Ferguson, Lana. The Nanny. Berkley, 2023. 352pp. ISBN 9780593549353 $17.00

**

Broke PT student Cassie decides to accept a nanny position with an astronomical salary instead of going back to her OnlyFans channel. The hot dad who hires her is an overworked chef–who just happens to be the number one fan who ghosted her a few years ago. She recognizes Aiden before he figures out who she is (she was masked in their interactions and is careful to keep an identifying scar under wraps around him, even after they embark on a completely inappropriate relationship that they have to keep hidden from his feisty and adorable pre-teen daughter and her suspicious aunt).

The narrative moves back and forth in point of view from Cassie and Aiden, and includes private messaging from the OnlyFans relationship. While there is some great banter, awkwardness that makes things real, and good pacing, I couldn’t quite suspend my disbelief either when Aiden can’t make pancakes, or when he asks for more time with his family and the owner of his restaurant says yes and doesn’t dock his pay when Aiden offers to take a cut for less hours of work.

Overall, this was more of an erotic fiction novel than a romance. While I appreciated the sex positive vibe, I found a reference to being STD-free as being “clean” to be old fashioned and judgemental, and consent unclear in one scene. Truthfully, the employer/employee relationship dynamic is squicky, and so is a fully adult, established male hooking up with a young, broke, student–too much power imbalance.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #TheNanny from #NetGalley.