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The Nanny
An unforgettable story about the complex choices women make for love, motherhood, and family—and the unexpected events that open our hearts to what really matters in life.
Clare Elias feels more than ready to conquer being a parent. She’s already mastered the business world, running a flourishing chain of boutique flower shops. Her husband, Marc, is handsome, successful, supportive—and nearly a decade her junior. Clare is at the top of her game, so how hard can motherhood be?
Then the babies come—both of them. And Clare finds herself in the midst of the crisis faced by every woman who’s ever tried to Have It All. She’s sworn she won’t have her children raised by nannies the way her inattentive mother did, but when help arrives in the form of pretty, young, hyperefficient Jenna, Clare has no idea that bringing this stranger into her family will change everything. As Marc becomes distant and secretive and, worst of all, one of her babies gets sick, Clare—and Jenna—must make the kinds of heartwrenching decisions that no woman wants to face.
Wise, witty, and powerfully emotional, Who Loves You Best captures the working mother’s joys and frustrations—as well as the guilty secrets of nannies—in a tale that is surprising to the very end.
Clare Elias feels more than ready to conquer being a parent. She’s already mastered the business world, running a flourishing chain of boutique flower shops. Her husband, Marc, is handsome, successful, supportive—and nearly a decade her junior. Clare is at the top of her game, so how hard can motherhood be?
Then the babies come—both of them. And Clare finds herself in the midst of the crisis faced by every woman who’s ever tried to Have It All. She’s sworn she won’t have her children raised by nannies the way her inattentive mother did, but when help arrives in the form of pretty, young, hyperefficient Jenna, Clare has no idea that bringing this stranger into her family will change everything. As Marc becomes distant and secretive and, worst of all, one of her babies gets sick, Clare—and Jenna—must make the kinds of heartwrenching decisions that no woman wants to face.
Wise, witty, and powerfully emotional, Who Loves You Best captures the working mother’s joys and frustrations—as well as the guilty secrets of nannies—in a tale that is surprising to the very end.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
50 people are currently reading
1158 people want to read
About the author
Tess Stimson
22 books639 followersTess Stimson is the author of fifteen novels - including international bestseller The New House - which have been translated into dozens of languages, plus two non-fiction books. Her new book, The Perfect Accident, will be published in April 2026.
A former British journalist and reporter, Stimson was appointed Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Florida in 2002 and moved to the US. In addition to writing fiction, she continues to work as a journalist and teaches reporting for media and creative writing at a university in the Northeastern US. She now lives in Vermont with her husband, and is visited intermittently by her three grown-up children whenever they need their laundry done.
For more information, visit Tess's website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
A former British journalist and reporter, Stimson was appointed Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Florida in 2002 and moved to the US. In addition to writing fiction, she continues to work as a journalist and teaches reporting for media and creative writing at a university in the Northeastern US. She now lives in Vermont with her husband, and is visited intermittently by her three grown-up children whenever they need their laundry done.
For more information, visit Tess's website or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 153 reviews
January 13, 2011
This book was not what I was expecting. I picked this up thinking it was going to be a nice quick read about a workaholic woman with twin babies whose newly hired nanny was sleeping with the husband. Instead, there was so much more drama.
Usually I like the alternating viewpoints in books. I like when chapters jump back and forth between characters, you get a better feel for them. It is much easier to connect with them that way. But with this book, when a new character is narrating a chapter, the author goes back through dialogue from the previous chapter and you basically read the whole scene again (dialogue written out, again) just to get two or three sentences of how the new character is reacting to the situation. It really started to drive me crazy, especially since not all characters were given the same amount of time. They would just have one random chapter that they had to sum up their whole situation in.
Also what really bothered me was the drama. Nobody seemed to have the decency to just spit out whatever they were thinking. Nobody said what they really felt or wanted, they just bickered back and forth until it blew up in their faces. And this was especially frustrating when you had to go from chapter to chapter rehashing everything over and over again in different points of view.
Lastly, there was just way too much going on:
A workaholic mom
a nanny who is dating a drunk who beats her because he was raped crossing a park at night
A snooty grandmother who thinks she is better than everyone else
A brother who has ALS but doesn't tell anyone and lets them all think he is a drunk who now the nanny has the hots for
A husband who is stealing money from his rich wife's account because he lost over a million in a bad stock deal
Same husband kidnaps one of his babies and takes it to Lebanon but is conveniently tracked down by a customer who has randomly fallen in love with the wife and happens to have connections in all the right places
one of the babies has a rare salt diabetes disorder which is then believed to have been a poisoning by the mother until once again that love struck customer calls one of his convenient contacts who just happens to be a specialist at the hospital the baby was taken to
and much more. Then to top it all off, the wife still decides she wants to work it out with the money stealing, baby kidnapping husband even though now she is love struck with that customer. I don't know, maybe I'm just having an off day or whatever, but that is just way too much drama to be taken seriously. I can't say I completely hated the book because it was interesting at times to see what was going to happen and it was a quick read. It held my interest for the most part, and I did finish it. I just don't think I will be rushing out any time soon to get this author's other books.
Usually I like the alternating viewpoints in books. I like when chapters jump back and forth between characters, you get a better feel for them. It is much easier to connect with them that way. But with this book, when a new character is narrating a chapter, the author goes back through dialogue from the previous chapter and you basically read the whole scene again (dialogue written out, again) just to get two or three sentences of how the new character is reacting to the situation. It really started to drive me crazy, especially since not all characters were given the same amount of time. They would just have one random chapter that they had to sum up their whole situation in.
Also what really bothered me was the drama. Nobody seemed to have the decency to just spit out whatever they were thinking. Nobody said what they really felt or wanted, they just bickered back and forth until it blew up in their faces. And this was especially frustrating when you had to go from chapter to chapter rehashing everything over and over again in different points of view.
Lastly, there was just way too much going on:
A workaholic mom
a nanny who is dating a drunk who beats her because he was raped crossing a park at night
A snooty grandmother who thinks she is better than everyone else
A brother who has ALS but doesn't tell anyone and lets them all think he is a drunk who now the nanny has the hots for
A husband who is stealing money from his rich wife's account because he lost over a million in a bad stock deal
Same husband kidnaps one of his babies and takes it to Lebanon but is conveniently tracked down by a customer who has randomly fallen in love with the wife and happens to have connections in all the right places
one of the babies has a rare salt diabetes disorder which is then believed to have been a poisoning by the mother until once again that love struck customer calls one of his convenient contacts who just happens to be a specialist at the hospital the baby was taken to
and much more. Then to top it all off, the wife still decides she wants to work it out with the money stealing, baby kidnapping husband even though now she is love struck with that customer. I don't know, maybe I'm just having an off day or whatever, but that is just way too much drama to be taken seriously. I can't say I completely hated the book because it was interesting at times to see what was going to happen and it was a quick read. It held my interest for the most part, and I did finish it. I just don't think I will be rushing out any time soon to get this author's other books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2013
I must admit to begin with I was a little upset with this book. Maybe its just because I thought I didn't really want to read chic lits any more (having read so many!) I also thought, the style of it and the beginning chapters were very similar to Jane Greens baby ville and a bit of a rip off.
So yes, I hate to admit that up until the halfway way mark, when the hospital trip and Marc starting being a bit of an arsehole and things started kicking off, that I was ready to condemn this book. However after the half way mark, I was hooked. When I hit that point I finished it in a couple of hours.
As a mother myself there was so much of this book I could relate to, the way clare Felt about herself after the birth of her twins, the worry about breast feeding, them not loving her etc. Although she was more extreme with her highs and her lows, I felt Tess Stimson really hit that all over the place feeling on the head. Normally I dont agree with a career driven woman who 'needs' a nanny (though maybe that is out of jealously) but I loved Clare. I really cried and felt her pain and just could not understand why characters could not see her point of view.
