This is the first book I've read by Kiara Rouda, and I found it totally engrossing. The central character, Cecilia Storm, has appeared in a previous book, but I didn't feel disadvantaged for not having read it. The backstory is worked in perfectly and contributes to the building suspense.
Cecilia is beautiful, young, wealthy, with a palatial house in Malibu and a beautiful baby girl. Beneath that facade, she's falling apart, unable to cope with the demands of motherhood, frightened by threats from the imprisoned husband who tried to kill her, and emotionally wrecked by a breakup with her boyfriend Evan, her baby's father. When nanny Lizzie comes along, she seems like a godsend. But Lizzie too is very different from the perfect facade she presents to the world. Tension escalates as Lizzie worms her way into Cecilia's life, intent on nothing less than stealing it for herself. This is an outstanding suspense novel that never slows down for a second.

I throughly enjoyed Best Day Ever, with the mostly unlikely but somewhat highly unreliable character Paul. We are back for book 3, with his estranged wife Cecilia.
Struggling with raising her small baby, Cecilia hires Lizzie to help out. But soon starts to realize Lizzie isn't as innocent as she seems to be.
While I still enjoyed reading this, there wasn't really any twists that didn't surprise me. I also don't think we are done seeing Paul, and I'm hoping to see a little more of Lizzie in the future.
3.75 stars

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. All thoughts in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this sequel! The characters were well thought out and I like how some of the story carries over from the first book. I had a few ideas of what was going on but the ending was really surprising. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Another book read in one sitting 😮‍💨

I absolutely love Kaira’s writing style - after reading Best Day Ever and The Next Mrs. Strom, I was so excited to continue the story with What The Nanny Saw. While you don’t need to read the previous books, I’ll always recommend that you do!

Cecelia was such a fun character to get to know in the last book and I was excited to learn what she’s been up to since that night in Paris! AND I have a feeling we have NOT seen the last of our friend Paul 😂

What The Nanny Saw comes out on 11/13 and trust me, you want to add this to your TBR!

Big thanks to Bookouture for a copy on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
What The Nanny Saw is the third book in a trilogy of sleek, twisty and entertaining reads.
I still need to read the first book but have enjoyed the other two.
We continue on from the events from book two.
Cecilia has moved on from her dark relationship with Paul Strom.
Paul is in jail and Cecilia dreads the day he is released.
She is not coping with life in her big mansion and only has her baby daughter Peyton to look after.
An encounter with the nanny next door leads her to asking for help.
Nanny Lizzie arrives and quickly makes herself at home and part of the small family.
Life gets easier until strange things happen.
Is Cecilia losing or mind or is the nanny not who she says she is……
A fast paced, fun but devious read.
Kaira is an author I will seek out again.
I did guess the outcome but I still was intrigued by the plot.
Easy read as I found myself flipping through the pages wanting to know how it all ends.

So good and exactly what my mood needed! I say it all the time, but I truly am such a mood reader and I wanted a fast paced, popcorn thriller with some good twists and I got that here!

Shorter chapters made for a very quick and easy read. The characters were unreliable, shady, morally grey and you just knew they were hiding something. I had lots of thoughts while reading and it was really entertaining. This author's writing style always works for me.

I will say, while I had multiple theories while reading, one of them did come true for the ending. That final twist wasn't quite as mind blowing as it could have been for me, but it did not affect my enjoyment of the story at all. If you've enjoyed this author's work, and especially if you've read Best Day Ever and want more of the character Paul Strom, this will be a must read for you!

Thanks to the author and publisher for my early review copy. I thoroughly enjoyed this!

Thank you @bookouture @thrillerbookloversthepulse @kairarouda #partner for bringing this wild ride into my life!!

Kaira sure knows how to write scandalous and shocking characters and I am here for all that drama! Each and every one of her books has had unhinged characters with a few screws loose making it nearly impossible to put her books down. This book was no different. The entire story I wasn’t sure if I could trust any of these characters and I love that type of book. It makes for the perfect bingeable high tension book which makes me want to grab some popcorn and watch the insanity and twists unfold! The ending was wildly entertaining and I will anxiously await what Kaira writes next!

Thrilling, fast paced, and secret filled read! This book was a top of the chart reading! This was such a great read that kept me holding on the entire time! I read this in one sitting and will definitely be purchasing this for my shelf! I will for sure be reading more by Kaira Rouda!

