This starts off with Turn of the Key vibes, and I really liked how creepy it was. There seem to be ghosts and other unexplainable happenings. I also really liked the alternating timelines, and getting the POV from Aurelia, the girls' mom. From all perspectives there was definitely something bizarre happening in this house. I also really like Lexi as a character, she was really easy to like and root for.

But...the end. I just disliked it on so many levels. Unless I'm missing something, it was completely inconsistent with the prologue, so I was just left with more questions. I also really didn't like how the relationship with Lexi and the rest of the family concluded, it just didn't make a lot of sense. Ultimately (if you ignore the prologue) I think the end came together a little too quickly (especially since it felt like it took forever to actually get there) and too perfectly.

On a smaller note, I'm all about alternating POVs, but I really didn't like how in some chapters it would alternate from one sentence to the next. It was distracting and tough to follow.

The storyline had so much potential, but this ultimately left me disappointed.

The nesting is a perfect blend of domestic drama and ghost story with a splash of Norwegian folklore. C.J. Cooke wrote a truly beautiful and alluring Modern Gothic Thriller.

Lexi snags the perfect job as a nanny for two precious little girls. All it takes to do so is a little bit of identity theft. Truthfully, Lexi doesn't know the first thing about being a nanny and caring for small children. But wanting to get out of rock bottom is all the motivation she needs to fake it till she makes it.

Sophie (formally lexi) arrives at a beautiful cliff side home in Norway. She quickly falls in love with the young girls and does her best to immerse herself into her new role. It doesn't take long though for weird things to start happening. Noises that can't be explained, a mysterious diary, muddy footprints, and haunting visions of the sad lady. There is definitely something sinister lurking in the woods, and everyone is in danger....

The nesting is so atmospheric and creepy. You will be poised on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.

I read as well as listened to this book in audio. I will admit that I preferred this as an audiobook. There are multiple timelines and characters that can be a bit hard to follow at times. Overall, the narrator did a phenomenal job.

As always, thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review

This is a psychological suspense steeped in rich Norwegian folklore complete with an intense spooky vibe. It’s told from multiple POVs and has a now-and-then-type narration. The central character Lexi takes a job under false credentials after her life basically implodes. Recovering from a suicide attempt she now finds herself newly single homeless and at rock bottom. She’s basically on her own and with a severely limited support network in place her own mother being a complete waste of space.

A chance encounter on a train sees her stealing the identity and job application of Sophie Hallerton and now against all of the odds Lexi finds herself the new nanny of Gaia and Coco and joining them in Norway as their recently widowed father an architect completes a summer build Aurelia’s nest in a remote area of Norway.

This had a massive creepy gothic vibe the now and then narrative hops back and forth painting a picture of Toms's late wife Aurelia’s last days before allegedly taking her own life. This relies mostly on its mysterious mythical ambience rather than any big scares and though the pace at times felt slightly plodding I still continued on wanting to learn what really happened on the morning of Aurelia’s death and It was obvious from her accounts that she was swiftly unravelling hence nobody questioned her choices.

I felt that this novel was also impacting a loose moral message regarding the consequences of tampering with nature and this family was then reaping the bounty of their choices which was ironic considering Tom's whole stand on his eco-footprint and base overall philosophies.

I was slightly disappointed with the finale here though as I did feel it was slightly anti-climatic I was just expecting something more from all that build-up saying that I still found this enjoyable and it was well written and I did appreciate the rich folklore included here. I voluntary reviewed a copy of The Nesting.

This perfectly eerie and atmospheric book is just right for a dark winter evening. Chilling and with a story that keeps you guessing until the very end, the use of folklore and wintery setting make for a super tense tale. I wasn’t a fan of the narrator on the audio book, but I’m looking forward to reading it again.

