Years ago Lillian, a scholarship student at an elite boarding school, took the fall for her only friend, the beautiful and wealthy Madison. Lillians’ expulsion dashed her chances for college and she now schleps groceries and lives with her impoverished mother. One day she gets a letter from Madison asking her to be a governess for her ten year old twin stepchildren. The twins are traumatized by their mothers recent death, and are being placed in the care of their estranged father, a wealthy US Senator who is being vetted for Secretary of State. There is just one tiny problem, the twins, when frightened, angry, or threatened, burst into flames and that may cause some problems for their father and his political aspirations. 

This touching and humorous novel is really Lillians story about her journey from her small life to the realization that caring for and about others is it’s own reward. I loved this novel and couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

When Lillian's former friend and classmate Madison asks Lilian to act as caretaker for Madison's twin stepkids, Lillian is understandably reluctant -- she has no real experience with kids, and the twins are far more than conventionally challenging. Whenever the children become agitated, they literally burst into flames!  As Lillian's own life is at a dead end, she decides she has nothing to lose, and accepts the job, getting much more than she bargained for as a result -- some good, some bad, and some really funny. Over the course of the book, Lillian develops some ingenious ways of dealing with the unique "challenges" that come with her charges, and eventually opens up her (long closed off) heart to two kids who seemingly have no one but each other. A surprisingly heartwarming and funny book about loving kids that aren't yours, this will stay with you long after you've read it.

Quirky, yet charming, in it's own way. I was attracted to the notion of two children who spontaneously combust when upset (they have every right to be upset in this clan...) yet, I found a lot, including them, to be quite funny!  Characters do learn and grow in this book, so it's interesting enough to keep reading, even if it is a rather slow read. Lots of dramas to keep it entertaining!

A funny, heartfelt, and unconventional story of love and family. Elements of magical realism and fantasy are grounded by very relatable characters and a plot that feels fresh, not contrived.

You've always heard, don't judge a book by the cover.  In this case, the cover is teasing you about the inferno lurking inside.  

Lillian and Madison were roommates at their elite boarding school.  Lillian had to leave school because of a scandal, and the two inseparable friends haven't spoken since.  Until Madison reaches out with a letter begging Madison for help.

If you've ever been fascinated by spontaneous combustion, then this story has just ignited.  Madison wants Lillian to be a caretaker for her two fiery twins.  The catch?  When the twins get agitated or upset, they spontaneously combust.  You would expect them to not survive, but instead they ignite a beautiful fire all over their body.

Madison can't believe this at all, but she decides to help out her friend anyway.  Lillian finds out that the twins help her find the embers inside her that just need to be reignited once again.

Nothing to See Here appears to be a bizarre story about children that burst into flames when mad. However, the underlying messages about acceptance, love, and belonging were more touching than I was expecting.
Lillian and Madison meet when they are roommates at an elite boarding school where Lillian is a scholarship student. Their friendship is unexpected to Lillian who has had trouble fitting in. Their connection is lost when Madison's family's money saves Madison, but not Lillian.
Now, Madison needs Lillian's help with her stepchildren who will be moving in following the death of their mother. The twins, Bessie and Roland, spontaneously combust when they are upset or angry, which could be a problem for Madison's husband Jasper who is currently a senator and has greater political goals.
While Lillian's character is greatly flawed (I lost track of how many times the F-word is used throughout this book.), I couldn't help loving her and wanting her to succeed. She always draws the short straw and is often the scapegoat. Actually, all of the characters in this book are flawed. In the end, Madison does redeem herself somewhat. And Lillian figures out just what it means to love, accept, and belong.

This was the weirdest topic for a book and yet I got sucked in and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed that issues of trauma were addressed however felt things were just taken care of and healed too quickly compared to normal life.

This was a weird book. Not super fast paced but interesting. You wanted to see where it was going because it didn't seem to have a climax. It wasn't leading up to anything necessarily. I haven't read The Family Fang so I can't compare his writing style but I feel like this might just be how Wilson writes. Plodding along with interesting plots so you have to keep going. No shock factor. Aside from the fact that the kids catch on fire. I thought their relationship to the world was completely accurate, working with kids I can see that their feelings about their situation are completely genuine.

Thank you to HarperCollins Publishers for providing me with a copy of Kevin Wilson’s novel, Nothing to See Here, in exchange for an honest review.

Madison Roberts seems to have it all. She’s gorgeous, wealthy, and has a perfect family: an adorable son and a handsome husband who is on track to become the next Secretary of State. Her situation changes, when she must take on her step-children, whose mother has recently died. It would be difficult enough to have twin ten-year olds brought into her family, but the twins have a special ability: They spontaneously combust.

The fire doesn’t hurt the twins, but it terrifies everyone else. Madison and her husband are fearful of the twins, worried for their property, and most important, they can’t let this secret destroy their political ambitions.

Madison hatches a plan to contact Lillian, her friend from boarding school. Madison and Lillian were former roomies and unlikely friends. Madison was from a rich family and Lillian was a scholarship kid, but the girls bonded over a shared love of basketball. Lillian’s time at the boarding school came to an abrupt end, when Madison got caught with cocaine and Madison’s father paid-off Lillian’s family, to have Lillian take the fall. Lillian’s life continued on a downhill trajectory, including dropping out of college, working low-level jobs, and living in her mother’s attic. 

