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The Last Nanny
One woman's desperate search for answers reveals hidden lives and unexpected connections in a twisty and mind-bending novel of love, family, betrayal, and secrets. Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Riley Sager, Ruth Ware, and Lucy Foley!
Wrongfully accused, Libby Luck has just been fired from a well-paying nanny position she needs to support her terminally ill father. Desperate to get back on her feet quickly, she takes a new position with a family in the middle of nowhere New Hampshire.
Nervous she's made a rash decision, Libby's fears are put aside when she sees the lavish home she'll be living in. Her new employers, a professor of literature and a documentary filmmaker, have two sons, Garrett and Daniel. It's clear from the start that Garrett doesn't want Libby there, but she needs this job and is determined to win him over.
She'd been told the last nanny quit unexpectedly, but something isn't adding up. When a stranger keeps following her around town and cryptic text messages appear on her phone, Libby decides to dig deeper. She soon has more suspicions than answers and fears that everything is not what it seems. Her life is becoming dangerously entwined with her new family, and she'll need to figure out the truth before she ends up just like the last nanny.
Gone.
Wrongfully accused, Libby Luck has just been fired from a well-paying nanny position she needs to support her terminally ill father. Desperate to get back on her feet quickly, she takes a new position with a family in the middle of nowhere New Hampshire.
Nervous she's made a rash decision, Libby's fears are put aside when she sees the lavish home she'll be living in. Her new employers, a professor of literature and a documentary filmmaker, have two sons, Garrett and Daniel. It's clear from the start that Garrett doesn't want Libby there, but she needs this job and is determined to win him over.
She'd been told the last nanny quit unexpectedly, but something isn't adding up. When a stranger keeps following her around town and cryptic text messages appear on her phone, Libby decides to dig deeper. She soon has more suspicions than answers and fears that everything is not what it seems. Her life is becoming dangerously entwined with her new family, and she'll need to figure out the truth before she ends up just like the last nanny.
Gone.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 19, 2024
About the author
Rebecca Taylor
9 books526 followersRebecca Taylor is a licensed psychologist and author of bestselling women's psychological fiction. Her book The Secret Next Door was a bestselling title in Target stores throughout the USA, a #1 bestselling book on Amazon, and a Book of the Month selection on Apple Books. Her book Her Perfect Life was the winner of the Women's Fiction Writer's STAR award. Her previous titles have won the Colorado Book Award and been nominated for the RWA RITA award. She lives in Colorado but currently spends most of her time on airplanes, writing and traveling all over the world.
Learn more at:
www.rebeccataylorbooks.com
@RebeccaTaylorPage (Facebook)
@RebeccaTaylorBooks (Instagram)
Learn more at:
www.rebeccataylorbooks.com
@RebeccaTaylorPage (Facebook)
@RebeccaTaylorBooks (Instagram)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 26, 2026
This is an addictive thriller that instantly pulled me in. Although parts of it were a bit over the top, I was consistently entertained and invested. I enjoyed how there was constant tension throughout. The conclusion was wickedly shocking and satisfying. Thank you BookSirens for my copy.
June 10, 2026
Way too much going on. It tried too hard to pack as much stuff as possible in it and sadly it just read like a mess. It wasn’t horrible, but nothing above a 3 star. Entertaining, sure, but that’s all.
Nobody can accuse this book of being predictable though. It was one nonsensical plot twist after another. It was honestly a bit much. Not in the way a good thriller book has you feeling, it was like a book that was a thriller but tried a little too hard at being more interesting than it was. It was like the author added in more and more things that theoretically sound good, but have nothing to do with anything going on with the book.
The plot is pretty much your average thriller book plot. It’s nothing unheard of. There’s this woman, Libby Luck. And yes the author plays on her last name. She’s the new nanny to the North family. She tends to the kids while their parents are off doing their job. Jacob, the father, is the only parent she actually meets, because the mother is very absent in their lives. And that’s because she’s a filmmaker who’s directed tons of documentaries. Documentaries on what, you may ask? Serial killers. That’s the first of many twists, and there’s really many. What happened to the last nanny? Is everything really as it seems? And is it okay to sleep with a married man if he’s in the middle of getting a divorce? It’s packed with all of these questions and more.