The Nesting by C J Cooke follows Lexi in her deception to become a nanny for a couple building their home in Norway. She assumes the role of Sophie and looks after two young children very well but something is not quite right. Mystery surrounds the death of the children's mother, the house build seems cursed and a ghostly figure starts appearing, all Lexi has to do is keep the children safe, but she's not sure what from.
A brilliantly narrated novel as the description sounds quite ghostly but Aysha Kala does a good jordie accent and makes the story current. I liked the plot and how Lexi developed over the months she was in Norway, the children were good characters I didn't really like the other side characters. It was easy to listen to and the fears Lexi had were believable. I would recommend to those that like a ghostly mystery.
Thanks to HarperCollins audio UK and NetGalley for the ARC

I listen to a lot of audiobooks, maybe three or four a month, but this has been one of my recent favourites and one that I will remember and recommend! I really enjoyed the story and the narrator, and found myself listening at every spare moment, while cleaning, cooking, and doing mindless stuff at home! It made the chores much easier!
The narrator was amazingly adept at changing voices and tone without overdoing it or resorting to caricature. She was utterly believable as Lexi and I could empathise with her situation.
The author really brings the setting of Norway to life, and I felt the blend of different characters' backgrounds, Nordic mythology, and modern life blended together.
The end of the book felt a little bit stunted with a revelation out of nowhere that felt a bit thrown in but I can honestly not criticise as I adored this book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a mystery novel that kept me reading despite a sheer lack of credibility. When Lexi takes the place of a girl she overhears on a train who was heading to Norway as a nanny, she gets caught up in supernatural events that threaten the isolated family. The good parts were the creepy forest and a particularly hideous ghost. However, I found the novel as a whole didn’t work for me – the idea of a company going bankrupt to build a ridiculous ‘pod’ home on a cliffside and the unlikely gathering of characters gave clear signposting of ‘whodunnit’. After a very meandering middle there was evidence of fairly desperate plotting on the hoof to get the book to a conclusion, an ending which I found curiously undramatic and unsatisfying.
Maybe it’s because I recently read the excellent ‘The Bird Tribunal’ by Agnes Ravatn, I think the standard for Nordic folk noir is very high and sadly this didn’t make it for me.

DNF at 23%

I absolutely love thrillers, however I tend to be very picky with them. For me, the biggest issue is that I need to get on with the main character. They don't have to be a reliable narrator (in fact, I prefer them not to be), but there must be something about them that I find compelling. My biggest issue with The Nesting is that I just didn't click with the main character, who tells the story in first person. I struggled with their decision-making and their actions, despite understanding why they may have a strange thought process. I struggled to stay interested and ultimately put this one aside. More seasoned thriller readers may get on with this one better than me!

This was a fun audiobook. It’s full of lots of fables and stories linked to real life. I loved the narrators Geordie accent and found it made the audiobook a lot more interesting. I got a bit confused with the different time frames and characters but I feel this would be clearer if reading it yourself. Overall, I enjoyed this story and learning about the main character and seeing her develop. The plot twists at the end were fun and didn’t disappoint,

This one was a great story & good Nordic thriller but it wasn’t really for me. Found it hard to get in to as an audio book & is a genre that I’ve stepped back from a bit. Great for those that like a good thriller.

I enjoyed listening to this book but it didn't seem to go anywhere. A lot of descriptions of the countryside etc but the storyline didn't inspire me. The narrator was excellent and I enjoyed listening to her interpretation.

It’s safe to say that I seem to have been drawn to audiobooks more this year than I ever have been before. As soon as I saw the description for The Nesting I was pretty sure that it would work extremely well as an audiobook. I really couldn’t wait to listen! So what did I think…

The Nesting follows Lexi as she begins her new job in Norway as nanny to two little girls, Gaia and Coco. However things aren’t quite right in this new life she has started. There is such a wonderful eerie atmosphere throughout this book. The kind that wrapped me up and refused to let go. The narrator, Aysha Kala did an amazing job of pulling me completely into this story and the characters lives. Even from that first introduction to Lexi. I couldn’t help but root for this complicated character, flaws and all. In fact I loved all the shades of darkness that surrounded these characters. As past events still ripple outwards, continuing to cause trouble and weigh down heavy on them.

