⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - I was hooked on this one immediately. I thought, based on the blurb, that it would focus on who had committed the crime but, whilst that was in the background, the story was more about how a group of people survive as au pairs in Paris working for very well off families.

Each chapter is told from the perspective of a character so we can start to understand each individuals background, motives, and experiences - all of which were very diverse and some not particularly likeable!

I loved the Parisian setting. It has definitely put me off au pair life... but as a story, I really enjoyed it, and the ending wasn't quite what I was expecting either, which is always a bonus!

Out now in the UK.

Thank you to @netgalley and @littlebrown for the opportunity to review.

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The premise of the book is good but it was too slow for me and it was hard to keep track of the characters.

I did enjoy this book for the most part. I am fascinated by books around nannies in care of a child who then dies, and I was looking forward to this, especially with the setting in France.
I hoped there would be a more gripping pace, as this was too slow-burn at times for me and I was skim reading for some of it.

I am not sure what I thought of this book. I enjoyed the writing style and being immersed in French culture but I found all of the characters unlikeable and they bored me at times.

Unfortunately this book wasn’t for me. I was intrigued by the premise outlined in the blurb, however the cast of characters was too confusing and I found myself disengaging from the many threads of this story. Readers with more patience than I will probably enjoy it more than I did.

With thanks to Netgalley and the author. Amanda Bestor-Siegal.

I enjoyed The caretakers but like a lot of the other reviewers found myself a bit confused with all the characters and how they were connected,

Still and enjoyable book.

I struggled to get into this one. I think maybe it was just to slow for me. I didn't finish reading it because I wasn't enjoying it enough to carry on.

3.5 stars
This had a lot of potential and a lot of good things going for it. But I think there was just too much going on, too many different storylines trying to come together, too many characters. I found it slow to begin with and only picked up for me from Holly's story onwards.

I found the sections about Alena and her mother to be the most interesting and would have loved it if we'd got to know that sooner in the book.

The writing was good and it did hold my attention. And I thought the last 10% of the book was really really good. Hence my extra half mark.

The premise of this book is interesting. Some of the characters are truly awful people. I felt the backstories were too long. It is very well written.

I found this book very slow, and a little bit of a dissappinting read. I finished it, but it was a slog.
There was nothing all that memorable to me, perhaps because I struggled to engage with it. Possibly just not for me.

I found this a slow read and struggled to connect with the characters. Unfortunately I did not finish the book as this was not for me.

This is the first novel by Amanda Bestor-Siegal and it is a beautifully written, well plotted, intricate story from this talented new author. It is set in the suburbs of Paris in 2015, and concentrated around a group of young women who work as au pairs for wealthy families in the city. Their need to feel that they are part of the family is often misunderstood due to the issues of identity, privilege and culture from both the American and French cultures and this is ably demonstrated in this compulsive gripping tale. When one of the children dies suddenly while in the charge of a young American au pair, Alena, the child's mother, Charlotte, blames her for the death and has her arrested and taken away in handcuffs.
As the plot develops we are unsure as to who is at fault, is it the Charlotte who never was really involved in the lives of her children or is it Alena who couldn't forge an emotional connection with the family? As the turbulent power dynamics of the family are unveiled and secrets are revealed that expose another side of these complex women, we see that the pressures, misunderstandings and miscommunication of the outside world can have catastrophic consequences.
Looking forward to reading Amanda Bestor-Siegal's next book.

A brilliant debut set in Paris. A child’s death and different perspectives make this a slow burn that will keep you hanging in till the end. I’ve just bought this for my mum and my daughter as it’s so good. An amazing talented writer.

The novel is marketed as a thriller / mystery but it’s hard to say really what genre I would put it under as it’s not the who done it I was hoping for . It starts off strong , I loved the Paris setting and references to current events but the whole storyline of the child’s death seems to be somewhat in the background . Instead we have alternating chapters from different characters who are residing in the suburb and are linked to the family concerned in some way . The back stories of these people doesn’t really seem relevant in anyway and I was getting lost with who’s who especially the group of au pairs . Personally I think it would make for a much better mini series as I can see the similarities to little fires . It wasn’t bad just not a stand out read for me

Despite being set in Paris that was the highlight of the book. I felt the writer had no idea of who to make the main protagonist and how to develop the characters properly. It sounded like a good read but I wouldn't recommend it. It took me forever to finish it.

A great story about a group troubled of au pairs in Paris. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review

I loved this setting in Paris, and the thriller element kept me guessing. My issues with this book were more around the characters, there were a few too many to keep track of, and the changing perspectives with chapters led to some confusion at times. However, overall it was an enjoyable read.

A difficult but important read. Not perhaps something I would look to pick up again in the future any time soon but still a good read none the less.

A brilliantly written look at isolation and the struggles that come with it.

I devoured this book and was honestly bereft when I finished.

It kept me on the edge of my seat and had more twists and turns than I was expecting.

Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

I must say I was expecting this to be a thriller, but it was different than my idea. I really struggled with finishing the book and have mixed feelings on the last chapters. Full review will be added when I’ve given it a second read.