This novel is part of a series but can also be read as a standalone. It’s a quick read for domestic thriller lovers. Based on the ending, I think we can expect another book involving Cecelia and Paul and their tumultuous relationship.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Let me start this review off by saying that I did not read the first 2 books of this series so that might affect my rating because I didn’t have all of the backstory, but from what I understand this book can also be read as a standalone.

This book centers around Cecelia, a new mom who’s struggling & needs some help, & Lizzie, the nanny that comes in to help her. The chapters switch POV between the 2. Everything seems fine at first until Cecelia starts suspecting Lizzie of stealing & lying to her… & the rest you just have to read for yourself.

As far as psychological thrillers go, this one was definitely not my favorite. It didn’t really feel twisty like you would expect & the final twist was super random. The story was still enjoyable overall but you definitely might enjoy it more if you’ve read the other books.

Thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for this ARC.

The sequel to The Second Mrs Strom so definitely read that one first!

In this book, Cecelia is back but now as a single mother to an infant baby girl. She desperately needs to get her life back on track, and as luck would have it, she meets Lizzie at a coffee shop, who’s the nanny to four kids and phenomenal with babies - and also looking for a new job.

I flew through the last book so was excited to start this one! I loved the pace of the whole book, and love when you can’t figure out what’s going to happen next.

I do feel like you have to suspend a bit of belief at the end of the book, I personally just wasn’t overwhelmed by anything particular in it. While I didn’t *love* the book, I still overall enjoyed it and think readers would love to see Paul and Cecelia again.

3.5 ⭐️

Thanks so much to Bookouture and NetGalley for my ARC!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the e-ARC. This is my honest review.
The book was fast paced and I enjoyed the writing style. However the story itself was monotonous. I couldn't relate to the characters, I found them to be quite annoying. The plot was repetitive and implausible compared to other books by the author. The plot twist was also very predictable early on. This was a quick and easy read.

In the latest psychological thriller by Kaira Rouda, What the Nanny Saw, an unreliable narrator in the form of a nanny stretches the series that started with Best Day Ever with the narcissistic character Paul Strom. Strom’s role in this book is more behind-the-scenes than as a player, and instead, the soon-to-be ex-wife Cecilia Strom takes center stage in this novel coming out November 13.

Cecilia has rebuilt her life after removing Paul from it but she is a new mother who is still recovering from spinal injuries she suffered before the pregnancy. She was building a new life with a new man but he takes a long time-out once baby Peyton has made her debut. Cecilia is exhausted because the baby’s father Evan not only doesn’t lift a hand, but he has also moved on with another lover. It’s out with Evan and in with the nanny Lizzie so that Cecilia can get her life back and enjoy her baby.

All of this plays out with Paul in jail but he’s still communicating, unwelcomely, with Cecilia, letting her know he is not interested in divorce but he looks forward to when he is out of jail and can spend their money together. Dealing with exhaustion, Cecilia must battle the enemy she knows as well as the enemy she does not yet know.

Cecilia’s attorney vetted the newcomer to the household but not all is as it seems. Cecilia becomes suspicious of the nanny, and she takes it upon herself to investigate Lizzie’s room where she discovers enough to realize Lizzie is not the God-send she thought she was. When little Peyton disappears from her crib, Cecelia is beside herself as the story plays out.

A master of the psychological thriller, Kaira Rouda is a writer of suspense novels that explore “beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives.” She lives in Southern California with her family and is always at work on her next novel.

My review will be posted on GoodReads starting October 23, 2024.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

****Publishing November 13, 2024****

Two very different women from different backgrounds cross paths at a coffee shop. Both seeking a new life! Cecilia is a spoiled wealthy wife and mother at her wits’ end. Her ex-husband is in jail. She has just broken up with the father of her baby. She needs help and a new path in life. Lizzie is a nanny for a family that is not a good fit! She is looking for a new job. These two ladies’ lives converge when Lizzie is hired by Cecilia as her nanny. Is it what it seems? Will Lizzie be able to not only do her job, but protect the baby? Will they both get what they are seeking?

