Two four-year-olds who live in the same neighborhood in Blackwood, Emma and Nealie, go missing. Their parents used to be best friends, but since have parted ways for some quite intense and dramatic reasons. The girls share a nanny, Julie, who may or may not play a role in this. Both families have some wild secrets, some of which coincide with each other’s secrets.
The book was slow at first. The story was told from multiple POVs (at least four) which I usually love, but this was honestly a challenge for me to keep track of who was who while also trying to find out who could be guilty. Maybe that was because none of the characters were likable, and the only people I cared about were the two missing girls. I did love the shock value of the ending and never would have guessed the twists, but it definitely was convoluted and a bit rushed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC!

Thank you NetGalley and Emily Shiner for this ARC. I enjoyed reading this book. To me, everybody was a suspect! I could not stop reading.
Emily Shiner is becoming one of my new favorite authors.

Emily Shiner’s The Nanny Share is packed with secrets that keep you guessing right up until the very end!

It’s every parent’s worst nightmare: two preschool-aged girls disappear without a trace in the middle of the night from a prestigious gated community. How could this happen? One thing connecting these girls is their shared nanny—who we quickly discover is no saint.

As the story unfolds, it dives deep into the messy lives of their parents and everyone surrounding the investigation. The slow unraveling of everyone’s secrets, combined with clues that might explain the girls’ disappearance, keeps the tension high and makes this one impossible to put down.

Interesting points: tangled family dynamics, flawed characters, secrets, police investigation, kidnapping, multiple POV

I’d recommend this to anyone who loves a good thriller!

This book was good in concept, but would definitely benefit from another round of editing. Some parts seemed hastily written

Thank you to Bookouture for the ARC!

I love Emily Shiner’s books so I was very excited to check this one out! The tension in the prologue alone had me waiting for the other shoe to drop - you could just sense that something bad was going to happen! Told from multiple points of view, many of these characters were suspicious as two little girls went missing. Though the families are friends, the most common link is their nanny. She seemed sweet at first, genuinely enjoying her time with the kids. But I was side-eyeing quite a few of the characters (looking at you Ryan!) This was a wild ride and a quick read, with the fast pace keeping me glued to the pages.

“The Nanny Share” releases February 21, 2025. This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly :)

The whole book is set across one anxiety ridden, questionable day! From the very start of the book, Shiner sets the scene brilliantly, drawing you in and getting you thinking straight away (which I love!!). The opening grips you instantly, laying the groundwork for the suspense and twists that follow. I thought I was beginning to piece everything together, with parts of the plot finally falling into place. However, even more puzzle pieces emerge, completely shifting my perspective and thoughts, keeping me guessing until the very end!

The characters in the book are well crafted, each with their own secrets and complexities. As the story unfolds, you find yourself constantly reassessing who to trust, as layers of their personalities are revealed. The dynamic between the characters adds depth to the suspense, making the twists even more impactful!

One of the only reasons I never gave it five stars is due to their being quite a few characters involved which sometimes overwhelms me. For example trying to remember what character said what or what character did that - however this did not affect the book in anyway, it’s just the way my brain works sometimes 🤭

Emily Shiner’s “The Nanny Share” is a very good psychological thriller with a gripping premise and dark twists.

Two families have their lives shattered when their four year old daughters Emma and Nealie go missing. The two families live in the exclusive, gated Blackwood neighbourhood with a near perfect lifestyle but that is shattered when their daughters go missing. Right at the centre of the mystery is the girls nanny who suspiciously cares for both Emma and Nealie. It is not long before the police want to look closer at her and the nanny’s dark past threatens to come to light.

This is a fascinating read, full of suspense, damaged friendships, broken marriages, and mounting obsession. Lots of suspicion but who can be trusted, lies and secrets surround the characters and what will happen when the truth is revealed?

This is a very good thriller, well plotted and intriguing characters. Well written and perfectly paced throughout.
I would like to thank both Netgalley and Bookouture for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

While the book started a little slowly, I loved it once everything picked up and I started understanding the storyline. I am horrible at paying attention to chapter titles so I was lost for a while. The storyline played out in an excellent manner and gave me that definite jaw dropping moment at the end!

Emily Shiner is one of my absolute favorite authors, anytime I get the opportunity to recommend her, I’m on it! The other thing I adore about her is her presence on social media, she is so grateful anytime someone mentions her or one of her books. I love her willingness to make any feedback valuable and actionable. She is an author I will read for many years to come!

The mystery in this novel unraveled slowly under the weight of the enormous secrets everyone involved kept throughout. I read to discover the ending, which was not quite as satisfying as I expected given the twists and turns of the story.

Little Emma and Nealie was Four years old and they both lived on the Blackwood Apartments
There mothers was there as best friends until everything fell apart
But the children was snatched from there beds
I had an ARC

Plot and pace:
It didn’t take me long to really get into this book. The fast pace and multiple points of view draws you in, capturing your attention and want to find out the next twist.

The key points of the plot are laid out and quickly unwind in an unexpected manner, making it a very enjoyable and quick read. It keeps you guessing throughout however I never saw the final twist coming.

Overall, I found the plot very satisfying and clearly thought out by the author.

Character development:
Unsure whether it was intentional by the author, however the main two couples felt very similar that at points I couldn’t remember who was with who. It terms of the plot, this could have been on purpose.

The other characters were very established, at first mysterious and then all was revealed to their purpose and intent. Each character had their own writing voice and I was able to clearly define them from one another due to this (apart from the two couples at points).

Favourite quote(s):
“He’s a peacock when he gets up there in his custom suits and pocket squares, acting like he’s on prime-time TV and not in a courtroom”

“They cover up their sins with Gucci and Dior, but even the nicest clothes and fanciest cars can’t hide the fact that so many of them are abusive”

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

This book had thinking I knew who was behind the kidnapping but I was wrong so many times through the book. The multiple points of view were my favorite part of the book. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy for my honest opinion.

Wow!! I couldn’t put this book down, an absolute page turner. I thought I knew who was responsible for the girls disappearance but boy was I wrong!! Amazing read lots of twists and plenty of action.

Books involving a nanny ALWAYS have my interest, I was super excited to get this one via Netgalley and I wasn’t disappointed! I knew right away this book, wasn’t going to be like ones in the past. The plot was certainly unique and that ending was crazy! I always love how authors can create such a web of characters linking them together in unexpected ways! This is my first Emily Shiner read, and I don’t think it will be my last!!

This is my first book by Emily Shiner and will not be my last. A non stop page turner that has you hooked from the first page. Told from multiple POV.
Two four year old girls go missing from each of their homes during the night. Both live in a well to do gated community. The only thing in common is that they share the same nanny.

I love a book with short chapters as it keeps you hooked. Highly recommend.

Emily Shiner’s The Nanny Share is a taut, compulsively readable thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. While the characters may not win any popularity contests, their morally complex, self-serving actions only add to the gripping tension as the story unfolds.

From the first page, The Nanny Share hooks you with its high-stakes premise. Two families wake up to find out their pre-school age girls are missing. Then we learn that these two families had decided to share a nanny, intertwining their lives in ways far beyond convenience. But now that things have taken a dark and unexpected turn, it becomes clear that no one is as innocent as they seem. The layers of deceit and self-preservation build a story that’s as compelling as it is unsettling.

The tension in this book is razor-sharp, and Shiner masterfully ratchets it up with every chapter. The plot twists are genuinely surprising, and even when the characters’ decisions made me cringe, I couldn’t look away. Every interaction pulses with the potential for disaster, making it impossible to stop reading.

None of the characters in The Nanny Share are particularly likable. They are selfish, manipulative, and more concerned with saving their own skins than protecting their children. And yet, their flaws make them utterly fascinating. Each choice they make—whether driven by fear, greed, or desperation—pulls you deeper into the story.

This is not a tale of heroics or redemption. It’s a story about survival, and Shiner isn’t afraid to explore the murky depths of human behavior when the stakes are at their highest. You might not root for the characters, but you’ll find yourself glued to the page, desperate to uncover the truth.

If you’re a fan of dark, twisty thrillers that make you question who you can trust, The Nanny Share is a must-read. Shiner’s prose is sharp and suspenseful, and the relentless pacing ensures there’s never a dull moment. Despite the lack of sympathetic protagonists, the story’s intensity will keep you hooked until the final reveal.

The themes of trust, betrayal, and parental instincts create a compelling backdrop for the drama. Even if you’re left shaking your head at the characters’ choices, you’ll find yourself turning pages late into the night.

This book was definitely a wild ride. There were a lot of twists and turns in the book. I did figure out most of them pretty quickly. This book is great because it immediately starts off strong and you do not have to wait for it to pick up. I definitely recommend this book to anyone that wants to read an exciting thriller that captivates you from the moment you start the book.

When I’m starting a book by Emily Shiner, I know nothing else will get done, because I will be completely immersed in the story, stunned by unexpected twists and unable to put the book down!

The Nanny Share fits the brief perfectly. Two four year old girls share a nanny, an arrangement that was made when their mothers were best friends, as well as living just a few doors apart. But all that changed a few months ago and now, both of the girls are missing. The common link is Julie, their nanny.

Every character was a suspect and every chapter built more suspense. Lock your doors and trust no one.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Emily Shiner and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

“The Nanny Share” is a mystery/thriller by Emily Shiner. I liked the premise of this book - two kids with the same nanny go missing. While the beginning sucked me in, I realized that I really didn’t like any of the adults (maybe the main detective?) and the twists became too convoluted toward the end. Yes, there are secrets between the two families - former “besties” now not. I do wonder if the main detective would’ve (should’ve?) been on the case, since she knew one of the parents - but that’s a minor quibble. A fast read, but this book reminded me that maybe this isn’t the author for me… but if you like mystery books with lots of twists, this might be one to pick up.