I’d like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The New Nanny’, the first book in The Lies We Tell series written by L G Davis, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Christa is employed as ‘Family Assistant’ by the Mayer family, Robin, Paul and their son Wyatt, but she can’t let them know that Wyatt is the son she gave away for adoption fifteen years ago. When the family travels to Paul’s family home in Ruddel, near Saltzburg, she becomes friends with James who warns her that their previous Nanny, Eva, disappeared seven years ago and although the police were called in she was never found. All five characters appear to be keeping secrets and the deeper Christa digs for evidence that Robin and Paul are unfit parents she more afraid she becomes that her life may be in danger.

‘The New Nanny’ is a story of secrets and lies with a plot that’s interesting but has characters that are generally unlikeable. I find it difficult to comprehend how Christa allows Robin to treat her like a slave and the whole atmosphere in the house feels slightly out of kilter. I’ve enjoyed the novel despite the conversation being somewhat stilted, and although the plot has substance it’s not an edge-of-the-seat type of thriller but neither is it tedious, it’s just okay.

ARC review 💫

title: The New Nanny by L.G. Davis
genre: Thriller/Psychological Thriller/Mystery
rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
pub day: 11th September 2023

thanks to @netgalley @bookouture and the author for this advanced readers copy. 🥳🥳 (all opinions are mine).

"... 𝓼𝓸𝓶𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓼 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓫𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓷, 𝓫𝓾𝓽 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝔂 𝓬𝓪𝓷 𝓷𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓫𝓮 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝓰𝓸𝓽𝓽𝓮𝓷."

𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: this book gave me a Freida McFadden vibe with some difference. the plot twists were shocking. the tension and suspense were addictive. the book was fast paced. i loveeeeeeee the cliffhanger at the end of the book and i can’t wait to dive into book 2 "𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆'𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱". 😮‍💨🥳

𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯: Christa is the new nanny for Robin & Paul Mayer who live in a remote villa in Austria. Christa is responsible for their 15 year old son, Wyatt, as well as cleaning and cooking. However, Christa is there for other reasons known to her alone - at the same time discovering that the Mayers have a bigger secret - as their previous nanny, disappeared without a trace, 7 years ago.

The Lies We Tell #1

My sweet little boy was taken from me. There are dark secrets in my past that will stop me from ever getting Wyatt back, but now I'm his nanny, I'll finally get to raise him like he's my own. When I arrive at the Mayers' house, I'm stunned by the striking glass family home and Robin and Paul's lavish lifestyle, which I couldn't afford in my wildest dreams. But Wyatt seemed troubled. Robin claims he needs therapy, she says he barely speaks to her, and soon I realise he's barely allowed to leave home....

Christa gets a job as a nanny to fifteen-year-old Wyatt. His parents, Robin and Paul, virtually ignore him; He's not allowed to leave the house or have any friends. I was hooked from the first page. We learn early on that Christa is Wyatt's biological mother. This is a descriptively written story. The characters are well developed. Everyone has secrets and I did not trust any of them. With many twists along the way, I was surprised at the ending, but not shocked. Now, off I go to read the next installment - The Nanny's child.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Bookouture and the author #LGDavis for my ARC of #TheNewNanny in exchange for an honest review.

The New Nanny (The Lies We Tell Book 1)
Author: L.G. Davis
Pub Date: 11 Sep 2023
Rating: 3/5

The New Nanny tells the story of Christa, who has a secret motive for accepting a summer job as a nanny in Austria for Robin and Paul and their 15-year-old son Wyatt. As she gets to know the boy entrusted to her care, she discovers the reason for his loneliness and eventually encourages him to open up. When she finds out the fate of the boy's former nanny, the story takes a wild and dark turn, raising frightening questions about the Mayer's and their secrets.

