I have noticed that other reviewers have struggled with the audio version, I have been struggling myself, so I’m switching to a written copy. I very much enjoyed this author’s story about leprosy and Mirielle, so I’m sure once I’ve read a written copy of The Nurse’s Secret my review will be a glowing one.

This was a solid listen to anyone who likes historical fiction. It can be a bit heavy at times, but a worthwhile and meaningful read.

I did my absolute best to read this. But the storyline wasn't convincing and I think it might be because I wasn't a fan of the narrator. I am more than willing to give it a try with my eyes, but Audio was not the way for me.

Enjoyed reading this historical medical mystery. As, I am a nurse myself, the medical part and history intrigued me.. And who doesnt like a good mystery. All in all a good read.

Based on the little-known story of America's first nursing school, a young female grifted in 1880s New York evades the police by conning her way into Bellevue Hospital's training school for nurses, while a spate of murders continue to follow her as she tries to leave the gritty streets of the city behind.

I really enjoyed this book, and thought the writing was so engaging, and the audiobook was my preferred format, immersing me even further into the story.

*many thanks to HighBridge Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

THE NURSES SECRET
Amanda Skenandore
Vanessa Johansson
Historical Fiction

This tells about a young grifter who flees a murder accusation and hides in the halls of the great nursing school of Bellevue Hospital. While there she finds out about terrible things are happening there and must decide what to do.

I truly enjoyed the medical aspect of this book. We really have come a long way in medicine since the late 1800s. I was fascinated not only by the story but also how nurses were trained at that time. I would definitely give this book 5 stars.

Thank you Netgalley High Bridge Audio and Kensington Books for the gifted book!

Una Kelly has had to make her own way in life, and has ended up as a con-woman on the streets of 1880s New York. But when a supposed friend of hers pins a murder on her that she didn't commit, Una is forced to find a new trajectory for her life. Hiding in plain sight, she lies her way into the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital. She doesn't fit in with the other students who all come from "good breeding" and are dedicated to learning and becoming the best nurses they can be. But she soon finds that her rough past has prepared her for the trials found on the ward... or at least most of the trials.

I love how Skenandore's writing always completely immerses me in the setting of the book. Whether it's with an undertaker's assistant in New Orleans, a film star's wife in a leper's home, or here with a conwoman in a New York nursing school you feel like you are there amongst the sights and smells of those places.

I loved in this book how the character stayed true to herself while also growing as a person. She regularly falls back on her habits or lying, cheating, and stealing, but as time goes on she grows in her convictions of right and wrong and learns more about the goodness of people and who she can trust after years of only being able to trust in herself. Overall a well written historical fiction with interesting medical elements, along with some romance and mystery for good measure.

Una Kelly has lived the majority of her life on the streets and she’s learned that keeping herself safe is the most important thing. Thus, when a murder is falsely pinned on her, she is determined to take any opportunity, say whatever she has to, to stay away from the police. Who would suspect a nursing student of being the rough and tough street thief? But danger is lurking in the halls of Bellvue hospital, and Una will have to choose between keeping herself safe and stepping up to protect others.

This was certainly an interesting listen. Una is as rough and tough as you might expect. She trusts no one and looks out for herself, which makes it difficult to like her. Her growth is gradual and she doesn’t even realize how her choices have changed her throughout the story.

Medicine of the 1800’s was portrayed correctly, even though some of the details are not for the squeamish. I even feel like I learned some things that I didn’t know before: how the wards were cleaned and some of the duties of the students.

Overall, this was enjoyable to listen to, though at times the plot seemed slow. The narrator did a good job of capturing the street-smart attitude of Una. There are a few four letter words in the narrative that fit the setting, but some sensitive readers might take offense.

I enjoyed listening to this audiobook. The author did a great job describing the scenes so I could really picture the story. It was interesting and I enjoyed the character development throughout the book. I would definitely read more by this author! I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭!

I love historical fiction, mix that with a good murder mystery and some romance and the result is a captivating and unputdownable story. I loved the setting, the writing style, vivid descriptions and character development, a great read.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book Tours and Kensington Books for this tour invite.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲’𝘀 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 by Amanda Skenandore released June 28, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

*Audiobook Review Only*
The Nurses Secret by Amanda Skendandore is a remarkable historical fiction book including mystery, intrigue, nurses and secrets.

I was gifted the physical copy of this book and I am very grateful because without it and with the audio alone…I couldn’t get into this story.
The narrator did not perform well and she sounded like she was very old and nasally. I understand the time period is HF, however, the women portrayed were quite young and should have sounded very clear voiced.

I encourage people to READ this book and forego the audio.

Una has learned to do whatever she needs to to survive the tough streets of 1880s New York City, which will hopefully serve her well as she faces a tough challenge: learning how to be an effective nurse, following the guiding principles of Florence Nightingale, at Bellevue Hospital. Normally this would be something that Una would never consider attempting, but when one is one the run from an arrest warrant–a warrant for a murder Una did not committ–one is willing to try just about anything to remain free, especially if that “anything” includes meals and a roof under which to sleep. Unfortunately for Una, the strange murders seem to have followed her into Bellevue, putting her at risk of being discovered by the authorities. ⁣

I greatly enjoyed The Nurse’s Secret. It contains an intriguing mystery, strong female characters, and many wonderful themes such as redemption, good vs. evil, friendship, courage, and perseverance. I really liked the protagonist Una. She is a tough woman who has incredible survival skills, can adapt well to situations, and I took pleasure in watching her growth throughout the narrative; she is an extremely sympathetic character. Plus, New York City in the 1880s makes for a great setting for this historical fiction novel.⁣

The audiobook is well done. I enjoyed Johansson’s accents for the characters, as well as the tone and inflection throughout. The audiobook added to my overall enjoyment of The Nurse’s Secret.

The Nurse's Secret, is set in the 1880s in New York and the new Bellevue Hospital training school for nurses. The main character, Una is a prospering pickpocket who ends up in jail for murder, when she escapes and finds an ad for the new nursing school, she thinks that might be the perfect guise and place to hide from the coppers. The book is very detailed and clearly the author has done extensive research as there is so much information about the setting including details like the way a building looked and the location of a room etc that would be really difficult to make up or guess.

I listened to this book as an audiobook and while I love the historical fiction genre, I'm still learning whether or not audiobooks are the best format for me. I liked the narrator, she was able to do a lot of different voices and dialects for different characters, making it easier to picture the scene in my head. I did find it a little long for me to listen to as an audiobook, and would have preferred to read it personally, but I think if you are an audiobook fan in general then this book would be a great one to add to your list! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

📖 Book Review 📖

🎧 “The Nurse’s Secret” by Amanda Skenandore

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ published June 28, 2022

Historical Fiction has always been my fall back, get out of a book slump genre.

1880s New York City, Una is street smart thief who has made her way in life the best way she knows how. She has some life rules that has saved her from living on the street. She is unapologetic for the life she has lived and the things she has done to get by.
While hiding from police for a murder she didn’t commit, Una gets herself admitted into Bellevue’s new nursing program which will change nursing forever. Prior to this training nurses were seen as unskilled and no knowledge of disease, germs, etc. The author is a registered nurse so the medical details are comprehensive and enlightening.
Hospitals were germ filled cesspools where doctors were arrogant and never listened to the patient or the nurses. Leaches and blood letting were very common practices.

#somanybooks #readsomemore #audiobooks #bookstagram #bookrecommendations #readersofinstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #bookishlove #readersgonnaread #bookishaf

The Nurse’s Secret
By: Amanda Skenandore
Pub: June 28th - OUT NOW!

Thank you, #partner @bibliolifestyle @kensingtonbooks for the #gifted copy of this book and including me in this tour.

SYNOPSIS:

A fascinating historical novel based on the little-known story of America’s first nursing school, as a young female grifter in 1880s New York evades the police by conning her way into Bellevue Hospital’s training school for nurses.

Based on Florence Nightingale’s nursing principles, Bellevue is the first school of its kind in the country. Where once nurses were assumed to be ignorant and unskilled, Bellevue prizes discipline, intellect, and moral character, and only young women of good breeding need apply.

At first, Una balks at her prim classmates and the doctors’ endless commands. Yet life on the streets has prepared her for the horrors of injury and disease found on the wards, and she slowly gains friendship and self-respect.

Just as she finds her footing, Una’s suspicions about a patient’s death put her at risk of exposure, and will force her to choose between her instinct for self-preservation, and exposing her identity in order to save others.

THOUGHTS:
This was a great blend of historical fiction, love, and mystery. Skenandore wove a beautiful tale of Una’s life from the streets to finding her passion of caring for others.

Even though I found it hard to like the main character but I understood why she behaved the way she did until she changed near the end, I enjoyed the story. An interesting murder mystery with well developed characters and wonderful scenic descriptions. I particularly found fascinating the hospital descriptions and the storyline about the start of the first nursing school in New York City for women.

I listened to this book and found the reader engaging - drawing me into the story.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an audiobook copy of this interesting story. All thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.

In a Nutshell: Pretty interesting. Historical fiction plus medical fiction plus crime mystery all rolled in one. Does justice to the historical and medical elements. The mystery part is guessable.

Story Synopsis:
New York City, 1883. Una is a petty thief who grifts for a living. She is independent and bold, and not shy of manipulating her way of trouble. However, when she ends up getting accused of a murder she didn’t commit, she has no choice but to escape. With limited funds and no friends, Una has just one option – join the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital pretending to be from a wealthier family. The rest of the story mainly follows Una’s experiences as a nursing trainee at Bellevue, but the background also has a series of murders occurring in the city, which Una finds difficult to ignore as some of the targets involve her slum acquaintances.
The story comes to us in a limited third person perspective.

