Wasn't as good as I'd hoped. A slow-burner which at times made me put the book down and read something else. Finished it at last. My thanks to netgalley and the publisher's for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Starts off well but it’s definitely a slow simmer, rather than a page turner where all of your life stops until you finish. Lots of twists and turns.
Thank you for an advanced copy in return for my review

What the Nanny Said is a beautifully written mystery that will keep even the most seasoned readers hooked and turning the page.

|:: What the Nanny Said
By Lara Finch
Chapter Three Page 21
September 1999
4 🌟🌟🌟🌟

{ TL - Lucy and I became friends, and I started helping out with her daughter, Evie. It went from there.
AR - You didn't know Sam or Lucy before Spring this year?
TL - Correct.
AR - Can you tell us how you came to know them?
TL - Sure. It started in the spring, like you said. I was in the communal garden one day. Back then I was living on Sanderson Road. Anyhow, I spotted Lucy and Evie, and Lucy looked incredibly weird - like she shouldn't be in charge of a small child.
AR - What do you mean by that?
TL- She wasn't steady on her legs for a start. }

For Lucy, Sam, and their daughter Evie, life is going by slowly. Lucy is a pampered, well-looked-after stay-at-home mom; Sam is the forever-doting husband providing for their family; and Evie is a happy child in the safety of her two adoring parents.

However, not everything is as it seems. In the privacy of their home, things are starting to crack. It's as if a guardian angel has come into their lives in the form of Taylor Love. Young, beautiful, and friendly, Taylor clicks with Evie from the moment she sees her and seems to be the answer to all of their problems.

But Lucy isn't the woman she used to be. Taylor helps her remember her passion for life and her work ethic, while Sam starts acting a little bit strangely. The only one who seems perfectly happy is Evie, especially when Taylor is around. So when Evie starts to become ill in random bouts of sickness, things take a very ugly turn.

Navigating the murky waters of Lucy and Sam's ever-growing hostile relationship, the only person who seems to know the truth about what is going on is Melody. She is the only one Lucy can confide in, so why is she choosing not to say anything?
Twenty years later, a girl comes looking for a past—a past that could be hers. But why is she holding back?

This book had me gripped from the beginning. The author laid it out beautifully in a mix of information, a process that I never saw coming. It was clever in the way it concentrated on each character, revealing flaws and weaknesses that could have been a hint of what was to come.

It left me hanging on to every word, and now that it's finished, it has left me with so many more questions! I enjoyed reading this book immensely. The only one who had my sympathy was Lucy and how she came to her end.
What a beautiful, insightful and fantastically thriller of a book!

A huge thank you to Lara Finch, Storm Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and relay my honest feedback. ::|

I’ll be honest, I originally didn’t finish What the Nanny Said when I first picked it up. Something didn’t quite click at the time, but for whatever reason, I felt compelled to give it another shot. And I’m so glad I did. The second time around, I found myself pulled into the slow unraveling of secrets and the subtle tension that builds with every chapter. Lara Finch crafts a tightly layered domestic suspense where nothing is quite what it seems, and the characters, particularly the nanny, keep you guessing until the end. The pacing is more of a simmer than a sprint, but if you stick with it, it pays off in a twisty and satisfying way. A solid pick for fans of quiet, psychological thrillers that sneak up on you.

There was so many twist and turns in this book the end had me shocked! Highly recommend
Triggers include
Mental health issues
adultery
murder

Started off strong but lost steam about halfway through. I gave it a 3.5 as I was interested enough to finish and did have one decent twist I didn't see coming.

I really was hooked on this book when I started but then it fell off for me. I expected a lot more suspense. The character of Lucy was all over the place and I know that was part of the point, but it made it really hard to follow. I felt like there was a lot that could have been left out and just cut to the chase. It still kept me interested but this wasn’t a hit for me. I appreciate the ARC.

Suspenseful and dark, this had me guessing until the very end.

Whilst I found the conversation to be a little too formal/stilted at times, I absolutely adored the plot line and thought it was exquisite.

Evie & Lucy’s story is one that will stick with me for a long time. One that shows a mother’s love is endless, and the damage that gaslighting can cause, all whilst gently and compassionately writing about genuine mental health issues.

What The Nanny Said was a great psychological thriller. The dual timelines were really easy to follow. A few good twists!

Wow, this is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read recently. I was hooked from the first sentence

The book is told from 3 POV’s which sometimes when it’s multiple it can feel a little overwhelming but that wasn’t the case with this book, the way the different pov’s answered questions leading into the next was great.

Evie’s character was great, it felt realistic to go looking for answers and how it explained how she was feeling and all her different theories whilst searching. I loved how she put herself first and did what she needed to do.