This book, in my opinion, started out a little slow. Although the plot was fascinating, it wasn't especially compelling, and as a frequent reader of mystery/thriller books, I saw the twists coming. Overall, I thought the book was good; it wasn't fantastic or awful, but it wasn't terrific either.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately hooked from page 1 . So many twists, turns and drama. I absolutely loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and L.G. Davis for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

All thoughts and opinions are my own and aren't influenced by anyone else

I was immediately hooked on this book from page 1 and could not put it down. It had the perfect amount of twists and just when I thought I had it figured out, I was proven wrong.
I am looking forward to reading more from Author L.G. Davis.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and L.G. Davis for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Christa travels to Austria for the Nanny job of a lifetime! She gets to stay in a beautiful villa, take in the views of the mountains, and the only child she needs to watch over is a 15 year old boy that keeps to himself. Unfortunately, no one is really as they seem, even Christa herself. And she may have walked right into danger.

***

Unfortunately, I did not really enjoy this book. I make myself finish every book I review for NetGalley so that I can give the best review possible, but I would have DNF'd this if it was not a review I committed to. The plot runs incredibly slow with very little actual suspense. The dialogue feels incredibly stilted, and the characters are all unlikable, even the ones that never technically appear on the page.

<spoiler>Christa is not even trying to pretend like she doesn't think Wyatt is her son. No Nanny is acting so ridiculous with a 15-year-old kid, especially when the parents have made it clear that she does not need to.

Wyatt also acts totally normal with Christa, even before she blurts out that she's his mom (with ZERO proof). Are we left to assume that with actual attention and love he would have always acted normal and kind?

If Robin was so scarred, no clue as to why she even went and got pregnant again.

Poor James. Eva was definitely NOT taken advantage of. Ended up in prison for life for no reason at all.

Finally, what was up with the whole Wyatt spoke fluent German this whole time!? Weird that he hid a language talent, but that's not really that creepy! He did eventually become sinister to Christa at the very end. If he had acted even an ounce of suspicious leading up to this maybe the plot would have felt more suspenseful. </spoiler>

The author is releasing the follow up to this novel on the same day as the release of this one. I did not request the title, but it is nice for suspense readers who do not mind a slower plot to get two books at once!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Gripping, pulls you right into the characters and storyline. I couldn't put this one down.
Definitely twists that I didn't see coming. Can't wait to read the second book!!!

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for an early release of this book.

This was a fast-paced thriller that had me hooked from the very beginning. I liked the short, fast-paced chapters. It kept me engaged, and I devoured this book. I was able to predict a lot of the twists, but nonetheless, this was still a fun read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the E-ARC

Book Releases September 11, 2023

All thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.

Because of her lies and manipulation, Christa has been hired by Robin and Paul Mayer as the nanny to teenage Wyatt. Why? Wyatt is her son, the son she was told had died at birth. But now that she has found him, she will do anything to keep him near. So here she is in Salzburg, Austria, ready to protect Wyatt from his cold, monosyllabic adoptive parents. They obviously don’t love Wyatt although Robin refuses to let him leave the house. When Christa gets out on her own, she’s immediately befriended by James, who seems to know a lot about the Mayers. He had been engaged to Eva, the former family nanny who suddenly disappeared. There’s a lot going on in the Mayer’s remote mountain home. There are marriage problems, abuse, blackmail, a lot of suspicion and more. By the time Christa realizes what is happening, she’s in great danger.

The New Nanny is fueled by suspense and mounting danger. I only wish Christa has been a bit smarter and seen James for what he was. He becomes involved in her life so quickly, seems to know his way around the house…why? She was also easily manipulated by Wyatt. I wish she had been as devious as her enemies. 4 stars.

Thank toy to NetGalley, Bookouture and L.G. Davis for this ARC.

This was so engrossing, I knew there was going to be a secret that would come out but was trying to work out what it would be. Safe to say it was good and really set it up for the next book (which to be honest I immediately read). This for me was an afternoon read which is a great compliment as I just disappear into the book to read.

I was given an advance copy by netgalley and Bookoutre but the review is entirely my own.

I instantly wanted to know Christa’s secret and what the heck was going on in the Mayer home?? Even though the POV was mainly Christa’s, I really enjoyed Robin’s as well. My heart was breaking for poor Wyatt and I wanted to know asap why he seemed to be so afraid of his parents. I was confused on page 51 - Christa locks the door before calling her friend but previously when Robin showed Christa her room, she remarked that there was no key for the room. The author made me care deeply for Christa and Wyatt and even though I saw one of the plot twists coming, it didn’t take away from the story and I was still left feeling completely shocked and even devastated. I didn’t love the ending, which is why I gave it four stars, but I see how it will play into the second book, so I guess it was okay. Overall, this was a fantastic book! I can’t wait to read the next one.