As well as hitting the nail on the head motherly love wise. I feel Stimson got the marriage/relationship part spot on between clare and her husband marc (even though I think the end of the book and their relationship was completely unrealistic!) but the resentment and the fact that they had to get to know each other as a mother and father was spot on. As well as each one expecting the other to fall into a certain type of role!
Overall I would rate this book really highly, though I would say this is a chic lit there are parts of this that are really heavy and take it out of that light and fluffy section! However although I enjoyed this a lot, I would not go out to specifically buy a Tess Stimson book, they would always be something I would pick up in a charity shop or if they were on a 3 for 2 in waterstones.
So yes, I hate to admit that up until the halfway way mark, when the hospital trip and Marc starting being a bit of an arsehole and things started kicking off, that I was ready to condemn this book. However after the half way mark, I was hooked. When I hit that point I finished it in a couple of hours.
As a mother myself there was so much of this book I could relate to, the way clare Felt about herself after the birth of her twins, the worry about breast feeding, them not loving her etc. Although she was more extreme with her highs and her lows, I felt Tess Stimson really hit that all over the place feeling on the head. Normally I dont agree with a career driven woman who 'needs' a nanny (though maybe that is out of jealously) but I loved Clare. I really cried and felt her pain and just could not understand why characters could not see her point of view.
As well as hitting the nail on the head motherly love wise. I feel Stimson got the marriage/relationship part spot on between clare and her husband marc (even though I think the end of the book and their relationship was completely unrealistic!) but the resentment and the fact that they had to get to know each other as a mother and father was spot on. As well as each one expecting the other to fall into a certain type of role!
Overall I would rate this book really highly, though I would say this is a chic lit there are parts of this that are really heavy and take it out of that light and fluffy section! However although I enjoyed this a lot, I would not go out to specifically buy a Tess Stimson book, they would always be something I would pick up in a charity shop or if they were on a 3 for 2 in waterstones.
June 26, 2009
Clare, 37 years old is married to Marc who is rich, handsome and 10 years younger to her. After putting off for 7 years (to focus on her career) she has given birth to two lovely babies.
Her hunky dory life goes for a toss when she realizes what baby care is all about and is on the brink of cracking up when Jenna enters in their life.
Jenna the nanny is a young, beautiful, bright girl who is running away from an abusive relationship. She blends into the household and takes over the caring of kids and Clare joins back her business. From hereon their life spirals downwards.
Clare starts believing that she isn’t a good Mother; Marc feels that her wife puts her career before her kids and even accuses her of trying to kill their daughter; Jane feels that though her employer is friendly but she is a borderline case of being a control freak.
Clare feels that her husband is a kid and is not competent enough for anything. She feels Jenna is trying to take over her role. The relationships are stretched to the point of breaking up.
Throw in an evil mother who hates her son-in-law, a casanova brother who fancies his sister's nanny, a regular but strange visitor to Clare's flower shop and you have a perfect domestic pot boiler for you.
But...
Will the relationship survive?
And who is the cradle snatcher?
Read the book to know further.
I liked the book for quite a many reasons
I fell in love with the narrative of the book. Each chapter is how one character sees the incident as. For e.g. We have Clare telling us about what happened to her daughter Poppy, how she fared in hospital and then how she felt when she was questioned for poisoning her. The next chapter would be of Mark and would begin from where he entered the scene and how/ what he felt about the whole thing.
This kind of narrative ensures that you are getting to read the point of view of each character. You might feel sympathetic towards Marc at a point of time but when you see the same thing from Clare’s angle things look so different.
The final result is that there is neither a black nor a white character in the book. Everyone has a shade of grey in them and this comes out so well here. The root cause of every misunderstanding is the difference in as how we see an incident and as I said it comes out so well in here.
The book also looks into what has really become of urban couples these days. It touches the contemporary issue of recession, heavy mortgages, heavier loans etc. It also touches upon the struggle a working woman has to face to balance her career & kids.
As far as pulling out surprises is concerned it wouldn’t fall behind any detective fiction novel. No it doesn't give you a mushy-mushy view of life what you get here is the real life. In few words it is a page turner which is contemporary and makes out to be a fantastic & racy read.
Her hunky dory life goes for a toss when she realizes what baby care is all about and is on the brink of cracking up when Jenna enters in their life.
Jenna the nanny is a young, beautiful, bright girl who is running away from an abusive relationship. She blends into the household and takes over the caring of kids and Clare joins back her business. From hereon their life spirals downwards.
Clare starts believing that she isn’t a good Mother; Marc feels that her wife puts her career before her kids and even accuses her of trying to kill their daughter; Jane feels that though her employer is friendly but she is a borderline case of being a control freak.
Clare feels that her husband is a kid and is not competent enough for anything. She feels Jenna is trying to take over her role. The relationships are stretched to the point of breaking up.
Throw in an evil mother who hates her son-in-law, a casanova brother who fancies his sister's nanny, a regular but strange visitor to Clare's flower shop and you have a perfect domestic pot boiler for you.
But...
Will the relationship survive?
And who is the cradle snatcher?
Read the book to know further.
I liked the book for quite a many reasons
I fell in love with the narrative of the book. Each chapter is how one character sees the incident as. For e.g. We have Clare telling us about what happened to her daughter Poppy, how she fared in hospital and then how she felt when she was questioned for poisoning her. The next chapter would be of Mark and would begin from where he entered the scene and how/ what he felt about the whole thing.
This kind of narrative ensures that you are getting to read the point of view of each character. You might feel sympathetic towards Marc at a point of time but when you see the same thing from Clare’s angle things look so different.
The final result is that there is neither a black nor a white character in the book. Everyone has a shade of grey in them and this comes out so well here. The root cause of every misunderstanding is the difference in as how we see an incident and as I said it comes out so well in here.
The book also looks into what has really become of urban couples these days. It touches the contemporary issue of recession, heavy mortgages, heavier loans etc. It also touches upon the struggle a working woman has to face to balance her career & kids.
As far as pulling out surprises is concerned it wouldn’t fall behind any detective fiction novel. No it doesn't give you a mushy-mushy view of life what you get here is the real life. In few words it is a page turner which is contemporary and makes out to be a fantastic & racy read.
February 17, 2019
I'm not sure the blurb and cover are an accurate depiction of what this novel actually is, which is a cross between a women's fiction novel (1st half), and a suspense novel (2nd half). Frankly, I was seriously shocked by the second half of the book, the deviance of Marc's character, the bizarre side plot with Xan, and thr entire ending. The story went from a somewhat realistic depiction of motherhood to a crazy Lifetime original. That said, it was more exciting than I thought it would be and though the writing wasn't great, I enjoyed the story. Three stars.
May 22, 2017
I'm moving this week. Everything is hectic, boxes are all over the place and today was the most beautiful day of the year so far. In fact it's supposed to be pretty hot all week. I took an hour out to read this in the sunshine and it was bliss.
It was also a really good book. I've enjoyed Stimson's books before and I knew I was going to like this easy read of a mother struggling with motherhood. She turns to a nanny but spends the rest of the book guilt ridden. Her husband is an arsehole and I wanted to punch him in the face.
Nothing annoys me more than men who want kids but then expect the mother to drop everything to look after them but are never keen when you suggest maybe they should give up work and stay at home. He just criticises & doesn't really get stuck in himself. What he does in the end is unforgivable, hats off to Claire, who does forgive him for the sake of the kids.
There is a bit of focus on Jenna's abusive relationship but I don't think that's explored enough. Her relationship with Xan ends and although his illness is not mentioned to the other characters, we as a reader don't hear what happens to him in the end which was a bit disappointing.
But overall it was the kind of easy reading, perfect for holidays or unusually sunny English days.
