The Nanny Book Review

Lana Ferguson's The Nanny is a super fun read, one that I was wary of picking up for myself, but that the second it was in my hands, I couldn't stop reading. Not only is the romance as steamy as you'd expect, but the characters form real and heartfelt connections, and you'll be rooting for all of them by the end. A definite must-read for all fans of romance, The Nanny does one of my favorite things in romance, which is telling a larger story about something—in this case, Ferguson chooses family, and the lengths we'd go to for them. 

Lana Ferguson is a sex-positive nerd whose works never shy from spice or sass. A faded Fabio cover found its way into her hands at fifteen, and she's never been the same since. When she isn't writing, you can find her randomly singing show tunes, arguing over which batman is superior, and subjecting her friends to the extended editions of The Lord of the Rings. Lana lives mostly in her own head but can sometimes be found chasing her corgi through the coppice of the great American outdoors. You can find her online at LanaFerguson.com or on Instagram @lanafergusonwrites. 

Suddenly unemployed and on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans is left with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But the job market is terrible, and as for OnlyFans. . . . Well, there are reasons she can't go back. Just when all hope seems lost, an ad for a live-in nanny positions appears to be the solution to all her problems. It's almost too perfect—until she meets her would-be employer. Aiden Reid, executive chef and DILF extraordinaire, is far from the stuffy single dad Cassie was imagining. He shocks her when he tells her she's the most qualified applicant he's met in weeks and practically begs her to take the job. The idea of living under the same roof as Aiden—with his hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex—feels dangerous, but with no other option, she decides to stay with him and his adorably tenacious daughter, Sophie. Cassie soon discovers that Aiden is not a stranger at all but instead someone who is very familiar with her—or at least her body. Given that he doesn't remember her, Cassie is faced with an impossible situation. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than those reached in any kitchen Aiden has ever worked in, Cassie struggles with telling Aiden the truth, and the more terrifying possibility—losing the best chance at happiness she's ever had. 

I'd seen this book everywhere, but was wary of the premise—and I shouldn't have been! Ferguson is incredibly sex-positive throughout the whole book, while also spending time depicting the relationships the characters build outside of the main romance. I love how Cassie and Sophie developed their friendship, and how Cassie influences Iris's perspective to the benefit of Aiden's and Sophie's family.  While I would have liked to see more of Cassie's background and how her parents' treatment of her influence her ideas of romance, overall Ferguson spends just as much time developing the characters outside of the romance, which overall makes for a more satisfying read.

I enjoyed how The Nanny very subtly was a dual narrative. Each chapter begins with a flashback, in the form of thoughts or text messages. This fun style of storytelling, on top of the already fun story itself, kept the whole book fresh. I also enjoyed how the first time Aiden and Cassie have a relationship online through these thoughts or text messages sometimes reflects or comments on their present storyline. This also means that, in addition to forced proximity (and arguably slow burn?), The Nanny is a second chance romance. I'm usually not a fan of those, but because of the details around their past and the subtle nature of the second chance romance element, I think it works for the story. I love how steamy and trope-y this book is, in addition to the fresh feel that it has. 

The only thing that really wasn't all there for me was the pacing. The beginning felt about 50 pages longer than it needed to be, and overall the book felt 100 pages longer than it should have been. It hits all the right romance notes—the meet cute at the beginning, the third-act breakup at the end—but I felt like overall the whole structure could have been tighter. This didn't, by any means, ruin the reading experience or make or break anything, as the way that it is structured helped build a lot of tension between the characters. However, I couldn't help but think that it would have been a five star read for me had the book been structured in a tighter way. 

I will be keeping my eye out for more from Lana Ferguson, and you can too, by following her online at LanaFerguson.com or on Instagram @lanafergusonwrites. 

*This review can also be found on my Goodreads page*