A suspenseful story that will keep you hooked from the first page to the last. Cecilia and Lizzie are deceitful, selfish, strong with flaws, which adds to drama and entertainment! This makes the story unpredictable! I love Kaira Rouda’s books! Just when you think you have figured it out, she puts in twists and turns you don’t see coming! It makes for a page-turning and entertaining read! It’s one you won’t want to put down! A great Fall pick and one to take on your next vacation!

Thanks to Bookouture, I was provided an ARC of What the Nanny Saw by Kaira Rouda
via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Everyone at the Pulse loves Paul Strom! He is an iconic character and I just had to see what shenanigans he was up to this time, so I when I saw a spinoff of his beloved series, I was quick to pick it up. What the Nanny Saw follows Cecelia Strom - Paul's second wife - and her new venture into motherhood.

Motherhood is not for the feint of heart and Cecelia is struggling. I appreciated how authentic her struggles felt, particularly because her partner was so unsupportive and left the childcare burden to Cecelia. It was surprising that for as wealthy as Cecelia was, she didn't have a nanny right away, particularly once she realized just how difficult a newborn can be.

Lizzie was an interesting character. She clearly had a very sordid past and I liked that more and more of it was revealed as the novel went on. It was hard to tell what her motives were but my spidey senses were going from the moment she entered the picture.

For being such a strong and intelligent woman with Paul, it was amazing to see how far Cecelia had fallen. The effects of new motherhood, sleep deprivation, and stress from Paul's release were palpable and my heart went out to her.

There was definitely a need for suspension of belief. Cecelia losing all her money when we were repeatedly told how wealthy she was seemed surprising and the closing of a commercial building in a literal day was also anything but realistic, but if you could disregard these minor grievances, the novel is really unputdownable.

Now if you're reading this because you love (or love to hate Paul), be warned that this is Cecelia's story. He's a minor character for sure, but the story isn't based around him nor is he a primary character.

Fun and not exactly what you would think, I absolutely recommend What the Nanny Saw!

I was so lucky to score this pre-release, I blew through it in one day! I couldn't put it down. A well written, thrilling page turner. This was my first book by this author, I’m excited to read her other books!👏🏼

The Strom’s are back! I absolutely loved The Second Mrs. Strom and when I saw a third with Cecilia back, I was so excited to dive in!
After Paul almost killed her in Paris, he’s in jail. But she knows he won’t be gone forever. After her current boyfriend cheats on her while she’s home with their newborn, she leaves him but how will she do this on her own?! It seemed like a dream come true when Lizzie, a nanny to the neighbor, comes to the rescue. But Lizzie has alternative motives and Cecelia should’ve known it was too good to be true….
Told in multiple POV’s I didn’t know who to believe in this book! Full of twists and characters we love to hate- you won’t want to put this one down!

4.5!! I cannot get enough of Cecilia Strom!! After reading Rouda's The Second Mrs. Strom, I was so excited that @thrillerbooklovers featured this one! Full of jealousy, power, and revenge, Rouda has created a character that is ever changing and fun to read!! I could not stop reading this one. The second half really picked up the pace and I was on the edge of my seat. Thank you net galley for a copy of this great book!!

The Stroms are back! In this third edition, with Paul in prison, CeCe has gotten a little security paranoid (I mean can you blame her?). Her boyfriend is terrible, her boyfriend’s mom is ridiculous and the nanny is … sketchy. I saw the twists from a mile away but I still enjoyed the quick page turner this was.

3.5🌟
Life in California isn’t all sunshine and surfing!

Book three of the Paul Strom series by Kaira Rouda.
Cecelia is in the process of healing, hoping to move forward with her life after Paul. With more money than she’s ever dreamed of, a new baby and a life in Malibu, healing should be considerably easier. But when her current boyfriend and father of her child fails to pull his weight she boots him to the curb…. Now all she needs is a nanny to help her with her baby girl.

Enter Lizzie, the nanny who dumps her current family and immediately moves next door with Cecelia.

So many unanswered questions. Can Cecelia trust her? Can she trust anyone? And what about Paul? Will he be trying to make a comeback and return to Cecelia?

What I’ve loved about this series is Paul. He’s my favorite sociopathic character. Unfortunately, his role was fairly minor and his presence was missed.

This book can be read as a stand-alone but I would highly recommend starting at the beginning with Best Day Ever!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture