The Childminder is another gripping and tension induced read by Hayley Smith.. This is the third book I’ve read by this author and hand on heart I have to say each one just keeps getting better and better. This book just pulled me right in from the off and I was hooked after a few pages, It’s got everything I love in a psychological thriller, plot twists, untrustworthy characters and plenty of tension.

Wow!! Twist after twist after twist!
This book felt like a quick read, changing between narrators and timelines. Overall, a fantastic book that begs to be read in one sitting.

I was given this as an ARC for a review.

A group of parents who provide childcare one day a week each. It's actually a very smart idea. When they go on a weekend away together is when things heat up and become deadly. The secrets and lies were alot to untangle as one minute I liked a character and then I would discover something else that made me despise them. The plot starts rather slow paced as we are introduced to everyone but it quickly picked up speed after that. I couldn't stop reading because I just had to know the truth and it was a real surprise. The ending is the perfect twist!

Another crazy, addictive thriller from Hayley Smith! The Childminder focuses on the lives of five parents (4 women and 1 man) who join a group where each parent agrees to watch everyone's children one day a week after school so nobody has to pay for or arrange childcare all week long. Horrible occurrences in the past had affected how these parents lived their lives, and each was keeping a big secret. Can all the childminders be trusted? Even though it got a bit kooky, certain happenings forced these parents to reevaluate what's important to them. And it had a great ending, but I wish I could see a bit more into the future. The Childminder is a quick and gripping read! Hayley Smith has become a go-to author for me, and I am already looking forward to her next book. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4! Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the digital ARC.

I received an ARC from NetGalley

This was a slow start. My attention wasn’t being pulled right away into the book. It turned out better than what I was expecting based on the first few chapters. As the story unfolded it became more interesting. A good read that will keep you entertained.

The Childminderis a great psychological thriller filled with breathtaking twists by Hayley Smith.
My third Smith story and I really enjoyed the heck out of this one.
It moved along at a great pace and kept me guessing right till the end.
A fantastic thriller that kept me turning pages.
Overall an interesting read and will look forward to more from Hayley Smith.

This was my first Hayley Smith book, and I think I’m hooked! The Childminder is about a group of 4 girls and one guy who all have secrets to hide and someone determined to make those secrets public knowledge. It all starts with The Childcare Circle: Monday, Stacey takes care of the kids; on Tuesday, Kim takes care of the kids; Wednesday, Rhiannon takes care of the kids; Thursday, Nina takes care of the kids; and finally, on Friday,, Jarvis takes care of the kids. Nina decides to plan a fun vacation for the Childcare Circle group. Before their vacation, though, Stacy, Kim, Rhiannon, Nina, and Jarvis all get mysterious letters asking them to tell their darkest secrets. Who would send this mysterious letter and why? The group goes to Kittiwake House, but this is not the first time Nina, Stacy, Rhiannon, and Kim have been there. Kim reveals that her brother Dylan had died on the beach by the house, and she knows who did it. It was Stacy, Nina, and Rhiannon, or so she thinks. Kim is ready for revenge and will not let anything get in her way. Over the weekend, people are killed, truths comes out, or so Kim thinks. But could it be that Kim doesn’t know the truth at all? This book is about secrets, truths coming out, and revenge with a last-page twist.

My favorite quote is that everyone has the power within themselves to do anything, to change anything. You’ve just got to believe in yourself, see what opportunities arise, and then make the most of them. And sometimes, too, you have to keep secrets. - Paul

I want to thank Hayley Smith and NetGalley for giving me this opportunity to review this book.

A school has set up a unique solution to the lack of quality and affordable daycare: a Childcare Circle consisting of parents rotating days of the week to mind their own and four other children. Because there have been some new additions to the group, and as a little reward and motivational activity, the group has decided to go together with their kids, on a weekend away.

The vacation house is kept as a surprise until the last minute and when the group arrives...it's definitely not what they expected. But they have plenty of food and games, and decide to make the best of the beautiful location. But there is a lingering question - who sent the letters and text accusing each of them of having a secret? And should they really be trusting each other to watch their children?

The characters each had their own personality, secrets, and motivations and this is a book you will be totally absorbed in, racing to the final twist!

Thanks to NetGalley and to Bookouture for taking me along on Books on Tour.

A group of parents form a childminding circle to each take it in turns to care for all their children. It’s the perfect solution and going well until they receive notes saying that someone knows their darkest secrets and they only have a short while to tell the truth.

I found that I really enjoyed this story and was quickly drawn into the childminding circle. This was a simple, yet effective concept, that added something slightly more original to the usual thriller genre. There are a lot of characters introduced quickly and it took me a while to work out who was who but once I did it flowed nicely. The characters, although well written, were some of the most unlikeable I have come across. Some are worse than others.

