I enjoyed the Audio version of The Nurse by Jenna Kernan. It was my first time reading this author and I liked everything about the book. The characters were well developed, the pacing was done well and there were some twists and turns that I did not see coming. Looking forward to reading more of this author in the future.

From pressing play on this audiobook, I was hooked! The narrator did such an excellent job bringing this diabolical story to life. It was a story that made me stop and think about just how far I would go if I were in Emily's place. It had me questioning things I thought I already knew. The Nurse is exactly what you look for in a whodunit!

Thank you, Jenna Kernan, Dreamscape Select, and NetGalley for an audiobook version ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This audiobook, The Nurse by Jenna Kernan and narrated by Madeline Pell was a gripping psychological thriller.
It began with Emily who had just graduated as a Nurse and was desperate to clear her debts, moved in with the Roth family to look after Sabrina, the wife of Mr Roth himself.
Did she need looking after? Emily needed to do as she was told, but did she?
This audiobook was unputdownable and I loved it!
Madeline, the narrator, made the audio intense and enjoyable.
If you haven't read or listened to this book yet, do so!
Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscaoe Select for an advanced copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Arc Audiobook of The Nurse by Jenna Kernan in exchange of an honest review.

"The Nurse by Jenna Kernan is a gripping and cleverly crafted psychological thriller that will captivate fans of the genre. From the first page, I was hooked and unable to put the book down until I reached the explosive conclusion. While the story starts off at a slightly slower pace, it quickly gains momentum, building tension and paving the way for an engrossing and addictive reading experience.

One of the standout aspects of this novel is the complexity and unreliability of the characters. Each character is meticulously developed, making it challenging to trust anyone's intentions, which heightens the sense of unease and adds to the thrill. The plot itself is intricately constructed and expertly executed, peppered with well-timed twists and turns that will leave readers guessing and on the edge of their seats. The author's writing style effortlessly keeps readers engaged, and the suspense and unrelenting pace make it a page-turner.

The Nurse flawlessly delivers closure to the reasoning behind every aspect of the story. It ties up loose ends with satisfaction, leaving no unanswered questions and providing a deeply gratifying resolution. I especially enjoyed how the author weaves together all the threads to craft a cohesive and compelling narrative.

In terms of the audiobook edition, the narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life. Their ability to convey the depth of emotions and capture the tension and suspense of the plot added an extra layer of immersion to the overall experience.

Overall, The Nurse is a must-read for fans of twisty psychological thrillers. With its clever plot, complex characters, and skillful execution, it grips you from start to finish, making it an excellent choice for those seeking an enthralling and suspenseful reading journey."

Emily is a brand new nursing grad, valedictorian of her class with high aspirations but broke when along comes the job that could make her dreams come true. The prominent, well respected head of the psychiatric department at the hospital offers her a job caring for his wife in their home. She has problems that require a watchful eye and someone to make sure she gets all her meds. Dr Roth and his wife Sabrina are quite the couple with their posh house, multiple cars and a privileged attitude.
   While Emily’s duties seem to expand past that of nurse to housekeeper, chauffeur and anything else they can think up she carries on because she really needs this job.
   The beginning of the book was slow and I was really tired of Emily and all the psyco babble but then a few facts about the relationship between husband and wife were doled out in bits: there were the hidden drugs, Sabrina’s past history, Sabrina’s family money and his round-the-clock control over his wife.
    Emily opened Sabrina’s eyes incrementally to what her husband was really hiding and that’s when the story took off. While the listener really couldn’t believe a young girl could have such influence on an older woman, Emily certainly guided Sabrina’s thoughts and actions that would benefit them both. This supposedly naive nurse had her own history that isn’t revealed until you think the book is about to come to a tidy conclusion.  
   That is when it kicks into overdrive for the listener.

Another great one from Frieda! This one wasn't my favorite of her's but the ending twist was insane!

