REVIEW: The Nanny by Lana Ferguson

In The Nanny by Lana Ferguson, Cassie Evans is a grad student who can finally see the light at the end of the long tunnel that has been her college career. So of course, that’s when she’s let go at her job, through no fault of her own. Scrambling to find something that will work around her occupational therapy lab schedule, Cassie contemplates–for a millisecond–restarting her OnlyFans page. But after the way things ended, she can’t bring herself to do it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a nanny job. Her charge, Sophie, is a sassy nine-year-old with a chip on her shoulder and the most beautiful smile–the few times Cassie gets to see it. Her boss, she eventually realizes, is a temptation from her past. Sophie’s executive chef father, Aiden, is too handsome to be real, yet he also proves to be kind and gracious. Too dangerous a combination for Cassie to ignore.

‘It isn’t fair that he is so good-looking. Paired with the fact that he’s sweet and funny and doing his best as a single dad…my ovaries are forming their own fan club at this point.’

Aiden had just about given up hope of finding a nanny that 1) wouldn’t run screaming out of his house after dealing with Sophie all day and 2) wouldn’t get the wrath of Sophie’s aunt Iris brought down on them for no good reason other than Iris’s poor attitude. Then Cassie applies for the job. And while Aiden’s childcare issues are solved, it brings about other problems. Namely, that he can’t keep his mind off of Cassie. And not in a boss-employee kind of way. More of the carnal variety. So, when Aiden figures out the truth about why she seems familiar and their attraction heats up even more, he’ll have to figure out how to find balance in his life so he can (hopefully) keep Cassie in it.

‘I reach up to cup her face in my hands, my thumbs brushing against her cheeks. How have I only known her for such a short time? Why does it feel like it would be something unsurvivable if she were to suddenly walk away?’

The Nanny hit all the bells and whistles I look for in a contemporary romance: delightfully charming characters, naughty love scenes, genuine emotions, and an ending that was as fun as it was sweet.

“You can fix anything with love.”

What a debut novel! Lana Ferguson’s writing voice is one that I simply adore after getting to know Cassie, Aiden, Sophie, Wanda, and, yes, even Iris. There was a complex mix of humor–both subtle and not so subtle–with scorching hot love scenes, awkward banter, and flawed people making realistic mistakes. What’s not to like, right?

I fell for our main cast right from the start. We first saw Cassie’s friendship with her (at the time) neighbor across the hall, Wanda, who was 40+ years older than Cassie. But it worked. They were an absolute riot together between Wanda’s outrageousness and Cassie’s lack of a verbal filter. Plus, there was almost a mother-daughter part to their relationship that was truly heartwarming, with Wanda imparting wisdom and advice with her usual lightheartedness so she didn’t push Cassie in any specific direction.

Aiden was one smoking hot hero. A single dad to adorable nine-year-old Sophie, he was an executive chef with a very busy career. But I loved how hard he tried to make things as easy on his daughter as possible while showing her how much he cared about her, cherished their time together. Sophie herself was the best. She’d been through a lot in her few years on earth, but she had a huge personality, was wicked smart *and* funny, and gave all of her nannies a run for their money! (lol) Cassie, though…she understood Sophie right from the start. And oh what a team they made once they got to know each other. Something Aiden loved seeing.

I can’t say much about Cassie and Aiden’s (unknowing) past on OnlyFans, but it was woven in superbly by Ferguson. It was all kinds of intense and passionate, both when they met anonymously online and when Cassie later became Sophie’s nanny. The snippets of chats they previously shared on OnlyFans were H-O-T. But the way Cassie handled a few things, becoming martyr-ish at the end, was the only time I questioned things. That sigh-worthy HEA, though, completely made up for it.

QOTD: Cassie & Sophie first bonded over their love of pancakes (*not* made by chef Aiden, which was a running joke between them, lol). Do you have a favorite breakfast/brunch food?

Book Info:

Publication: April 11th, 2023 | Berkley |

A woman discovers the father of the child she is nannying may be her biggest (Only)Fan in this steamy contemporary romance by Lana Ferguson.

After losing her job and being on the brink of eviction, Cassie Evans finds herself with two choices: get a new job (and fast) or fire up her long-untouched OnlyFans account. But there are no jobs to be found, 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 position seems 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. She is shocked when he tells her she’s the most qualified applicant he’s met in weeks, practically begging her to take the job. With hands that make her hindbrain howl and eyes that scream sex, the idea of living under the same roof as Aiden 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. She finds herself at a loss for what to do, given that he doesn’t remember her. As their relationship heats to temperatures hotter than 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.