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Žena v našem domě
Co se stane, když svůj domov otevřete absolutnímu cizinci?
Anna Kleinová je po narození dětí připravená vrátit se do práce jako literární agentka. Společně se svým manželem Joshem se i přes určité obavy rozhodne zaměstnat chůvu, která s nimi bude žít v domě. Všechny jejich pochybnosti zmizí, jakmile se setkají s Oaklynn Durstovou. Má skvělá doporučení, klidnou povahu a k dětem se chová přirozeně. Nemluvě o tom, že děti ji zbožňují.
Ovšem nedlouho po Oaklynnině příjezdu začínají děti trpět záhadnými nemocemi a nevysvětlitelnými zraněními. Zatímco mateřská Oaklynn všechny utěšuje, Anna si nemůže pomoct a cítí se poněkud zastíněná. A podezřívavá. Manžel a přátelé ji ujišťují, že její obavy jsou neopodstatněné – Oaklynn je dokonalá. Ale Anna si tím není tak jistá.
Když se ponoří do Oaklynniny minulosti, příliš pozdě zjistí, že žena, která bydlí v jejím domě, není tou, za kterou se vydává. Ovšem Oaklynn není jediná, kdo lže. A když temná tajemství vyplavou na světlo, následky mohou být smrtící.
358 pages, Hardcover
First published June 18, 2019
4644 people are currently reading
8878 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 791 reviews
April 19, 2019
2.5 rounded up to 3.0 Stars.
THE WOMAN IN OUR HOUSE was just ok....for me.
I really liked the premise of the storyline....young well-to-do married couple with 3 1/2 and 9 month old hire live-in nanny so mom can resume job as literary agent in home office.
We all know going in the new nanny will probably have some personality quirks and dark secrets....she really does, but the voice and actions of the parents, oldest child, and other characters, i.e. hospital personnel were unrealistic....as was the ending.
There are moments of suspense, but also unnecessary subplots and overall, so much is predictable.
***Arc provided by Lake Union Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for honest review***
July 15, 2019
The Woman in our House begins as a domestic drama and quickly escalates to an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Andrew Hart, the author, is a pen name for A.J. Hartley. Anna Klein, a young wife and mother of two young daughters, decides to return to her job as a literary agent. It is clear that Anna will need help with the children and proceeds to meticulously research recruitment agencies in the search for a reliable nanny. She chooses Oaklynn Durst, a mormon woman from Utah who has excellent recommendarions and she quickly moves into the family home and the children take an instant liking to their new nanny. Soon, Anna notices odd behaviour: her otherwise healthy children begin to require visits to the ER where Oaklynn basks in the sympathy she receives from the medical staff. The rest of the story will be divulged when .you read this cringe-worthy novel. Creepy only begins to describe what happens. Highly recommended. Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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June 25, 2019DNF @ 20% - no rating and not included in 2019 reading challenge.
I'm not caring for the vibe of this book at all and I have struggled to make it this far. I peeked at some spoilers and I feel safe that I am making the right decision. Moving on!
I'm not caring for the vibe of this book at all and I have struggled to make it this far. I peeked at some spoilers and I feel safe that I am making the right decision. Moving on!
June 17, 2019
The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart is yet another thriller that takes readers on a journey of what may happen if they invite a nanny who is a stranger into their home. Now does one ever ask why do the rich or celebrities get away with hiring help but regular folks get the nannies from h*ll? Makes you wonder now that I mentioned it, doesn’t it? LOL Well Andrew Hart has come up with his own version that definitely kept me glued to the pages.
Anna Klein begins to think it’s about time for her to return to work even though her children are both still young. In order for Anna and her husband to work though they will have to bring in some help in the form of a nanny. Well after a friends recommendation Anna chooses Oaklynn Durst from a service in Utah. Wouldn’t you know everything is perfect for a while but then suspicious things begin to happen.
Now, The Woman in Our House is mainly told from Anna’s point of view however there are multiple others voices in the story too. Through these the reader is given just enough to know things are definitely not right but it takes tons and tons of twists and turns along the way before getting to the final conclusion. The thing that has me at 3 1/2 stars with this is while it was completely engaging the wrap up seemed to leave some holes along the way that didn’t add up to me. I questioned whether this one was a case of maybe one or two twists or red herrings too many while trying to stand out from the crowd.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
Anna Klein begins to think it’s about time for her to return to work even though her children are both still young. In order for Anna and her husband to work though they will have to bring in some help in the form of a nanny. Well after a friends recommendation Anna chooses Oaklynn Durst from a service in Utah. Wouldn’t you know everything is perfect for a while but then suspicious things begin to happen.
Now, The Woman in Our House is mainly told from Anna’s point of view however there are multiple others voices in the story too. Through these the reader is given just enough to know things are definitely not right but it takes tons and tons of twists and turns along the way before getting to the final conclusion. The thing that has me at 3 1/2 stars with this is while it was completely engaging the wrap up seemed to leave some holes along the way that didn’t add up to me. I questioned whether this one was a case of maybe one or two twists or red herrings too many while trying to stand out from the crowd.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.com/
February 8, 2020
“But I remembered the semicircular shadows of the dogwood leaves as they had been during the eclipse, and I felt the truth of the private message they had sent me. Eclipsed. Happiness wouldn’t just arrive like dawn. I had to go to meet it.”
― Andrew Hart, The Woman in Our House
This was a solid three star read. No plot recap here..I've been doing alot of them lately and this book doesn't need one. Anna and Josh are a married couple who hire a mysterious nanny named Oaklyn (love that name) to work for them. What could go wrong right?
So I generally, at least lately, tend to shy away from domestic thrillers involving nannies and children..not my favorite Genre. In this book's case, I sort of started reading a sample of it and got involved and read the whole book.
So..what I liked..great writing..loved reading about the Publishing industry..solid characters..and Oaklyn in particular was drawn quite well.
