Then: Morning light shines into the nursery, casting shadows across the pale pink walls and wooden cot in the middle of the room. She opens the door expecting to hear the soft coo of her daughter Sofia stretching herself awake. But the room is silent. The cot is empty. Her little girl has vanished… OMG!!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! WHAT HAVE I JUST READ!?!?!? Sue Watson you are an absolute writing legend!!! Sue Watson does a great job of creating suspense from the very beginning; using a prologue to immediately create a sense of intrigue. The pace throughout the book keeps you wondering what will come next and there are certainly enough twists to keep you guessing, while also remaining believable. Then:Morning light shines into the nursery, casting shadows across the pale pink walls and wooden cot in the middle of the room. She opens the door expecting to hear the soft coo of her daughter Sofia stretching herself awake. But the room is silent. The cot is empty. Her little girl has vanished…

None of the characters are entirely likeable which probably didn't help. Emily is a mass of contradictions. Sofia is bratty. Nancy is a selfish cow. Oliver is too smooth. Cerys is psychotic. Only Mr Woods is likeable but who is he really? One thing is for certain...trust no one! I certainly didn't.

While Emily struggles to unravel who it might be that is trying to reveal her secret, Sofia begins to engage in risky behavior. This plays into the many twists and turns that this story takes on. This book brings new meaning to intense domestic thrillers. Going into the story, we know things are not right in Emily’s small family. As things fall apart I was fully drawn in as I kept wondering how things could possibly come together again. Sue Watson has written another winner as I dare any reader to put this book down after starting it. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own. Utterly impossible to put down. I devoured this book in just one sitting… Gripped me from the beginning… There is absolutely no way I could predict where this was going… Will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat. You’ll be gripped.’ Little Miss Book Lover 87 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Emily has been raising her daughter Sofia alone for years and two were doing just fine. However, as the start book begins, readers learn that something happened to little Sofia when she was just three years old. In fact, Emily has a secret. The Nursery starts off with a bang and stays tense throughout. There is always the question as to whom can be trusted in this book, especially when Emily tries to keep things on an even keel with Sofia despite the way things are changing. Then there is another character that enters the scene and we can begin to see why and how things are going to come to a head. There were so many things I loved about this book. The mother-daughter relationship was sweet AF, the teen battles were so accurate and portrayed so well. It made me feel a bit nostalgic for my teen years and fear at how stupidly teens can behave. Then the jaw dropping twists just kept coming and coming, and it worked so well. This thriller twist and turns in so many different ways, it’s dizzying… I actually gasped out loud at the ending!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐I’m not even a parent but I had major anxiety reading this because it’s literally a parents worst nightmare. So, I can’t even imagine the feelings an actual parent will feel when they read this. The book gave me Gilmore Girl vibes in the beginning, which is great in my book. Not story wise but the relationship between mother and daughter and the Wood family taking her in. Other than that the story is tense and suspense is growing by the minute. I understand that Sofia finds her mother very controlling and tries to rebel. Omg… I can’t even begin to tell you how fantastic, great, marvellous, twisty and so much more!!!!!!… I literally could not put this down, not even to eat , barely breathed… Must must must put this on your to read list!!! Like now, right now… this second, trust me you will not for one second be disappointed… A lot more than 5 stars!!!!!’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I enjoyed a lot of the book but some parts were a little disappointing, too drawn out and unbelievable in places. It also became annoying when it kept saying “if only I know what was coming” which felt like at the end of every chapter, though perhaps it was less. Even so, it grated, we know something is coming, you don’t need to keep telling us!

Anyway, Emily will stop at nothing to protect said daughter, except when a handsome, rich man comes around . Then shes goo, she tells him all her secrets ... only to change her mind constantly and after the tell all she regrets it and wonders if hes actually trustworthy. Fabulous! It was so gripping, edge-of-your-seat thrills and plenty of pace throughout… Really gripping… Wonderful… You just couldn’t put it down.’ Fiction Café ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Emily had just left her job as a nurse to care for her daughter, Sophia, and start a new life to avoid her ex-husband, Chris, from finding them. They had just escaped a dangerous situation and Emily was afraid about being found. Sophia starts getting messages online by a stranger who tells her that she does not know who her mother really is, that she is a liar. What has Emily done to get herself and Sofia to safety?? I like the addition of social media and the dangers it might bring. As the bulk of the story takes place 12 years later, with Sofia now 15 years old, everything starts to fall apart. Not only is the past pushing its way into the present, Emily and Sofia’s relationship begins to crumble. Also, there is a break in at their home. With a note left after the break in, Emily‘s past and her secret are soon to be revealed.

Sue Watson writes amazingly different books, dealing with unique topics and ideas and stories but reassuringly always good cakes or mouth watering food appear somewhere in the story Emily and her fifteen-year-old daughter, Sophia are living a normal life - if normal is keeping a low profile and hoping that no one finds out where you live. Emily is working in a perfume store and Sophia is attending school. One evening Emily notices someone across the street staring right at their home. This causes her alarm but not as much alarm as when someone enters house in the early hours and leave a note and "gift" behind. Naturally Emily is alarmed and is hypervigilant but doesn't want the police involved.