It was also a really good book. I've enjoyed Stimson's books before and I knew I was going to like this easy read of a mother struggling with motherhood. She turns to a nanny but spends the rest of the book guilt ridden. Her husband is an arsehole and I wanted to punch him in the face.
Nothing annoys me more than men who want kids but then expect the mother to drop everything to look after them but are never keen when you suggest maybe they should give up work and stay at home. He just criticises & doesn't really get stuck in himself. What he does in the end is unforgivable, hats off to Claire, who does forgive him for the sake of the kids.
There is a bit of focus on Jenna's abusive relationship but I don't think that's explored enough. Her relationship with Xan ends and although his illness is not mentioned to the other characters, we as a reader don't hear what happens to him in the end which was a bit disappointing.
But overall it was the kind of easy reading, perfect for holidays or unusually sunny English days.
February 20, 2020
Nějak nevím, jak hodnotit. Z knížek Tess Stimson, které jsem zatím četla, a jejichž styl se mi vážně líbí, je tahle ta nejslabší. Poslední dvě kapitoly obsahovaly tak nějak jiné věci, než by podle mě měly. Celou dobu se mi to opravdu hodně líbilo a ten konec to úplně pokazil. V podstatě celá linka s Cooperem byla tak nějak navíc. Libanon? Proboha proč?
Postupně mi byla Clare čímdál nesmypatičtější, ale nakonec mi připadala už jako totální kráva.
A co Xan? O tom měl být velký kus poslední kapitoly.
Ne, po dočtení této knížky ve mně zůstává pocit rozhořčení.
Postupně mi byla Clare čímdál nesmypatičtější, ale nakonec mi připadala už jako totální kráva.
A co Xan? O tom měl být velký kus poslední kapitoly.
Ne, po dočtení této knížky ve mně zůstává pocit rozhořčení.
March 8, 2023
Não sabia bem o que esperar quando peguei neste livro, mas com certeza que não era aquilo que encontrei.
Um drama repleto de reviravoltas, com uma narradora que sabe brincar com o leitor e fazer-nos pensar 1001 coisas para depois afinal a realidade ser outra coisa completamente diferente. Muito interessante.
Um drama repleto de reviravoltas, com uma narradora que sabe brincar com o leitor e fazer-nos pensar 1001 coisas para depois afinal a realidade ser outra coisa completamente diferente. Muito interessante.
July 16, 2011
This was a book club pick and it was more intriguing and darker than I expected. I think the publishing house did the author a huge disservice with the title and the cover, which indicates amusing, sweet chick lit where it’s really closer to women’s fiction.
This book follows new mom-to-twins Clare and her nanny Jenna. For the most part, that is. Sometimes we get a chapter from the husband, Clare’s mother, and various and sundry other people. Some of the head-hopping was unnecessary. It works at times, like switching between Jenna and Clare, as we get to see the same scene from two different viewpoints. This is interesting because while someone comes across shrill in one scene, when viewed from a different angle she is more sympathetic. This was a nice technique, but it didn’t need to be done for characters other than Clare and/or Jenna. When it happens we get a huge back story about the character, spoken in first person, and it just reads like a long email from someone you just met. Plus, it detracted from Clare and Jenna’s stories.
There are at times too many issues grappled with in such a short book: domestic violence, postpartum depression, sexual abuse, and seven other things I don’t want to list so as not to give any plot away. Seriously name a hot button topic and it’s in there (did I mention cutting?) It’s a little over the top.
In that vein, Jenna’s home life with her boyfriend is glossed over way too much (and told almost entirely in hindsight). If you’re going to deal with an aforementioned Big Issue then at least give it the proper treatment and don’t treat it like a weird little quirk when it’s something much worse. It’s almost irresponsible the way it’s handled. That goes for the ending of the book too.
Now, this is minor, but the level of wealth created from Clare’s flower business bothered me a little bit. Retail operations of that kind don’t generate such high margins. I realize Clare has a lot of family money but the author made it seem she was rolling in it from running a few flower shops. I don’t know, I guess if she were doing wedding flowers for William and Kate then maybe I’d buy it.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book and it’s a quick summer read. The author does an excellent job of building tension and leaving cliffhangers at the end of each chapter to keep you reading. There are enough twists and turns to cause rapid turning of the pages.
This book follows new mom-to-twins Clare and her nanny Jenna. For the most part, that is. Sometimes we get a chapter from the husband, Clare’s mother, and various and sundry other people. Some of the head-hopping was unnecessary. It works at times, like switching between Jenna and Clare, as we get to see the same scene from two different viewpoints. This is interesting because while someone comes across shrill in one scene, when viewed from a different angle she is more sympathetic. This was a nice technique, but it didn’t need to be done for characters other than Clare and/or Jenna. When it happens we get a huge back story about the character, spoken in first person, and it just reads like a long email from someone you just met. Plus, it detracted from Clare and Jenna’s stories.
There are at times too many issues grappled with in such a short book: domestic violence, postpartum depression, sexual abuse, and seven other things I don’t want to list so as not to give any plot away. Seriously name a hot button topic and it’s in there (did I mention cutting?) It’s a little over the top.
In that vein, Jenna’s home life with her boyfriend is glossed over way too much (and told almost entirely in hindsight). If you’re going to deal with an aforementioned Big Issue then at least give it the proper treatment and don’t treat it like a weird little quirk when it’s something much worse. It’s almost irresponsible the way it’s handled. That goes for the ending of the book too.
Now, this is minor, but the level of wealth created from Clare’s flower business bothered me a little bit. Retail operations of that kind don’t generate such high margins. I realize Clare has a lot of family money but the author made it seem she was rolling in it from running a few flower shops. I don’t know, I guess if she were doing wedding flowers for William and Kate then maybe I’d buy it.
Anyway, I did enjoy the book and it’s a quick summer read. The author does an excellent job of building tension and leaving cliffhangers at the end of each chapter to keep you reading. There are enough twists and turns to cause rapid turning of the pages.
September 18, 2010
I had just finished my first ever Jodi Picoult novel that I didn’t like. It was “Harvesting the Heart”. The story was good, I like the characters but I hated how quickly she ended the story.It ended without knowing what just happened to the main characters. I have never been so disappointed in a book’s ending. I was in Target, I saw Who Loves you best and it caught my eye. Since, I was soured on Jodi Picoult I thought I would give it a try.
I thought the story was great. It caught my attention right away and very similar to the Picoult novels. I couldn’t put it down and found myself invested in the characters. I couldn’t wait to see how the ending worked out for everyone. I loved the different POVs. It was great insight into each character. However, I couldn’t believe the ending!! Why let us know that Clare was pregnant again and then never mention it in the story. It was a great twist and then it was never mentioned. How did Clare feel about it? Did she agonize over not telling Marc? How will Cooper feel about it? Poor Xan! He just ran off, and has a degenerative disease and no one else knows.
Sadly, it was exactly like the Picoult ending. I felt like I was left hanging and still worrying about how the characters turned out. So I wish the author would add one more chapter and emailing it to me.Just kidding! It is a great book, I am just shocked I read back to back novels with the same exact ending.
I thought the story was great. It caught my attention right away and very similar to the Picoult novels. I couldn’t put it down and found myself invested in the characters. I couldn’t wait to see how the ending worked out for everyone. I loved the different POVs. It was great insight into each character. However, I couldn’t believe the ending!! Why let us know that Clare was pregnant again and then never mention it in the story. It was a great twist and then it was never mentioned. How did Clare feel about it? Did she agonize over not telling Marc? How will Cooper feel about it? Poor Xan! He just ran off, and has a degenerative disease and no one else knows.
