By: Nelle Lamarr
Narrators: Jennifer Woodward, Davis Brooks
ISBN: 9781835252765
Publisher: Bookouture } Hachette UK
Publication Date: 05/13/2024
Format: e-book
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
BLOG TOUR STOP MAY 13
“Please don’t worry, Ava. Your baby is safe with me. I’m going to take care of her like she’s my own…”
Ever since my daughter Isa was born, I’ve been struggling. I can’t remember anything, and my brain is in a fog. So when my husband Ned suggests we hire a night nanny, I leap at the chance.
As soon as she walks into our home, I feel a wave of relief. I smile at her and notice her eyes are the color of amethysts. A memory flashes across my brain, but before I can grasp it, it’s gone.
But something isn’t right. Ned is acting strangely and every time I ask him why, he tells me I’m being paranoid. But I’ve seen him whispering to our nanny and it makes me nervous. He was the one who wanted to hire her, and now I’m wondering why…
Then my engagement ring goes missing. Ned is furious—it cost a fortune—but I know I haven’t misplaced it. I always hide it in the same place, and no one knows where except him.
But then it gets worse. Our nanny accuses me of leaving my baby face down on her stomach, struggling to breathe. I might be exhausted, but I would never do that. But when I look to Ned for support, I can see he doesn’t believe me.
I feel like an outsider in my own home. Am I going mad, or is someone trying to destroy me?
The totally gripping page-turning psychological thriller with twists that will leave you guessing until the very last page. Perfect for fans of Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid, The Girl on the
Train and Colleen Hoover’s Verity.
My Review
The master of twists, Nelle Lamarr returns following The Family Guest, with another wickedly delicious psychological thriller of revenge and obsession—THE NIGHT NANNY.
I love the author's writing style and enjoyed the last book and this one is even better, full of jaw-dropping twists and blended with dark humor! Get ready for a wild ride!
Ava Sinclair, a former interior designer, is married to Ned. She has had a rough, high-risk pregnancy. Her husband is of little help since he is frequently busy doing deals and out of town.
She is discombobulated, disheartened, disheveled, and on crutches to help with her mobility. But she needs to get out of the house and takes a walk to a nearby Starbucks near one of the most prestigious universities in California.
There she meets a woman who seems to be a nurse and very concerned with her medical condition. She has PGP, edema, and preeclampsia. She tells her she will have a C-section in three months. They will be naming the baby Isa after her husband's mother.
The beautiful woman's name is Nurse Marley Manners. She is a nurse and gives her a card. Ava lives in Hollywood Hills and Marley gives her a lift home versus taking an Uber.
Three months later, she is dealing with a baby girl and no sleep, a fussy baby, and trying to recover from the surgery. Her mother, Rena, is not a lot of help since she is in Vegas. Is she suffering from postpartum depression, too?
Ava is sick of hearing about her husband's deals and decides she needs help, especially at night. She desperately needs sleep. She thinks about the card in her purse. She will call Marley Manners, NCS (newborn care specialist). This woman will surely save her family.
In the meantime, Ned (a jerk) meets this stunning woman while running who resembles his beautiful mother (a celebrity) who has passed. He is smitten. Since Ava's illness, their marriage is falling apart.
However, when he arrives home later, he sees this same woman in his house. This is their new nanny?
Ned is full of himself and is a founding partner with IMAGE (Influencers, Musicians, Actors, Gamers, and Entertainers). He is not cut out to be a dad.
At first, Marley is the best thing that could happen to Ava and the baby. She even gives her a nice gift, a Baby Reborn doll.
But soon, she is controlling everything. She has her baby on bottles instead of breast milk, is always there for the baby, and never gives Ava any time with her daughter. She is controlling their life.
Then there is the gaslighting, making Ava and her husband doubt her ability to be a mother. Then Ned starts flirting with Marley and takes her side.
Is Marley trying to take away her baby? What is going on? The sins of the father (parents and grandparents) come back to haunt the present.
Told from the POVs of Ava, Ned, (then/ now) Marley, two years later, and Mary- epilogue and a juicy postscript. The story alternates between twenty years earlier to learn more about Marley's background.
What is the connection? Totally unexpected!
We also meet Gabe Lucas Ned's best friend and partner at the company. He is single. He is concerned that Ned is not spending enough time with his wife and daughter and has eyes for the night nanny.
But everyone is keeping secrets—a shared betrayal, a shared mistake. Ava has her secrets, Ned has his. Marley has hers with a plan of revenge, and nothing will stop her. However, she was not expecting the ferocious mother bear in Ava.
This was no chance meeting with the Nanny. When the past and present collide, it is explosive! Did someone get away with murder in the past?
Lamarr keeps the readers guessing as to Marley's motives and why. Something is in Ava and Ned's past. They are targets. Someone has to pay. Will Ava be able to save her baby?
Then the author throws in another final signature twist that will have your head spinning! The showdown was heart-pounding!
You will be glued to the pages from the start to the explosive ending in THE NIGHT NANNY. I loved it. Gaslighting at its finest. For fans of Frieda McFadden, Miranda Rijks, Kimberly Belle, and Sally Hepworth.
Prepare yourself for a thrilling, addictive domestic suspense thriller about marriage, betrayal, motherhood, revenge, greed, obsession, and the secrets of the past that push us to the edge.
Revenge has no expiration date.
Unputdownable! With shocking twists, I devoured THE NIGHT NANNY in one sitting! Fast-paced, compelling, twisty, suspenseful, and fun! If you have not read this author previously, get this one ON your TBR list.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital advance reading copy for an honest opinion.
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: May 13, 2024
About the Author
Nelle Lamarr is the pen name for Nelle L’Amour, a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, who has sold over 350,000 books worldwide. Her books feature flawed, complex characters and nail-biting twists you won’t see coming. A former executive in the entertainment industry, she lives in Los Angeles with her Prince Charming-ish husband, beautiful twin princesses, and a bevy of royal pain-in-the-butt pets. When she isn’t writing, you can find her reading gripping thrillers by her favorite authors with a cup of coffee or glass of wine. READ MORE