What I did not like..for much of the book it felt formulaic. It really ISN'T formulaic as much as I thought but for over half the book it does feel that way.
Also..I disliked both the main characters particularly Josh. I really disliked Josh! And my feelings never changed in that regard. I did come to like Anna but not Josh. What a jerk!
Also..the one scene of animal violence. I always take off a star for that. Luckily, another animal whom I thought would be killed off never was but this type of thing is an issue for me in books.
SPOILERS:
The ending was completely unrealistic and we get pages and pages of chase scenes, SOS signals, a suspicious cop ETC. I really do not like books that fall into cliches like that.
So I mentioned what I like and did not like but here is what I LOVED..I love that the books does not make Oaklyn totally bad. I was thrilled she was not the real villain of the story and my hat is off to the writer because ten times out of ten, the nanny did it.
I mean ever since "Hand that rocks the cradle" there are an over abundance of Killer Nanny stories. That is the thing that I liked best about this book. It avoided that and the plot twists was pleasantly surprising and elevated this book a bit for me.
But I really am not the target audience. I'd recommend this to real voracious readers of Domestic Noir involving mysterious strangers in the house. For me it was a decent read that turned into a much better one with the twist. But I just do not love this Genre.
― Andrew Hart, The Woman in Our House
This was a solid three star read. No plot recap here..I've been doing alot of them lately and this book doesn't need one. Anna and Josh are a married couple who hire a mysterious nanny named Oaklyn (love that name) to work for them. What could go wrong right?
So I generally, at least lately, tend to shy away from domestic thrillers involving nannies and children..not my favorite Genre. In this book's case, I sort of started reading a sample of it and got involved and read the whole book.
So..what I liked..great writing..loved reading about the Publishing industry..solid characters..and Oaklyn in particular was drawn quite well.
What I did not like..for much of the book it felt formulaic. It really ISN'T formulaic as much as I thought but for over half the book it does feel that way.
Also..I disliked both the main characters particularly Josh. I really disliked Josh! And my feelings never changed in that regard. I did come to like Anna but not Josh. What a jerk!
Also..the one scene of animal violence. I always take off a star for that. Luckily, another animal whom I thought would be killed off never was but this type of thing is an issue for me in books.
SPOILERS:
The ending was completely unrealistic and we get pages and pages of chase scenes, SOS signals, a suspicious cop ETC. I really do not like books that fall into cliches like that.
So I mentioned what I like and did not like but here is what I LOVED..I love that the books does not make Oaklyn totally bad. I was thrilled she was not the real villain of the story and my hat is off to the writer because ten times out of ten, the nanny did it.
I mean ever since "Hand that rocks the cradle" there are an over abundance of Killer Nanny stories. That is the thing that I liked best about this book. It avoided that and the plot twists was pleasantly surprising and elevated this book a bit for me.
But I really am not the target audience. I'd recommend this to real voracious readers of Domestic Noir involving mysterious strangers in the house. For me it was a decent read that turned into a much better one with the twist. But I just do not love this Genre.
September 2, 2019
Audio 4.5 stars
Story 4.5 stars
Here I thought this was going to be another nanny gone rogue story, but it turned out to be more. I liked the twist because I didn't expect there to be one. It wasn't wowing, but the fact that it was unexpected, made it interesting. I was also surprised by the ending, because it was satisfying. That's usually not the case when I read nonromance suspense/thrillers.
I'm looking forward to reading more by the author.
Story 4.5 stars
Here I thought this was going to be another nanny gone rogue story, but it turned out to be more. I liked the twist because I didn't expect there to be one. It wasn't wowing, but the fact that it was unexpected, made it interesting. I was also surprised by the ending, because it was satisfying. That's usually not the case when I read nonromance suspense/thrillers.
I'm looking forward to reading more by the author.
June 27, 2019
“People don’t hurt the things they love,” [...] “Don’t they?” she said. “Perhaps in your world. In my world, love always comes with pain. With hurt.”
Much thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this complimentary copy. This review is voluntary and opinions are fully my own.
📖 Buy This Book: Amazon ♡ Barnes & Noble 📖
📚 Series: No.
📚 Genre: Mystery/Thriller.
📚 POV: Multiple Third and First Person.
📚 Cliffhanger: No.
⚠ Content Warnings: Racism. Violence. And many other things I will not say so I won't spoil the book.
⚠ Read if: you're looking for a slow burn and domestic setting thriller.
The Woman In Our House is my first read from author Andrew Hart. It appears this is a pseudonym and he is also known as A. J. Hartley.
This is a story of a mother, Anna, trying to get back into working as a literary agent, so she resulted to hiring a nanny for her two kids. Though her husband, Josh, is reluctant at first, he agrees and they contacted an agency that sent them Oaklynn.
From the title itself, it is obvious that there is something shady about Oaklynn. The book does not actually wait to long to show readers that. So, we are actually prepared for the darkness that follow.
"Hell is empty and all the devils are here."I found myself initially loving the book, and then getting frustrated with how slow the pace was. I struggled with the side plots and found all the characters unlikeable except for the kids.
The book was redeemed by the last 20% and I enjoyed the plot twist. I was satisfied by the ending and it made this a worthwhile read after all.
☁ THE CRITERIA ☁
🌻 Blurb:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Heroine:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Support Characters:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Writing Style:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Character Development:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Thrill Factor:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Pacing:⭐⭐✩✩✩
🌻 Ending:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
🌻 Unputdownability:⭐⭐⭐✩✩
🌻 Book Cover:⭐⭐⭐⭐✩
☁FINAL VERDICT: 3.4/5 ☁
Review also appears on my blog.
June 21, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart is one of those books that feels like a bit of a slow burn but when you get to the end, BAM things get crazy. This is my first time reading a book by Hart, but it will surely not be my last.