To be fair, I’d say this book accomplished what it set out to do. To entertain, to shock. There were times when I thought we were finally done with the twists, but then another popped up. I thought I was on the right track, but then I wasn’t. And that’s usually a good thing with mystery thrillers. But it didn’t really work this time around I thought it was really pretty stupid how we were approaching the situation.
And then the ending was just so underwhelming. It was so abrupt, but in a bad way, it didn’t feel like a proper ending. I don’t know, I didn’t like it.
But this book had its perks. It was very quick to read, the chapters were so short, though there were many of them. But my attention never wavered, it was addicting. There’s also one thing that made me smile, the name of the school was McFadden Middle School. I don’t know, maybe it’s a real school and I missed it but if it isn’t, I think it was pretty cool. A little homage to the woman who puts out eleven thrillers a month.
Overall, if you’re looking for a twisty fun time that you can read pretty quickly, then I’d recommend. But it’s nothing that will change your life. Not bad, but not very good.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Nobody can accuse this book of being predictable though. It was one nonsensical plot twist after another. It was honestly a bit much. Not in the way a good thriller book has you feeling, it was like a book that was a thriller but tried a little too hard at being more interesting than it was. It was like the author added in more and more things that theoretically sound good, but have nothing to do with anything going on with the book.
The plot is pretty much your average thriller book plot. It’s nothing unheard of. There’s this woman, Libby Luck. And yes the author plays on her last name. She’s the new nanny to the North family. She tends to the kids while their parents are off doing their job. Jacob, the father, is the only parent she actually meets, because the mother is very absent in their lives. And that’s because she’s a filmmaker who’s directed tons of documentaries. Documentaries on what, you may ask? Serial killers. That’s the first of many twists, and there’s really many. What happened to the last nanny? Is everything really as it seems? And is it okay to sleep with a married man if he’s in the middle of getting a divorce? It’s packed with all of these questions and more.
To be fair, I’d say this book accomplished what it set out to do. To entertain, to shock. There were times when I thought we were finally done with the twists, but then another popped up. I thought I was on the right track, but then I wasn’t. And that’s usually a good thing with mystery thrillers. But it didn’t really work this time around I thought it was really pretty stupid how we were approaching the situation.
And then the ending was just so underwhelming. It was so abrupt, but in a bad way, it didn’t feel like a proper ending. I don’t know, I didn’t like it.
But this book had its perks. It was very quick to read, the chapters were so short, though there were many of them. But my attention never wavered, it was addicting. There’s also one thing that made me smile, the name of the school was McFadden Middle School. I don’t know, maybe it’s a real school and I missed it but if it isn’t, I think it was pretty cool. A little homage to the woman who puts out eleven thrillers a month.
Overall, if you’re looking for a twisty fun time that you can read pretty quickly, then I’d recommend. But it’s nothing that will change your life. Not bad, but not very good.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 16, 2025
This book wasn’t even remotely on my radar - I hadn’t heard of it - but I won a copy through a Goodreads giveaway and it was really good!
If you’re a fan of popcorn thrillers and books about weird couples getting a new nanny you’ll like this - there are definitely a lot of them but this one isn’t like any other that I’ve read! I think fans of Freida McFadden or The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins will love this. Easy to binge and a great read.
Book is available on KU!
Thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy!
If you’re a fan of popcorn thrillers and books about weird couples getting a new nanny you’ll like this - there are definitely a lot of them but this one isn’t like any other that I’ve read! I think fans of Freida McFadden or The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins will love this. Easy to binge and a great read.
Book is available on KU!
Thanks to the publisher for my gifted copy!
