3.5 stars — if you’re into uncovering family secrets with unreliable narrators — this is for you!

This book alternates between the POVs of two women — Emily and Sasha. Emily has been institutionalized for a crime she won’t talk about, and Sasha has recently learned she was adopted and returns to her first home to see if she can remember anything about her biological family. Sasha is trying to remember and Emily would do anything to forget — and as the plot carries on we find out how the two women are connected.

Pieces of this were a little choppy with the dual narration, and the final twist didn’t feel all that twisty, but this was a quick read and an interesting plot development.

As I started this one, I had no idea where we were headed. What started out as two seemingly different plots in the same book, does eventually reveal the connection. I couldn’t decide if they were in the same timeline and who might be trustworthy. It’s a clever premise and execution. By the time is all unravels, it is a little dark and disturbing.

I wasn’t sure if I liked any of the characters or if any of them were trustworthy. They weren’t even relatable to me, but I was hooked as I wanted to know how the two stories would fit together. Slowly everyone’s secrets are revealed through many twists and turns.

If you like dark, slow burn mysteries, then go out and grab this one.

A case of mistaken identity changes Sasha’s life. She went looking for answers and found herself a job, looking after someone else’s children. Children craving attention from their busy mum. But Sasha can give them that attention.

On the flip side of this story is Emily. I felt sorry for her as she’s got some serious problems and the support she’s getting isn’t the best – Louise made my blood boil at her attitude. Emily’s narrative is interesting, all the characters’ narratives are but Emily’s is top of the pile. I didn’t know what to make of her – how reliable is this girl?!

I thought I was clever and had worked out where Kelleher was taking me but no, she’d sent me off on a different direction i hadn’t considered! By switching the perspectives between characters, Kelleher definitely kept me on my toes!

The Babysitter’s Secret is a twisted thriller , which is what I’ve come to expect from the mind of Kelleher. She masterfully plaits together a combination of story threads to keep you guessing, blindsiding you with red herrings before pulling back the curtain to reveal the final scene to shock you. The Babysitter’s Secret is blooming brilliant!

When a woman goes in search of her identity after finding out she was adopted she gets mistaken for the babysitter this becomes a twisting Gothic feeling thriller/horror story that will keep you guessing until it is all revealed. I knew I had read books by Casey Kelleher before but wanted to see if she had any books I hadn’t read and was so relieved to see if she has plenty. This book was so good keeps you guessing as I said until the end you don’t know who his friend and who is full and you’ll definitely want to take a nap as you read it. I love this book and now I will read it again in the future is great books like this do not come by every day. Kudos to the author for brilliant Gothic horror thriller I received this book from Bookoucher and NetGalley but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

I love Casey Kelleher's books, and I really enjoyed this one!
This book is so intriguing, following different character POVs and you spend the book trying to connect the two and work out how it all fits together.
It's full of unreliable characters, and had vibes of Sleepless by Megan Goldin. Sleep deprivation really can make you feel like you're losing your mind...
This is brilliantly plotted, and I can't wait to see what the author cones up with next!

My first book by the UK author Casey Kelleher and looking forward to reading more! Her latest, THE BABYSITTER'S SECRET — is a dark, unsettling, and creepy psychological thriller with unreliable narrators—you are not sure whom to trust —to the twisty jaw-dropping conclusion.

The suspense thriller holds its secrets well and packs a concluding wallop!

Sasha Hammond's adoptive mother has died. She inherited everything, including a letter stating she was adopted.

Emily Pickett is a patient in a mental hospital. We get flashbacks from 20 years of her constantly hearing a little girl crying. She stays medicated to drown out the voices and crying. She is unstable and suspicious of the caregivers. Some evil, mean, and one a guardian angel. She is being released presently, twenty years later.

Told from two alternating POVs: Sasha and Emily.

Sasha tracks down her childhood home at 64 Maple Street. She has dark flashes of fractured memory that float around inside her head. She cannot keep ignoring them. She hopes it will trigger the memories she has forgotten in this house.

Memories of things that had happened in her life before. Those forgotten years. She will get her answers inside these walls of the house where it all started. Do we ever really leave the past behind?

Upon arrival at the house, a woman Cecelia Clark (the mother), answers the door and mistakes Sasha for the new nanny. She plays along and decides this will allow her to check out the house.

The two children are Annabelle and Zachery. The single mom is frazzled and distracted with work and has no time for the children. Her ex-husband, Henry, left them for another woman.

Sasha feels sorry for the children and takes them under her wing. Slowly she starts remembering things that happened in the house and to her brother. She remembers being locked in a cupboard. Her brother drowned, and someone was burying him. Then her adoptive mom saved her.

Then Sasah's mind starts returning to the house's darkness. Her mind is blurred from past to present. Something happens in the present to Zachery, and now the children do not like or trust her. She begins drugging them and the mother why she figures things out.