What it's about: Anna Klein has taken some time off from her career as a literary agent while she's been raising her 2 girls. Now she is ready to get back to work but she needs help in order to work at the house. With some trepidation, Anna and her husband Josh decide to hire a live-in-nanny to help with the girls so Anna can work in her home office and not have to worry. At first, when Oaklynn Durst arrives things are perfect. She clearly loves the girls and is very helpful around the house, but after a while when strange things start happening to the girls (illnesses/accidents), Anna starts to wonder just how trustworthy Oaklynn actually is. But while Oaklynn may have secrets, she isn't the only one. As everyone's secrets are brought out into the open, the consequences are anything but what Anna could have expected.
The Woman in Our House felt like it was a quick book, but it still took me almost 6 hours to read it. It is definitely a slow burn, and overall has very unlikable characters. I couldn't really connect to anyone in the book at all, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Some things you are already aware of right away in the book, and a couple other things I predicted easily, but I definitely didn't see the ending of this one coming. The ending does get a little gruesome and made me cringe a bit, but overall the book itself was more chilling than gruesome.
I thought the plot was interesting and although some people might consider the end to be a little out there, I was fine with it and it made for a chilling conclusion to this book.
Song/s the book brought to mind: This was a no-brainer, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler (it's mentioned in the book).
Final Thought: The Woman in Our House gave me the creeps more than once, especially towards the end, and I found myself getting startled by every noise I heard. I love when a book can do that to me, and if you do too then I highly recommend this one. It's a little different than other things I have been reading lately which made for a nice change of pace.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart is one of those books that feels like a bit of a slow burn but when you get to the end, BAM things get crazy. This is my first time reading a book by Hart, but it will surely not be my last.
What it's about: Anna Klein has taken some time off from her career as a literary agent while she's been raising her 2 girls. Now she is ready to get back to work but she needs help in order to work at the house. With some trepidation, Anna and her husband Josh decide to hire a live-in-nanny to help with the girls so Anna can work in her home office and not have to worry. At first, when Oaklynn Durst arrives things are perfect. She clearly loves the girls and is very helpful around the house, but after a while when strange things start happening to the girls (illnesses/accidents), Anna starts to wonder just how trustworthy Oaklynn actually is. But while Oaklynn may have secrets, she isn't the only one. As everyone's secrets are brought out into the open, the consequences are anything but what Anna could have expected.
The Woman in Our House felt like it was a quick book, but it still took me almost 6 hours to read it. It is definitely a slow burn, and overall has very unlikable characters. I couldn't really connect to anyone in the book at all, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. Some things you are already aware of right away in the book, and a couple other things I predicted easily, but I definitely didn't see the ending of this one coming. The ending does get a little gruesome and made me cringe a bit, but overall the book itself was more chilling than gruesome.
I thought the plot was interesting and although some people might consider the end to be a little out there, I was fine with it and it made for a chilling conclusion to this book.
Song/s the book brought to mind: This was a no-brainer, Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler (it's mentioned in the book).
Final Thought: The Woman in Our House gave me the creeps more than once, especially towards the end, and I found myself getting startled by every noise I heard. I love when a book can do that to me, and if you do too then I highly recommend this one. It's a little different than other things I have been reading lately which made for a nice change of pace.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 5, 2019
Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.
So initially I thought this was a pretty good book. We follow Anna (a young mother who is attempting to go back to work and is looking for a live in nanny) and Oaklynn (the nanny in question). Then Hart decides to follow other POV's in this one (Anna's husband Josh, a neighbor of the couple, a police officer, and a FBI agent). Not all of the voices worked for this one. It also didn't help that the book went from being an okay thriller to just throwing in another plot that didn't really work and then the ending which made everything just work out great while denouncing Nazis. Yeah that happened. I am still just baffled.
"The Woman in Our House" follows Anna Klien. Anna has two children and realizes one day (during an eclipse) that she needs to go back to work. She was initially happy about staying home, but is starting to realize she needs more than to be home with her two daughters. Anna's husband Josh agrees and they then start a search for a live-in nanny. After a suggestion that Anna hire from a nanny firm in Utah, Anna apparently picks an older woman named Oaklynn.
Hard pause right here. Do people not interview potential candidates face to face? I have two friends who have live in au pairs and I know they went through a round of interviews with the agencies they used and also they met the young women prior to hiring who also met their kids. I thought the way Hart set up this part of the book was a bit unbelievable to me.
Anna has a lot of insecurities about her life and marriage and after Oaklynn moves in, things get worse. I did like the idea of Anna being a literary agent, but the whole thing with the reveal about the book she was reading didn't work and I rolled my eyes at it. It comes back into play at the end of the book and I wanted to ask Hart did he really believe any reader would be reading this book after what we find out about the author? Has he talked to readers before?
I also really needed to get a better sense of character development with Anna. It took until I think the 10-15 percent mark to even find out that she was Japanese American. Probably didn't help that she and Josh were not really described. The author chose to describe Oaklynn though so why he didn't talk about Anna more in terms of description, height, etc. was odd. Now that I think of it, it's eventually mentioned the kids look "Asian" by another character, but I don't recall specifically if they are described.
Also odd to me was the fact that Hart didn't provide more narration showing why Anna felt apart from things. Was it because she was a Japanese American living in the South? Were the neighbors truly welcoming? Hart plays with this a bit via a secondary character, but I wanted more there. I think it would have been interesting to have some comments about a stay at home mom deciding to go back to work when it seemed the neighborhood they lived in was predominantly stay at home moms.
I thought the initial plot point with Oaklynn was okay, but then it turned into a mess towards the end. I didn't like the character full stop and there were too many plot holes to even be remotely believable. I won't get into them here because I don't want to spoil for potential readers.
The other characters are not that very developed. Hart returns to the character of Josh a few times, but honestly I thought he was kind of an idiot and I loathe books where the married couple seem to all of a sudden not talk. Hart course corrects with this one eventually, but it got old reading about.
