Nanny Confidential

by Philippa Christian

When Lindsay Starwood moved from her tiny home town to the bright lights of Melbourne, she had no idea that her after-school babysitting job would turn into a career.

Her boss was Steven Stavros, the nineties boy-band heartthrob more famous of late for his extramarital activities than his hit records. However, word soon got out about the Australian nanny who was great with kids, cool in a crisis and capable of keeping the secrets of the rich and famous tightly under wraps.

But being a celebrity nanny isn't the Mary Poppins fantasy you might imagine. When Lindsay finds herself caring for the six (yes, six!) daughters of fame-hungry reality television star Alysha Appleby, her patience is pushed to the limit. Will dashing pro-golfer Tommy Grant restore Lindsay's faith that wealth can go hand in hand with kindness? Or will she have to choose between the children she loves and her own happiness?

With a cast of millionaires ripped straight from the headlines, this is a fast-paced, outrageous novel for anyone who loves gossip, glamour and a sneak peek into the unbelievable world of a nanny to the stars.

232 pages, Paperback

First published December 17, 2014

Reviews

[Figgy · Rating 2 out of 5]

LINK UPDATED

Actual rating 2.5 stars.

A little about this reviewer, on the nannying/childcare front:

I once worked in a childcare centre with a little girl who would throw massive tantrums the moment there was the slightest hint things might not go her way. Within two weeks of my working with her, her mother sought me out and thanked me profusely, insisting that I let her know if there was ever anything she could do for me.
Her daughter was saying please and thank you, was a lot happier, and was making those around her a lot less stressed. All I had done was ask the girl to think about how she might feel if her friends did the same to her. I didn’t talk down to her, I talked to her like a peer, even though she was four years old.

A little girl I knew from five months old would be so devastated when her mother left, that she just wouldn’t settle. I managed to distract her with a sturdy but jingly necklace I always wore, and when she was older that became a bit of a game between us. She would put my necklace on, then take it off and put it on me. Then we’d roll around on the floor and have cuddles, until I tickled her, of course!

A family of three boys and one girl put me through my paces for the short time I worked with them. The older two would test the boundaries as they got to know me, as is the way for all six and seven year olds, but I enjoyed every moment of it.
It warmed my heart when their mother told me a couple of months later about how they had been reading a book and found a consistency error. During my time with this family, we discussed my freelance work as an editor and what that involved. One of the boys had seen this error and said, “Steph would have spotted that, wouldn’t she?”

I work in retail now. I miss spending time with my kids, but I do appreciate the stability of full time job for a big company. So Nanny Confidential sounded like the perfect book for me. I was so eager for this to be my next Nanny Diaries.

But there were a few problems.

The rest of this review can be found here!

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nanny Confidential is the story of Lindsay Starwood, an elite nanny caring for the children of some of the world's most recognisable celebrities.

Lyndsay has cared for the offspring of film stars, presidents, oil barons, musicians and Middle East royalty. Now she is the nanny of six adorable young girls, the daughters of a famous film director, Sir Cameron Appleby, and self obsessed television star, Alysha. Lyndsay's life appears glamorous, her closets are stuffed with designer fashions, she travels in chauffeur driven cars and private planes, and all while being paid astronomical sums, but both the children she cares for, and the demands of their parents, keep her on her toes.

Nanny Confidential is a novel that reads like a memoir, and I have to admit I had to remind myself that it was fiction more than once. Though Lyndsay relates some outrageous situations and examples of ridiculous excess she has witnessed in her job, it all seems so feasible. If only half of what Christian writes is true (and she herself as worked as a nanny for the rich and famous), it's no wonder that the children of celebrities so often lead disastrous lives as adults. Lyndsay has far more patience than I would for the absurdities of her job, quite frankly I don't think anyone could pay me enough to put up with the diva behaviour of celebrities like Alysha.

A quick, light read which includes a touch of romance, Nanny Confidential is suited best I think to readers who enjoy tell-all celebrity features and gossip.

[Veronica ⭐️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lindsay, a small town country girl from Australia, tells us how she fell into the job of nannying and went on to become a much sort after nanny to the rich and famous.

While trying to have a light hearted laugh at the celeb she is working for Lindsay Starwood needs to be careful she doesn’t set herself up as being a snob herself.

”She’d asked how Los Angeles was treating me and whether I planned to stay there indefinitely. I remember thinking it was odd she was interested, but put it down to small-town mentality” Ouch!!!

Christian has taken different events from real life situations and placed then all together in one fictitious celebrity family.

A light hearted beach read that doesn’t take too much thinking power.
If you are a celebrity watcher you will love this sneak peek into the lives of the rich and famous.

[Tony · Rating 1 out of 5]

Really?? The book failed on a number of different levels. In some ways it was like an expose on celebrities except the celebrities were not real. The situations were ludicrous with the love interest with the famous golfer cringe worthy. Then, at the end it almost becomes a guide on being a successful nanny like it was an educational self help book. Don't bother with it.

[Jodi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5🌟

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to become a nanny ? Be the caregiver of the rich and famous ? It may sound like a fun and exciting job but it does have it's downsides as real-life nanny Philippa Christian knows all about. She has decided to write a fictional version of what it's like being a nanny to the stars . Nanny Confidential follows the life of Lindsey Starwood who grew up in a small Australian town and who hit it bigtime looking after children of stars after a babysitting gig for singer Stavros turned into a career. We follow Lindsey through hard times where she is fired from jobs because the boss's "new" wife doesn't like how friendly she is with the family to refusing to take a day off. Reading this , it did reiterate stories that I have heard from friends who took the nannying and au pair route where they were threatened with their jobs if they did not work on a day where they were supposed to be off. The main part of this story focuses on Lindsey's working relationship with the Applebys and their brood of children. Through tabloids, reality TV shows, divorces and the extreme amount of children's daily activities , Lindsey is the "Nanny" in this fun fictional expose take on Hollywood Nannies. Move over Hollywood Confidential , it's time for Nanny Confidential to shine as the underdogs rise to the top .

Goodbye Actors and Actresses and Hello Nannies. This was a fun read and fans of The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin and The Au Pairs series by Melissa De La Cruz will thoroughly enjoy and devour.

[Eliza Satchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was a comedy and reality book which is sometimes hard to find. I recommend it for someone looking for a laugh and a reality insight on the rich and famous!

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick read with a mildly amusing story, but lacks substance and detail. The writing style also leaves much to be desired, the writer falls into the trap of telling rather than showing the story.

[TheCosyDragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review has been crossposted from my blog at The Cosy Dragon . Please head there for more in-depth reviews by me, which appear on a timely schedule.

Lindsay is an elite nanny working in the homes of the rich and famous, looking after their kids so they can present their best face to the world. As an Australian far from home, her family worries about her rich lifestyle. Lindsay on the other hand has her feet firmly on the ground.

I really don’t remember requesting this novel, and I can’t find evidence for it in my inbox. But I picked it up with a positive will, thinking it would be perfect pool-side reading.

Personally, I wanted less asides into the other nannying positions she had had, and more focus on a main family. I would have been enthralled by more details. As it was, it was a little too skinny for me. The blurb writes it up as a dashing romance vs a hard life of looking after children not your own, but that wasn’t the case.

The problem may have been that I’m not familiar with any of the celebrities that were mentioned, or hinted about. I understand about the limitations of working with famous people and writing not always positive things about them!

Unfortunately I felt a bit empty after reading it. Where did that time go? Did I learn something useful? Not really. Is it perfect for a light read? Yeah, maybe, if you like to peep into ‘Celebrity lives’ at home. I'm going to be generous and grant it 3 stars, because it wasn’t awful.

[Josie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book was like reading a really long article in a magazine. Thats not to say i didn't enjoy the book, their were some really interesting pieces about what the rich and famous demand and expect in everyday life, if i had my time again id seriously look at this career path for myself, make a bundle over a period of time and invest, invest, invest.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed reading about nannying for the rich and famous and the author's anecdotes about their lives. The waste, the extravagence, the money and their egos was beyond astonishing - it's such an un-real world! To keep a calm head and to care and protect these children is a heroic job - "I act like a slave and live like a Queen!" Well done, Philipa Christian.

[Luisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book - it's definitely an easy read. I could have finished it much quicker than I did.
Cute story line, fun characters - especially trying to pick up on different traits of the celebrities.
Fun and feel good read.

[Di Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read but wasn't quite as good as I'd hoped.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was an easy fun read - just as I'd hoped and expected.
and let's face it, we can't resist a chance to peek behind the gold fringed curtain of the obscenely rich and famous!

[Michelle Whitfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting perspective of the nannying world for the rich and famous.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinda interesting, author was a nanny so its an inside view. Good descriptions but more suspense needed.

[Ellouise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Have read this book twice in the span of 10 years. Easy read and filler book. Gives an insight to a "lavish" job aswell as the bnefits and downfalls of working with the upper class.