The story itself moves at a good pace with a slow burn quality that worked so well. The reader is shown two timelines, then and now. Events from both of these timelines increase the tension and deepen an even stronger mystery. Along with the addition of dark folklore dotted throughout that was guaranteed to make me love this book even more. Every element of this story combined to create something very special. From the setting itself which reinforces the folklore/fairy tale aspect. Right through to the creepy, dark moments that were waiting, hiding in the corner ready to catch me out.

The Nesting was from the very beginning a special kind of story for me. It had a magical charm that captured my imagination along with a paranormal element that was woven in perfectly. I have to admit even when I wasn’t listening to this book I was thinking about the characters and wondering what would happen to them. At times I found myself smiling away at certain things the characters said or did. Both these lighter and darker moments show how well C. J. Cooke crafted her story into something extremely engaging for the reader. It was so very easy to feel involved in the mystery along with being eager to discover the truth.

Even though I have the audiobook I’m going to buy a hardback copy of this fabulous book. That way I can re read it and experience the story once more but maybe in a different way to how I did while listening to the audiobook. The other reason of course is that it will look stunning on my bookshelf!

Wonderful gothic and atmospheric tale, intertwined with Nordic folklore.
I was granted access to the audiobook version through Netgalley and the narrator did a fantastic job of the different characters.
I found the beginning of the book a little slow and a bit of a coincidence of how Lexi got the job. If fact I had a few cringey moments while she found her feet in her nannying job. Once she arrives for the job in Norway, things start happening. The story is told in two timelines of Lexi and Tom’s wife Aurelia, who killed herself and I found this built up well.
Great narration and suspense, I enjoyed it.
Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for an audiobook copy.

The Nesting was a thriller that kept me guessing until the end! I did the usual of cycling through characters deciding that each one was the suspect at different points but I seriously couldn't figure out 'who dunnit'. The story follows Lexi, who let's admit it, is a morally grey character with some mental health issues. This is actually a great character choice as later in the story it makes readers question whether to believe her narrative on what is happening. It all just added to the feeling of 'what the hell is going on?' Lexi has a pretty crappy life with just about everything going wrong until she, wrongly but understandably, takes the job of a Nanny with a family living in Norway who have just lost their Mother/Wife. At first everything is idyllic, the place is stunning, the Father lovely, and the kids are delights. But as time goes on she starts to make discoveries and uncover secrets about events leading up to and during the death of the Mother in the family. The book gets creepier as the plot progresses and the ideas of the ways humans can encroach on and affect the land and animals adds to the chilling atmosphere. The Nordic setting was something that was new to me and it did add a creepy sort of closed in feeling to the plot. Almost as if you could scream all you wanted but no one would hear or come to help.
I listened to the audiobook and found it a really great experience. The narrator did an excellent job of using different voices and accents to distinguish between characters and I found her voice engaging and easy to listen to. It was one of those audios that I looked forward to getting back to listening to when I'd had to stop.
Overall, this was a great slow burn thriller and I'll definitely be reading more by this author and looking out for the narrator's other work.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers Harper Collins for the opportunity to review this audio book. written by CJ Cooke and narrated by Aysha Kala.

I enjoyed this book set mostly in Norway, probably the first gothic horror type book I've read, but very well written and enjoyed from the beginning to the end. Lexi, who is at a very low point in her life decides she needs to make a change in her life and decides to take a job as a nanny in Norway by stealing someone's identity and then gets
mixed up the family's existing problems.

Great narrator, though I initially thought it was Sarah Millican, British comedian who was narrating (she seems to use this voice for the character of Lexi) but the narration got better as the book went along as the narrator uses different voices for the different characters.

DNF but for personal reasons. This book was too triggering FOR ME. That isn't to say it won't be an excellent read to others or that I wouldn't recommend it to others looking for this type of read. It just didn't work for me.

This absorbing multiple character viewpoint novel is set in England and Norway and combines the thoughts and experiences of adults and children, including those who are in full control of their mental health and ill-health, and of those who are not. This modern day story is seamlessly blended with Norwegian folklore and the impact of human civilisation and growth on the wellbeing of all creatures and the living land. It's both a love story and a crime novel without being twee or predictable. A finely crafted, absorbing and chilling delight from start to finish, and perfectly narrated too.