3.5 ⭐️
In The New Nanny Christa has moved to Austria after getting a job as a live in nanny for a wealthy family. Robin and Paul live there with their 15 year old adopted son, Wyatt. The house is tense because Robin has recently had a miscarriage and rarely leaves her room. In addition, the family just doesn’t seem to want to be around each other. Christa finds the whole situation strange but she puts up with it because she has a very important reason to stay. But after finding out the previous nanny is missing she begins to wonder if her or Wyatt’s safety is at risk.

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I found myself suspending belief quite a few times. There weren’t any likable characters which for me is usually a let down as I want to be able to root for someone. I also think it hurt the story to not have more of a background story for Christa. Because of that I will most likely read the second book to hopefully get some of her backstory.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing me with an advanced copy of this book.

I really enjoyed this domestic thriller. It’s fast paced with intriguing characters and a fabulous ending.
A great read that I’d recommend to anyone and certainly worthy of 5 stars. I can’t wait until book 2!

Krista faked a résumé and lied about her education to become a nanny for 15 year-old Wyatt all the way over in Austria. Her bosses Robin and Paul a strange to say the least they will not let Young Wyatt leave the house and Robin questions everything Krista does especially when she herself leaves the Mountainside mansion. Krista hears the couple arguing about whether hiring her was a good idea or not so when Paul asked Krista if she will give Wyatt some counseling sessions to find out why he is sullen and doesn’t speak to them she agrees to do it despite the fact she only had two months of child psychology classes when people in the village find out she is working for the Myers they abruptly in the conversation but one day she meets a handsome guy named James and even though she didn’t want a romantic relationship she allows herself the spirit of happiness and when James tells her the families reputation in town and what happened to their last nanny when they were there seven years before she is floored and doesn’t know what to make of it. With James’s encouragement she decides to investigate what happened to the nanny but what she finds out is way more troubling. Krista thought it was the loss of Robbins recent pregnancy that caused her to be distant from young Wyatt but there is way more to that story and although Krista went there under deceptive intentions she will not be the only one manipulating the situation. Thisbook is oh my goodness… Twist personified twist on twist on twist and I am not exaggerating. I don’t believe I have read a book by LG Davis before but I will not forget her name and be looking for her books in the future I am so glad I have the second book in the series and cannot wait to dive into it this is one wicked piece of work in a book any thriller then will be glued to. I loved it and highly recommended I want to thank Bookoucher and net galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

Thank you to #NetGalley, #Bookouture and L. G. Davis for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The New Nanny (The Lies We Tell Book 1), to be published 11 September 2023. I knew when I started reading this thriller that the nanny had ulterior motives, but I didn’t expect they would run that deep. Christa serves as an aupair to a wealthy couple who are summering in Austria. She learns she is not the first person to hold that position in this family. The twists and turns begin and don’t end until the last page. 5/5 Stars #NetGalley #Bookouture #L.G.Davis #TheNewNanny

Thank you NetGalley, and L.SG. Davis for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review!

I recently have been diving more into thrillers, and man! This one really was so fun. With twists and turns I didn't see coming - I found myself unable to put this one down!

A unique and riveting take on the housekeeper/nanny perspective - our FMC gives birth at a young age, and is told her baby didn't make it. Not wanting to accept this information, and going off of her gut - she endlessly searched for him, and the truth. That brings us to finding the rich couple - the Mayers.

When learning that this couple is searching for some help - Christa fabricates a resume that 'fits their bill,' in order to gain access and ability to her son - Wyatt. But she soon learns, not all may be picture perfect for him with this family.

Observing a strange relationship between him and his adoptive parents, and their restrictive rules - Christa is more determined than ever to help her son. Turns out he needs her just as much as she needs him. 

Definitely consider triggers when going in, but HIGHLY recommended for those who love these sorts of plot lines!

