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Nanny Dearest

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Member Reviews

Told in two different timelines, 1996 and the present, this psychological thriller was a bit slow-moving, but did get better. Annaliese is a young broken teenager who takes care of young Suzy Keller - this is the 1996 timeline. Fast forward to the present. Sue Keller is now a twenty-something young woman who is lost and broken. She's recently lost her father, and her mother has been gone for a long time. Suddenly, Sue meets Annie. Annie, aka Annaliese, is so loving and has so many stories that she can share with Sue about her younger years with Sue's family. Sue is craving the love and attention that her former nanny is so willingly offering. So she enters into a friendship with many suspenseful twists and turns leaving you to wonder who Annie really is.

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In her debut novel, Nanny Dearest, author Flora Collins tells the story of a relationship of a babysitter and her old charge. This story dives into the minds of two very different women with a unique connection that transcends time and will have you wondering just what kind of experiences shape a person.

As many of you know, I usually never read thrillers… (What can I say: I’m a scaredy cat who likes romcoms better I’m sorry!) However, when I was put into contact with Flora by a friend about reading her debut novel, I knew I had to check this book out! And I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this book! The plot is so engaging and the alternating POVs and times makes this story even more enthralling! These characters are all super complex and trying to figure out the depths of Sue and Annie’s relationship is riveting as a reader!

So take it from a non-thriller reader that this book should definitely be added to your TBR this holiday season! I will definitely be on the look out for more of Collins’s novels in the future.

*I received an ARC from the author and MIRA Books in exchange for my honest opinion.

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I'm having trouble putting into words what I thought about this book. Because the thing is, it's a really slow burn, so while not a lot is really happening at first, Collins does an amazing job of writing where you feel this creepy tension in the air the ENTIRE TIME. Like you just know something is up, but what is "up"?! I had goosebumps so often while reading even when I was thinking "but nothing has happened yet really...".

So our main character Sue, is mid-20ish and one day she runs into her old childhood nanny, Annie. Sue's parents have both died and Sue is feeling incredibly lost and misunderstood, so when Annie sweeps in and provides not only friendship but almost a motherly figure for Sue, Sue is determined to keep Annie in her life again. Told in alternating stories between present day (Sue) and the past (Annie), the whole thing is strange, but understandable given the circumstances. But then secrets start to unfold and Sue learns of things from her childhood that she didn't remember and this physiological thriller kept me turning pages right up until the crazy ending!

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Suspenseful story with a great premise. I did however not much care for any of the characters and at times got a little confused with the dual time line, Still an enjoyable read with a writing style I liked. Thank you netgalley and publisher for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

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Thank you Netgalley & Halequin Trade Publishing for an eARC of Nanny Dearest!

I absolutely love the concept of this book, and the dual timelines are enjoyable - mid 90s and present day. That being said, I got confused at times. I was hoping for a surprise to grab me, but overall an enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing what this author comes up with next.

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Susanna Keller is all alone -- her mother died when she was a toddler, and her father has just passed away as well. She has no friends minus Beth who annoys her as much as she loves her, having driven them all away, and she looks in the mirror and doesn't recognize herself. Who is that woman? Is that me? Then, Sue randomly runs into Annie, who just happens to have been her nanny when she was a toddler -- while her mother was sick, and she lived in upstate New York. Alone and adrift, Sue clings to Annie -- practically living at Annie's sister's home where Annie takes care of her sister's two children. In Sue's eyes, Annie is a saint with a calm demeanor who is the maternal figure Sue has been yearning for all her life. But is Annie all she seems? Sue's memories seem to be different than Annie's and not everything is as it seems.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I liked or hated this book. None of the characters are particularly likeable, and almost all of them need psychiatric help. The ending was very unresolved for me, and SPOILER ahead how did Sue's dad find Annie and Sue? It's never stated in the book.

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I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. For some reason I just couldn't get into this book. It seemed a bit depressing, and I had a hard time connecting with the characters. I did enjoy the dual narratives, I felt that it was done really well, and I was able to kept track of everything.