The writing was okay though some parts of the book felt so random. Hart interjects racism into this work not with one, but two characters, and at least with one of the character's, it felt unnecessary. And also a bit too cartoon villain as I was reading. The book was also repetitive at times, especially when you get to Anna constantly talking about being eclipsed by her children and Oaklynn. At that point I wondered why Hart and the cover artist didn't just chose a cover with the sun being blotted out.
The flow wasn't that great, but that is probably because the book jumps around via other characters narratives. if Hart had just focused on Anna and Oaklynn the book would have been much tighter and the final reveals would have been more shocking. Due to inviting in some of the POVs you already knew that one of the characters was not as they appeared to be and then we got enough clues about another one.
This book takes place in North Carolina and Hart describes basically beautiful neighborhoods, but people not really knowing what is going on under the surface with their neighbors. I wish that Hart had looked into the other neighborhood characters more besides Mary Beth.
The ending was not believable at all. I literally asked two friends in law enforcement and one friend who is an attorney who went, yeah, that's not going to happen.
So initially I thought this was a pretty good book. We follow Anna (a young mother who is attempting to go back to work and is looking for a live in nanny) and Oaklynn (the nanny in question). Then Hart decides to follow other POV's in this one (Anna's husband Josh, a neighbor of the couple, a police officer, and a FBI agent). Not all of the voices worked for this one. It also didn't help that the book went from being an okay thriller to just throwing in another plot that didn't really work and then the ending which made everything just work out great while denouncing Nazis. Yeah that happened. I am still just baffled.
"The Woman in Our House" follows Anna Klien. Anna has two children and realizes one day (during an eclipse) that she needs to go back to work. She was initially happy about staying home, but is starting to realize she needs more than to be home with her two daughters. Anna's husband Josh agrees and they then start a search for a live-in nanny. After a suggestion that Anna hire from a nanny firm in Utah, Anna apparently picks an older woman named Oaklynn.
Hard pause right here. Do people not interview potential candidates face to face? I have two friends who have live in au pairs and I know they went through a round of interviews with the agencies they used and also they met the young women prior to hiring who also met their kids. I thought the way Hart set up this part of the book was a bit unbelievable to me.
Anna has a lot of insecurities about her life and marriage and after Oaklynn moves in, things get worse. I did like the idea of Anna being a literary agent, but the whole thing with the reveal about the book she was reading didn't work and I rolled my eyes at it. It comes back into play at the end of the book and I wanted to ask Hart did he really believe any reader would be reading this book after what we find out about the author? Has he talked to readers before?
I also really needed to get a better sense of character development with Anna. It took until I think the 10-15 percent mark to even find out that she was Japanese American. Probably didn't help that she and Josh were not really described. The author chose to describe Oaklynn though so why he didn't talk about Anna more in terms of description, height, etc. was odd. Now that I think of it, it's eventually mentioned the kids look "Asian" by another character, but I don't recall specifically if they are described.
Also odd to me was the fact that Hart didn't provide more narration showing why Anna felt apart from things. Was it because she was a Japanese American living in the South? Were the neighbors truly welcoming? Hart plays with this a bit via a secondary character, but I wanted more there. I think it would have been interesting to have some comments about a stay at home mom deciding to go back to work when it seemed the neighborhood they lived in was predominantly stay at home moms.
I thought the initial plot point with Oaklynn was okay, but then it turned into a mess towards the end. I didn't like the character full stop and there were too many plot holes to even be remotely believable. I won't get into them here because I don't want to spoil for potential readers.
The other characters are not that very developed. Hart returns to the character of Josh a few times, but honestly I thought he was kind of an idiot and I loathe books where the married couple seem to all of a sudden not talk. Hart course corrects with this one eventually, but it got old reading about.
The writing was okay though some parts of the book felt so random. Hart interjects racism into this work not with one, but two characters, and at least with one of the character's, it felt unnecessary. And also a bit too cartoon villain as I was reading. The book was also repetitive at times, especially when you get to Anna constantly talking about being eclipsed by her children and Oaklynn. At that point I wondered why Hart and the cover artist didn't just chose a cover with the sun being blotted out.
The flow wasn't that great, but that is probably because the book jumps around via other characters narratives. if Hart had just focused on Anna and Oaklynn the book would have been much tighter and the final reveals would have been more shocking. Due to inviting in some of the POVs you already knew that one of the characters was not as they appeared to be and then we got enough clues about another one.
This book takes place in North Carolina and Hart describes basically beautiful neighborhoods, but people not really knowing what is going on under the surface with their neighbors. I wish that Hart had looked into the other neighborhood characters more besides Mary Beth.
The ending was not believable at all. I literally asked two friends in law enforcement and one friend who is an attorney who went, yeah, that's not going to happen.
June 14, 2019
Anna wants to go back to work but she needs to find a live in nanny first. She hires Oaklynn as the new nanny, but will she regret her choice? Anna did a lot of research on Oaklynn's background before hiring her. Oaklynn is a Mormon from Utah who provided Anna with excellent references, but best of all, she gets on well with Anna's two daughters, Veronica and Grace. Even her husband, Josh can't find fault with Oaklynn. But then the girls start having unexplained illnesses and injuries.
The story is told from multiple points of views. The characters are true to life. I was pulled into this story quite early, even though I have read many similar plot lines. Even though the story is a bit predictable at times you still need to keep turning the pages, needing to find out all the answers. There is quite a big curve ball thrown into the mix. All in, an enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author Andrew Hart for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story is told from multiple points of views. The characters are true to life. I was pulled into this story quite early, even though I have read many similar plot lines. Even though the story is a bit predictable at times you still need to keep turning the pages, needing to find out all the answers. There is quite a big curve ball thrown into the mix. All in, an enjoyable read.
I would like to thank NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and the author Andrew Hart for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 20, 2021
This Kindle Unlimited Domestic Thriller takes place in Charlotte, North Carolina.