Emily, a top-of-her-class newly gradated nursing student, gets her dream job working for the well known Roth family as Mrs. Sabrina Roth's personal nurse. Her husband, Dr. Roth, is a well known and well liked psychiatrist who has diagnosed his wife with multiple mental health issues stemming from a tragic fatal car accident that occurred years ago. He is supportive and just wants what is best for his wife. Or so it seems.

As the weeks wear on and Sabrina's mental state and medications are constantly changing, Emily starts to feel uneasy about the whole situation and she discovers that both Sabrina and Dr. Roth may be hiding the truth about what really happened in the accident all those years ago.

My thoughts:
This was a thoroughly enjoyable audiobook! I enjoyed the narrator and I thought she did a great job portraying each character appropriately. The suspense aspect really crept up slowly and there really weren't twists and turns like there are in many psychological thrillers. The big twist at the end, though, was a bit disappointing, and I honestly saw it coming (or at least something along the lines of what happened).

I was disappointed with the plot line of Emily's roommate Janelle as she seemed to be a major character but nothing ended up happening with her, which was a letdown, and really a big reason why I didn't rate this book higher (along with the plot twist mentioned above).

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture, and Dreamscape Select for the audio copy. This review is voluntary and honest.

Since Emily is struggeling financially she gladly accepts when Dr. Roth offers her a job to care for his wife. The paperwork she has to sign might be a bit strange but after all it is 'just' a nursing job- isn't it? All she has to do is look after Sabrina, make sure she takes her meds, do a some household work and prepare her meals. Emily sure can manage this!
The only thing Emily didn't take into consideration is the mental state of Sabrina and that it is not as easy as she thought. Even keeping her from driving a car turns into a challange!

What an entertaining psychological thriller this is!!! The narration by Madeline Pell was a great pleasure!
Thank you #Netgalley #Dreamscape Select, Bookouture for this audiobook

4ish stars

This book was absolutely wild. We went through gaslighting and all kinds of other abuse, and I was feeling one was about the story (while sort of wondering if we were going to get a Gone Girl-style twist). The reveal(s) and conclusion were equally dramatic and completely over-the-top, but in a delightfully satisfying way. This story was something else, and I’ll definitely keep the author in mind when I’m looking for a short, sweet, and intense mystery/thriller.

⭐️⭐️💫
If you're looking for a thriller that will hook your attention cover to cover and give you a big WOW reveal, this one is not it. 👀
I listened to the audiobook for this one and it just felt short for me. The ending or big reveal felt rushed and there wasn't any suspense for me. From the start I could clearly tell where the author was headed. These are just my opinions but for me this one fell between a 2 and 2.5 star. Definitely not the thriller I was expecting from the blurb.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ALC.

The Nurse by Jenna Kernan. This book with give you whiplash from so many twists and turns. I had no idea where this book was going and just when you thought you had something figured out.. A NEW TWIST! It kept me entertained the entire time. Really enjoyed this thriller.

The narration was great for this book. I appreciated the storyline and I love a plot that keeps me guessing. I was back and forth on my feelings of the dr and his wife. This is my first book from this author but it will not be my last!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so twisted. I did not know what to believe for the longest time. I suspected Emily’s motivations for becoming Sabrina’s nurse, but this book was really wild.

Emily, a recently graduated LPN, gets a job as a nurse for a woman who has severe mental health problems. The young nurse is broke and the woman is wealthy . The woman's husband is psychiatrist and he is also treating her health issues. Emily starts to wonder if the doctor is over medicating his wife or is the wife really as mentally ill as the husband describes. I listened to the audio book and I found myself just wanting it to be over. The book is written using a third-person close narrator and while listening I found the narration stiff and and the writing repetitive. It is drummed into your head that this nurse is broke and the couple is wealthy I kept waiting and wanting something to happen. Instead I had to hear this dull voice talk about the same things over and over again. When the twist is revealed it isn't told naturally it is just spelled out. It went on way too long and the ending made you realize that not one character in the book was worth caring about.