Emily and Sasha connect at the house for an explosive, nail-biting, heart-pounding game of cat and mouse— from the home to the tree house, which one will be left alive.

As a reader, you are dying to see how the two storylines connect and which is telling the truth. Good or evil? These are some wacky disturbing characters. The treehouse scene was INTENSE!

The story flip flops and your loyalties change, then BAM, the author throws a wickedly evil twist at the end, leaving you shaking your head where nothing or no one is as they appear!

Kelleher skillfully maintains the suspense through well-timed extended flashbacks and plenty of shocking twists.

Harrowing and intense―a vivid look at the long repercussions of violent crime. A chilling, twisted tale of secrets, gaslighting, and revenge, with innocent victims, caught up and served as collateral damage.

If you like twisty, dark, gritty, and disturbing domestic thrillers with complex unreliable narrators and a lot of drama, THE BABYSITTER'S SECRET is for you! For fans of authors—Freida McFadden, Emily Shiner, Miranda Rijks, K.L. Slater, and Daniel Hurst.

Thanks to #Bookouture for an e-ARC via #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Blog review posted @
JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: May 24, 2023
May 2023 Must-Read Books

A twisted tale of long kept family secrets and a plot for revenge. The novel is a slow burn being told from dual POV’s with unreliable narrators. There’s Emily recently released from a psychiatric unit and Sasha reeling from her mothers deathbed confession that she’s actually adopted and has a tragic past that she can’t remember. One is hiding from the past and one wants to uncover a past she can’t seem to remember. You’re on your toes trying to figure out how their separate stories are connected. It’s hard to get a good grasp on what’s actually going on. But I love an unreliable narrator and you get two in this book. I thought I had figured out the big secret but missed the mark. I love a good plot twist you don’t see coming and this book nailed it. Although a good story the pace was a bit too slow for me. The story does really picks up in the last quarter of the book and doesn’t let up. Just takes awhile to get there. The ending was dark and disturbing. Talk about an unhinged plot twist!

Thank you #CaseyKelleher, #Netgalley and #Bookouture for an ARC of #TheBabysittersSecret in exchange for an honest review.

The Babysitter's Secret by Casey Kelleher
Bookouture
Publication: 24 May 2023
5 ⭐️


The three major protagonists in this book are Emily, Sasha, and Cecelia. The sobbing infant next door is slowly driving Emily, a young woman, insane. This poor child cries all night, and neither it nor poor Emily seem to be able to sleep. Despite the fact that she sometimes finds things more difficult than she anticipates, Cecelia, our new mother, is doing her best to make things work. Sasha, on the other hand, has had several difficulties throughout her life. She recently lost her mother, and she just learned that she was adopted as a kid. Her once-thought-to-be-known life has been utterly turned upside down. Sasha is therefore lured back to the home where she grew up as she tries to make sense of everything. However, when Sasha approaches the door, things start to become tense because Cecelia answers and misinterprets her as the new babysitter before she has a chance to identify herself. Unable to admit that she made a mistake, Sasha decides to take advantage of the opportunity to look around the house where she used to reside in the hopes of discovering some recollections she has been holding back about her past.
My favorite things about this book are the multiple POVs because in some way, shape, or form, these characters are connected. You just don't know how in the beginning and unreliable narrators. It's things like this that make you want to keep reading!
This was my first Casey Kelleher book, and I'm excited to dive into her other works. 🤗

Thank you, Netgalley, Bookouture, and Casey Kelleher, for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review


Reviews are also posted on my Instagram blog (bibliophiles_elite).

asha Hammond’s mother has just passed away and now Sasha is determined to find the house her mother told her she had lived in once. Upon seeing it, she is amazed at how nice it is. When the owner, Cecelia Clarke, opens the door, Sasha isn’t given a chance to just ask to see the house as she is mistaken for a replacement babysitter from an agency. Cecelia is running late and introduces her to her children, Annabelle and Zachary. She is told which room is hers and is given a list of contacts. She must take them to school and then pick them up. With that, Cecelia heads out the door.

Emily Pickett has been in a psychiatric ward and is now living in a small studio. Each day, she is monitored by Louise who comes by to check on her. Emily knows better than to tell her that once again she was up all night hearing a child screaming next door. If she tells her, they will put her back in the hospital.