So the leading question is ‘What happens when you open your home to a complete stranger?’
We have a typical upper class family... husband, wife and 2 small kids. Mom decides that she is ready to go back to the world of publishing. So, she hires this Nanny from a good Mormon based company from Utah.
Everything is wonderful, everyone loves her.... but some things start happening with the children that is very suspicious. Of coarse, typical close neighborhood, all the neighbors are in each other’s business, and being outsiders they take the brunt of the action.
You will find yourself engrossed in the book very quickly. The Audio on the Audiobook for Kindle Unlimited is VERY good. I’ve read quite a few books, but this is the first that I have found a book within a book.... and you will have to read it to find out what I mean.
Great ending to a great book.... I just want to know what happened to Mr. Quietly?
This is a March 2021 BOTM at Snag A Read For Free. Stop in to see what we are about with our mystery/suspense/thrillers.
So the leading question is ‘What happens when you open your home to a complete stranger?’
We have a typical upper class family... husband, wife and 2 small kids. Mom decides that she is ready to go back to the world of publishing. So, she hires this Nanny from a good Mormon based company from Utah.
Everything is wonderful, everyone loves her.... but some things start happening with the children that is very suspicious. Of coarse, typical close neighborhood, all the neighbors are in each other’s business, and being outsiders they take the brunt of the action.
You will find yourself engrossed in the book very quickly. The Audio on the Audiobook for Kindle Unlimited is VERY good. I’ve read quite a few books, but this is the first that I have found a book within a book.... and you will have to read it to find out what I mean.
Great ending to a great book.... I just want to know what happened to Mr. Quietly?
This is a March 2021 BOTM at Snag A Read For Free. Stop in to see what we are about with our mystery/suspense/thrillers.
June 17, 2019
Unfortunately, there was nothing about this book that worked for me. The characters were unlikable and in an attempt to separate from so many other domestic thrillers of late, it just went a preposterous route instead. It was a quick read with short chapters and it did hold my attention, but I honestly just did not find myself enjoying it any step of the way.
Thank you to Lake Union for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Lake Union for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
February 10, 2019
A total eclipse of the heart...
Hell is empty and all the devils are here.
The Woman in Our House is a very, very slow burning novel...so slow, in fact, it took me quite a long time to become absorbed in the story.
I'd put it down, do some chores, pick it up again, read 10 pages, get a snack, pick it up and read a few more...you get the picture. But holy cow, once this book got started, it didn't stop. As a parent, it was utterly terrifying for me. Who needs Jason or Freddy...the thought of having a stranger in my home, intentionally harming my children...it's my worst nightmare.
Told from multiple perspectives, but primarily those of Anna and Oaklynn, you learn very quickly in the book that Oaklynn is a fraud. I promise I'm not spoiling anything by sharing this, as it's very clearly spelled out in the first couple chapters of the novel. You learn just as quickly that she's been hired by Anna as a live-in nanny, while Anna attempts to get her career back on track. Speaking of Anna, I can't ever remember relating to a character as much as I related to her--thoughts on motherhood and the anxiety it creates, the loss of a career, religion, guilt...her thoughts on these topics all truly resonated. The author, Andrew Hart, also focuses a great deal on race, as our protagonist, Anna, is Japanese-American. This will forever be a timely topic, and I feel he does a good job showcasing the racism Anna faces regularly, even from her supposedly friendly neighbor.
There is nothing particularly "twisty" here...so if you're looking for that jaw-dropping twist ending, this isn't the book for you. The writing throughout the book makes everything quite clear...and for any long-time reader of the genre, even the so-called clues are obvious. The ending was also a bit frustrating to me, as I felt it left some unanswered questions. Conclusions shouldn't end so abruptly.
Bottom line, this is a good, solid story-line. With a few tweaks, I think it could be a great one.
**A huge thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the advanced reader's copy, in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 18, 2019
Reviewed on Goodreads: February 10, 2019
May 24, 2019
Ohhhh yes. This book is amazing. Dark, gritty, gripping, full of twist and turns, heart in your throat, edge of your seat moments. Lock the doors close the windows and don’t trust anyone.
September 21, 2019
*thank you to Netgalley, Lake Union Publishing and Andrew Hart for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
4 stars.
Ohh wow that was such an engaging read! That ending was pretty intense and it has a bit of a twist as well that I did not see coming. If you are considering hiring a Nanny I would suggest watching the 90s TV series, 'The Nanny' than reading this book.
Anna is a full time mum who is wanting to get back into work life after having a few years off to look after her two little daughters. But she realises that she's going to need some help with that since her husband, Josh, also already works full-time. So Anna and Josh decide to hire a nanny from Utah as it was recommended to Anna by a friend that that's the best place to get an amazing Nanny. Oaklynn arrives and it starts off with things going pretty well. She seems to fit in pretty perfectly. You know that saying, 'Too good to be true' well that applies here. As soon things start to happen to the girls, injuries and sickness that causes them to end up in emergency ward, Anna becomes paranoid that the new Nanny might be doing more harm than good.
I can't say that I really liked Anna but I didn't not like her, which leaves me in a bit of a strange place with how I feel about her as a character. Josh, well he was ok. He seemed to be a caring family man but I also don't have much of an opinion on him either. We also get to meet a neighbour/friend of Anna and Josh called Mary Beth. And gosh is she a piece of work! It's so easy to see that that chick has definite strong anger issues. She does make for one entertaining read though and I would have liked more from her but she wasn't really part of the main focus of this book. Thought there is a side story going on and she and Josh are apart of that.
I would have to say that this is one creepy, story because of the fact that it could be a real story. It really could happen and that is pretty frightening. The story isn't what would call suspenseful but that ending surely was. I would recommend this.
4 stars.
Ohh wow that was such an engaging read! That ending was pretty intense and it has a bit of a twist as well that I did not see coming. If you are considering hiring a Nanny I would suggest watching the 90s TV series, 'The Nanny' than reading this book.
