Interesting book. The suspense was not very intense for me. There were some interesting plots in the middle. The ending also had a weird twist I didn't see coming.

This was a gripping, entertaining, edge of your seat novel that will keep you on your toes and leaving you flipping through the pages wanting to know more. The main characters Anna, Josh and Oaklynn are such diverse characters and they are have their fair share of secrets, lies and personality quirks that make for a very dynamic and entertaining read.

Anna and her husband Josh agree to hire a live in nanny to care for their two young girls so Anna can return to work as a literary agent. At first things are going well. Their two children seem to really adore and get along well with their new nanny Oaklynn. Oaklynn seems perfect - she is great with the girls, and is like a second mother to them. Anna suddenly becomes suspicious of Oaklynn, as many strange and unexplainable things begin to happen not only to the girls but to others around them. Add to that the jealousy that Anna begins to feel, as well as the guilt, when the girls grow increasingly closer and closer to Oaklynn. Anna feels Oaklynn is overstepping sometimes and Anna becomes frustrated as she is the parent, the mother... not Oaklynn.

Is everyone who they say they are, or are some keeping their true selves hidden from everyone else? This book is packed full of shocking twists and turns of events that will leave you guessing and wanting more.

A great novel that I recommend highly for your summer read this summer!

I felt a bit confused and lost in the beginning of this book. I felt like there was too much going on but I'm glad I stuck with it though! It was twisty and great! I'll be careful who I let in my home! You just never know. I'll look for more from this writer. #NetGalley #TheWomanInOurHouse #AndrewHart

I didn’t like this book at all. The characters are not drawing me in. Not keeping my attention and not seeming to do much of anything for me. A nanny should not be so easy to impersonate. The parents would not, in my opinion, hire her without meeting her. A mother should have a better vibe about a nanny so meeting her would have been the first step. Not hiring the way this one was. It just did’t ring true for me. I did not finish this book because I was having a hard time finding it to be believable in so many places.

There are to many books to be read to settle for one I do not like. I think there may be others who will love this book. Others who also will not. I was a not.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC for my honest review.

It’s only a 2 star for me.

I enjoyed this fast paced suspense story. I did find some of the storylines to be a bit unbelievable, but the writing kept me reading. We knew some of the twists early on, so I was surprised by the amount of twists included. Just when you thought you knew everything that was going on, the author threw in a new turn. I did find some of the story to be predictable, but I did enjoy the journey.

I really liked the premise of the storyline but the actions of the characters were quite annoying. There are moments of suspense, but also unnecessary subplots. And most of all it is so predictable! That makes me really sad and the ending is quite disappointing too.
I loved this books dynamic and that it is told from multiple points of views. This made this book into a page turner. I needed answers and wanted to know if there would be a surprise. In the end I enjoyed reading it, it was a lot of fun but plot and character wise it wasn't that mindblowing.

So, I just finished reading The Woman In Our House by Andrew Hart (aka A.J. Hartley) & I really enjoyed this dark domestic tale. It took me awhile to get on board as it started a bit slow for me, but once it got rolling - it kept me sucked in - and I was dying to see where it went. Below is my short - NO spoiler review !

I loved the literary side to this storyline a lot - the main character is an author agent - and readers get a book inside a book here- which I am a fan of ! Reading excerpts of the main character’s (Anna) clients book for me was brilliant and I wanted more! I love this concept and a peek into that side of the literary world is always great!

Also- there were some twists I didn’t see coming and for Moms, this can be a gut wrenching scary read at times! Trigger warnings for some!

There were some not so surprised moments and confusion along the way also for me. This book touches on Munchhausen by proxy and I wish it would have been a more prevalent topic as the storyline here just skims the surface and imo had no real reason to be in this book - although I see why it was! 🤷‍♀️

Overall, I always enjoy a thriller that touches on how dark humanity can be and so I did enjoy this book and would recommend it for a quick dark page turner!

Much thanks to Net Galley always for early an reading copy in exchange for this review ! Authors and publishers - I’m always a grateful reader ! ❤️Check this one out for sure - guys!

🌟🌟🌟.5 from me !

I really liked this novel!

Anna Klein and husband Josh have two daughters. Starting a family meant that Anna stopped working, but after 3 years out of the workforce, she wants back in. They decide to hire a nanny, using a service out of Utah to hire Oaklynn. Or at least, they think they’ve hired Oaklynn.