Sadly, it was exactly like the Picoult ending. I felt like I was left hanging and still worrying about how the characters turned out. So I wish the author would add one more chapter and emailing it to me.Just kidding! It is a great book, I am just shocked I read back to back novels with the same exact ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2015
I loved this book from the first line - literally.
Clare and Marc, married couple. Clare is 10 or so years younger than Marc. They are both rich and have finally decided irs time to have a baby. Clare falls pregnant with twins. She reads several baby books and has everything all planned out. She gives birth in the street unfortunately and thats only the beginning.
Although Clare runs her own successful business, nothing prepared her for motherhood. She eventually but reluctantly hires Jenna - a girl with her own problems. Jenna cares for the twins well but there is trouble in paradise when one of the twins becomes poorly and Marc borrows some of Clares money without asking, lots of it. You never really know where the story is really going and its written well. Each chapter written from that characters perspective.
I felt for Clare. She struggles between work and the twins. She needs help but Marc doesnt understand why. He wants Clare to be a stay at home mum like his mother was. Marc is a little selfish and doesnt understand how Clare felt.
This book is definitely worth reading.
Clare and Marc, married couple. Clare is 10 or so years younger than Marc. They are both rich and have finally decided irs time to have a baby. Clare falls pregnant with twins. She reads several baby books and has everything all planned out. She gives birth in the street unfortunately and thats only the beginning.
Although Clare runs her own successful business, nothing prepared her for motherhood. She eventually but reluctantly hires Jenna - a girl with her own problems. Jenna cares for the twins well but there is trouble in paradise when one of the twins becomes poorly and Marc borrows some of Clares money without asking, lots of it. You never really know where the story is really going and its written well. Each chapter written from that characters perspective.
I felt for Clare. She struggles between work and the twins. She needs help but Marc doesnt understand why. He wants Clare to be a stay at home mum like his mother was. Marc is a little selfish and doesnt understand how Clare felt.
This book is definitely worth reading.
Read
August 22, 2011This is the story of Clare, a successful owner of several flower stores and a new mother to twin babies. To cope, Clare hires a live in nanny, Jenna, and the story unfolds from there. Clare's husband Marc resents Jenna in their home, Jenna has an abusive boyfriend, Clare finds out that Marc has been using their mortgage as collateral on speculative stock market trades, and one of the babies becomes dangerously ill.
The book is written from alternating character's perspective; it's well structured, flows easily and engages the reader. I found the characters for the most part believable and sympathetic (except for the abusive boyfriend). The story falls a bit off track when one of the babies is kidnapped and another character, Cooper, who becomes Clare's love interest, is introduced in an implausible way.
I would recommend this book as light, summer reading and I will read another of Tess Stimson's books.
The book is written from alternating character's perspective; it's well structured, flows easily and engages the reader. I found the characters for the most part believable and sympathetic (except for the abusive boyfriend). The story falls a bit off track when one of the babies is kidnapped and another character, Cooper, who becomes Clare's love interest, is introduced in an implausible way.
I would recommend this book as light, summer reading and I will read another of Tess Stimson's books.
August 8, 2010
This is a story about the complex choices women make for motherhood love and family. Claire met and married Marc a younger man she has a successful business . Marc has his own career, than Claire has twins and thats when the trouble begins . Marc feels she should stay home and care for the babies . Claire hires Jenna the perfect nanny. Claire has no idea the problems this will cause . Marc becomes distant and secretive than poppy gets sick . And they think Claire is responsible, Marc does some unspeakable things than files for divorce, and steals Rowen. This is a heartwrenching but powerfully emotional yet wise and witty story about what a mother will do to protect what she loves most.
October 17, 2017
This book was ok and I found the beginning the best part. It has a very good description of labour and post natal depression. I really felt for Clare in the episode with Rowan and it was frustrating that she wasn't getting the help that she needed from her husband.
The story gets a bit ridiculous with Marc kidnapping Rowan and then decided to move to Canada and basically see neither of the kids which doesn't make sense. And Clare's new romance is shoehorned in the end.
An easy read and one to pass the time.
The story gets a bit ridiculous with Marc kidnapping Rowan and then decided to move to Canada and basically see neither of the kids which doesn't make sense. And Clare's new romance is shoehorned in the end.
An easy read and one to pass the time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 24, 2009
The ending of this book was a complete surprise to me, as were the many twists and turns throughout the story, one of the reasons I loved it so much.
The chapters are written from multiple viewpoints which I really liked as you got an indepth idea of what each character was thinking and feeling. Clever how the author weaved parts from the previous chapter and character into the new one too.
Go and get it today, you'll love it!
The chapters are written from multiple viewpoints which I really liked as you got an indepth idea of what each character was thinking and feeling. Clever how the author weaved parts from the previous chapter and character into the new one too.
Go and get it today, you'll love it!
June 20, 2012
I picked this up as a cheap read from the target clearance shelf. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I think we can all find at least a few little parts of ourselves in both the female leads, and the ending didn't tie everything all up neat and tidy.
March 25, 2013
Totally awesome book! Had a laugh through it all.
My heart just went into this one... And got lost in a tangle of love, friendship, rivals but what i find most thrilling of all is that it marks so close to real life.
Insanely good.
My heart just went into this one... And got lost in a tangle of love, friendship, rivals but what i find most thrilling of all is that it marks so close to real life.
Insanely good.
March 2, 2017
Loved about 3/4 of the book, I felt the ending was ridiculous and beyond unrealistic. I couldn't finish the last 10 pages or so. Disappointed to say the least.
March 9, 2023
Really hard to follow.
October 8, 2016
The book starts with Claire making her way through London completing her Christmas shopping. Her twins are due around Christmas which she is completely organised for. She has everything down to a T, including which roads to take to the hospital and where she actually wants to be when she goes into labour. However, her beautiful twins do not agree with this planning. They have their own idea of when they would like to be born, as all babies do. To Claire's surprise and horror, she goes into labour on the streets of London and gives birth outside of a shop. Due to Claire's surprise delivery, she has to spend a number of weeks in the hospital recovering from an infection she has picked up after half of her body dropped out on the floor due to labour. Marc, Claire's loving Canadian husband of Lebanese decent takes care of Poppy, the couple's daughter whilst Rowan isn't very well and has to stay in the hospital. Unfortunately for Claire, and later Rowan, this is not the same hospital that Claire is residing in.
When Claire, the owner of a multi-million-pound flower shop business, is able to come home she feels like she has not been able to bond with Rowan successfully as she did not see him for the first few weeks of his life. She feels Poppy has taken to her easier and more comfortably, Rowan screams and cries at her "on purpose because he knows she's not very good with him". This is of course not true, but I always had my suspicions whilst reading the book that Claire was hiding the fact she has postnatal depression. She even considers holding a pillow over Rowan's face because "she has to consider what's best for Poppy." Thankfully she never actually does anything purposefully cruel or hurtful to either Rowan or Poppy. Following this moment of weakness, Claire decides, against Marc's will, that she needs a nanny to come and help look after the twins. After all, Claire will be eventually returning to work and she needs to know her children are in good hands. Jenna is hired when the children are only three months old. Marc hates the idea of his children being looked after by anyone other than their mother, after all, his mother managed with six of them under eight, which he regularly reminds Claire. He constantly accuses her of choosing her business over their children, he may think this but her job earns far more than his but he never suggests giving up his own job to look after the children if he is so concerned with their upbringing (I didn't like Marc if you hadn't guessed, something about his bigoted, "I'm a man, you do as I say" attitude).