Anna is a full time mum who is wanting to get back into work life after having a few years off to look after her two little daughters. But she realises that she's going to need some help with that since her husband, Josh, also already works full-time. So Anna and Josh decide to hire a nanny from Utah as it was recommended to Anna by a friend that that's the best place to get an amazing Nanny. Oaklynn arrives and it starts off with things going pretty well. She seems to fit in pretty perfectly. You know that saying, 'Too good to be true' well that applies here. As soon things start to happen to the girls, injuries and sickness that causes them to end up in emergency ward, Anna becomes paranoid that the new Nanny might be doing more harm than good.
I can't say that I really liked Anna but I didn't not like her, which leaves me in a bit of a strange place with how I feel about her as a character. Josh, well he was ok. He seemed to be a caring family man but I also don't have much of an opinion on him either. We also get to meet a neighbour/friend of Anna and Josh called Mary Beth. And gosh is she a piece of work! It's so easy to see that that chick has definite strong anger issues. She does make for one entertaining read though and I would have liked more from her but she wasn't really part of the main focus of this book. Thought there is a side story going on and she and Josh are apart of that.
I would have to say that this is one creepy, story because of the fact that it could be a real story. It really could happen and that is pretty frightening. The story isn't what would call suspenseful but that ending surely was. I would recommend this.
December 29, 2019
A mother decides to return to the workforce but will the live-in nanny she hired be the biggest mistake of her life?
Anna misses the career part of life. Bringing in outside help so she can get back into it seems to be the logical next step. Finding trustworthy help that doesn’t leave her mind full of doubts is harder than it appears. With a husband that is preoccupied with issues of his own, and a neighbor that’s offers more judgement than help, Anna is spending most of her time rethinking her choice of nanny. Especially after her usually healthy children start making trips to the local ER.
Reviewing a book based on three things and how well they are done is the core of my rating system. The first is the writing style because I need something that stands out from the rest. The second is how well the characters are done because I need to feel an attachment or emotion towards them as I fall into their life alongside them. The third is the plot because it must be something that captures my attention and holds it. I do not require a book to hit the mark on all three but what I do need is at least one of them to be above average.
This book did not impress me at all. The writing was average, the characters were obnoxious and the plot was predictable. Anna, the lead character grated on my nerves from the first page until the last. She was selfish, annoying and her inner dialogue made me want to chuck the book across the room. The other supporting characters were bland and without personalities which was unfortunate considering how crucial to the plot a few of them were.
Two stars to a book that put a lot of unnecessary and irritating nonsense on the last page.
Anna misses the career part of life. Bringing in outside help so she can get back into it seems to be the logical next step. Finding trustworthy help that doesn’t leave her mind full of doubts is harder than it appears. With a husband that is preoccupied with issues of his own, and a neighbor that’s offers more judgement than help, Anna is spending most of her time rethinking her choice of nanny. Especially after her usually healthy children start making trips to the local ER.
Reviewing a book based on three things and how well they are done is the core of my rating system. The first is the writing style because I need something that stands out from the rest. The second is how well the characters are done because I need to feel an attachment or emotion towards them as I fall into their life alongside them. The third is the plot because it must be something that captures my attention and holds it. I do not require a book to hit the mark on all three but what I do need is at least one of them to be above average.
This book did not impress me at all. The writing was average, the characters were obnoxious and the plot was predictable. Anna, the lead character grated on my nerves from the first page until the last. She was selfish, annoying and her inner dialogue made me want to chuck the book across the room. The other supporting characters were bland and without personalities which was unfortunate considering how crucial to the plot a few of them were.
Two stars to a book that put a lot of unnecessary and irritating nonsense on the last page.
June 19, 2019
The Woman in Our House by Andrew Hart was a great book. I thought I had it all figured out fairly early on in the book but boy did it surprise me!
When Anna and Josh decide to hire a nanny to facilitate Anna's return to work, they have no idea what they are in store for. Lies, mistrust and betrayal are throughout this story but just when you think you have it figured out - it switches.
If you love twists and turns you will love this book!
When Anna and Josh decide to hire a nanny to facilitate Anna's return to work, they have no idea what they are in store for. Lies, mistrust and betrayal are throughout this story but just when you think you have it figured out - it switches.
If you love twists and turns you will love this book!
June 17, 2020
Just not my favorite. At all. Too many things that didn’t connect or tie up for me, which is a deal breaker. Not a fan of the ending, it was meh. Story just wasn’t that good. Unnecessary parts and times were boring. It has potential and times was excited for where I thought it was going, but I was left disappointed. I didn’t care too much about any of the characters which is weird for me. Rounded up, 2 stars.
July 20, 2019
Edge of your seat reading. Ann and Josh decide to hire a live in nanny to help with their small children while Ann goes back to work. Oaklynn comes with raving reviews as a nanny. But is there something more sinister going on with the perfect nanny?
June 22, 2019
Incredibly good book with a twist I did not see coming.. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2019
I’ve often said that books like these are a bit like junk food and there’s nothing wrong with that. Junk food is what we all need from time to time and no matter what people say, we all love junk food. The more the better. A Woman In Our House is exactly what I love in a good thriller. It ticks off all the boxes that make a book like this a good, but predictable read and I swear the writers of these must have a checklist tacked up somewhere so they hit all the right spots. The important thing here is the characters. They are the glue that holds these books together, and the plot may be predictable, but it has to connect with the reader somehow. Without the connection, and the characters it’s not going to work. That connection makes or breaks the book and that is the key to a good thriller.