The reader knows early on that Oaklynn is not who she seems, that in fact, she is a different person entirely. Who have they hired and let live in their house? And what is this person hiding?

This book was suspenseful without feeling overwhelmingly frightening. There were just enough little signs to give the reader misgivings about Oaklynn, without shoving it right in our faces that something sinister was going on. The ending has a bit of a twist, which I liked.

Definitely recommend this one for thriller readers!

I really enjoyed this one. The characters were well developed and fleshed out. The husband was a little dry but he really was a side character so it was understandable. The atmosphere was a little confusing at times. It felt like the setting was in the UK but it was supposedly in the US south. Okay, I looked the author up, He was born and raised in the UK and moved to the US as an adult. That explains the writing style being slightly different.

The overall atmosphere that the book makes you feel is ominous. You know that something is not right but you do not know what it is. The multiple narratives and third and first person narratives felt a little overused. I really did not need to know the inner thoughts of all the characters to be allow the story to progress. Normally it would be confusing but all of the different narrators have very distinct personalities which is a hard thing to pull off and impressive.

The plot was intriguing and as the reader, we know more information than the main character but we don't know everything and we are left guessing. I think it was the author's intentions for us to use the foreshadowing and extra information to build our own speculations.

Logically the story is not very believable in real life for main different reasons but I can respect the authors creatively in bending believability enough to not make it stand out too much.

Overall I was intrigued from beginning to end. I would recommend this to everyone. Especially if you like a psychological thriller. This one left me constantly second guessing my theries.


I
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The Woman In Our House is my first read from author Andrew Hart. It appears this is a pseudonym and he is also known as A. J. Hartley.

This is a story of a mother, Anna, trying to get back into working as a literary agent, so she resulted to hiring a nanny for her two kids. Though her husband, Josh, is reluctant at first, he agrees and they contacted an agency that sent them Oaklynn.

From the title itself, it is obvious that there is something shady about Oaklynn. The book does not actually wait to long to show readers that. So, we are actually prepared for the darkness that follow.
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."
I found myself initially loving the book, and then getting frustrated with how slow the pace was. I struggled with the side plots and found all the characters unlikeable except for the kids.

The book was redeemed by the last 20% and I enjoyed the plot twist. I was satisfied by the ending and it made this a worthwhile read after all.

☁ THE CRITERIA ☁

🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Thrill Factor:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Unputdownability:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩

☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.4/5 ☁

The Woman in our House – Hart (6/18/19)
This had an interesting premise and was thrilling enough to keep me interested and turning pages, especially while reading it on a long flight. As a mother, I did find it hard to believe that someone would let a nanny into their house to live and take care of her two young children without meeting her first. Glowing references are great, even a phone conversation, but I would still want to have face-to-face interaction. I wish there was a little more character development with Anna and Josh.
Overall, this was a solid read, and a good one to keep me engrossed, and there were a few surprises I didn’t expect.
#thewomaninourhouse #andrewhart #lakeunionpublishing

A brilliant thriller with many twists on the "usual" nanny stories. I was gripped from the start Excitement builds as the reader is continually thrust with another surprise! Cannot say much more without letting out a spoiler. Recommend !

One of this summer's best!

Many Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for a real rollercoaster ride !

Absolutely fantastic had me gripped!!! Loved it! Can't wait for more from.this author. Storyline was great, characters were easy to.connect with

Thank you for the advanced copy

In exchange for an honest review, I was provided a free eARC of The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart courtesy of NetGalley.

Official Description (courtesy of NetGalley)
What happens when you open your home to the perfect stranger?

Anna Klein is ready to return to work as a literary agent for the first time since having children. She and her husband, Josh, decide to hire a live-in nanny with some trepidation, but all their misgivings disappear as soon as they meet Oaklynn Durst. She has stellar references, a calm disposition, and a natural way with children. Not to mention their kids simply adore her.

But not long after Oaklynn arrives, the children start to come down with the most puzzling illnesses and inexplicable injuries. When the maternal Oaklynn is there to comfort everyone, Anna can’t help feeling a little eclipsed. And suspicious. Her husband and friends assure her that her anxieties are getting the best of her—Oaklynn is perfect. But Anna’s not so sure…

As she delves into Oaklynn’s past, she discovers too late that the woman who has been living in her house is not at all who she claims to be. But Oaklynn’s not the only one who has been lying. And when everyone’s dark secrets are forced into the light, the consequences may just turn deadly.

