"The Nesting" by C.J. Cooke

 

It was like something out of a fairytale…

The grieving widower.
The motherless daughters.
A beautiful house in the woods.
And a nanny come to save the day.

So what if Lexi isn’t telling the truth about who she is? Escaping to the remote snows of Norway was her lifeline. And all she wanted was to be a part of their lives.

But soon, isolated in that cold, creaking house in the middle of ancient, whispering woods, Lexi's fairytale starts to turn into a nightmare.

With darkness creeping in from the outside, Lexi’s fears are deepening. Lexi knows she needs to protect the children in her care.

But protect them from what? ~taken from Goodreads

I was initially drawn to this novel because of the title. Mysterious. Dark. Scary. All of which this book was!

Lexi Ellis is in a horrible place in her life. She's at the end of a long term relationship, suicidal, and has no idea what to do or where to go. Broken and homeless she happens to overhear two women talking about a prestigious nanny position that has become available. It is in that moment she decides to steal one of the woman's identity and apply for the job. 

This nanny position would solve all her current problems. Nannying for a wealthy family in Norway would allow her to start life anew while also writing her novel. It sounds like an ideal situation for her, and she is excited when she gets the job as Sophie, the seasoned nanny. 

Tom is a grieving widow and father of two very young girls. While building their dream home in Norway his wife, Aurelia, died under mysterious circumstances. With is business partner, Clive, he is determined to start new and continue to build the home in honor of his late wife. 

Once Sophie (Lexi) arrives in Norway she realizes being a nanny isn't fun and games. The girls have a rigorous education schedule she must adhere to and she knows nothing about children or teaching. 

Then there are the weird occurrences that start to happen around the remote property. What really happened to Aurelia? Will Sophie be next to die? Through alternating storylines we get a look into the past through Aurelia's eyes and the present through Sophie's eyes.

This book is perfect for fall. Curl up with some tea and a cozy blanket and dive into this dark, gothic and chilling novel that has some Norwegian folklore woven into it. It's a 5 star read! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for allowing me the eARC to read give my honest review. 

"The Nesting" by C.J. Cooke is set to be released September 29, 2020 here in the U.S. so preorder now!

Happy Reading!