cover image The Nanny

The Nanny

Lana Ferguson. Berkley, $17 trade paper (352p) ISBN 978-0-593-54935-3

Ferguson’s equally sexy and endearing debut finds occupational therapy student Cassie Evans struggling to keep her head above water after losing her job. Facing eviction, Cassie jumps at the opportunity to be a full-time, live-in nanny for attractive single father and executive chef Aiden Reid and his daughter. It’s either that, or she returns to the OnlyFans account she deactivated after her love connection with an anonymous fan ended in heartbreak: after a series of flirtatious and emotional messages, the fan ghosted her, triggering Cassie’s abandonment issues. Unbeknownst to Cassie, Aiden and the mystery fan are the same. The pair work together seamlessly, but attraction makes it hard to keep things platonic—until Cassie learns Aiden’s identity, leading her to question both Aiden’s intentions and their budding romance. Ferguson makes the will-they-won’t-they sing with complex emotional shading and a strong sense of inevitability to her protagonists’ connection. The secondary characters, especially Aiden’s feisty neighbor and adorably sassy daughter, add depth. Rosie Danan fans should snap this up. Agent: Jessica Watterson, Sandra Dijkstra Literary. (Apr.)