My Thoughts
Wow. This book took some twists I was not expecting at all.

How the book opens, the reader gets a sense that something bad will happen to her eldest daughter of the main protagonist. Which, it does, but not what you'd immediately expect.

Once Oaklynn moves into the Klein household, the reader gets the feel that something isn't right with Oaklynn. I got the feeling that she had Munchausen by Proxy, which she kind of did.

Then we start to see something is going on with Josh, Anna's husband, and Oaklynn has dirt on him. I got the feeling that Oaklynn would use this information to hurt the family somehow.

The story then takes a completely different turn and throws in a surprise antagonist. To be honest, I wasn't expecting the surprise antagonist, primarily because I thought this story would revolve around Oaklynn and something she ended up doing, because the title reads The Woman in Our House.

The story was wrapped up nicely and I really enjoyed how the story twisted at the end.

In Conclusion
I love a good mystery/thriller and The Woman in Our House was a good one. I give this story 4 stars!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

DNF @ 20% - no rating and not included in 2019 reading challenge.

I'm not caring for the vibe of this book at all and I have struggled to make it this far. I peeked at some spoilers and I feel safe that I am making the right decision. Moving on!

It shouldn’t be hard when you decide to hire a nanny and go back to work right? In this story Anna is looking for a live in nanny. Easy right? Well you have to read this book to know more about this juicy plot. The only thing that I didn’t quite like was the subplots but I feel as though the Author did a good job in building up suspense and making me want to continue on. I felt as though the characters were developed well and I liked how the author linked the characters all together. That was nicely done. If you enjoy suspenseful reads I recommend this book. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my complete and total honest opinion. I will read more from this Author.

This book is a thriller that took me on a journey of what may happen if they invite a nanny who is a stranger into my home. It makes you stop and think.....
I could not put this book down.

Anna and Josh live in a very nice home in Charlotte, North Carolina. Anna had been a literary agent in New York before their move to North Carolina where she soon became a mother. Josh works in finance. They are parents to Grace, 9 months, and Veronica, age 3.

Anna wants to go back to work out of her home and needs a nanny. After much research, she thinks the Nurture agency out of Utah sounds like the best place. Most of their nannies are Mormon.

Oaklynn is a Mormon woman who had worked for years with the Nurture agency as a nanny. She has just gotten married and she along with her husband are moving to Japan to be missionaries. Oaklynn’s good friend, Nadine, is helping her with the move and all the details involved with it. Now, Nadine has taken over Oaklynn’s name, identification, and using Oaklynn’s past work time with them, has put in to be a nanny with Nurture.

Soon, Anna and Josh offer a job to Oaklynn who accepts and seems to be a good fit for them. She settles in well and the girls like her. But, before long, some unexpected illnesses and injuries happen to the girls and Anna is puzzled as to how they are occurring.

In the meantime, Edward Flanders is looking for Nadine and is coming up cold for leads. Where could she have gone and why if he looking for her?

This book has some very slow parts that made me struggle to stay with it. But, it picked up and came to a very shocking ending. That’s what saved this story for me. There are some things I question in the story that seemed to be glossed over in the book. For instance, why would you have a cell phone that does not get a signal in your house? I’ll let you read the book to see if you are left with the same question. Enjoy.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was a interesting, fast read. However, if you are looking for any mounting suspense and surprises in a storyline you won't find it here.

This book was not easy to get into at first, partly because I have to be in the mood for a thriller and I just wasn’t. I did eventually get engrossed in the story and wanted to see what happened next.

I’m still not completely sure how I feel about the book, however. On the surface, I enjoyed it and the climax was not what I expected. But digesting it after, a lot doesn’t hold up. The ending just absolutely does not make sense. The descriptions of all characters, except Oaklynn, are superficial and I struggled with anything more than a superficial connection to the characters. The creepy factor was there for sure, but there were also times reading Oaklynn’s point of view that were just so off they jarred me out of the story.

This is a book with a lot of action, but requires quite a bit of suspension of disbelief. I really enjoyed Mr Hart’s book Lies That Bind Us, but this one just didn’t compare. This is a 3 1/2 star book for me.