Where the book worked for me:
💜 Last year, I had read “The Second Life of Mirielle West” by this same author and came away with mixed feelings. While I loved the historical content, the main character left me so irritated that I could enjoy the book. Thankfully, none of the complaints that I had made in my review for that book are applicable this time around. (I am making the comparison not just because of the author. The theme in both books is somewhat similar. Both have unlikely characters ending up as nurses, and both books pay homage to an old and unknown American institution.)
💜 While reading the book, I had no idea that the nursing school in the story was based on an actual American institution. Bellevue Hospital's training school for nurses was America's first nursing school and used Florence Nightingale's nursing principles to ensure a disciplined and well-trained nursing staff. It is a nice way of reminding modern day readers of historical institutions.
💜 The author is a registered nurse, and her expertise shows. The medical details are comprehensive and enlightening. I liked the glimpse the book provided not just into the medical and nursing practices of the late 1800s but the misogyny of the male doctors towards the mostly female nurses.
💜 The historical angle is well-tackled. The writing seems very true to the era and one can almost feel the grime of the slums and the general lifestyle of the poor in 1880s NYC. At the same time, it also shows the condescending behaviour of the wealthier people towards the underprivileged.
💜 The murder mystery is not so strong because the writing reveals the possible culprit quite clearly. So if you read this mainly as a crime mystery, you might be disappointed. Go for it as a historical fiction with a hint of mystery. I wasn’t looking for a mystery in this story, so this was not a problem for me.
💜 The main character won my heart this time around. I simply loved how unapologetic Una was about her circumstances. Her character doesn’t have any sudden or abrupt turnaround, but grows realistically through the course of the story. She lives by her “rules” and the entire story has her quoting one of her rules when she is in a quandary. Her life as a nursing trainee is not over the top but quite realistic. Of the rest of the characters, the amiable and geeky Drusilla was amazing. I would totally read a spinoff version with her character leading the plot.

Why did I not go higher in my rating?
💔 The rest of the characters are okay, not bad but not outstanding as well; most were fairly predictable.
💔 I didn’t get any reading high after reading this story. It went as I had expected, with no surprises in the plot and no depth to the other characters. There was no punch to keep me captivated. I could easily stop the audio whenever I wanted and get back to it many hours later without a tinge of curiosity or eagerness.
💔 One thing I definitely hated was the title. It is so bland and boring.

The audiobook experience:
The audiobook, clocking at almost 11 hours, is narrated wonderfully by Vanessa Johansson. She nails the personality of the characters and I would highly recommend trying this book out by audio.

Overall, a pretty satisfying experience. Excellent on historical & medical details. Recommended to historical fiction fans.
3.75 stars.

My thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Nurse’s Secret”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 follows Una Kelly, who lives as a street thief after losing her mother in a house fire. When she is in the wrong place at the wrong time, she is accused of murder. Una uses her street smarts and escapes police custody. Now, she must find a place to hide.

She cons her way into the Bellevue School of Nursing. She may not have had the excellent upbringing many of her fellow classmates have, but life on the streets has prepared her well for the gruesome things she will encounter within the halls of the hospital.

A patient’s suspicious death causes Una to make some hard decisions; help stop a murderer on the loose, which may risk revealing her true identity, or keep up her ploy and become a nurse.

I was transported to New York in 1883, and the author’s nursing expertise shone through. The medical practices - although ghastly - are described quite vividly as Una took an active part in her schooling. I enjoyed this mash-up of historical fiction/medical drama/mystery, and there is even a bit of romance.

Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @amandaskenandore for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.

🎧 Thank you to @highbridgeaudio and @netgalley for the gifted audiobook

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to listen to this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Nurse’s Secret by Amanda Skenandore was an engrossing and captivating historical fiction novel that centered around America’s first training school for nurses. It's NYC 1883. Una Kelly is a grifter making a living picking pockets and small-scale swindling., until, she is in bigger trouble with the law. Una then applies to the Bellevue Training School for Nurses (first of its kind in America) , using the School as a place to hide from the law. Over time Una grows to appreciate the program and what it could mean for her future.

I loved this historical fiction glimpse into life at Bellevue hospital and life in NYC in the 1880s. Una is a spunky, determined young woman who has had to grow up too fast - most of that time fending for herself on the streets. The author does a great job transitioning Una from that life of crime-to-survive to one of hope and a future as a nurse trainee at Bellevue.
Murder, romance, friendship, and history are woven into this story of a young woman's fight for truth and survival. I enjoyed this story and highly recommend it! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me an audiobook copy of this interesting story.