Hart had written a book that follows the blueprints of other suspense thrillers which sounds bad because you know how it’s all going to turn out. What we have is a novel that taps into the fear all parents have and that’s leaving our children alone with someone you don’t know. Anna’s fears towards the last half of the book are of course warranted but there’s a bit of a twist, and a weird one, but this time I didn’t see it coming. Hart does a bit of misdirecting here which saves the book a little. Is it still predictable? Yep, it is, but the overall pace of it all and the characters are the driving force of the novel. We almost see what's coming, we know that in the end, things are going to end badly, but the getting there is what makes it all worthwhile
The story has been done before, and Hart knows this so he throws us a curveball. Is Oaklynn as bad as we think? For the answers, you have to read the novel. Yes, there’s a lot here you’ve seen before on the Lifetime network. Decent suspense thrillers love to make us fear something we usually trust and this one is no different. The genre is good because it’s predictable, and gosh darned it, the authors keep pulling us in because they know we love the stuff they churn out. We can’t help it and the genre thrives because it’s like junk food and we eat it knowing it’s not good for us. Despite all of its flaws, there’s a bit of a twist thrown in that make this worth reading. Is it a masterpiece? No, but it’s still something you could read on a warm summer day, or on a bitterly cold winter day when you feel like crashing on the sofa with some munchies and a decent book. It ticks off the right boxes that keep the suspense novel alive, and that's not a bad thing at all.
Hart had written a book that follows the blueprints of other suspense thrillers which sounds bad because you know how it’s all going to turn out. What we have is a novel that taps into the fear all parents have and that’s leaving our children alone with someone you don’t know. Anna’s fears towards the last half of the book are of course warranted but there’s a bit of a twist, and a weird one, but this time I didn’t see it coming. Hart does a bit of misdirecting here which saves the book a little. Is it still predictable? Yep, it is, but the overall pace of it all and the characters are the driving force of the novel. We almost see what's coming, we know that in the end, things are going to end badly, but the getting there is what makes it all worthwhile
The story has been done before, and Hart knows this so he throws us a curveball. Is Oaklynn as bad as we think? For the answers, you have to read the novel. Yes, there’s a lot here you’ve seen before on the Lifetime network. Decent suspense thrillers love to make us fear something we usually trust and this one is no different. The genre is good because it’s predictable, and gosh darned it, the authors keep pulling us in because they know we love the stuff they churn out. We can’t help it and the genre thrives because it’s like junk food and we eat it knowing it’s not good for us. Despite all of its flaws, there’s a bit of a twist thrown in that make this worth reading. Is it a masterpiece? No, but it’s still something you could read on a warm summer day, or on a bitterly cold winter day when you feel like crashing on the sofa with some munchies and a decent book. It ticks off the right boxes that keep the suspense novel alive, and that's not a bad thing at all.
March 13, 2019
3.5 Stars!
After I read Tell Me A Secret, I'd more or less sworn off of books that tried to imitate the niche genre highlighted by Gillian Flynn. Which is why I picked up The Woman In Our House with some reservations. The blurb was intriguing, but would the book focus more on the thrill factor as I'd hoped or go down the rabbit hole of a main female character's self-pity was something to be seen.
Thankfully, it met expectations. And made for a captivating read. Before I go ahead, I'm sending NetGalley a big thanks for an ARC of this book! The Woman In Our House comes out on 18 June 2019.
Genre: Suspense, Psychological thriller
Length: 347 pages
Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
Plot: 8 out of 10
Characterization: 8 out of 10
Primary Element: 7 out of 10 for its thrill and suspense
Writing Style: 8 out of 10
Part of a Series: No
Highlighted Takeaway:
The plot. Let's just say, "You will not see some things coming at all!"
What I Liked:
Characterization, especially that of the main protagonist, Anna Klien, was really well done. She wasn't over the top or too self-pitying. In fact, she was just the right amount of neurotic and self-aware to make it easy to empathize with her, and even associate with her in many places.
What I Didn’t Like:
Similar to Tell Me A Secret, the men were only present when convenient. Even Anna's husband is more 'her husband' than 'a supporting character'. Given that he actually had a role to play in the book, there should have been a little more focus on him.
Who Should Read It:
Anyone who enjoys a good suspense read, because it is surely that while definitely not being a 'mess with your mind' style psychological thriller. Those who like Mary Higgins Clark's older books would probably like this one.
Who Should Avoid:
Anyone who doesn't like books that focus on women as central characters. The women in this book aren't unrealistic in all action and thought in this book, but it's still predominantly a woman-centric story.
Read It For:
Reminding yourself that the world still has those people who don't exactly believe in the "live and let live" ideology, and that things aren't always as they seem.
After I read Tell Me A Secret, I'd more or less sworn off of books that tried to imitate the niche genre highlighted by Gillian Flynn. Which is why I picked up The Woman In Our House with some reservations. The blurb was intriguing, but would the book focus more on the thrill factor as I'd hoped or go down the rabbit hole of a main female character's self-pity was something to be seen.
Thankfully, it met expectations. And made for a captivating read. Before I go ahead, I'm sending NetGalley a big thanks for an ARC of this book! The Woman In Our House comes out on 18 June 2019.
Genre: Suspense, Psychological thriller
Length: 347 pages
Overall Rating: 7 out of 10
Plot: 8 out of 10
Characterization: 8 out of 10
Primary Element: 7 out of 10 for its thrill and suspense
Writing Style: 8 out of 10
Part of a Series: No
Highlighted Takeaway:
The plot. Let's just say, "You will not see some things coming at all!"
What I Liked:
Characterization, especially that of the main protagonist, Anna Klien, was really well done. She wasn't over the top or too self-pitying. In fact, she was just the right amount of neurotic and self-aware to make it easy to empathize with her, and even associate with her in many places.
What I Didn’t Like:
Similar to Tell Me A Secret, the men were only present when convenient. Even Anna's husband is more 'her husband' than 'a supporting character'. Given that he actually had a role to play in the book, there should have been a little more focus on him.
Who Should Read It:
Anyone who enjoys a good suspense read, because it is surely that while definitely not being a 'mess with your mind' style psychological thriller. Those who like Mary Higgins Clark's older books would probably like this one.