This is a fast pace thriller of a woman searching for her baby that was taken from her at birth. She becomes a nanny to a family who she believes has her son, only to find out that the last nanny has gone missing.

There seem to be several new thrillers featuring housekeepers/nannies, and I thought 'The New Nanny' had the most unique premise. With rising tension and emotion in the narrative (some overwrought and implausible), this page-turner kept me glued to my seat. The author did a great job of misleading readers, and the characters lied or held many secrets that led to some startling, diabolical twists.

As a teenager, Christa gave birth to a baby boy and was told the baby had died. She always felt the baby was alive and never stopped searching for him. Looking through records in her local small-town hospital, she discovered the wealthy Mayer couple had adopted a baby boy born at the same place and date. They lived part-time in the USA and spent summers at their lavish home in the Austrian Alps.

Christa made up a false resume when learning that the Mayers were hiring a housekeeper/ nanny for the summer. She was delighted that her application was accepted. This would allow her to secretly connect with her son, now age 15 and named Wyatt.

On arrival in Austria, Christa is dazzled by the lavish Mayer home surrounded by beautiful grounds and gardens. The small town in a scenic mountainous setting gave an idyllic sense of place. She found the relationship between Wyatt and his adoptive parents very strained. They seemed to dislike and avoid Wyatt, and he kept trying to please them. Failing to do so, he became unresponsive and sullen. She learned that he was not allowed to leave the premises. Going into the village was forbidden, resulting in Wyatt having no friends. He spent most of his days online playing violent video games. Christa offered to play chess and monopoly with him, and he soon opened up to her, and they became close. His adoptive mother felt he needed psychological intervention because he was so withdrawn and barely speaking to them. Luckily, Christa's resume included training as a psychologist. His Austrian father was demanding Wyatt learn German.

Christa persuades the Mayers to be permitted to take Wyatt into the village to access books and recordings for learning German. She also secretly brings Wyatt to a horse stable, which makes him beam with pleasure. While in town, she learns that Mayer's former nanny vanished without a trace. They meet a man, James, a teacher who offers to give Wyatt German lessons for free. James also tells her there are rumours that the Wyatts murdered the former housekeepers, and he believes the gossip. Christa realizes that if she can find proof that the Wyatts murdered their previous housekeeper, she might be allowed to bring Wyatt back home with her, and she is obsessed with that goal. James volunteers to help her search for evidence, and they explore the many rooms in the Mayer mansion whenever Wyatt's adoptive parents are out of town. Christa feels she is in danger from the Mayers. Wyatt is overjoyed when James takes him to play video games with his nephew, a secret from the Mayers.

A romance develops between Christa and James, but it is shattered when they learn they have withheld crucial secrets from each other. One day, Christa's search is interrupted by violence and death. Christa has taken a DNA test to prove she is Wyatt's biological mother. She hopes the test will help in bringing Wyatt home with her.
I was wrong whenever I thought I had guessed where the story was heading. Recommended for readers who enjoy a domestic thriller with unforeseen twists and drama. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. The publication date is September 11.

Before writing my review, I want to thank NetGalley, L. G. Davis, and Bookouture for gifting me the ARC of THE NEW NANNY! It was such a privilege to read this before publication. And I appreciate you trusting me with an honest review!

This was my first book from L. G. Davis and I enjoyed it so much!! I do like her writing style and the beautiful picture her words painted of Austria! The alternating Povs between Christa and Robin worked so well to help build the suspense, especially as you grew closer to the ending. The addition of Robin’s diary entries was a brilliant way to shed light on the past, while adding to the mystery. Admittedly, the book was a slow burn, but once the drama intensified about midway through, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

The characters, especially our protagonist, Christa, and teen Wyatt, were very well developed. The evolution of their relationship is written very well and believably by L. G. Davis. The novel offered the reader more than one twist, and that final one was so unexpected and oh so brilliant!

Overall, this was an enjoyable, intense read and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good mystery that keeps you guessing! I’ve also learned that a sequel to THE NEW NANNY is expected soon, and I cannot wait to see where the continuation of the story takes us!