***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of NANNY NEEDED by Georgina Cross in exchange for my honest review.***

3.5 STARS

When Sarah accepts a joy as a nanny and signs a confidentiality agreement without first meeting four year old Patty, she has no idea what’s behind closed doors.

I would have enjoyed NANNY NEEDED more if I hadn’t already seen the twisted premise in a Lifetime TV Movie starring Rita Wilson. The title, I can’t name because it would give away the first twist. After the first reveal at about 25%, NANNY NEEDED diverges from the heartwarming Lifetime movie plot to a twisted psychological thriller with a final surprise I didn’t see coming.

I had a lot of empathy for Sarah, although I didn’t like her relationship with Jonathan who was too controlling for me. Rooting against an eventual marriage made several plot points less meaningful for me.

NANNY NEEDED would make a fantastic Lifetime movie, it’s different enough from the Rita Wilson movie.

Psychological thrillers will love NANNY NEEDED.

An original, creative, unbelievable take on the nanny storyline. Was it gripping? Yes Jaw dropping? Yes Believable? Heck no, but still a good, crazy story.

I really enjoyed this in the beginning but then halfway through it started to read more like a wannabe V.C Andrews book.
One good thing is I definitely did not see that ending coming!

I just finished Georgina Cross’s Nanny Needed. I am sitting here saying WTH did I just read? I have to say this book is so delightfully twisted. Sarah Larsen is drowning in debt when she answers an ad about an ultra-wealthy family needing a nanny. From there, the story takes off. There are so many twists and turns. With an ending that is M. Night ‘s The Sixth Sense worthy, Georgina Cross has made it on to my must read author list. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Nanny Needed!

I was thrilled to receive this copy as a wish granted on Netgalley! I have read many thrillers this year, but this will stand out as one the best. I give Nanny Needed 5 full stars! We follow Sarah and her fiance, both in there 20's, who are in debt, living in New York in a cramped apartment, barely able to pay the bills. One day, Sarah sees a flier posted in her building for a nanny, but with a huge stipulation, "discretion needed" if you accept this position. She soon meets Colette, Stephen and Pauline, all who live in a very rich penthouse with immeasurable wealth. The child Sarah will be nannying for is Patty, who is about 4 years old. I have to say that I guessed what was going on the first 25% of the book. Then, however, I was all in and could not put this book down. While Colette is made to be the "bad guy", I felt empathy for her for some reason. I loved the atmospheric writing of the setting in New York, the descriptive details of the penthouse where the family lived, even Colette's wardrobe and smells and textures, particulary "strawberry shampoo and Chanel No. 5" throughout the book. The twist at the end was something that I had no clue about and BOOM it just hits you. This novel was executed so well, and I loved Georgina Cross' writing style. Solid 5 stars!

Mildly disturbing and sinisterly eerie, Nanny Needed is a major page turner! I couldn't stop reading as one creepy scene led into another. At times, I was screaming at the main character in my head. The writing was engaging. The author plotted the story out superbly with a massive twist. What a thrilling read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bantam for access to this arc.

Repeating the creepy detail/plot point at the end of every chapter does not, in fact, add to the creepy ambiance. If anything, I wondered if the protagonist could have more than one thought at a time.

Nanny Needed. So reads the sign in the lobby of Sarah Larsen’s building. Sarah and her fiancé Jonathan are both servers at a nearby restaurant and are trying to get out of debt so that they can be married. Although she has no previous experience, Sarah applies for the position and is almost immediately accepted and offered a generous salary for parttime work. That should have been her first clue that something might be off with the wealthy, reclusive Bird family. She discovers that her “nannying” client is not who she thought. Clue 2. And then her salary is raised and her rent is covered by the big-hearted Birds. Clue 3.

Nanny Needed is a suspenseful, tension filled story about discovery. Both Sarah and the Bird family have a lot to learn about each other. Georgina Cross has delivered a mystery that will keep your heart pounding and your fingers turning the pages as fast as possible. You’ll never figure this one out! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and Georgina Cross for this ARC.

#nannyneeded
The novel is one that I couldn't put down because you just don't know what is coming next. A must read!

Review of uncorrected ebook file

Answering an ad for a nanny, twenty-six-year-old Sarah Larsen finds herself at an interview in a glamorous Upper West Side penthouse where she makes a connection with the child’s mother, Collette Bird. Still struggling to pay the bills from her late Aunt Clara’s illness, Sarah’s waitressing job barely earns her enough for her to live week to week and leaves her fretting about dealing with collection agencies. The extremely generous salary that goes with the position will go a long way to solving her financial problems and will let her finally plan her wedding with her fiancé, Jonathan.