Jenna and Claire get on like a house on fire. Claire would like Jenna as a friend as she hasn't really got anyone close at the moment following the birth of her children. Jenna keeps telling herself that she is an employee of Claire's and not her friend doing her a favour. Claire's, posh, well-to-do family and friends also keep reminding her of Jenna's status. Jenna is in her late twenties and lives with her abusive, degrading boyfriend Jamie. Jamie had an accident a number of years ago where he was sexually abused and raped by random people. This has led to him to become physically abusive of Jenna, both he and Jenna keep excusing his behaviour as his way of showing her he loves her. Jenna regularly makes excuses for why she is bruised, or hurt, or injured, all down to that's the way Jamie shows his love for her! "People don't know, they weren't there!"
Eventually, Jenna has the common sense and strength to leave Jamie and goes to live with Claire on a more permanent basis, she took a live-in nanny job to get away from Jamie during the week in the first place. Jenna starts to secretly date Claire's brother, Alexander (Xander). He is a high-end businessman who has recently found out he has a degenerative disease. Something which he keeps to himself throughout the story, even when he randomly disappears and leaves Jenna behind. Jenna is aware of Xan's shakes and sometimes erratic behaviours but believes this is due to the DTs from drinking too much and for too long. How wrong she is.
Unfortunately, Poppy is unwell at a time in the book and rushed to the hospital to find that she has dehydration. Jenna can not understand how Poppy can be dehydrated as she points out regularly, Poppy is constantly thirsty. She constantly wants more to drink and makes a fuss until she gets it. The doctors investigate the cause of Poppy's dehydration to find they believe she has salt poisoning. Someone has force fed her the equivalent of four teaspoons of salt. The police investigating naturally accuse the mother and take Claire in for questioning. Marc is suspicious of why Claire would do such a thing and convinces himself she was jealous of the attention the twins were receiving so created an illness for Poppy to cause Munchausen by proxy. A condition which makes people believe a child is sick, or create a sickness in a child, in order for a parent or carer to receive more attention than the child. This is something which is a ludicrous assumption on Claire's opinion and she cannot understand why people would think this of her, especially her husband. Jenna is adamant and convinced that Claire has done no such thing to her child. Enter Cooper!
A mysterious American who has been buying flowers from Claire's shop for a "friend" of his who is poorly and in the hospital. Claire is impressed by Cooper's knowledge of flowers and what the background story behind a specific type of flower is. Following the lack of appearances by Claire at the shop Cooper enquires as to where she is. Craig, Claire's assistant informs him that Poppy has been unwell and they believe it is salt poisoning. This sparks something in Cooper which makes him think about a previous time and information he has read somewhere before about a similar case. We then find out that the lady Cooper is buying these flowers for is his recently widowed sister-in-law who has had an accident and broken her leg. She is also a top Paediatrician and has heard of these kinds of cases before. She investigates Poppy's case and reveals to Claire she believes Poppy has a type of diabetes. Almost the reverse. Rather than not being able to process sugar, Poppy is unable to process salt. Her body has stored the salt in her system since birth and now at five months old it has made her seriously ill. Claire is elated to find out that Poppy will be okay. Marc, however, does not believe such a story and is adamant that Claire has tried to poison his daughter.
Marc starts to file divorce proceedings from his wife on the grounds that she is a risk to herself and to their children. He applies for custody of both children with limited visitation rights to Claire, "all because your damn business always comes first!" Claire will not take this and finds herself a top divorce lawyer, the very one who refused to represent Marc. Marc uses the "evidence" against Claire that she tried to poison their daughter. Thankfully when Claire and Marc first started a relationship, Davina, Claire's mother, did not trust Marc. Something about his Lebonan decent. So she hired a private detective to investigate Marc in Canada and find out what he could. To Claire's shock Marc was previously convicted of sexual assault on a minor. He had been in a club and assumed a young lady was over age, she was not. Marc is furious that she would brand the father of her children a pervert, as Claire says, "I believe this is what we call tit for tat."
Throughout this argument, Claire is in constant protection and contact with both Jenna and the children to ensure their safety following Marc's threats to take the children from her. One Friday the children are unwell so do not attend their baby swimming lesson. Or so Claire thinks. Marc makes yet again another threat to take the children from their lesson once it is finished. Claire is relieved to find Jenna at home when she arrives, but to Claire's shock and horror only Poppy is there, Jenna confesses that Rowan seemed better so she took him to his swim lesson. Marc has Rowan.
For weeks both Marc and Rowan are missing. Claire realises that Rowan's passport is missing too. It takes a while before they reappear on any international flights. Lebanon. One country which the UK does not have an agreement with for the extradition of people, especially father's who believe they are doing the right thing for their child. Cooper swears to Claire that he will find her son. He goes to Lebanon to find both Marc and Rowan. When he arrives, Cooper is in contact with a local source, Joseph. Cooper and Joseph soon find Marc and Rowan and fly Claire and Jenna out to return Rowan home, leaving Poppy at home with Davina. Another number of weeks pass before Marc makes a mistake and leaves Rowan in the house with a babysitter. Jenna quickly arrives at the house claiming to need to use the toilet, forces her way into the house locks the nanny in the cupboard and snatches Rowan back. Claire, Jenna, Cooper, Joseph and Rowan all start to rush through the town to get to Baghdad to fly back to the UK without Marc finding out. However, an altercation and a fight break out in the town causing heavy traffic and the frantic group to bump into Marc. Marc tries to force his way over to the car whilst Claire, Jenna and Rowan run away and Cooper tries to stop Marc getting to them. A local policeman notices the trouble and tries to intervene only to the relief of Cooper that he and Marc meeting looks like two old friends meeting.
Claire and Jenna start to run away through the town with a screaming Rowan. Claire suddenly realises this is not the lifestyle she wants for her or her children. She gives Rowan to Jenna and returns to Marc to discuss what has happened and what the next steps are for their family. Both Jenna and Cooper are stunned the Claire is suddenly so open to talking to the man who stole her baby. Claire does not want her children to be raised in a family which is broken and having to be "shipped" from one family to another. Claire wants to make her marriage work for the sake of the children rather than what her and Marc want. As she states herself, "you can't love someone out of pity."
Cooper confesses that he loves Claire and that he would do anything for her and the children, things which Marc never could. Claire is determined to get back together with Marc and try again. Cooper quickly leaves and has very little contact with Claire again. Marc stays in Lebanon whilst Claire returns home with the children and Jenna. Over a number of weeks Claire realises that she does not want Marc back in the house, it is too soon and she would not be comfortable with him being there. Marc phones and Claire tells him this, for Marc to reveal that he isn't returning to the UK. He has met someone on his flight home from Lebanon, another Canadian whose family have close links with his. He has decided to return to Canada to try a relationship with this new lady and "he will be back in the UK every few months to see the twins". Oh, how special and convenient of you Marc.
Overall I enjoyed this audiobook and I thought it was a very good decision to start with something easy and simple to listen too. I would definitely recommend audiobooks to other people as they are a great way to pass the long journeys in the car.
For more and future reviews, check out my blog at http://threeminutesfortyfiveseconds.b...
When Claire, the owner of a multi-million-pound flower shop business, is able to come home she feels like she has not been able to bond with Rowan successfully as she did not see him for the first few weeks of his life. She feels Poppy has taken to her easier and more comfortably, Rowan screams and cries at her "on purpose because he knows she's not very good with him". This is of course not true, but I always had my suspicions whilst reading the book that Claire was hiding the fact she has postnatal depression. She even considers holding a pillow over Rowan's face because "she has to consider what's best for Poppy." Thankfully she never actually does anything purposefully cruel or hurtful to either Rowan or Poppy. Following this moment of weakness, Claire decides, against Marc's will, that she needs a nanny to come and help look after the twins. After all, Claire will be eventually returning to work and she needs to know her children are in good hands. Jenna is hired when the children are only three months old. Marc hates the idea of his children being looked after by anyone other than their mother, after all, his mother managed with six of them under eight, which he regularly reminds Claire. He constantly accuses her of choosing her business over their children, he may think this but her job earns far more than his but he never suggests giving up his own job to look after the children if he is so concerned with their upbringing (I didn't like Marc if you hadn't guessed, something about his bigoted, "I'm a man, you do as I say" attitude).