July 14, 2025
Best psychological thriller I've read in a long time! Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another twist crept out from a dark corner and blew me away. Highly addictive. Un-put-downable.
April 22, 2025
Won this in a good reads giveaway. The beginning was interesting and had me hooked. The middle really dragged and it took me over a month to get through but the ending made it well worth it.
May 27, 2026
The Last Nanny could be a great thriller if it wasn't bogged down with so much extraneous detail and the main character's every thought. There are entire chapters devoted to her inner monologue. That felt unnecessary and slowed down the pacing of the book.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 1, 2026
The writing seemed juvenile at times and there was wayyyyy too much internal monologue. Every single thought the main character had was written out and it became really annoying.
It started off very slow, dragged in the middle and was only somewhat thrilling from the 80 percent mark and on. Weak motive? I still don’t really understand the whole point of the villain.
It started off very slow, dragged in the middle and was only somewhat thrilling from the 80 percent mark and on. Weak motive? I still don’t really understand the whole point of the villain.
June 3, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (And honestly, more if I could!)
The Last Nanny by Rebecca Taylor was an absolute knockout. From the very first chapter, there was never a dull moment. Every time I thought I had figured out who the bad guy was, the story would take another turn and leave me questioning everything all over again.
This book had me constantly guessing. I'd build my little theory, sit back feeling all proud of myself, and then… BOOM! Rebecca Taylor would book-slap me across the face with another revelation. Every single time I thought I had it figured out, the story proved me wrong.
What I loved most was that the suspense never let up. There weren't any slow sections where I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen. It was one twist, one clue, one shocking moment after another. The pacing was fantastic, and I found myself turning page after page because I had to know what happened next.
And then there was the ending. Just when I thought the story was wrapping up and giving readers a sweet little conclusion, Rebecca Taylor pulled one final "Got ya!" moment that completely caught me off guard. It was the perfect way to end a thriller that had already kept me guessing from start to finish.
I was so invested that my family would try talking to me, and I'd find myself automatically agreeing with whatever they were saying without actually hearing a word, just so I could get back to reading. That's when you know a book has completely taken over your life.
If you love psychological thrillers packed with suspense, constant twists, and an ending that refuses to let you get comfortable, The Last Nanny is absolutely worth reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The Last Nanny by Rebecca Taylor was an absolute knockout. From the very first chapter, there was never a dull moment. Every time I thought I had figured out who the bad guy was, the story would take another turn and leave me questioning everything all over again.
This book had me constantly guessing. I'd build my little theory, sit back feeling all proud of myself, and then… BOOM! Rebecca Taylor would book-slap me across the face with another revelation. Every single time I thought I had it figured out, the story proved me wrong.
What I loved most was that the suspense never let up. There weren't any slow sections where I felt like I was just waiting for something to happen. It was one twist, one clue, one shocking moment after another. The pacing was fantastic, and I found myself turning page after page because I had to know what happened next.
And then there was the ending. Just when I thought the story was wrapping up and giving readers a sweet little conclusion, Rebecca Taylor pulled one final "Got ya!" moment that completely caught me off guard. It was the perfect way to end a thriller that had already kept me guessing from start to finish.
I was so invested that my family would try talking to me, and I'd find myself automatically agreeing with whatever they were saying without actually hearing a word, just so I could get back to reading. That's when you know a book has completely taken over your life.
If you love psychological thrillers packed with suspense, constant twists, and an ending that refuses to let you get comfortable, The Last Nanny is absolutely worth reading.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 6, 2026
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This one had me hooked at the start like a fish that didn’t know better. A nanny down on her luck, a rich family out in the middle of nowhere, and something just ain’t sitting right. That’s a tried and true setup, and when it works, it really works.
Libby is easy to root for. She’s desperate, trying to take care of her sick daddy. That part felt real. But the deeper she gets into this strange household, the more things start stacking up a little too conveniently. You got the moody kid, the mysterious past nanny, the creepy feeling that somebody’s always watching, and yeah, it pulls you in.