Suspenseful, twisty and with The Housemaid vibes at times. It kept me on edge and listening intently. I loved the twists and enjoyed the story. Looking forward to more from the author.

Will you decipher who's the victim and who's the villain?

Book Information

“The Nurse” by Jenna Kernan is a 404-page mystery novel with a publication date of October 2, 2023. The audio version is narrated by Madeline Pell and spans 12 hours and 9 minutes. Thank you to Dreamscape Select for providing me with an advance reader copy of this book for review.

Summary

In sunny Florida, Emily accepts a caregiving job for Dr. Roth's sick wife, Sabrina. The pay is great, which she desperately needs. But there's a catch: she can't ask too many questions.

Emily quickly finds herself stuck with cleaning up after Sabrina and driving her around. Sabrina treats her with contempt, but Emily needs the job. Dr. Roth insists Emily make sure Sabrina takes her medication. It seems like a simple task until Sabrina starts talking about a terrible accident and a dead child.

When Dr. Roth leaves, Sabrina becomes surprisingly clear-headed and drops a bombshell: she claims Dr. Roth is hiding the truth, and she needs Emily's help to escape. Emily's torn between trusting a woman with delusions and Dr. Roth's seemingly reliable facade. As secrets unravel, Emily finds herself in a dangerous game where the truth might be deadly.

My Thoughts

Jenna Kernan's "The Nurse" presents an engaging premise with occasional suspenseful moments. The book, however, suffers from a very slow start. Notably, nothing of real significance unfolds until you're about 40% into the story. The narrative is primarily driven by Emily, the private nurse hired to assist Sabrina Roth, with a brief section narrated from Sabrina's perspective.

Throughout the book, Kernan employs a technique of posing questions within the story, frequently delving into Emily's thoughts, which are consistently punctuated by queries. While this technique can be effective, it tends to be somewhat overused in this novel, becoming more bothersome than impactful over time.

The story does have its share of twists and turns, keeping readers guessing about the true nature of the characters involved. The central mystery revolves around identifying both the victim and the villain, creating a cat-and-mouse dynamic that adds intrigue.

However, the book could have been shorter and some readers might find it somewhat drawn out. Moreover, the ending may leave some feeling disappointed, as it leans more towards an explanation than a satisfying reveal.

The audiobook narration felt somewhat stiff to me, feeling more like someone reading the text rather than performing the story. While opinions on this may vary, it was not among my favorite audiobooks of the year.

Recommendation

Despite its flaws, "The Nurse" does have some twists and turns and may appeal to those who appreciate a slower-paced narrative.

Rating

3 Possibly Delusional Stars

Honestly as I started this one, I was sure I knew where it was going. I’ve read a few books with a similar plot over the last few years. A husband hires a carer for his ailing wife. But of course I was wrong. There were a couple of twists that got me.

I am always surprised when these books are popular, because there are only a few characters so how can they keep turning out different? But they do. The naivety and greenness of Emily made me like her and want to yell at her to be careful. I knew something shady was going on in that house. I flip flopped quite often as to whether the husband was abusive or the wife was more than she seems. (you’ll have to read to find out the truth) I disliked both the husband and wife Emily works for.

The plot started out slow, but increased to a frenzied pace towards the end. My only wish for this one is the author spent more time showing us the end instead of having the character(s) explain it. But overall, I enjoyed the read and it kept me wanting to know who was the evil one.

Always appreciate a good suspense/thriller! I was wondering where this was going all the way until the end and was definitely thrown for a loop!
The story starts with new nursing grad Emily locking down what seems like the ideal gig, serving as a private nurse for a rich family. Dr. Roth needs someone to look after his wife Sabrina — spoiled, snobby, and suffering from delusions. Her care is strict and as Emily learns more about this family, it’s clear there are plenty of secrets and something more sinister waiting for her.
The story starts off very slow but picks up near the end and has a very surprising twist. The narrator does a great job at bringing the story to life and interesting. Thank you to Dreamscape Select for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is out now!