Jenna and Claire get on like a house on fire. Claire would like Jenna as a friend as she hasn't really got anyone close at the moment following the birth of her children. Jenna keeps telling herself that she is an employee of Claire's and not her friend doing her a favour. Claire's, posh, well-to-do family and friends also keep reminding her of Jenna's status. Jenna is in her late twenties and lives with her abusive, degrading boyfriend Jamie. Jamie had an accident a number of years ago where he was sexually abused and raped by random people. This has led to him to become physically abusive of Jenna, both he and Jenna keep excusing his behaviour as his way of showing her he loves her. Jenna regularly makes excuses for why she is bruised, or hurt, or injured, all down to that's the way Jamie shows his love for her! "People don't know, they weren't there!"
Eventually, Jenna has the common sense and strength to leave Jamie and goes to live with Claire on a more permanent basis, she took a live-in nanny job to get away from Jamie during the week in the first place. Jenna starts to secretly date Claire's brother, Alexander (Xander). He is a high-end businessman who has recently found out he has a degenerative disease. Something which he keeps to himself throughout the story, even when he randomly disappears and leaves Jenna behind. Jenna is aware of Xan's shakes and sometimes erratic behaviours but believes this is due to the DTs from drinking too much and for too long. How wrong she is.
Unfortunately, Poppy is unwell at a time in the book and rushed to the hospital to find that she has dehydration. Jenna can not understand how Poppy can be dehydrated as she points out regularly, Poppy is constantly thirsty. She constantly wants more to drink and makes a fuss until she gets it. The doctors investigate the cause of Poppy's dehydration to find they believe she has salt poisoning. Someone has force fed her the equivalent of four teaspoons of salt. The police investigating naturally accuse the mother and take Claire in for questioning. Marc is suspicious of why Claire would do such a thing and convinces himself she was jealous of the attention the twins were receiving so created an illness for Poppy to cause Munchausen by proxy. A condition which makes people believe a child is sick, or create a sickness in a child, in order for a parent or carer to receive more attention than the child. This is something which is a ludicrous assumption on Claire's opinion and she cannot understand why people would think this of her, especially her husband. Jenna is adamant and convinced that Claire has done no such thing to her child. Enter Cooper!
A mysterious American who has been buying flowers from Claire's shop for a "friend" of his who is poorly and in the hospital. Claire is impressed by Cooper's knowledge of flowers and what the background story behind a specific type of flower is. Following the lack of appearances by Claire at the shop Cooper enquires as to where she is. Craig, Claire's assistant informs him that Poppy has been unwell and they believe it is salt poisoning. This sparks something in Cooper which makes him think about a previous time and information he has read somewhere before about a similar case. We then find out that the lady Cooper is buying these flowers for is his recently widowed sister-in-law who has had an accident and broken her leg. She is also a top Paediatrician and has heard of these kinds of cases before. She investigates Poppy's case and reveals to Claire she believes Poppy has a type of diabetes. Almost the reverse. Rather than not being able to process sugar, Poppy is unable to process salt. Her body has stored the salt in her system since birth and now at five months old it has made her seriously ill. Claire is elated to find out that Poppy will be okay. Marc, however, does not believe such a story and is adamant that Claire has tried to poison his daughter.
Marc starts to file divorce proceedings from his wife on the grounds that she is a risk to herself and to their children. He applies for custody of both children with limited visitation rights to Claire, "all because your damn business always comes first!" Claire will not take this and finds herself a top divorce lawyer, the very one who refused to represent Marc. Marc uses the "evidence" against Claire that she tried to poison their daughter. Thankfully when Claire and Marc first started a relationship, Davina, Claire's mother, did not trust Marc. Something about his Lebonan decent. So she hired a private detective to investigate Marc in Canada and find out what he could. To Claire's shock Marc was previously convicted of sexual assault on a minor. He had been in a club and assumed a young lady was over age, she was not. Marc is furious that she would brand the father of her children a pervert, as Claire says, "I believe this is what we call tit for tat."
Throughout this argument, Claire is in constant protection and contact with both Jenna and the children to ensure their safety following Marc's threats to take the children from her. One Friday the children are unwell so do not attend their baby swimming lesson. Or so Claire thinks. Marc makes yet again another threat to take the children from their lesson once it is finished. Claire is relieved to find Jenna at home when she arrives, but to Claire's shock and horror only Poppy is there, Jenna confesses that Rowan seemed better so she took him to his swim lesson. Marc has Rowan.
For weeks both Marc and Rowan are missing. Claire realises that Rowan's passport is missing too. It takes a while before they reappear on any international flights. Lebanon. One country which the UK does not have an agreement with for the extradition of people, especially father's who believe they are doing the right thing for their child. Cooper swears to Claire that he will find her son. He goes to Lebanon to find both Marc and Rowan. When he arrives, Cooper is in contact with a local source, Joseph. Cooper and Joseph soon find Marc and Rowan and fly Claire and Jenna out to return Rowan home, leaving Poppy at home with Davina. Another number of weeks pass before Marc makes a mistake and leaves Rowan in the house with a babysitter. Jenna quickly arrives at the house claiming to need to use the toilet, forces her way into the house locks the nanny in the cupboard and snatches Rowan back. Claire, Jenna, Cooper, Joseph and Rowan all start to rush through the town to get to Baghdad to fly back to the UK without Marc finding out. However, an altercation and a fight break out in the town causing heavy traffic and the frantic group to bump into Marc. Marc tries to force his way over to the car whilst Claire, Jenna and Rowan run away and Cooper tries to stop Marc getting to them. A local policeman notices the trouble and tries to intervene only to the relief of Cooper that he and Marc meeting looks like two old friends meeting.
Claire and Jenna start to run away through the town with a screaming Rowan. Claire suddenly realises this is not the lifestyle she wants for her or her children. She gives Rowan to Jenna and returns to Marc to discuss what has happened and what the next steps are for their family. Both Jenna and Cooper are stunned the Claire is suddenly so open to talking to the man who stole her baby. Claire does not want her children to be raised in a family which is broken and having to be "shipped" from one family to another. Claire wants to make her marriage work for the sake of the children rather than what her and Marc want. As she states herself, "you can't love someone out of pity."
Cooper confesses that he loves Claire and that he would do anything for her and the children, things which Marc never could. Claire is determined to get back together with Marc and try again. Cooper quickly leaves and has very little contact with Claire again. Marc stays in Lebanon whilst Claire returns home with the children and Jenna. Over a number of weeks Claire realises that she does not want Marc back in the house, it is too soon and she would not be comfortable with him being there. Marc phones and Claire tells him this, for Marc to reveal that he isn't returning to the UK. He has met someone on his flight home from Lebanon, another Canadian whose family have close links with his. He has decided to return to Canada to try a relationship with this new lady and "he will be back in the UK every few months to see the twins". Oh, how special and convenient of you Marc.
Overall I enjoyed this audiobook and I thought it was a very good decision to start with something easy and simple to listen too. I would definitely recommend audiobooks to other people as they are a great way to pass the long journeys in the car.
For more and future reviews, check out my blog at http://threeminutesfortyfiveseconds.b...
August 2, 2025
The Nanny by Tess Stimson falls more into the realm of contemporary fiction with a touch of mystery and a clear romantic thread running through it. The writing itself is strong—Stimson has a confident, readable style—and while the story didn’t blow me away, it held my attention well enough. The mystery element adds some intrigue, but it’s more of a slow-burn domestic drama than anything truly gripping.
