at a point where there was no way I could stop reading so I absolutely devoured it in one sitting!! I absolutely loved the build of tension and suspense from the moment India walked into The Manor and started working for the Maine's. You can tell immediately that all isn't quite what it seems but nothing is given away too quickly. Eleonor drip feeds the readers hints from the surrounding villagers as well as strange vibes from the family themselves from the bratty Alicia and her strange brother Alex that the parents are keen to avoid talking about. I loved the addition of the letters at the end of each chapter from India to Hope which gives more of a mystery element to the storyline leaving you wondering what India's history and secrets are. If you are looking for something unique, filled with suspense and that will blow your mind then this is definitely the book for you!! The addition of the
'Glossary of English Usage for US Readers' included at the back of the book was a fantastic addition and something I haven't seen in a book before but, although I am from the UK myself, I can imagine it being extremely useful for US readers as the same words in the UK and US having different meanings could cause some confusion.
It is set over/includes multiple time lines. When books show what has happened in the past and what is happening in the present I find it really helps the reader (if it is well done) understand why things are happening and what has lead to the present activities and decisions. It also shows the bigger picture.
DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT READING THIS UNTIL YOU HAVE CLEARED YOUR SCHEDULES AS YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO PUT IT DOWN!!!
I wasn't just 100% invested in the storyline but also in the characters. The every one of the characters were well defined, realistic and strong. Unfortunately I am not going to be able to say much at all about them as I don't want to run the risk of giving anything away. Needless to say they all worked perfectly together to make this page turner as amazing as it is!!!
Overall an absolutely intriguing and mysterious page turner that will keep you up with a racing heart until you've finished!!!
I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of 'The Girl on the Train', 'The Woman in the Window', 'The Wife Between Us', 'Gone Girl', 'The Housemaid', Freida McFadden, Lisa Jewell, Claire McGowan, K.L. Slater, Valerie Keogh, Liane Moriarty and anyone and everyone who is looking for a mind blowing page turner!!
412 pages.
This book is just 99p to purchase on kindle via Amazon, free on kindle unlimited (at time of review) and £9.64 in paperback which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!
Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.
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I devoured the first half of this book. It contained all of the things that I love in a good psychological thriller: family politics, a brooding manor in the countryside, a protagonist with their own demons, etc. If I were reviewing the first half of this book alone I’d give it five stars, but unfortunately I felt that the second half let it down somewhat. The letters from Hope and descriptions of the relationship between India and Alex just felt far too drawn out, and the book would have benefitted from being shorter and punchier. I became less and less engaged as I progressed through the second half, to the point at which I barely felt invested in the ending at all.
Hopefully the author’s next book will maintain the promise that they showed in the beginning of this one.
This was billed as a thriller but seemed more domestic drama to me. Also had romance in it which I'm not always a fan of. The character development was good and the writing kept me engaged . There is a whopper of a twist which came out of nowhere! Solid. Four star read.Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe books for my ARC
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The cover is almost identical to the housemaid which caught my attention. The book started out great and kept me wanting to read more to find out what’s happening. It slowed a lot during the middle though and the chapters were pretty long. The book didn’t really come off as a thriller. I’m sure it will be a hit with some people, but it just wasn’t one of my favorites. #THENANNY #NetGalley
The cover reminded me so much of "The Housemaid" (which was one of the best thrillers ever!) . Recently I have been reading a lot of books with a nanny as the main character. Nanny was a slow read for me and there were more romance elements than a usual thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I had a hard time getting into this book. It really didn’t capture my attention and keep me focused.
She's part of their family now...
Where do I start? The premise for THE NANNY was intriguing and the cover reminded me so much of "The Housemaid" (which was one of the best thrillers ever!) so naturally I was excited to read it. It started out compelling...and then it petered out into...what, exactly?
India McKenzie is running from a secret. Straight into the arms of the Maines. There she takes up the position as nanny to their somewhat precocious seven year old while they flutter about their lives. Admittedly, I'm not a fan of precocious little children but it didn't take long for me to warm to Alicia. Probably because she didn't really read like your typical seven year old. She was India's only companion and vice versa. The two seemed to find an equilibrium together that complemented the other.
And then there was Alex. He is the adult son of John and Julia Maine. Twentysomething, home from Oxford having studied medicine to follow in his father's footsteps. So why isn't he? And why does he keep himself locked away in the attic room? Away from the family? And why do the family show such disdain for him? Julia ignores India's questions as to who is Alex. And John just gets angry. It's Alicia who enlightens her. No one likes Alex and Alex doesn't like anyone either. Keep out of his way and he'll keep out of theirs. But there is something intriguing about Alex that India can't keep away from...
But if Alex has problems, then India has plenty of her own too. After all, she took this job in rural Derbyshire to escape her past in Leeds. A secret from which she's running. And every day she writes a letter to her best friend Hope telling her of her new life and how much she wishes she could share it with her. Letter after letter after letter...until she stops.
And then one day, Hope begins to write back. Reminding her of their friendship, of their secret and how they will always be together. And that forever is a long time.
There's not a lot I can say about this book without revealing anything but I will say there's a lot of slow build up. Like pushing a heavy trolley uphill for miles, waiting for the end in sight. Simply put, half of the book could probably have been editted out. I mean we have surplus characters that do nothing and then those who do nothing spend half their time bonking like rabbits! Is this a thriller or fifty shades? Seriously though, there is something sinister going on and nothing is as it seems at the Manor. The parents are fruit loops - I mean who wakes their seven year old child up on a school night after getting home from Austria to give them presents?! This could be done when the said child came home from school the next day! I had no time for the parents and poor Alicia was just a lonely child starved of affection.
THE NANNY had the promise of an interesting thriller but it failed in its execution I feel. It's OK but it is just soooo drawn out. It needs to be shorter, snappier, punchier. And less of the steamy sex scenes. I get it. Alex is intense. India fancied him. Need we get chapter and verse on everything that ensued? It felt like a romance most of the time, not a thriller.
I would like to thank #EleonorSamuel, #Netgalley, #JoffeBooks and #ZoolooTours for an ARC of #TheNanny in exchange for an honest review.
This review appears on my blog at https://stinathebookaholic.blogspot.com/.
“The Nanny” knows nothing—or does she? She thinks she’s going nuts. Perhaps she is. She’s writing letters to a dead friend who’s actually responding. Alicia, her precocious seven-year-old charge adores her, so does the mysterious, reclusive adult son, Alex, who the family shuns and bans to the manor’s top floor. She’s also caught the eye of a handsome local guy who just doesn’t want to take “no” for an answer. Things just aren’t normal at The Manor, but what exactly is wrong?
TheBookMaven graciously thanks NetGalley, Author Eleanor Samuel, and Publisher Joffe Books for this Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC).
Well-developed characters, interesting premise, and a setting rich with isolation, darkness, and secrets. The start of the novel drew me in, and I rather enjoyed the pacing. For me, the story slowed in the middle, but didn't prevent me from reading. Though it read more as a mystery than a page-turning psychological thriller.
Thanks to NetGalley and Joffe Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Will watch for the author's next release.
This is weird. Like really weird. Our girl gets hired to work as a nanny in this ancient manner that had also been a hotel at some point. It is a massive place.
And right away the parents are gone leaving her alone with the child and a man slightly older than she is (their wayward son).
India is stuck on her (formed) best friend and writes her letters all the time. She doesn't text her call or facebook or anything. It is all letters.
And of course, because they are in the same house India and the young man get it on. She is really passive about the whole thing and it is weird.
The parents- also super weird.
India makes the worst choices and that makes a it a great book!
I loved it. The ending is amazing.