The twists. Some feel like they showed up late to the party and tried too hard to impress folks. By the time the truth starts coming out, I was half satisfied and half scratching my head thinking, alright but really.
I didn’t see the big twist coming at the end of the story.
The writing itself is smooth, easy to follow, and keeps you tuned in, I will give it that. It leans a little heavy on familiar thriller tricks.
Overall, it’s a solid, engaging read that kept me hooked from start to finish, even if a few parts felt familiar.
I give it a 5 outta 5 catfish!
This one had me hooked at the start like a fish that didn’t know better. A nanny down on her luck, a rich family out in the middle of nowhere, and something just ain’t sitting right. That’s a tried and true setup, and when it works, it really works.
Libby is easy to root for. She’s desperate, trying to take care of her sick daddy. That part felt real. But the deeper she gets into this strange household, the more things start stacking up a little too conveniently. You got the moody kid, the mysterious past nanny, the creepy feeling that somebody’s always watching, and yeah, it pulls you in.
The twists. Some feel like they showed up late to the party and tried too hard to impress folks. By the time the truth starts coming out, I was half satisfied and half scratching my head thinking, alright but really.
I didn’t see the big twist coming at the end of the story.
The writing itself is smooth, easy to follow, and keeps you tuned in, I will give it that. It leans a little heavy on familiar thriller tricks.
Overall, it’s a solid, engaging read that kept me hooked from start to finish, even if a few parts felt familiar.
I give it a 5 outta 5 catfish!
February 28, 2025
I found The Last Nanny an overall decent read but there were a couple things that knocked it down to a three star for me.
1) Libby. I found her beyond annoying. She made terrible choices and it's hard to have sympathy for her when her situation could have been completely avoided if she had shown even a tiny bit of sense in the beginning.
2) The pacing. Namely, the rushed ending. I feel like the earlier part of the book dragged a bit. And then it went from dragging to the previously mentioned rushed ending. I actually really enjoyed the ending. It caught me a bit by surprised. It just felt like it was really fast and could have been developed just a bit more. Had it been a bit quicker paced beginning and a bit more time on the end, it would have been a 4 star read.
This one may not have been my favorite read of the year, but I would try more from this author for sure :)
1) Libby. I found her beyond annoying. She made terrible choices and it's hard to have sympathy for her when her situation could have been completely avoided if she had shown even a tiny bit of sense in the beginning.
2) The pacing. Namely, the rushed ending. I feel like the earlier part of the book dragged a bit. And then it went from dragging to the previously mentioned rushed ending. I actually really enjoyed the ending. It caught me a bit by surprised. It just felt like it was really fast and could have been developed just a bit more. Had it been a bit quicker paced beginning and a bit more time on the end, it would have been a 4 star read.
This one may not have been my favorite read of the year, but I would try more from this author for sure :)
January 29, 2026
4.5 stars This was honestly a really great book. I flew through it. The story was interesting (I like a thriller with a maid or a nanny like seeing “behind the curtain” and “are these people hiding secrets “ type of story) and something was always happening. The books nearly 400 pages and I was invested immediately and throughout the entire story. Quite a few twists (I guessed some , others I didn’t) . Short chapters that kept me wanting more . I liked the characters too- I didn’t feel like they ran around making rash hasty stupid choices (that kills a book for me) I will be checking out the rest of her books ASAP and would recommend
March 27, 2026
This book definitely kept me on my toes and I had a bunch of theories for the ending and none ended up being fully correct, but I did guess a couple things! It was a little repetitive in some places for me and some areas I think could have been expanded upon or left out completely. All in all I enjoyed it and was surprised by the ending.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 24, 2025
I really enjoyed this book.There were a few unanswered questions like what had Garrett been in trouble for all those times at school? Why would Mr. North allow his wife to be buried on his property? As the book wraps up we don't ever hear what happens with Libby's father. Does she take her baby and step children to meet her Dad? It kept my interest the entire time, so I would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2025
4.5 stars
This one has that domestic suspense factor of a nanny coming to live with a family and starting a relationship with the husband. But boy oh boy, this definitely has more twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. There are lots of red herrings and it truly kept me wanting to listen to more.