This is a gripping story that keeps the reader’s interest. I realize that the first two paragraphs I have written don’t seem to mesh together but they do. However, adding anything more would be giving out spoilers. Suffice to say, this story is sometimes scary, sometimes sad, but quite compelling. Don’t miss it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

BOOKWORMS REVIEW: I'm pretty sure I haven't read a Casey book before now so she's new to me. Told in a dual pov this features Emily...just released from a mental institution. She's keeps hearing a baby cry but is told it's her imagination. We then have Sasha,who's just found out she's adopted. Going back to the home she grew up she is met by current owner,frazzled mum Cecelia..who mistakes her for the new nanny. Seeing this as an 'in' Sashs doesn't correct her and takes the job. She's determined to find out about her past growing up in this home. The two women...Sasha and Emily do connect up but it's way into the book before they do. It's a good read though.
With thanks to Bookouture NetGalley and @caseykelleher for an arc to read and review.
BOOKWORMS RATING: 📒📒📒📒(3.5 rounded up)

A twisty story with an unreliable narrator always makes for a thrilling story! This story is told in multiple POV which makes it more interesting. I enjoyed this book that kept me on the edge of my seat. I knew the narrator was unreliable so I was trying to figure out what was real and what was made up. An excellent book for afternoon reading!

Sasha arrives at a home for a very specific reason. She has clouded memories of her past and she is seeking clarity. However, she is mistaken for the new nanny. Sasha quickly decides to go along with it. As this is a dual POV book, there is also Emily, recently released from a mental institution. With regard to Emily, she is constantly hearing a child crying. However, she appears to be alone in this. In this thrilling book, there must be a connection between Sasha and Emily.

As this story developed, so did Sasha and the situation she was in as she was desperate to unlock the secrets of her past, but also her relationship with the children she suddenly became responsible for. With a clever plot and shocking twists this latest book by Casey Kelleher kept me riveted page after page.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

A really enjoyable read with plenty of twists and turns. Lots of damaged souls leading to some seriously disturbing behaviours. Really wasn't expecting that ending either!

Stop for a moment and think of the best holiday you've ever been on in your life.

I'm lucky enough to have several to choose from. I've visited Prince Edward Island in Canada, and while some parts of it are heavily modernised and touristy, other parts are just as beautiful and unspoilt as they were in the time of Anne of Green Gables. I immediately followed that up with a visit to Niagara Falls. I've done a self-drive tour of Croatia, taking in Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb, with a couple of breaks for swimming in the sea of Vis Island and under waterfalls at Krka National Park. I've been scuba diving in the Caribbean, the Red Sea and Malta and spent Hogmanay in Edinburgh. Yes, you need to be prepared for filthy weather. But if you want atmosphere, this is where it's at.

But choosing my favourite holiday of all? This was so easy as to involve no thought at all: the Swiss Alps.

I first read about the Jungfrau region, sandwiched between Interlaken and the ten-mile-long Aletsch glacier, when I was a student and pretty much from that point on, dreamed that one day I'd visit in a motorhome. About 20 years later, I finally visited the area in an old caravan, which, actually was much better. But no words, or photographs can describe how beautiful it is. Practically within walking distance of each other are three snow-capped mountains, separated by beautiful lush green valleys and, if my memory serves me correctly, seventy-something waterfalls. The result is that, no matter where you are and whichever direction you look in, there is something to wow you. I think I said at the time that if I were to die and find that heaven was not all it was cracked up to be, I'd ask God if I could be sent back to Switzerland, in my caravan instead. I've been on other holidays that were wonderful. This one was special.

This brings me nicely to I'll Never Tell, which was the first book I read by Casey Kelleher. It's a psychological thriller ... and yet it's so much more than that. Difficult issues are dealt with so sensitively, so compassionately and yet so powerfully and in such a well-plotted storyline that it blew my mind to smithereens. The only problem is that when I read her next book, Only Child, I couldn't help but use I'll Never Tell as a benchmark. And that's an incredibly high benchmark for Casey to have set.

And now, I'm about to do the same thing again with The Baby Sitter's Secret. But in my defence, I could hardly help it after reading the first two chapters of this book which, like in I'll Never Tell, feature a young woman standing outside her childhood home for the first time in years and trying to reconcile its current appearance with her memories of its past. This absolutely isn't a bad thing, in the same way that it wouldn't be a bad thing if your husband reminded you a bit of Ryan Reynolds. But I'm not completely sure if it's a good thing either. It's just a thing, and compared to how I felt about the rest of the book, it still feels like a slight negative.

I'm going to continue with the quibbles in order to get them all out of the way in one hit. The way in which the young woman in question, Sasha Hammond is able to gain access to the house, not just on the day but for some time thereafter relies on one heck of a coincidence. And I also have to say that I guessed one of the plot twists. Which wouldn't be such an issue were it not for the blurb saying - confidently and in bold letters - that this could never happen.

Everything else, though: wow.

This book takes a familiar concept - that of the unreliable narrator - and raises it to a new height. We are told seemingly separate stories from the seemingly unconnected Sasha and Emily. We want to sympathise with them both, and even take their side, and yet something is telling us to doubt every word that either of them say.