My only complaint is the ending, I needed to know more on one of the main characters, what happened to her. I hope there will be a second book to explain that as it would be great

Overall a great, gripping book. That you won’t want to put down once you’ve started.

What The Nanny Said
by Lara Finch
Pub Date: Jul 16 2025

What The Nanny Said is a haunting and sophisticated emotional thriller that will have you hooked from the first page! It was fast paced, full of twists and turns I didn't see coming. The story shifts between past and present which I feel really made it interesting. It was an addictive, twisty read that kept me guessing right up until the shocking ending! A must read.

Synopsis: In an elegant house in Little Venice, London, a young mother is quietly going out of her mind. When a charming nanny arrives to help care for her little girl Evie, she seems like salvation – beautiful, capable, devoted to the child. But the nanny wants more than just a job. She wants everything.

Many thanks to #WhatTheNannySaid #NetGalley and #StormPublishing for providing me an E-ARC of this 5 star book!

This was a difficult thriller to review. I usually absolutely adore thrillers but this one was just very boring and not much going on throughout the whole book.
I was intrigued at first to find out what had happened to this family and who was dead, who killed who and what had the nanny done.
It was a bit of a strange read. It had everything you want in a thriller like the twists and the bad guy/good guy but it just felt a bit flat.
I grew bored rather quickly and skipped pages and paragraphs just to see what actually happens and call it a day.
The ending was better, an interesting plot and I can see that the author has made the effort to write an ending that is different to usual thrillers.

It was interesting to see the different viewpoints of the characters in this book which really changed in tone everyone's actions. Because although Lucy seemed very innocent in all the situations, she had her own secrets and dark deeds and definitely was an unreliable narrator, along with Taylor and so the truth was quite murky at times. Nobody was clean, except for Evie and I am super glad that she did not remember that crazy year in her young childhood when Taylor, the nanny showed up.

It is very obvious from the beginning that Taylor has her own agenda when she worms her way into Sam and Lucy's life. Jumping from the present with Evie on the hunt for why Mia had taken her away after the terrible murder and disappearance of her parents to the events as they happened and then interspersed with Taylor's police interrogation (which is totally of the wall wild) of those events. It was hard to put this book down because there were so many twists, dark happenings, and I just had to find out what really happened and why Evie ended up in Mexico with Mia so long ago.

So, in summary it is a good thriller with lots of twists, a few dead bodies, lies and secrets, unreliable narrators and quite a mystery to puzzle out. It was fun to read.

I really enjoyed this book, though it lost me a little bit at the end. The story is told across two timelines: the past (1999) and the present. We follow Evie as she tries to discover the connection between her mother and a murder that occurred in 1999. I thought I had solved the mystery, but I was wrong. Overall, I'm giving this book four stars.

Just finished What the Nanny Said by Lara Finch and WOW—twisty, chilling, and totally addictive. A slow-burn thriller with secrets that unravel across decades. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell!

"What the Nanny Said" by Lara Finch is set in the affluent Little Venice suburb of London, spanning 25 years. Lucy is frazzled and neurotic. Her husband Sam is successful in tv reporting. He thinks his wife is going out of her mind and therefore not safe with their daughter Evie. Taylor Love seems the perfect nanny...capable and her charge Evie adores her. But instead of helping Lucy, she is controlling the narrative and is out to take everything.

She is pure evil. What seems to good to be true, often is. My spidey senses were pricked very early on with Taylor.

Twenty-five years later, Evie, who now lives in Mexico, suffers the heartbreak of suddenly losing her mum. She discovers newspaper clippings hidden amongst her mother's belongings – stories about a murdered woman and her missing daughter who shares Evie's exact name and birthday. As well as a strip of passport photos. Mia ran out of time...she died before she could tell her daughter the truth about their past.

Evie returns to London curious to find out this truth and uncovers a twisted confusing trail, which leads her to her mother's secret. It is so dark and unimaginable. Finally the pieces come together as she reaches out to the people who lived in the periphery of what happened in the Little Venice house.

I found myself thinking constantly about this book. It is modern thriller and almost unbelievable that rich entitled people can be so vulnerable and naive. We move quickly back and forward between points of view of Lucy and Evie and police station conversations, covering each period of time from every angle.....and varying degrees of truth.

An enthralling read. Thanks to NetGalley, Lara Finch and Storm Publishing. The clear message is, don't employ a nanny from a chance encounter in a park!

I enjoyed this book! It was twisty, addicting and I very much enjoyed the duel timelines and the duel POVs!! I thought the characters were quite memorable as well!

This thriller exceeded my expectations! I loved the dual timelines, dial POVs and the authors writing. This book was addicting and well written.

I was completely invested in this story right from the beginning and keen to uncover the mystery. It is dark and suspenseful with some great characters. It also had a good twist. Highly recommended!