This is such a good thriller with all the unexpected twists and turns you'd hope for. It makes you ask the question, who really is the enemy?

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Nurse' by Jenna Kernan.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jenna Kernan, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous.

Publication date 2nd October 2023.

This is the fourth book I have read by this author. I have previously read 'The Hunted Girls', 'The Adoption' and 'The Ex Wives' which I would also highly recommend. It is also the first book in 'The Roth Family Lies' series.


This novel consists of a prologue and 46 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!


Wow!! What a non stop action packed psychological page turner!! Fantastically written with vivid evocative descriptions that really put you in the storyline. The synopsis, title and civet worked perfectly with the plot.

The plot itself is unique and intriguing and filled with heart in your mouth in the edge of your seat moments. Several times I realised I was holding my breath and biting my nails. This book has everything you could want in a psychological thriller novel!! It was filled with mystery, twists, deceit, secrets, shocks, tension, suspense and everything you could ever want in an addictive page turner !! I was completely absorbed from page one until the explosive ending. I cannot wait to read more books by this fantastic author. Just when I thought I had worked one thing out I was absolutely mind blown by another shocking reveal!! It is getting harder and harder to shock me when it comes to thrillers but this book absolutely messed with my head!!! There were so many times I told myself I would read just one more chapter and then go to bed that I gave up trying to foo.myself in the end!!! I ended up devouring it in one sitting as it is genuinely unputdownable!!!! I absolutely love, love, loved the explosive ending which I would never have seen coming and would absolutely love to see this turned into a movie!!

This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Madeline Pell who did a great job bringing this story to life. I have also listened to Miranda Smith's 'The Weekend Away' which Madeline also did a great job narrating and I would highly recommend that book also. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Miranda but also to listening to more books narrated by Madeline!


The characters were all very different with their own unique personalities. They were all strong and well developed characters along with being very believable. I was completely invested in Emily and Jenna's evocative writing skills and Madeline's fantastic narrative skills really brought her character to life throughout the book. I loved seeing her character develop throughout the book along with getting to know more about Henry Roth and Sabrina Roth. This is one of those books that I am extremely limited in what I say about the characters as I really don't want to give anything away about the storyline because, believe me, you will not have a clue of what is to come when you read this gripping page turner!!!
All I am going to say is that regardless of whether I loved or hated the characters they all worked perfectly together to create an unputdownable psychological thriller that will keep you sucked in from the second you pick it up to the moment you get blown away by the twist at the end!!!


Continue to read until the end of the book to read the prologue and first chapter of Jenna's 'The Adoption'. Another absolutely addictive psychological thriller that will have you hook, line and sinker!!


Congratulations Jenna on yet another fantastic page turner!!! An explosive psychological thriller that will have you chewing your nails and screaming and shouting at the pages!! Here's to your next success 🥂. This is exactly why I love your books and cannot wait until each and every one you bring out!!

Clear your schedules as you won't be able to put this book down even at 2am!!

Overall an absolutely heart racing, suspense filled, unputdownable addictive page turner psychological thriller with a bombshell unexpected twist at the end!



402 pages/ 12 hours 9 minutes


This book is just £1.99 to purchase, free with kindle unlimited, £10.99 on paperback and £39.37 for the audiobook via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews


#TheNurse #TheRothFamilyLies #JennaKernan #MadelinePell #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous #NetGalley #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #NetGalley #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #KindleUnlimited #BookoutureAudio #Audible #Audiobook


@TheNurse @TheRothFamilyLies @JennaKernan @MadelinePell @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Netgalley @Amazon @AmazonKindle @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited @BookoutureAudio @Audible @Audiobook



https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86



https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks




https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R



https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/



https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86




https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86



https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/profile/amzn1.account.AFZ2XZBSFHIHXBXGZLBQ666XVK4A?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_mb_l_prf