The West End Nannies

by Pam Weaver

Jenny starts her training as a nanny, but does she have what it takes – and will her family survive without her?

It is 1962 and 17-year-old Jenny is finally able to train for her dream job as a nanny. The residential training is tough – Matron takes no prisoners but Jenny bonds with her two roommates, Bernice and Rita, and loves helping the children.

If only her family life could be so happy – her brother, Maurice, is a wrong'un and seems to have some hold over her father, and Jenny has never got over the sudden disappearance of her mother.

Finally, Jenny gets her first nanny job, heading for the bright lights of London at the dawn of the Swinging Sixties. Suddenly she is thrust into the lifestyle of the rich at a household in the affluent West End, working for a family whose busy lifestyle means that their child is neglected.

Can Jenny heal their family - and her own?

Readers adore this story and can't wait for more in the

‘A great story with great characters, can’t wait to read more.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘Brilliantly written, loved this book, highly recommended.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I loved this book, most of the historical fiction I read is set much earlier so it was a delight to learn more about life in the 60's.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘A brilliant start to a new series! I absolutely loved it. Looking forward to the next one already!’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘A delightful look at England in the 1960s and the world of private Nannies… I can’t wait for the next one!’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I was engaged from the start.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I really loved this story.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘I loved reading this story and hopefully will get more about the nannies in future books.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘A joy to read.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

‘This had all the things we want from a book like the heart, the emotions, the plot and pacing. it was all woven together in exactly the right ways.’⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader Review

Genres: Historical Fiction

Paperback

About the author

After training as a Nursery Nurse in the 1960’s, I worked in children’s Homes, private day nurseries and as a Hyde Park nanny. My experiences are in Bath Times & Nursery Rhymes which became a Sunday Times best-seller.

I started writing in 1990’s with small magazines and specialist publications, finally branching out into the women’s magazine market in 2001. I have since written more than 200 articles and at least 150 short stories. They’ve been in Take A Break Fiction Feast, Woman’s Weekly Fiction Special, Weekly News, My Weekly and People’s Friend. Some have been in anthologies with the proceeds going to charity. The Fantastic Bubble was repeated on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
My novels are set in Worthing; There’s Always Tomorrow (2011) Better Days Will Come (2012), Pack Up Your Troubles (2013), For Better For Worse (2014), are all published by HarperCollins Avon. Blue Moon (2015) & Love Walked Right In (2016) are published by Pan Macmillan. I also have a couple of novellas on Kindle. Emily’s Christmas Wish (2015) and Amy’s Wartime Christmas will be released in October 2016

If you are looking for murder mystery and intrigue in a saga… look no further!

Reviews

[linda hole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love pam Weavers books. And this was not an exception. I loved the comaraderie between the.girls, i fell in love with the children. A.great way to.start a.new series

thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

[Julie Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and just couldn't put it down. I have read several of her books before. The characters all really cared for each other and helped each other and went out of their way to see the good in people, even if they didn’t necessarily deserve it. They helped those that struggled. I was born in the early fifties and reading about so many things that were around back then like Spangles and things that happened back then, was a joy. There were parts that made me smile like Pixie’s words for things and sad parts too. The book was a joy to read.

[Heather Copping · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1962 in Harefield House Nursery and Jenny Lamar is interrupted in her work by the fire bell going off, she's only eighteen years old but very capable in her job. But life in Harefield House was not easy for either the young girls as nursery nurses and the children who stayed there, the children were in there for many different reasons from their mother being in prison, cruelty cases or the parents may have lost their homes, jobs or be ill.
Jenny can't seem to get her head round why her own mother had left the family home for no particular reason. She thinks she keeps on seeing her mother when she is out and about but it's never her. Jenny is always busy when she isn't working hard at the children's home, she is studying hard for the NNEB, she spends a week at a time in Guildford where she learnt from an ex- district nurse and a child psychologist. So even the evenings were spent studying as her final exams were looming. Soon family secrets and problems cause Jenny to question everything and wonder if she will ever reach the truth and especially find out what has happened to make her mum leave the family home.
This story follows Jenny's story from the children's home to her work being a nanny to a small girl and I found it really interesting to read about all her time in both places.

I liked that at the start of every chapter there was a child's nursery rhyme, or a chart hit title from the 60s, some I hadn't heard since I was a child in the early 60s, they brought back memories to me and each quote or rhyme has a connection to that particular chapter.

I found myself really engrossed in the stunning storyline from the very beginning and found it really interesting and the characters were ones that you loved or hated. Growing up in the early 1960s I know how different things were then and this book really embraced the 60s showing both it's good points and bad.
A great five-star read from me. As always books by Pam Weaver are a special and unforgettable read and this book is no exception.

#Netgalley
#PamWeaver
#TheWestEndNannies
#Hera
#Canelo

[Emma Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic book and a wonderful start to a new series.

I enjoyed every bit about this book and learning about how the Nannies were trained in those times. The book had everything romance and also heartache. How the woman coped with different things in their job. The main character I liked and she was strong and saw things that other people didn’t.

There was a bit of a mystery which I liked about the book and I liked how the ending happened. It was a well written book.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Would recommend this book.

[Booklover BEV · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's their dream job ,
But do they have what it takes.
1962
And Jenny Lamar takes on her nanny training at Harefield House.
A had going training that involves more than looking after the children with household chores to do.
As we go through the years known as the swinging sixties every chapter has a well known song as it heading that brings back memories.
I loved reading this story and hopefully will get more about the nannies in future books.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story by Pam. It was set in 1962/63 and every chapter had either a pop record of that year or a child's nursery rhyme. It even mentioned that Big Freeze of '62/63 which I remember vividly. This dealt with little kids either waiting to see families or waiting to be adopted. A truly lovely story. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a lovely story! The author cleverly intertwines each chapter with a well-known song, taking you back to that era.

The narrative follows Jenny Lamar, who is training to be a nanny while also grappling with the anxiety of her mother abruptly leaving the family. The story flowed beautifully and kept me engaged throughout. I enjoyed reading every page, eagerly anticipating what would happen next. I'm definitely looking forward to the second book.

[Anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars
This book was a very enjoyable read and filling Jenny in her journey was what I enjoyed the most .Pam Weaver writes with such compassion and empathy in her characters. I think that the west end nannies were an inspiration for anyone wanting to become a nanny as it shows how much a difference these women make in a child’s young life .Thank you #HeraBooks and #NetGalley for allowing me to read this book .

[Caroline Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful look at England in the 1960s and the world of private Nannies. Pam Weaver delivers as always, and I can’t wait for the next one!

[Leslie McKee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid start to a new series. I love the friendship between the girls, and it is easy to adore the children. This gives readers a delightful look into an English nanny's life in the 1960s.

[Ruth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book particularly as some of the story took place close to where I live.