Despite her lack of experience with children, the Birds offer Sarah the job after a second interview; without any hesitation, the young woman signs a contract that includes a stringent nondisclosure agreement and requires her to remain in the Bird family’s employ for a minimum of three months.

But it isn’t long before Sarah finds herself enmeshed in an exceedingly disturbing situation. Why doesn’t Collette Bird ever leave the apartment alone? Why does everyone seem to behave so strangely? Soon Sarah discovers the decades-long secret the tormented family has been keeping. What will happen as Sarah learns more about the deceptions and the family’s peculiarities?

Cue the eerie “Twilight Zone” music to accompany the tense, disturbing, complicated narrative that readers will find difficult to set aside before turning the final page. Drawn into the telling of the tale early on, readers will find that the unfolding story twists and turns, the creepiness builds, and the situation in which Sarah finds herself seems more and more improbable. There’s an underlying edginess that helps build the tension, but the astounding denouement is likely to surprise most readers.

Readers will find it easy to empathize with Sarah and Jonathan; ultimately, the strange behavior of the uber-wealthy Bird family members is both distressing and heart-wrenching. Although the story is, at times, a bit over the top, it is compelling and unputdownable. However, readers may find themselves left with an unanswered question or two as a result of the rather abrupt ending that leaves them wishing there was a bit more to the story.

Highly recommended.

I received a free copy of this eBook from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine / Bantam and NetGalley
#NannyNeeded #NetGalley

I am all about some nanny stories right now. I can't get enough of them! The "nanny contract" was my favorite part of this story. The prose was intriguing, the pace was engaging, I genuinely had fun reading this. Different take on a nanny plot that is desperately needed in the genre.

This book will suck you in till the end! There were so many levels within the book and the surprise ending you will not guess. Highly Recommend

What a wild rollercoaster ride of thrills this novel ended up being!

Picture it: you’re 26, living in New York, in so much debt, have dreams about going back to school when that debt is paid off and living happily ever after with your fiancé... and a nanny position falls into your lap. And it’s not a typical nanny position. It’s the be a nanny to someone from the upper class. Dollar signs start to roll around in your head. Where you once saw struggle, you now see an escape.

Sounds like the perfect gig, right? But everything is not as it seems.

I have to admit this novel had me completely. I binged it in one sitting and wasn’t able to see the final conclusion until it happened! I enjoyed each and every page. The intro and conclusion were phenomenal. The cryptic and intense scenes were well written and had me devouring words to determine what was going to happen next. It’s definitely a great psychological thriller.

I was proved an ARC from NetGalley to review.

I loved this creepy thriller! Grabbed me right out of the box and didn’t let go. Amazing twists and turns. I adored some characters and loathed others! Buckle up for a great ride. 4.5 stars
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

Sarah Larsen is having a hard time paying her bills and is barely making ends meet. One day she sees an ad in her apartment for a nanny job and thinks this could be her ticket to get her out of debt. With no prior nanny experience and her love of children, how hard could it be? Sarah gets the job after being interviewed by Collette Bird and the salary offered is everything she dreamed of. There is one stipulation, however, she must sign a non-disclosure agreement. Not soon after she starts, Sarah learns the dark secrets of the Bird family.

This was a gripping novel from beginning to end. There were few shocking moments that I didn't see coming and that just made it even better. I would definitely read more books by Georgina Cross and I would recommend it to others.

Many Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for granting my wish and providing me with an ARC of this book. All opinions here are my own, and, as always, I try to avoid spoilers and simple summaries of the book.

As you can see by my read dates, this book took me less than three days to finish. I really wanted to know what would happen next and how Sarah would resolve the issues. Without giving too much away, you, as a reader, really have to suspend your disbelief for this one. I was able to do so, and this was a quick read. However, the reveal near the end took it just a little too far, so that was the reason for the one star deduction. (I do not want to say anything more because I want you to read this and find out for yourself.)

So, if you are ready to suspend your disbelief a lot and want something that will keep you captivated during a summer day by the pool or on the beach, I recommend Nanny Needed.

Started this one last night and intended to read through the night, but my body had other plans 😒

Sarah is drowning in debt, and she and her boyfriend aren't making enough was waiting tables to get ahead. The debt collectors are relentless, and the stress is getting to her. Then she discovers a flyer posted in her apartment building for a nanny needed with the only stipulation that discretion is required. With no experience as a nanny, Sarah gets the job after being interviewed by Collette Bird, with a salary and benefits she never dreamed of. She's a little disappointed that she didn't get to meet her young charge, but she figures she has plenty of time to bond with the girl. As a condition of her employment, she signs the Non-Disclosure Agreement without a second thought, not realizing what she's getting herself into. Soon she learns that the entire Bird family, not just Collette, is hiding not one dark secret, but many.