There was one thread which was dropped in the final chapter but I am sure this will be picked up and woven back into the story before publication.

I listened to this audio book and very much enjoyed the narrator's interpretation and how easily she brought the story to life. The story of Lexi starts in a slightly unlikely way, but I still found it a compelling read. Lexi is not enjoying life and after taking advantage of an overheard conversation on a train, finds herself in a remote part of Norway looking after two young children who have recently lost their mother in mysterious circumstances. Tom, architect and father of the children, seems obsessed with the building of his 'Aurelia's Nest' project, and following strange happenings, Lexi begins to suspect him of murder. The folklore, the setting and the mysterious happenings created a wonderfully chilling atmosphere. Thank you to C.J.Cooke, Net galley and Harper Collins for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

My thanks to HarperCollins Audio U.K. for a review copy, via NetGalley, of the unabridged audiobook of ‘The Nesting’ by C.J. Cooke in exchange for an honest review. It was narrated by Aysha Kala and had a running time of 11 hours, 7 minutes at 1x. I did a combined read/listen for an immersive experience.

‘The Nesting’ proved an atmospheric psychological thriller with elements of folk horror and the Gothic running throughout.

Serendipity has brought Lexi to a remote Norwegian forest where she has been employed as the nanny to the two young daughters of widower Tom. He is an architect embarking on an ambitious environmental project in memory of his recently deceased wife, Aurelia.

Lexi has a troubled past and was very down on her luck when the opportunity presented itself to ‘borrow’ the identity of another woman and apply for this position. It allows her to leave her old life behind, though obviously she has to be alert for possible exposure as well as cover her lack of actual experience of nannying.

In classic Gothic mystery style Lexi begins to hear and see things that don’t make sense. The seemingly fairy tale setting of ancient woods and a nearby fjord becomes increasingly dark and menacing. Lexi knows that she needs to protect the children in her care, though from who or what?

I came to this literary Gothic horror novel without prior knowledge of its plot, apart from it being set in Norway and that it contained elements of Norwegian folklore. In addition, there was that stunning cover art.

I was immediately drawn into this atmospheric mystery from its powerful Prologue, recounting the final minutes of Aurelia’s life and a chilling warning from a folk tale. Throughout the novel, the focus switches between Lexi’s first person narration in the present and flashbacks to past events.

I did wonder about Tom’s determination to build Aurelia’s Nest after the destruction of their first summer house prior to Aurelia’s death. It seemed such a strange project, though I think that he felt a need to build something unique that reflected his passion for nature. Throughout there was cautionary folk wisdom related to the environment and its guardian spirits.

From her Notes, Cooke’s love of Norway and especially its wilderness was obvious. She recounts her experiences during a number of research trips there. I admired her desire for authenticity and attention to detail.

I especially appreciated the folklore integrated into the narrative. Inspired by her research into Norwegian myths and folklore, Cooke wrote her own fairytales that were featured in the novel as ‘Book of Remembered Norse Folk Tales’, translated by Aurelia.

I found the audiobook excellent. Its narrator, Aysha Kala, is a BAFTA award winning actor, who to date has narrated over 40 audiobooks. Her voice is light and melodious and was a pleasure to listen to. I felt that she brought the characters, story and setting vividly to life.

Overall, I felt that this was beautifully written and subtle in its elements of folk horror, leaving a chilling sense of unease over more visceral horror. It evoked memories of classic Gothic novels, such as Henry James’ ‘The Turn of the Screw’, while being fresh and original.

Again, the emphasis throughout upon the environment and the link between this and myth and folklore was a highlight for me.

Aside from the striking cover art, the inventive chapter headings are accompanied by illustrations of bare branches that resemble the spreading antlers of an elk..

While this was my first experience of C.J. Cooke’s work, after reading this I plan to seek out her other writing.

Highly recommended.

The nesting is a beautifully written atmospheric novel set in gorgeous Norway, CJ Cooke has cleverly woven her story with Norwegian folklore and created a. book that will linger in the memory long after you have finished it, The audio book is superbly narrated by Aysha Kala and she really helped bring the story to !ife I look forward to reading/hearing more from the author and narrator.