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I wanted to love this, but it was just far too all over the place for me. The last trauma is hars to keep up with and I struggled to connect with the characters. I'll still check out other books by Collins, however, because the concept of the book was right up my alley.

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This one is very dark. You jump between timelines and neither is cheery. It was a miss for me. I just didn't connect with the characters and there was almost too much past trauma in the plot to keep track of.

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Disappointed with this novel. Although it was generally well paced between the two time periods, and had a couple of twists that kept the storyline somewhat different to its counterparts in the “Nanny” sub-genre (that seems to be quite full). I wouldn’t rush to recommend Nanny Dearest. I kept waiting for the plot line to significantly improve- which it failed to do. I also hate when animal abuse is written about; especially when it is descriptive and is unnecessary to the overall plot line (which is almost every time..). I would be open to the author’s future books as this was her debut.
Thank you HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC!

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TW//CW abuse, animal abuse, childe abuse, death, depression, disturbing, drug abuse, domestic abuse, gory, illness, mental illness, murder

A 2.5 stars read.

She knows silence can be better than words, that it can fill people up with just the right amount of presumptions.

This one is a slow-burn psychological thriller.
Okay let's start with all the things that bothering me, it's kinda too slow for me, the suspense happened after 68%, only to be dissapointed by the ending. Actually from the blurb and the back and forth from the past to the present I know where this is all going, so the waiting for something to happen is kinda irritating. Not a fan of all the characters, it's all toxic relationships, I understand why they did what they did though, they're all just victims from the abuse and depression, I did want to root for Suze but because of the dragging in the middle I just stop caring and again in the end I just like "what? that's it? why?".

Aside from all of that, there are things I like. The detail of the abuse, depression and mental illness is really distrubing and gory. It makes it feels so real and makes the story more intense. It's pretty terrifying what people with depression and a victim of abuse feelings in day to day life.

Overall it's an okay read for me.

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I am kind of on the fence with this one. Though the whole premise of a "bad" nanny has been done many times, I liked Flora Collins interpretation. The characters were interested and definitely cringeworthy. I wish that there had been a little bit more to this, like another plot twist. I did not like how nothing was how it seemed from the nanny's interpretation at the beginning. I think that her character could have been even more extreme and that would've made it even better.

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Nanny Dearest by Flora Collins is a thriller novel. The story in this book is told by alternating the point of view between two of the characters and also in a dual timeline format with one character in the present day and the other in the past.

Sue Keller lost her mother at an early age and was raised by her single father. Now that Sue is in her twenties though she has become an orphan with her father also now having passed away. One day Sue runs into a woman who seems to know her and claims to have once been her nanny. Sue has vague memories of Annie from her childhood and decides that it wouldn’t hurt to get to know her better now.

For me reading Nanny Dearest by Flora Collins was entertaining but I found one thing to bring my rating down to three and a half stars and that was I felt I knew what was coming the entire time. Perhaps it’s just me again but in the end I didn’t find anything that surprised me to really think of it as suspenseful. The story did flow well and engage me though as I read so I did enjoy it overall but just wished for more surprise.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

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Oh man, I wish I had really good things to say about Nanny Dearest, but aside from the superb writing, this one was a flop for me. I wasn't enamored with any characters, the real drama didn't start until the very end, and the ending left me feeling like, huh, what was the point of the story if it was just to take us back to square one? The plot isn't unique and while Collins can write beautiful, detailed descriptions and believable dialogue, there wasn't anything special to this one.

I think others might enjoy this, but I didn't.

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This was a suspenseful and somewhat twisted read (and actually the second "nanny" book I read this month!). If you enjoy slightly unnerving suspense, don't miss this one! Thank you for making me part of the tour and for my copy!

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All the crazy and unlikeable characters you could ever want here! This was a solid debut thriller from Flora Collins and I definitely plan on picking up more from her in the future. Lots of crazy and lots of suspense and it was a lot of fun but sometimes confusing. Would you reconnect with your old nanny? Grief brings Sue Keller back into the arms of her childhood nanny, Annie. As Sue begins to learn more about Annie’s time with her family she slowly realizes things might not have ended mutually between her and the Kellers. I’ve seen rave reviews for this so I think some of the confusion I experienced was more so me than the writing because I’m in the minority here. Overall, I couldn’t put it down once I started and I’ll be keeping an eye out for future releases to see where her next thriller will take us!

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Nanny Dearest by Flora Collins focuses on two characters, two time periods, and two narrators. With Annie's perspective on the past, I don't feel that I get to know or care for Suzy the child. As such, Sue's perspective in the present seems to lack that connection of why. With the whys unanswered, Sue does not develop into an empathetic character, and this makes the entire story a challenge.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2021/12/nanny-dearest.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the HTP Fall 2021 mystery and thriller blog tour free of cost in exchange for an honest review.

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After her father’s death, Sue Keller is devastated. She lost her mother at a young age and now she has no one. Then, she meets up with Annie…her live in nanny from her childhood. It’s been twenty years since they’ve seen each other, but they are able to reconnect once again. Annie quickly becomes the only one in Sue’s life as she pushes away even her closest of friends.

Sue begins to realize that something isn’t right with Annie. As she starts looking into her family’s past, she finds there’s more to Annie than meets the eye.

For me, the book started off slowly, but then began to pick up speed about halfway through the book. The characters are quite intriguing. Annie is a very complex character both in her younger days and her older days. Sue is as well, but she was a bit too naive and trusting as an adult. I attributed much of Sue’s actions towards grief and confusion.

I do have to add a warning, however, there is a scene of animal abuse which is a personal turn off for me. I had difficulty with that part.

It’s told in alternating viewpoints - one is set in the 1990’s and one in present day. I do like this technique as you find out different pieces of information throughout the story.

It’s a very dark, intense story. It’s one of those books you find yourself wanting to see how it ends which makes it difficult to put it down. A twisty, psychological thriller is the way I would describe it. It's the type of book that keeps you on your toes until the very end.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Thank you @harpercollinsca for gifting me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Nanny Dearest, by Flora Collins, is available now!

Sue Keller is an orphan in her mid-twenties after her father tragically dies and having lost her mother in childhood. Sue is lost – emotionally, professionally and personally. Then one day, Sue meets Annie, a lady who claims she was her live-in nanny and knows her better than anyone else, however Sue has no recollection of her. After the initial meeting, memories and images start to flood Sue’s mind, and as someone craving any sort of connection, especially parental, Sue is all too eager to spend as much time with Annie as possible. That is, until other memories start to return, and Sue begins to observe worrisome behaviours from Annie that has alarm bells going off.

Told from alternating perspectives – Sue in present day and Annie in the 90s – this thriller has readers constantly caving more insight into what really happened in the Keller home all those years ago, as well as guessing how their story unfolds right until the end.

Overall, I enjoyed Nanny Dearest, especially the alternating perspectives, as it allowed me to fully immerse myself into Sue and Annie’s relationship. I love having as much background information as I can get when reading a thriller. There were times I felt Sue was making poor life choices that were more so to keep the storyline moving in one direction, and the ending left me wanting more.

TW: animal cruelty/abuse. I found this to be far too graphic and unnecessary to achieve the character development I assume it was aiming for.

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Thank you so much to @_Mira_Books_ & @NetGalley for giving me this physical ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 30 November 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Suzy's father has recently passed away & she is feeling very alone in the world as she also lost her mother some years earlier. She is reintroduced to her childhood live-in nanny (Annie) & they start to rekindle their relationship, although things aren't as straight forward as they seem.

WHAT I LIKED:
- the general sense of foreboding
- dual narration & multiple timelines kept my attention throughout

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- it started off really slow & the entire story felt quite drawn out
- all of the characters are pretty unlikeable
- I don't think the cat abuse was really necessary to distill that the character wasn't a particularly lovely human being

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