Who Should Avoid:
Anyone who doesn't like books that focus on women as central characters. The women in this book aren't unrealistic in all action and thought in this book, but it's still predominantly a woman-centric story.
Read It For:
Reminding yourself that the world still has those people who don't exactly believe in the "live and let live" ideology, and that things aren't always as they seem.
March 14, 2019
THE WOMAN IN OUR HOUSE is a multi viewpoint page-turner that evolves in gloriously unexpected ways. The first few chapters are almost deceptive, lulling you into the rhythm of a happy couple and their two young children in their beautiful home in Charlotte, North Carolina. However…their new nanny is not Mary Poppins, people are keeping secrets, and a pack of coyotes is on the prowl every night. As the story twists into the breath-stealing finale, this book becomes impossible to put down. Somehow it manages to combine a slow-burn with fascinating characters and an intense psychological thriller that becomes disturbing and addictive. I loved it!
February 17, 2019
The Woman in Our House is a solid, if predictable, thriller. Clear writing, engaging story and interesting characters. Having a woman, even an employed nanny, in your home full-time seems like the perfect scenario for unsettling events.
I enjoyed the story until some unrealistic events occurred, scared of guns - buy a crossbow instead! - subtle racism from friendly neighbors, etc. I was pleased with the thriller aspect of the book, the ending wasn't a huge surprise.
Enjoyable for a Saturday afternoon read.
I enjoyed the story until some unrealistic events occurred, scared of guns - buy a crossbow instead! - subtle racism from friendly neighbors, etc. I was pleased with the thriller aspect of the book, the ending wasn't a huge surprise.
Enjoyable for a Saturday afternoon read.
July 12, 2019
I found this book to be extremely well written and taut with tension throughout. Anna has young children and decides that she wants to go back to work in order to better fulfilled. They decide to hire a Mormon nanny. The nanny they hire is not what she seems. The children start having illness and injury and the Kleins have to figure out what is going on. The last part of the book seemed a little disjointed from the rest of the story as there had previously really been no mention of the nanny's past. I really like the writing style and would like to read more from this author.
July 20, 2019
Edge of your seat reading. Ann and Josh decide to hire a live in nanny to help with their small children while Ann goes back to work. Oaklynn comes with raving reviews as a nanny. But is there something more sinister going on with the perfect nanny?
June 18, 2019
The Woman In Our House was one of the best thrillers that I have read in awhile. It is definitely a page turner, and I burned the midnight oil, on this one.
Anna Klein is a literary agent, who has been idle, raising her two young daughters. Wanting to get back to work, she hires a nanny Oaklynn, a well recommended caregiver. The children love her and she is just about perfect in everything she does. Then uncertainty sets in, as things are not what they seem.
This is a riveting novel, told by a very skilled story teller, Andrew Hart. He manages to provide plenty of twist and turns that kept me guessing about the intentions of this diabolical nanny. I liked the way the conclusion came about slowly, building up the suspense, allowing the pieces to fall into place.
Reading some of the negative reviews, I totally disagree with their criticism.
If you like suspenseful thrillers, this will do it for you.
My thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. I hope my review makes you want to read this super scary book!
Anna Klein is a literary agent, who has been idle, raising her two young daughters. Wanting to get back to work, she hires a nanny Oaklynn, a well recommended caregiver. The children love her and she is just about perfect in everything she does. Then uncertainty sets in, as things are not what they seem.
This is a riveting novel, told by a very skilled story teller, Andrew Hart. He manages to provide plenty of twist and turns that kept me guessing about the intentions of this diabolical nanny. I liked the way the conclusion came about slowly, building up the suspense, allowing the pieces to fall into place.
Reading some of the negative reviews, I totally disagree with their criticism.
If you like suspenseful thrillers, this will do it for you.
My thanks to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC. I hope my review makes you want to read this super scary book!
September 8, 2019
I enjoyed the first 90% of this book...and then there was a great twist... But, disappointingly, the villain who was the focus of the very last pages read as a parody - a sort of puppet the author was clearly using to make political statements. Even though I don't entirely disagree with those political statements, it was written with all the subtlety of striking the reader with a 2x4 to the head.
All the other characters were fleshed out so fantastically, I think that it stood out all the more that the author had clearly just thrown together all the things he hates in the world and created a Big Bad Man to use almost like a punching bag for his own political frustrations. Just no. It shattered the storytelling illusion and made me feel like I was just getting some political diatribe from the author himself. Not how I enjoy my fiction.
All the other characters were fleshed out so fantastically, I think that it stood out all the more that the author had clearly just thrown together all the things he hates in the world and created a Big Bad Man to use almost like a punching bag for his own political frustrations. Just no. It shattered the storytelling illusion and made me feel like I was just getting some political diatribe from the author himself. Not how I enjoy my fiction.
July 4, 2019
Ridiculous!
This plot was given away from the beginning! Then, you get to the part where a swastika tattooed ass scraped a Trump sticker off his bumper! Hart is from New York and liberals from New York love the criminals like Hillary and Obama! That one line made me sick! Trump bashers are not well liked and this book was too easy, no mystery here from the beginning! He should be glad he doesn't know Hillary and her secrets because before he could write a book about them,, he probably would be found to have committed suicide like so many other of her supporting cast! This book doesn't deserve even 1 star!
This plot was given away from the beginning! Then, you get to the part where a swastika tattooed ass scraped a Trump sticker off his bumper! Hart is from New York and liberals from New York love the criminals like Hillary and Obama! That one line made me sick! Trump bashers are not well liked and this book was too easy, no mystery here from the beginning! He should be glad he doesn't know Hillary and her secrets because before he could write a book about them,, he probably would be found to have committed suicide like so many other of her supporting cast! This book doesn't deserve even 1 star!
September 3, 2019
4 stars audio
3 stars story.
3 stars story.
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