Even as the story changes and a key revelation - and I hadn't seen that one coming - is given, that feeling of doubt continues right to the end of the book. I said I had guessed one of the plot twists: what I meant was that I had guessed the solution that was offered. But I was still left questioning whether it was true. And whether it's true or not makes the difference between leaving the reader satisfied, and leaving them horrified. It's fantastic.

I also admired the portrayal of Cecilia. Her situation - that of feeling overwhelmed as she tries to juggle being a single mum, going through the process of a painful divorce, with her work just at the time that her own business has taken off and demands too much of her attention, is one that will have all of us feeling for her in some way. But she's also a study into how a moment of inattention, brought on by stress, can lead to a terrible decision being made. Viewed in the cold light of day, what she does is unthinkable. But in the circumstances, it's so understandable.

Make no mistake: The Babysitter's Secret is a fabulous book. If I may bring holidays back into it again, it's like north-west Scotland. Yes, a few tiny aspects of the plot are irritating in the way that Scotland's midges are irritating, but they pale into insignificance. Overall, it's wonderful and memorable.

I'll Never Tell, though, is something else. That's Switzerland.

My thanks to Bookouture for my inclusion on the blog tour, and to the author and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

The Babysitter’s Secret is the fourth psychological thriller by one of my favourite authors Casey Kelleher. Having read the previous four books I can honestly say this author has yet again knocked it out of the park with this absolutely unputdownable read. It truly is a psychological thriller and it will really mess with your head, as it did mine. It’s an intriguing and suspenseful read that will have you on the edge of your seat as you are reading this gripping book. One of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read so far this year. 5⭐️

Thank you, NetGalley for an early e-copy of The Babysitter’s Secret by Casey Kelleher in exchange for an honest review.

I was approved for this book in March, started it right away, and then promptly put it back down after only reading the prologue. It disturbed me to my core and I was worried I wouldn’t be able to handle the content. I didn’t pick it back up again until pub day.

And I’m so glad I gave it another chance. Once I pushed past the prologue, I could not put this book down. It blew me away. The Babysitter’s Secret is dark, twisty, and addictive.

I loved how the storylines connected in the end. I totally thought I had the ending figured out, but I didn’t. In fact, there was one twist I didn’t see coming at all. It’s hard to completely blindside me like that, but Kelleher did it, and in such a flawless way.

I will absolutely be reading more from this author. The Babysitter’s Secret is out now and on Kindle Unlimited.

4.5⭐️ out of 5

Wow, I loved this book! Twist after twist kept me guessing until the end. I felt horrible for the protagonist, but she was strong and amazing.

First, I want to thank Casey Kelleher, Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

WOWZERS!!! The Babysitter surely had a BIG secret that she was hiding in Casey Kelleher’s new psychological thriller The Babysitter’s Secret! You will be hooked from the beginning of his book as you will be on the edge of your seat with all the unexpected twists! You are going to want to put this book on your TBR list for sure!

I will say Annabelle and Zachary were so adorable and at times pulled on my heartstrings! However, there was one climatic scene in this book where I was literally going insane!! I was screaming at my Kindle as I could not believe what was happening! I wanted to literally jump into the book and stop the scene from happening.

The ending was explosive! All the secrets that were kept hidden came to light in big way.

The Babysitter's Secret by Casey Kelleher was another excellent book especially, once I start to read the first few chapters I knew it was going to be read that day, I was not wrong, it was very cleverly written . and was brilliant from the beginning till the end.

Her family are hiding so much more than the truth........and the truth will always come out some how! But when?

Following the death of Sasha's mother, she received a letter from her telling her she was adopted, Sasha Hammond revisits her past. She is
going back to her childhood home, 64 Maple Street, to try and fill in the blanks.

When Sasha gets to the house, stressed mum Cecelia Clarke opens the door, and mistakes Sasha for the new nanny. Sasha jumps at the chance and says she is her new nanny! hoping that living in the same house will help her piece together the missing bits together. Only to find that she starts to gets attached to the children Annabelle & Zachary.
Sasha is now living the dream life in this perfect family's home, but it’s not as it seems inside these four walls! Sasha must to everything she can to protect Annabelle & Zachary, the children she is looking after.

This book is so good and I highly recommend it. I loved it

Big Thank you to Netgalley, Bookouture and Casey Kelleher the author, for allowing me to read a advanced copy of The Babysitter’s Secret, which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily

Intriguing blurb that you just have to read it. The storyline is told from Emily and Sasha’s point of view and your mind goes into overdrive to figure out how they connect to each other. I found the plot cleverly written and so mysterious that I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. I instantly liked Sasha as a character and found myself really wanting to get to know her but Emily on first introduction I wasn’t sure about but her story was no less mysterious. Well paced to hold your attention and keep you wanting more. Really good psychological thriller to sink your teeth into.

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read #TheBabysittersSecret