There’s a definite romantic arc throughout, which felt fine until the ending took a turn that really frustrated me. A pivotal scene near the close is so blatantly lifted from The Notebook that it completely derailed my experience of the book. What could’ve been a solid 3-star read dropped to 2 stars because I can’t abide that kind of obvious borrowing—it felt lazy and unoriginal.
Overall, this was good but not great. If you enjoy light mysteries with romantic undertones, it might work for you—but for me, that final act spoiled what had otherwise been a decent story.
There’s a definite romantic arc throughout, which felt fine until the ending took a turn that really frustrated me. A pivotal scene near the close is so blatantly lifted from The Notebook that it completely derailed my experience of the book. What could’ve been a solid 3-star read dropped to 2 stars because I can’t abide that kind of obvious borrowing—it felt lazy and unoriginal.
Overall, this was good but not great. If you enjoy light mysteries with romantic undertones, it might work for you—but for me, that final act spoiled what had otherwise been a decent story.
October 25, 2020
This is a strange book. The story was great, really good but the way it was written was quite different and didn’t make for an easy read.
The whole book is written in first person but from the POV of all the characters and this made it confusing as to whose head I was in quite a lot. Each chapter is titled with the persons name but it was very easy to forget who I’m reading and I had to skip back from time to time to check.
Also every time we change character we also go back in time a little way so I found myself reading about something that had already happened thinking I’d lost my place then realising that I’m in the situation from another POV.
You may now wonder if all that is worth it but I would say definitely yes because the story is very good but the way it’s written is what lost 2 stars for me.
The whole book is written in first person but from the POV of all the characters and this made it confusing as to whose head I was in quite a lot. Each chapter is titled with the persons name but it was very easy to forget who I’m reading and I had to skip back from time to time to check.
Also every time we change character we also go back in time a little way so I found myself reading about something that had already happened thinking I’d lost my place then realising that I’m in the situation from another POV.
You may now wonder if all that is worth it but I would say definitely yes because the story is very good but the way it’s written is what lost 2 stars for me.
July 13, 2024
It started off as a 3 star book,in the middle was a 4 star book and ended with a 5 star for me.At first it really annoyed me how they were repeating the story from different perspectives but in the end that’s what made me give it a 5 star.The fact that what we think between our saying says so much about us was unknown to me before this.I understood everyone’s logic and their doing more and more as I read the occasions from their perspective.
What I started reading thinking it’s a thriller of some sort (too much of The Housemaid) turned out to be a portrait of our everyday lives and emotions.Sure it’s not totally common circumstances but it conveys so much more.Clare,Marc,Jenna,Xan,Cooper,Davina…I could see where everybody came from.I wouldn’t say it had the best plot,but that doesn’t really matter in this case since it’s not the plot I appreciated of this book.It was a wonderful read.
What I started reading thinking it’s a thriller of some sort (too much of The Housemaid) turned out to be a portrait of our everyday lives and emotions.Sure it’s not totally common circumstances but it conveys so much more.Clare,Marc,Jenna,Xan,Cooper,Davina…I could see where everybody came from.I wouldn’t say it had the best plot,but that doesn’t really matter in this case since it’s not the plot I appreciated of this book.It was a wonderful read.
October 20, 2025
Clare is a lovely character, and despite never have being in her situation, I felt for her all throughout the book. She could be too nice sometimes, but why else do books have slightly flawed characters?
Overall, I'd rate this book highly, but it got a little annoying how the author repeated two or three pages' worth of prose to bring the reader back to a common point (at the convergence of multiple POV characters). That could have been done a bit more briefly.
Other than that slight detail, I enjoyed this book and was hooked by the personal depth it brought to the table.
Overall, I'd rate this book highly, but it got a little annoying how the author repeated two or three pages' worth of prose to bring the reader back to a common point (at the convergence of multiple POV characters). That could have been done a bit more briefly.
Other than that slight detail, I enjoyed this book and was hooked by the personal depth it brought to the table.
January 7, 2026
Clare is a lovely character, and despite never have being in her situation, I felt for her all throughout the book. She could be too nice sometimes, but why else do books have slightly flawed characters?
Overall, I'd rate this book highly, but it got a little annoying how the author repeated two or three pages' worth of prose to bring the reader back to a common point (at the convergence of multiple POV characters). That could have been done a bit more briefly.
Other than that slight detail, I enjoyed this book and was hooked by the personal depth it brought to the table.
Overall, I'd rate this book highly, but it got a little annoying how the author repeated two or three pages' worth of prose to bring the reader back to a common point (at the convergence of multiple POV characters). That could have been done a bit more briefly.
Other than that slight detail, I enjoyed this book and was hooked by the personal depth it brought to the table.
July 16, 2020
Overachiever Clare finds herself in unfamiliar territory following the birth of her twins. Feeling overwhelmed, overtired, and underappreciated, she enlists the help of Jenna, an attractive young nanny. When Clare's husband Marc becomes distant and her chain of flower shops begins to operate at a loss, she starts to lose hope. In this tense domestic drama who will be the first to crack? In spite of the cliched storyline, Stimson delivers a fast-paced page-turner.
October 16, 2017
Great Read!
This story caught me from page one and didn't let go throughout the entire book! I loved the characters, the unexpected twists, and the clarity of the author's writing! I especially appreciated the manner in which the author tied up all the story lines, even though they weren't necessarily perfect for every character. I couldn't put this book down!
This story caught me from page one and didn't let go throughout the entire book! I loved the characters, the unexpected twists, and the clarity of the author's writing! I especially appreciated the manner in which the author tied up all the story lines, even though they weren't necessarily perfect for every character. I couldn't put this book down!
September 16, 2020
By the way Stimson, the writer, describes the character of Marc, succesfully makes me re-think about having a younger spouse.
On the whole, i give my love to this book.
What annoys me about it is the way the writer switch the point of view and repeat scenes pleonastically. Yeah i know the PoV is switched but should you really make scenes repetition?
It's redundant i think.
On the whole, i give my love to this book.
What annoys me about it is the way the writer switch the point of view and repeat scenes pleonastically. Yeah i know the PoV is switched but should you really make scenes repetition?
It's redundant i think.
September 7, 2024
I absolutely despised the characters of this book (other than Cooper he’s a king) but i do love when the girls win instead of a slimy, baby backed bitch of a husband (FUCK YOU MARC) but the characters did all show a lot of growth
This book does highlight a lot of trauma so i recommend not reading if you’ve experienced domestic violence, SA, or postpartum depression
This book does highlight a lot of trauma so i recommend not reading if you’ve experienced domestic violence, SA, or postpartum depression
February 1, 2014
Oh my gosh, this book is fabulous!
Sometimes, my dad just randomly goes out, gets a bunch of books, and just shoves them into a couple of book shelves here and there. I was looking through these shelves when I suddenly saw this book, and I found it quite interesting, the blurb and the cover I mean; so, I started reading it. That was effectively the best decision of my entire life.
Basically, this book is PERFECT. It’s kind of complicated because there are a lot of characters involved, but when you get it [by like chapter 2] YOU GET IT. So it’s mainly about this happily married couple, Claire and Marc. Claire is an independent woman who owns her own flower branch all across London, and earns millions. Marc, is Middle Eastern, and doesn’t really mind that his wife is working. He works in a bank. Marc is younger then Claire by 14 years, which has Claire very, very insecure all the time. When Claire gets pregnant, she plans it right from the start. She wanted it to be perfect. So, of course, it went everything but perfect. Her water broke on the middle of the street, so she practically gave birth on the street. Out came one, but then came another. Claire had twins by the time Marc was there- he was thrilled, but Claire wasn’t. Claire had to get her middle of the leg area stitched back up [sorry I’m squeamish] and stayed hospitalised for 2 weeks. She named her boy ‘Rowan’ and her girl ‘Poppy’. Marc took Rowan home, but Claire kept Poppy with her. Poppy&Claire built a very strong bond. When Claire returned home, she had a really hard time becoming closer with Rowan, he didn’t want to be breast fed at all, and to Marc’s dismay, Claire gave up trying and switched to bottle feeding. Claire couldn’t re-create the bond she had with Poppy, with Rowan, to the point where she was going to kill her child. Marc stopped her, indirectly, by walking down the stairs- but Claire was never the same again. While Claire was doing all of that, she was also running her store. It was all driving her mad, so she hired a babysitter- this made Marc even madder. His mother had 5 children and coped, why couldn’t Claire? The idea of a babysitter infuriated him, but he let Claire do whatever.