This one has that domestic suspense factor of a nanny coming to live with a family and starting a relationship with the husband. But boy oh boy, this definitely has more twists and turns that I wasn’t expecting. There are lots of red herrings and it truly kept me wanting to listen to more.
May 15, 2026
Thrilling page-turner for sure. The main character Libby lacked a lot of sense which made this a bit frustrating to read. However, I was surprised at how much I loved the ending. I think with some refinement this would be a solid one to recommend. But I'm giving it 3.5 stars, rounding up for the fact that I was entertained and the ending was good.
June 23, 2026
Unexpected Twists - Pure Entertainment
I thought this book was well written, engaging and kept me turning pages. I couldn't put it down.
The character development was well done and I was invested from the very beginning.
A great read that was entertaining without being overly gruesome.
I thought this book was well written, engaging and kept me turning pages. I couldn't put it down.
The character development was well done and I was invested from the very beginning.
A great read that was entertaining without being overly gruesome.
August 5, 2026
Oof. No. You’re telling me that the reader has to read about serial killers for the entirety of the book, but we only hear passing reference to the big bad guy having been caught at the very end. We don’t actually see it unfold on the page? Are you joking with me? This book was a huge waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 26, 2026
I loved the story. The plot about how a nanny gets swept up into the mystery of a family and their last nanny was interesting.
The writing could have been better in places, which is why I give it the 4 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The writing could have been better in places, which is why I give it the 4 stars.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
August 27, 2026
can I just say WOW
This was a great book. A little hard to read, may just be me honestly. There’s a few grammatical errors but nothing that will make the story confusing.
The first half did take a while for me to read but when I got past 50% I ZOOMED through it. The twists, the questions, the amount of times my jaw dropped on the floor, makes me wish there was more to it!
This was a great book. A little hard to read, may just be me honestly. There’s a few grammatical errors but nothing that will make the story confusing.
The first half did take a while for me to read but when I got past 50% I ZOOMED through it. The twists, the questions, the amount of times my jaw dropped on the floor, makes me wish there was more to it!
February 24, 2025
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, and I am so glad I did. An excellent, well written psychological thriller. I couldn't stop reading and finished it in a day. I am looking forward to reading more books by Rebecca Taylor
April 3, 2025
I loved this book. The level of anticipation throughout the whole book kept my heart rate going! There are many twists and turns and it was enjoyable to try to connect the pieces while reading the book.
December 30, 2025
This was a good book! Decent twists and turns, kept me intrigued until the very end. It took me over two months to finish because of life, but once I got back into reading while feeding baby i technically finished this in two days. I will read more by this author!
May 19, 2026
Slow start, but still kept me interested. Once I started getting to the good parts it was hard for me to put down. One of those books that keeps you guessing who did what and who to trust. The ending was satisfying.
March 3, 2025
A twisted tale!
This book kept you on your toes with many plot twists! I appreciated the characters and really enjoyed the main character, Libby, the nanny.
This book kept you on your toes with many plot twists! I appreciated the characters and really enjoyed the main character, Libby, the nanny.
March 15, 2025
Over all a decent read. A little slow to start. There were alot of twists. Left me with alot of questions though. Ending too rushed.
Want to Read
April 1, 2025I really love this thriller!! If you didn’t read this yet what are you waiting for?? Amazing!
April 5, 2025
It's not the worst book I have read. I did like the couple of twists however I felt like it was predictable at the end. I started to lose interest but wanted to finish.
May 25, 2025
Plausible? Not at all. An addictive page turner? Very! Thanks to Goodreads Giveaway for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 10, 2025
Twists and turns on top of twists and turns. The beginning is a little slow, then there is plot twists around every corner !
June 19, 2025
Well written and engaging. I finished it in two days!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews