The Darkest Lullaby: A Dark Nanny Anthology by Elle Beaumont

The Darkest Lullaby: A Dark Nanny Anthology Reviews

• 
  Donna (BookDragonGirl)

  These are some pretty creepy stories about Nannies and the creepy jobs they end up with. I loved this!! It’s basically a book of nightmares, or may give you nightmares!
  
  I love good anthologies, where you can read one story at a time. This one has six extremely good stories, so freaking creepy! After I’d read a story, it would stick with me. I couldn’t stop thinking/dreaming about it. They ALL did that to me!!
  
  Highly recommend if you enjoy short creepy stories by some really good authors!! It releases the end of October 2023, so a great book for then!!
• 
  Eileen

  This was a perfect read for October, dark and disturbing, with six short stories by different authors, four of whom were new to me. All stories feature a nanny working in unusual situations, only some of whom survive to tell the tale.
  
  The Silver Whistle by Marlena Frank - 3 stars
  This author was new to me and I had no idea what was going on except that I kept telling Marion, the main character, to get out of there. I was surprised by the ending, but I'm not sure I liked it. It was definitely unsettling, so it achieved that at least.
  
  When You Hear Them Scream by C. Vonzale Lewis - 5 stars
  I've read two short stories by her before, both in anthologies with Elle Beaumont (Emporium of Superstition and Beyond the Cogs). I don't remember all the details, but I remember really liking both her short stories. This one was no exception. It was one of the longer of the stories in this collection, which I loved, and the author was able to take her time with developing the story and the characters. The story was creative and creepy, and I really loved the ending. The story contained two timelines, and I really liked how the past timeline was used--it really added depth and complexity to the story. After reading this story, I really need to check out her full-length novel series, Blood and Sacrifice (starting with Lineage) as it's apparent I really like her writing!
  
  A Little Blood and a Broken Cage by Jessica Cranberry - 4 stars
  I've also read one of her stories before, in Emporium of Superstition. Her previous story was one of my favorites, mainly because I really liked the two main characters and the feel of the story was New Orleans. This one was a bit strange, and I didn't connect as strongly with the main character. I think I wanted a little more depth. But it still kept me interested and I kept imagining what was happening behind the scenes. Overall, it was a satisfying read.
  
  That Thing In the House With the Arched Roof by Katya De Becerra - 5 stars
  Another author from the Emporium of Superstition and another one of my favorites from that collection. Katya has the ability to write a true short story and keep you riveted the entire time and give you a satisfying ending that keeps you unsettled and knowing there may be a next time. This was short, creepy, and man, I was looking down a dark corridor and remembering this story, lol!
  
  You Can Close Your Eyes by Elle Beaumont - 4.5 stars
  Any collection or story by Elle Beaumont that comes across my notifications for Book Sirens or from her is an automatic request from me. I always enjoy what she writes, and she's how I ended up discovering many of the writers in this collection and in the Emporium of Superstition. Rachel was such a disturbing character, and I couldn't understand how Eva could stand to work with her for more than a day! The ending was surprising but yikes!
  
  A Mother's Love by D. M. Siciliano - 3.5 stars
  This was a bit of an odd one, involving a doll. Not a fan of dolls, but they do make scary subjects in ghost stories. I don't want to reveal spoilers, but there were two things that Alexandra did when nannying for this girl that had me screaming to her, don't do that! She basically did what all the people do in horror movies that you keep telling them not to do. Despite that stupidity, I still was pretty creeped out by this story. But unlike some of the previous stories, I liked that Alexandra actually talked to her loved ones and shared some of what was going on!
  
  Overall, I'd give this collection 4 stars, and if you like this, I would also recommend that you read the Emporium of Superstition. If you like steampunk, Beyond the Cogs is good, although it only contains 3 stories.
  
  I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from BookSirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
  
  
• 
  Katya de Becerra

  I have a story in this one and it's a really scary one!
• 
  Lyra

  First off, I loved the premise of every story in this anthology. This was my first time reading bite-sized horror stories and it certainly won’t be the last because I really enjoyed the experience.
  
  The same theme threads through all of the stories, but I found that they were actually quite similar in many other aspects aside from including nannies, some of which may feel like cliches (specifically, memory loss, believing what you experienced was a dream and the experience actually being a dream). That being said, it was interesting to see what different authors did with the same building blocks.
  
  I’ll briefly go through each of the stories below.
  
  1. The Silver Whistle by Marlena Frank. Good writing, but I felt that it was lacking depth and I wish I had finished the story knowing more about the child and his father – what exactly was happening and why?
  
  2. When You Hear Them Scream by C. Vonzale Lewis. Might have been my favourite both in terms of the premise and execution. I loved the two timelines, even though one of them was very brief. I felt that it gave the story much more substance than it would have had without it.
  
  3. A Little Blood and a Broken Cage by Jessica Cranberry. Very atmospheric and mysterious. I again enjoyed the tiniest bit of backstory we got. I found the ending a bit abrupt and would have liked more complexity. The solution just seemed too simple. (Also, in Chapter 6, Sofia suddenly changes into Sofie.)
  
  4. That Thing in the House with the Arched Roof by Katya de Becerra. I just love creepy houses so much. Great writing in this one and I loved that the ending didn’t have a big red bow on it.
  
  5. You Can Close Your Eyes by Elle Beaumont. Again, fabulous ending, but the writing itself confused me a little bit. I had to go over some snippets several times to understand who was talking with whom and I still didn’t quite understand what was happening and how.
  
  6. A Mother’s Love by D.M. Siciliano. Unfortunately, I think this is the weakest of the bunch. The night Alexandra searched the rooms of the house, the entire feel of of the story switched to something almost cartoonish and absurd, but I don’t think it was the intention. The constant mentions of the storm started to feel very ’It was a dark and stormy night’ type of a cliche.
  
  The writing was odd in some places in terms of syntax and the sequence of the events/interactions also didn’t make sense. Alexandra tells her roommate Cassidy the Big Secret twice, with the second time being presented as if it’s the first time, and only after the second time, Cassidy reveals all she knows and has heard, even though it made no sense to hold all this information back after the first time Alexandra told her who she’s babysitting. It has lots of potential, but definitely needs some work still.
  
  I think overall I'd rate it 3.5. Even through all the faults (which weren't major in 5/6 of the stories), I can't deny I was utterly gripped throughout.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  ♥️

  Why should you be reading this? Well, there’s horror, suspense, thriller and mysteries packed inside this anthology. We’ve got 6 brilliant female authors teaming together to make sure you stay on the edge of your seat for the entirety of this anthology.
  
  You need more reasons? Okay, I’ve got you.
  
  There’s murders, ghosts, spirits, haunted houses, creepy children and of course our strong main female characters who are quick witted, smart and always ready to put their lives in danger. Sounds convincing enough? Cool. Mark your calendars, 25th of October 2023.
  
  I loved the starting two stories a little too much. There’s really shocking plot twists and I love a story that can keep me guessing and making theories in my head. Although I love it when my theories are proven wrong, but I do enjoy it when my theories come true.
  
  You’ll have a good time reading this, trust me. Because I had a good time and at some point I wish it won’t end. 😂 but all good things come to an end.
  
  I’ll be checking out these authors other projects because they sure are talented.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Jessica

  This book is going down in history for me because it will be my first time giving an ARC a 5 ⭐!!!
  Yes, I enjoyed it so much I'm nursing a very bad headache right now because it gave me nightmares. I couldn't decide which story I like the most because each one is a unique tale of its own (well, except for the nanny concept).
  So this book is a collection of short stories and each and every one of them is so good. Short chapters and the horrors served straight to the point (which I think is also one of the main reasons why I enjoyed it so much. Yes, I hate long-ass chapters) and in your face. No long-winding descriptions just straight-up good stories (great editing!)
  No spoilers but I strongly recommend this for horror lovers like me. Definitely worth a read.
  
  
  
  
  
  Thanks to BookSirens for this free ARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion. #BookSirens #TheDarkestLullaby #ElleBeaumont
  
  
• 
  Jess

  Super quick read with some creepy little stories! I particularly liked the story by Elle Beaumont, it’s set in my hometown area. Its not a commonly discussed place and I appreciated that I could actually envision the area because I know it so well! Definitely recommend if you like creepy, short stories about Nannies with dolls, death and witches.
  
  Thank you BookSirens for the ARC!
• 
  Candace Robinson

  A shoutout to Marlena Frank for sending me an ARC of this! It was so much fun and if you know me at all, I love all things horror and creepy! All the stories were flipping awesome and no, I won’t state my favorite lol! So if you dare, check out these yummy bites of horror!
• 
  Morven Carmichael

  I really enjoyed these stories and I definitely felt every one of them could be expanded and made into actual novels. They all kept you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommend!
• 
  Zarina

  Absolutely amazing! Loved these dark horror stories for Halloween or anytime you want something spooky! So many amazing authors came together to make this!
• 
  Geff Ratcheson

  I'm only familiar with 2 of these authors: C. Vonzale Lewis & Elle Beaumont, whom I both enjoy. The reason I chose to read & review this collection is because I feel that Ms Lewis is one of the best indie contemporary authors out there, & the only way I could find to get a copy of her story was to read the entire book (I am low income, & really appreciate the entire ARC concept). I have been surprised in the past; in fact I discovered Ms Lewis in a collection! I believe this is a horror compilation about Children & their caregivers.
  
  Well here goes! (After reading, I'm giving the collection 4 of 5 stars).
  
  1. The Silver Whistle - Marlena Frank 4/5
  
  Short, quirky & entertaining 3 chapter Novella about a Nanny & her young charge. I really am unsure how to discuss the plotting without this review becoming a spoiler. I would recommend this, it held my interest & the end is definitely a bit of a surprise.
  
  2. When You Hear Them Scream - C. Vonzale Lewis 4/5
  
  As I mentioned above, I first discovered Ms. Lewis in a collection. She hasn't released a lot of books, & most are on compilations like this. I have her 2 stand alones (per her bio in the comp, there's a third one on the way called "Tribe"), & I have & have read 3 of the 7 stories that the same bio states are in compilations like this one. I'd love to get a hold of the other 4. The only one I could find was over my budget, & was mostly authors I wasn't familiar with. Per Amazon, 2 were only on out of print paperbacks (1 of which sells for $20 on Amazon), 1 is on a Kindle anthology called "This Fresh Hell" that's beyond my budget & there is a 4th comp with a story from Ms. Lewis per the bio that I can't find anywhere.
  
  I find Ms Lewis' writing to be much more interesting, thoughtful & intelligent than the majority of contempoarary authors in this genre. This one is cult horror from either an ancient Greek fable, or possibly the author's imagination. Like always with Ms. Lewis, highly recommended.
  
  3. A Little Blood & A Broken Cage - Jessica Cranberry 4/5 - Another author (4 of the 6) who is new to me. Creepy, well written story about a mean, semi-sane psychic, her daughter, her new nanny & trotured ghosts. Well written.
  
  4. That Thing In The House With The Arched Roof - Katya de Becarra 3.5/5 - Creepy! This is a bit more standard of a creepy chiller than the ones that came before it. My first read from this author. Fast, easy read.
  
  5. You Can Close Your Eyes - Elle Beaumont 4/5 - Very short story with a very unexpected & creepy twist!
  
  6. A Mother's Love - D.M. Siciliano 3/5 - Another author who is new to me. It's a shame I can't give away spoilers, as this is very similar to Ms Beaumont's story, & if I describe either, it would give both away. This one doesn't have the element of surprise that Ms Beaumont's did & isn't as well written imo.
  
  All in all this is better than the average comp, the only story close to a clunker is the last one. I can definitely recommend the first 5.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Marlena Frank

  I’m part of this anthology but I thought it would be cool to review the other stories in this collection. And give a little peek into my own.
  
  The Silver Whistle by Marlena Frank
  Hey, that one’s mine! I had a fun time mixing horror and mystery in this piece, weaving in some truly gruesome scenes along the way. I imagined a gorgeous manor house with lovely roses climbing up old brick walls. A sturdy home that lulls the reader into a sense of serenity, but actually hides a menacing truth.
  
  When You Hear Them Scream by C. Vonzale Lewis
  An incredible melding of folklore and cults amid a disturbing manor and its terrible secret. I absolutely loved this story! It felt like the past was pulled into the present, which is fitting for a tale that revolves around time. Once again, I find myself blown away by Lewis’ skill at storytelling. I love her kick-butt heroines!
  
  A Little Blood and a Broken Cage by Jessica Cranberry
  A haunting tale about Mags, a woman trying to uncover details about her brother’s disappearance by working as a nanny for a famous psychic. Only things aren’t what they seem, and Mags may have underestimated her psychic employer and the little girl in her care. A haunting tale with terrifying visuals exploring the darker side of fame and family.
  
  That Thing in the House with the Arched Roof by Katya de Beccera
  Emma is part of a long line of witches, who are known for their bright red hair and their skill with witchcraft. She tried to escape that fate for a large part of her life, but when her Aunt passes away she finds herself back in town and having to complete the magical work her Aunt started. I was drawn in to this family’s magical roots and their ongoing battles with creatures who live on the other side of the veil. I absolutely loved the creativity of this story along with the visuals that will definitely linger! Fantastic story!
  
  You Can Close Your Eyes by Elle Beaumont
  Wow, I had no idea where this one was going at first! After losing a fantastic nanny job with some great kids, Eva finds a very eager nanny job that pays a little too well to be believed. The child has a bit of an attitude problem, but surely that’s not a big deal. I can’t say too much about this story cause that twist at the end was crazy. This one definitely crawls under your skin!
  
  A Mother’s Love by D.M. Siciliano
  When Alexandra takes on a nanny job for the local haunted house, she quickly realizes that she should have listened to her instincts. What starts out as mere creepy feelings and an unusual client turns into a horrifying tale of survival. The visuals are super creepy! As the danger ramps up, expect this story to be tough to put down. Definitely a gruesome and terrifying tale!
  
  This book was definitely a five star read for me and I’m so honored to be part of it!
• 
  Audrey Halliwell

  I HAVE to give this anthology bonus points for the sheer beauty of its cover and inside graphics. There aren't character illustrations or anything, but each title page has a graphic of a skull with a butterfly, each chapter page is black with details that look like spider webbing, and the scene breaks are of skulls. All of this really drives home the cohesiveness of the anthology.
  
  I don't want to give too many details on each story, because as this is an anthology sometimes even a few sentences can have spoilers. In short: this anthology features six stories revolving around nannies with spooky twists. I thought each story was well written. What's nice about anthologies, including this one included, is that the stories are perfect to read at your own pace. Each story is pretty short so you can fit in an entire story within an hour or so.
  
  Not only is this anthology perfect for Halloween, but also for rainy days and bedtime stories.
  
  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
• 
  Audrey Stars in Her Eye

  Overall, I enjoyed this omnibus of nanny stories. While they all tended to the same theme- a gothic house as a major player story strayed away from the typical horror story keeping the reader on their toes and spooked.
  
  The Silver Whistle-Marlena Frank: Creepy with a fantastic twist.
  When You Hear Them Scream-C. Vonzale Lewis Takes cults to a whole new level.
  A Little Blood and a Broken Cage-Jessica Cranberry: This a pretty good story even if the ending should have been slowed down
  That Thing in the House with the Arched Roof-Katya de Becerra: This was the weakest in the collection, an average monster/demon story
  You Can Close Your Eyes-Elle Beaumont: This one is a slow burn that ends in an incredibly horrifying manner
  A Mother's Love-D.M. Siciliano: This is the most gruesome and horrifying of the bunch with a Frakenstien-type ending
  I received an ARC for review; all opinions are my own.
• 
  Janalyn

  In this anthology The Darkest Lullaby by El Beaumont we are treated to six stories by six talented female riders including someone who is profile I go to looking for short stories and that is Marlena Franks she tells us a story about a girl who is the nanny to the worst ward ever! They also have another nanny story in the book by Jessica cranberry but the girl she is to entertain for the summer is psychic and although Magnolia went there looking for answers it didn’t come in the way she thought it should all the stories in this book are quite entertaining and made me wish it would’ve been longer I totally enjoyed the story by Al Beaumont and the one whose mom was a witch I think it’s called a mothers love either way all the stores awesome as I said I loved it and definitely recommend it I want to thank Book Sprout for my free Ark copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.
• 
  La'Jacinth

  Let me say that I do not read horror nor do I watch it but I do like the supernatural and the twist it takes. I am firm believer in we are not the only sentient being on this plane and more oftenthan not we intersect and run paralell with many versions of this life. With that being said her are my reviews.
  
  Review for The Silver Whistle by Marlena Franks
  
  Originally, I was confused by the story but one I got pass the the first few paragraphs, I became intrigued. Yes this story falls in line with American Horror Stories, a little Stephen King and a whole lot of oooh he needs a whooping....lol. But you realize, the issue isn’t really Peter..it is the dad.
  
  S/N: After each story is read, I will update my reviews until completed.
  
  I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
• 
  Cassie The Ghost

  Thank You to the authors and BookSiren for allowing me to review this ARC with honesty.
  
  Apologies for the lateness on this.
  
  I read this anthology and overall was not disappointed. There were some stories that gave you the creeps, stories that made you have more questions than answers and stories that left you feeling like you want more.
  
  The first story really stuck with me and it had me puzzled for a bit. The second was fun and the stories continued to flow. The one that stuck with me the most however was "A Little Blood and a Broken Cage."
  
  Overall, I would recommend anyone who likes short creepy stories and would also like to explore new writers. Some of these authors I haven't read and would like read more from now.
  
  
• 
  Lynnsey_M

  Ok. Let me start by saying I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. That being said, these were finally some stories that actually had me like wtf. Being a nanny is a tough job in and of itself but you add in some creepy old houses and children who aren’t exactly what you’re expecting and it’s a wild ride. We’re talking nightmares that are a little too real, ghosts around every corner, witches, dolls that would give Annabelle a run for her money and more.. This book is perfect for spooky season. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
• 
  Hailey Owen

  1. The Silver Whistle - 5 stars holy fuck?! Loved the storyline, twists, and creepy atmosphere, the ending was *chefs kiss*
  2. When you Hear Them Scream - 5 stars!! This one evoked all of my emotions!! I love a good heroine!
  3. A Little Blood and a Broken Case - 4 stars. Very good story.
  4. The Thing in the House with the Arches Roof - 4 slow beginning but loved the ending! Good heroine!
  5. You Can Close Your Eyes - 4 stars. Very ominous with a fun twist!
  6. A Mothers Love - 5 stars. So unsettling and creepy. The atmosphere was amazing!
• 
  Stacie

  I absolutely loved this collection of stories.
  
  Each one is perfectly written and has you on the edge of your seat.
  
  You can close your eyes: hooked from the beginning, creepy and I wanted more..oh it's sooo good.
  
  A mother's love: omg I thought You can close your eyes was creepy this one was creepier. I actually held my breath reading this. It was pure adrenaline reading this.
  
  I loved it soo much
• 
  Katy The Sleepy Reader

  This collection of stories was the perfect October read. Six short stories in all, by different authors. Each one is darker and more disturbing than the last.
  
  If you love collections of short stories, then this is definitely one you should check this one out. There is not one bad story in the bunch. I received this book free from Booksirens for an honest review.
• 
  Alexa Hill

  The darkest lullaby
  
  This is an anthology-for those that don't know, It's a collection of short stories from multiple different authors.
  
  ⭐⭐⭐ Averaged
  
  From my understanding this was supposed to be a horror/thriller about nannies. I feel like a majority of the stories spent too much time on the details and world building then on the actual scary part of it I guess.
• 
  Devons book corner

  This anthology is the perfect spooky season read. If you are looking for dark and disturbing stories, then this one is for you. All of the stories in this anthology feature a nanny that was working in an unusual situation, and only some survived to tell their story. This book is creepy, and it's sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
• 
  Yvonne Marie

  ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
  
  I really enjoyed this dark nanny anthology. You hear a lot of bad nanny stories, but this?! This was crazy!
  
  The Silver Whistle 4⭐️
  When You Hear Them Scream 3⭐️
  A Little Bird and a Broken Cage 4.75⭐️
  That Thing in the House With the Arched Room 4.5⭐️
  You Can Close Your Eyes 5⭐️
  A Mother's Love 4.75⭐️
  
  Definitely an anthology I could see myself re-reading 🖤
• 
  Krystal Brooke

  I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. If you enjoy American Horror Story or North American Lake Monsters, this is definitely right up the alley for you!
• 
  Anjali

  I think I forgot to swallow occasionally while reading this book. This is an amazing collection of dark, disturbing stories for all the Spook-tober vibes, and might just convince you to go to your next Halloween party as ... a Nanny!
• 
  Rachel Brunelle

  Was an amazing anthology of horror and the stories were fascinating and creepy! Definitely recommending this!