Jenna is great, but get’s in a relationship with Claire’s brother which drives Claire insane, and when Jenna asks for a pay rise Claire thinks she’s gone insane, but she gives it to her even though Claire pays her more then enough already. Marc goes into debt with his company, so he goes behind Claire’s back and takes money from her company, since she earns more. Claire finds out but decides not to say anything until he tells her. When he finally tells her, a long way later- Claire helps him to earn back the money. While this happens, Poppy gets sick, so marc and Claire take her to the hospital, she gets diagnosed with salt poising. Marc blames it on Claire right away, claiming she hated the children from the first time she saw them. Claire objectifies, and when Poppy gets diagnosed again with a disease that causes her body to produce a lot of salt, things are never the same between Marc and Claire again. Claire is working hard to pay off Marc’s debt, but as she is, Marc’s up to his own little games. He’s using all the money Claire has been working for, to pay for a divorce. He wants to take the children away from her, too. Claire wont allow him, and suddenly she begins to grow closer to the children. Marc says her work is more important to her then her own family, and its a wake up call for her. Claire starts spending more time at home, gradually. One day, Jenna leaves Rowan at the swimming club for his lesson, and Marc threatens to take him over the phone. Jenna blamed herself, Claire goes insane with worries and Devina (Claire’s mother) goes right into investigation. They find out the next day that Marc has fled to Lebanon with Rowan.
Cooper (Claires new love interest, she didn’t cheat or anything, he has a crush on her, shes too busy to notice. They met at her flower shop) works in and out of London and Lebanon, so when he finds out that there’s a way he could win Claire’s heart over, he starts a mission to rescue the son. He flies back to London to tell Claire and Jenna, takes them to Lebanon with him, Jenna tells them to let her be part of it, so she does the most important bit. She snatches the child from the house Marc is staying at. They crash into Marc by accident on their way back to London at the airport, and instead of running, Claire decides to talk to him. They talk things out, and Marc lets her take both children back to London, he promises not to take them again. He asks her if they could ever fix things, but she is uncertain things could ever be the same. He comes over to London to see Jenna as the new manager of claires shops instead of the babysitter, Claire working full-time as a mother, and Devina being…Devina (a bitch.) . He says he met someone new and can’t come back. He says he’ll stop some times to see the children but that’s it. They kiss goodbye and that’s the end of them (ship drowning sigh). Cooper and Claire meet up, he’s depressed because she picked Marc over him at the airport, but they kiss and makeup.
BEST
BOOK
EVER
READ
IT
Rating: R. It has sex in it and it’s graphic
Sometimes, my dad just randomly goes out, gets a bunch of books, and just shoves them into a couple of book shelves here and there. I was looking through these shelves when I suddenly saw this book, and I found it quite interesting, the blurb and the cover I mean; so, I started reading it. That was effectively the best decision of my entire life.
Basically, this book is PERFECT. It’s kind of complicated because there are a lot of characters involved, but when you get it [by like chapter 2] YOU GET IT. So it’s mainly about this happily married couple, Claire and Marc. Claire is an independent woman who owns her own flower branch all across London, and earns millions. Marc, is Middle Eastern, and doesn’t really mind that his wife is working. He works in a bank. Marc is younger then Claire by 14 years, which has Claire very, very insecure all the time. When Claire gets pregnant, she plans it right from the start. She wanted it to be perfect. So, of course, it went everything but perfect. Her water broke on the middle of the street, so she practically gave birth on the street. Out came one, but then came another. Claire had twins by the time Marc was there- he was thrilled, but Claire wasn’t. Claire had to get her middle of the leg area stitched back up [sorry I’m squeamish] and stayed hospitalised for 2 weeks. She named her boy ‘Rowan’ and her girl ‘Poppy’. Marc took Rowan home, but Claire kept Poppy with her. Poppy&Claire built a very strong bond. When Claire returned home, she had a really hard time becoming closer with Rowan, he didn’t want to be breast fed at all, and to Marc’s dismay, Claire gave up trying and switched to bottle feeding. Claire couldn’t re-create the bond she had with Poppy, with Rowan, to the point where she was going to kill her child. Marc stopped her, indirectly, by walking down the stairs- but Claire was never the same again. While Claire was doing all of that, she was also running her store. It was all driving her mad, so she hired a babysitter- this made Marc even madder. His mother had 5 children and coped, why couldn’t Claire? The idea of a babysitter infuriated him, but he let Claire do whatever.
Jenna is great, but get’s in a relationship with Claire’s brother which drives Claire insane, and when Jenna asks for a pay rise Claire thinks she’s gone insane, but she gives it to her even though Claire pays her more then enough already. Marc goes into debt with his company, so he goes behind Claire’s back and takes money from her company, since she earns more. Claire finds out but decides not to say anything until he tells her. When he finally tells her, a long way later- Claire helps him to earn back the money. While this happens, Poppy gets sick, so marc and Claire take her to the hospital, she gets diagnosed with salt poising. Marc blames it on Claire right away, claiming she hated the children from the first time she saw them. Claire objectifies, and when Poppy gets diagnosed again with a disease that causes her body to produce a lot of salt, things are never the same between Marc and Claire again. Claire is working hard to pay off Marc’s debt, but as she is, Marc’s up to his own little games. He’s using all the money Claire has been working for, to pay for a divorce. He wants to take the children away from her, too. Claire wont allow him, and suddenly she begins to grow closer to the children. Marc says her work is more important to her then her own family, and its a wake up call for her. Claire starts spending more time at home, gradually. One day, Jenna leaves Rowan at the swimming club for his lesson, and Marc threatens to take him over the phone. Jenna blamed herself, Claire goes insane with worries and Devina (Claire’s mother) goes right into investigation. They find out the next day that Marc has fled to Lebanon with Rowan.
Cooper (Claires new love interest, she didn’t cheat or anything, he has a crush on her, shes too busy to notice. They met at her flower shop) works in and out of London and Lebanon, so when he finds out that there’s a way he could win Claire’s heart over, he starts a mission to rescue the son. He flies back to London to tell Claire and Jenna, takes them to Lebanon with him, Jenna tells them to let her be part of it, so she does the most important bit. She snatches the child from the house Marc is staying at. They crash into Marc by accident on their way back to London at the airport, and instead of running, Claire decides to talk to him. They talk things out, and Marc lets her take both children back to London, he promises not to take them again. He asks her if they could ever fix things, but she is uncertain things could ever be the same. He comes over to London to see Jenna as the new manager of claires shops instead of the babysitter, Claire working full-time as a mother, and Devina being…Devina (a bitch.) . He says he met someone new and can’t come back. He says he’ll stop some times to see the children but that’s it. They kiss goodbye and that’s the end of them (ship drowning sigh). Cooper and Claire meet up, he’s depressed because she picked Marc over him at the airport, but they kiss and makeup.
BEST
BOOK
EVER
READ
IT
Rating: R. It has sex in it and it’s graphic
November 23, 2025
The story overall was good. However I couldn’t really get into it until 3/4 of the way through. It was a little hard to follow when the book went back over the same scene we already read with someone else’s perspective.
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