I raced through the pages trying to discover what the hidden secrets were and some discoveries were dark, shocking and uncomfortable. I had real moments of anguish while reading some parts, while some gave me shivers. The atmosphere is very well written, I could feel the eeriness and isolation within the setting.

The story keeps you gripped as it twists and turns, and although the main twist suddenly dawned on me around 70% in, it made the story come together nicely. This is one I would definitely recommend and I’ll be reading more books by this author. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The Childminder is the newest psychological thriller from UK author Hayley Smith.
A child care minding group spend a weekend away together.
Five adults and their children.
Just before leaving each receive a mysterious, menacing letter.
Many secrets are revealed over the days.
Until all is revealed in the ultimate climax.
This was a crazy, wild and twisty ride.
As it slowly unwraps, page by page, it all comes together in the most unexpected way.
A very worthy read.
I must read more from this capable author.

Wow! Just many secrets can a group of people have? From the get go there’s a sinister vibe that fuels the intrigue. The storyline twists chapter after chapter. As my curiosity grew, I couldn’t put it down. The short, fast paced chapters (POV and timeline identified) read very quickly.
This is a great escape read! I highly recommend it. I look forward to Hayley Smith’s next book. I like how she writes.
Thank You to NetGalley, Bookouture, for the invitation and opportunity to enjoy this ARC.

Firstly, thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for allowing me an ARC copy to read and review.

The Childminder - Hayley Smith

This book is a super easy read, but didn’t quite hit the wow factor for me - a very easy 3*.

The pace and writing in this book was spot on, credit to the author immediately, but it did unfortunately lack something I can’t quite put my finger on. This doesn’t mean it isn’t for everyone however! Some people might really really love this.

This was a very intense read all the way through, the pace and tension was great and kept the danger flowing.

A group of parents set up a childcare circle, knowing little about one another, for a group of young children. All of them receive a letter asking about what is their greatest secret, followed by a text in a similar vein. This starts some worry and self doubt among them, which comes to a head during a stormy weekend away at a deserted house. The house which has some memories more than one of the childcare circle share in.

This is a good thriller with lots of twists and turns along the way. The story has a good pace and I enjoyed the characters and finding out more about them and what drove them to the ultimate ending here.

Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Chocoblock with twists and turns, I could not put it down. Short chapters have that ‘one more chapter’ vibe going on. Thoroughly enjoyable read! Thanks to the author, NetGalley and publishers for the arc.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book.

An easy read with a lot of mysteries and secrets, some perhaps more obvious than others. i enjoyed the characters, they were a bit cliched but they were easily distinguishable. Quite often in this type of book, I forger who the minor and sometimes even the main characters are! The attitudes and prejudices of the 3 better off childcare women are all too believable.

I also enjoyed reading through and gradually working out what was happening so that I got some of the twists before they were revealed. I also liked how the book shows that one slightly wrong act, can have much more serious, unexpected consequences. It all gets a little melodramatic and unlikely towards the end but these thrillers are like that. The actual ending is satisfactory and there is a sting in the tail too..

It is a real page turner and although it's not the sort of book I would read again, it is an above average example of this sort of domestic noir and I enjoyed it, so I will say 3.5 up to 4.

Each Monday after school, I look after my daughter Coralie and four other kids from her class. We go to the park when it's sunny, snuggle on the sofa reading books when it rains. Tuesday to Friday, the other parents take them. It's perfect, a circle of free childcare, of fun and friendship for our children. But this morning, we all received an anonymous note. And now I'm terrified. I know your darkest secrets, it says. None of you are what you seem. How could you have trusted each other with your children? You have five days to tell the truth. Or there will be consequences. My blood runs ice-cold. I've hidden my darkest secret for years and can never reveal it. All the other parents must have secrets too....

There are a lot of characters in this book. A childcare group of parents take care of each other's children one day a week. They are planning a weekend away when they all receive a letter telling them they know all about their secrets. But who is behind the letter writing?

Filled with secrets, lies, and twists, this story starts slowly. There isn't much more I can tell you as I might spoil, it for you. The characters are well-developed. It also has a great ending.

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

Thank you to NetGalley and to Bookouture for the ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of The Childminder by Hayley Smith. This was a decent enough read but it did not draw me in enough. The storyline was interesting but I found the book to drag on a little and got bored with reading it. The ending was a complete surprise to me though! Not predictable for me. Not the best thriller but definitely not the worst either. Just "Meh" for me. I gave it a 3 star rating.

A great book that had me hooked, I loved the short chapters it makes the books so much more interesting, and the ending was just amazing.

A thriller following a group of parents who form a childcare circle, each looking after all their children one night per week. It’s an interesting plot and it seems that everyone has their secrets which certainly fuels the tension. Whilst I did enjoy this book, I did find the middle section seemed to drag on slightly. There were some interesting twists and turns which led me to rate this book 3.5 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.