Although her life was destroyed due to Madison’s actions, Lillian still cares for her. She still has a teenage crush on the charismatic Madison and Madison knows it. Madison uses this leverage to ask Lillian to move into her guest house and become a short-term governess to the twins, Bessie and Roland. Lillian has zero experience with children and doesn’t even like them very much, but she accepts the job, as it puts her in proximity to Madison and provides an escape from her dismal life.

Taking care of Bessie and Roland isn’t easy, but Lillian quickly realizes that she can help these children. It changes not only the way she views herself, but also how she sees Madison. 

I loved Nothing to See Here.  It’s a quirky, quick read. The best parts were Lillian with the twins. The twins are initially distrustful of everyone, with good reason as they have just experienced a huge trauma ( no spoilers!), but Lillian manages to get them to drop their defenses.  Lillian is not someone who is a natural choice to care for children. She has no training and can barely take care of herself, but in a delightful turn, taking care of the twins ultimately helps Lillian the most. It gives her purpose and direction. It pulls her out of her funk. 

Lillian feels bonded to the twins, because she is similar to them. The twins are not asked how they feel and are kept as a secret obligation, rather than members of their own family. When Lillian’s mother accepted the bribe from Madison’s father, she didn’t consider how it would affect her daughter. Lillian and the twins have both experienced deep betrayal by their blood relatives. 

Nothing to See Here is delightful, unexpected, and full of heart. I highly recommend it.

I've babysat a lot of children in my time. All ages, all shapes, sizes and personalities but I can truly and honestly say that I have never watched children that catch on fire. Yes, they spontaneously combust when they get upset. It gives new meaning to the phrase, "I'm so mad, my hair is on fire." Ten year old twins, Bessie and Roland, can top that since their whole bodies catch on fire. Now imagine your friend from high school, Madison, writes to you years later asking you to become her step kids, Bessie and Roland's nanny.
Now are thinking where can this crazy premise of a book go from here. Kevin Wilson's, Nothing to See Here, is the kind of outrageously, die-hard funny yet moving book about a woman looking for meaning to her life and two children looking for a warm and loving protector in an otherwise flameless life.
Will the twins learn to stay cool, calm and level-headed over the course of one really hot, humid, hazy summer? Will Lillian find meaning to her life and discover what is really important? Will Madison put her needs first again and think only of herself?
Kevin Wilson's witty and quirky tale is entertaining but mostly an endearing tale of friendship and parental love. I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. #NetGalley #NothingtoSeeHere

Have you ever wondered how far you'd go for a friend? Nothing to See Here explores the nature of love and friendship with a wildly original premise and details that will keep you reading.

Such an interesting and unconventional story!! I had a bit of a hard time getting into it. But I did enjoy the humor! I went a little out of my comfort zone with this one, and I enjoyed it but wasn’t fully invested.

I laughed so many times during this funny, quirky, and poignant novel. Briefly, Lillian is asked by her friend Madison to be the caretaker of her two step-children who spontaneously combust. Lillian's attempts to care for these children are hilarious. I loved it!

Nothing To See Here is one of the weirdest stories I’ve ever read and I loved every second of it. The candid writing style was really fun - so many F bombs! - and the blunt, dark humor was right up my alley. I laughed a lot and quickly grew to love the quirky characters - especially the little combustible ones, Bessie and Roland. 

At the beginning, I was worried this would turn into a book about bratty kids, but that was not the case at all. This story is sassy, but it comes from Lillian and her filter-free commentary on eccentric rich people and the unconventional situation she finds herself in. I loved how frank and relatable her inner dialogue was. I really couldn’t get enough of this book - it's so full of heart! I highly recommend Nothing To See Here if you’re up for something a little off the wall!

I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

I was wondering if this book would have a superhero element to it after hearing and reading the description. That was not the case at all! This book incorporated children catching on fire as a part of normal day to day life! It was quirky, charming and strange. I enjoyed the book and it was a quick read however the two main female characters were a bit frustrating. The sacrifice Lillian made for Madison when they were in school seemed like a deal-breaker to me and years later Madison didn't seem to have changed. I would not have continued to be friends with Madison let alone do her any favors. But overall the book was a fun read and I would recommend it.

This book was one of my top five books read of 2019.  Lillian is leading an unremarkable life... until she gets a letter from her former boarding school roommate and bestie asking for her help.  Madison is now married with the perfect life, with one hiccup (actually two) - stepchildren with the unfortunate problem of bursting into flames when they get upset, stressed out or angry.  Madison is hoping that Lillian can be their caretaker.  Lillian is not sure that this job is for her, but she isn't sure that she has anything to lose.  The subsequent story of Lillian, the children, and how they connect and work to overcome their issues is hilarious, beautiful and touching.

I really didn't know what to expect from a book about children who burst into fire, but his is a well-written moving novel.  When Lillian's high school roommate and best friend, Madison,  contacts her to ask her to watch her step-children for the summer, Madison now married to a senator needs someone to take care of her two step-children and keep them out of the public's attention. Lillian, who doesn't have much going on, immediately says yet.  One catch,, the kids, when stressed, burst into flames.  Madison a rich, privileged woman and Lillian who comes from very modest beginnings have a complicated relationship since Lillian took the blame for Madison's drugs found in their exclusive high school dorm room and was expelled.   This book is funny, quirky, and heart warming. Not all of the characters are likable, but all are interesting.  This is a wonderful satisfying read.

A fantastical story that has lots of interesting and imaginative details.  I didn't particularly like any of the characters which did diminish my appreciation for the overall book.

I really enjoyed this quick and quirky novel from the author of The Family Fang. Throughout the novel there was a feeling of sad hopefulness.