This is my third book from this author, and each one has been consistently excellent. One main criticism I always see with thrillers is "unrealistic" and I have to counter that with many books, not just thrillers, force you to suspend reality. NANNY NEEDED could easily be a "ripped from the headlines" episode of Law and Order: SVU, and I also got hints of early V.C. Andrews with the secrets and lies of the rich and the powerful. You never know what's on the inside of your neighbor's house. We all live behind a facade to hide some sort if secret shame, and NANNY NEEDED explores this theme beautifully.

Gripping, disturbing, WTH I just read kind of high tension thriller giving you Night Shyamalan’s series named Servant vibes.

It’s intriguing mystery with promising start and extremely smart conclusion:

26 years old Sarah Larsen barely makes ends meet with her waitressing job, dealing with piling up unpaid bills, getting threats from debt collectors because of unpaid hospital bills of her recently passed away Aunt Clara.

Her fiancée Jonathan works at the same restaurant with her cannot be helpful to pay her debts either.

She needs a quick way out : the flyers she’s found at her apartment about nanny job can be the answer for her predicament. She doesn’t have any babysitting experience but she loves children so it cannot be so hard to take care of a four years old child, can it?

She scheduled an interview by Stephen Bird who is 32 years old stepson of Collette Bird: the mother of baby who needs help to take care of her little girl Patty, as she concentrated on philanthropist achievements at children hospitals.

Even though she doesn’t have any experience about children, Sarah makes great connection with Collette, an elegant, sophisticated second wife of wealthy, high achiever businessman Alex Bird.

The job is too good to be true: weekly 12 hundred dollars payment ( Monday through Friday from 9 a.m to 3 or 4 p.m.), she will spend her time mostly unbounded in the multimillion dollar fortress of Upper West Side apartment. There are plenty toys, board games, movies to keep little Patty busy. It seems like piece of cake.

Of course Sarah gets so exhilarated when they chose her for the job. This means she can solve her entire financial problems with this godsend job and she can also keep her waitressing gig at the same time!

But as soon as she reaches to Bird family’s fancy Upper West apartment for the second day of her job she finds out the jaw dropping secret they have been hiding nearly 2 decades! She cannot resign because without reading her NDA she just signed it and she forgot to demand her copy. It’s all written there what kind of secret she has to keep along with family!

And if she doesn’t oblige the part of her responsibilities, there will be legal complications which could turn her life into hell. She cannot even tell a word about her predicament to her fiancée so at least three months she’s trapped in this apartment with Bird family.

If she dares to open her mouth, things will get more complicated for her and when she digs out more about what happened to the nannies before her, she has every right to scare for her life!

The conclusion of the story is shockingly unexpected and well played!

It was engrossing, spine tingling, heart pounding thriller I highly recommend!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group/ Ballantine / Bantam for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Wow!! I devoured this book and I think it was my favorite book of 2021 so far. Although I guessed the ending early on, the ride to get there was insane. An untold tale in the psychological thriller world, I feel like this book would make a great movie or HBO series!! Loved it and can’t recommend it enough! Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine for giving me this pre-release for my honest review!

When Sarah Larsen discovers the "Nanny Needed" post hanging in the lobby of her New York apartment building, she responds to the ad, especially seeing that its for a family living in the wealthy Upper West Side area of the city. Sarah and her fiancee are already struggling to pay off the credit card debt Sarah took on trying to pay off her now deceased aunt's medical bills, and waitressing is only allowing them to live paycheck to paycheck as it is. Sarah immediately feels connected to Mrs. Bird, the little girl's mother, at the interview, and she can't believe her luck when she is offered the position despite having no prior nanny experience. After several days on the job go by, and Sarah has yet to see the little girl, she comes to discover the secret that the Bird family has been hiding- there is no child, as she passed away 20 years ago, and Mrs. Bird still lives everyday going through the motions as if the little girl is still a 4 year-old living child. Sarah, however, is trapped by the 3-month contract that she signed, in which legal action will be taken if she leaves before that period is up, or discussed the Bird family's secret with anyone, including her fiancee.

A good nanny thriller doesn't disappoint, whether you have a crazy nanny or a crazy family, and "Nanny Needed" does not disappoint! Georgina Cross's novel kept me wanting to keep going and was hard to put down, with many twists and turns, and a surprising ending, I'm definitely looking forward to more by this author.

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House Publishing-Ballantine, and Bantam Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Nanny Needed" is scheduled to be released on 10/5/21.