GRR Reviews Marrying Mister Perfect by Lizzie Shane

Jack is a single father and heart surgeon, handsome as sin, loving as a father can be. It's no wonder he got picked as the star in the new season of "Marrying Mister Perfect", a "The Bachelor" style "reality show" where a dozen women will vie for his ring(s). So why did Jack agree? He agreed that he's way too comfortable with Louisa, Jack's wife's friend, who fell into the nanny role after his wife tragically died... and she just never left. It's clear that she felt obligated to him and his family, and perhaps, finding a wife for himself would finally free Lou to chase her own dreams... But what does Lou want? Will Jack realize what he wanted was there all along? Can Jack let Lou know esp. when the camera is always rolling? 

Nice twists and turns, even though the angst is seriously high about how they claim to be sacrificing their own happiness for the other, but it ended up more like "the gift of the magi". 

4/5

GRR Reviews Finding Home by Jackie Weger

Phoebe is just 24, but she knows how to fend for herself... even with two of her siblings in tow. However, she's trying to find a home for her clan, and she's running out of cash and gas. Things looked REALLY bleak when she backed into Gage Morgan's truck, and he decided to hold her bumper (with the license plate) hostage until she comes up with $70. She doesn't even have $7, but what she does is a ton of pride and ingenuity. With a lot of fast-talking (and emotional blackmail/ con) she managed to talk herself into Morgan's home and became a babysitter/housekeeper for Morgan and his little girl, while she finds work nearby. It's clear that Morgan's been hurt before, and isn't about to trust any women ever again...

Very different from the author's previous works. Love the language, as Phoebe, let's just say, lacks education, just a lot of "country smarts", and the vocabulary shows. You can laugh at Phoebe's attempt to talk herself out of a jam... or to express love, and how it still works out. 5/5

GRR Reviews her Generous Billionaire by Juliette Duncan

Marcus is still grieving over the death of his one true love and wife. He doubts he will ever love again. In the meanwhile, he provides for his disabled mom, but he's busy and he needs to hire a caretaker... // Tiffany is a single parent raising two kids after an ugly divorce, and a caretaker job is perfect for her. Meeting Marcus... well, he's her boss. She can't get involved with him... But when he had to choose a date for a charity ball, and a sticky (and icky) ex wanted to be his date, he quickly decided Tiffany would be a much more suitable choice after all. But that dance soon turned into something more. Yet are either of them ready for love, much less with each other?

Pretty standard hot for boss, albeit as a nanny/caretaker role with senior instead of kids. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews her Compassionate Billionaire by Juliette Duncan

Jonathan "Jon" is a rich single father trying to raise 3 kids... by hiring nannies and overworking himself because he's still grieving over his wife's early death. When their nanny had to quit two weeks before Christmas due to family issues, he has no choice but to place ads to hire another. He didn't expect to find Ruth... // Ruth is a new empty nester... Her son, who just turned adult, is heading for college. Yes, she was a single mom, but she believes in God and He has lead her out of dark times. And she has more love to give. Being a nanny to 3 kids is exactly what she needed...

Not much innovation or twists, it's a straightforward hot for boss / hot for nanny romance albeit with a clean Christian theme around the Holidays. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Falling in Love with a Police Officer by Ellie Hall

Owen is a single father and police. He moved back to his hometown Hawk Ridge Hollow to help his daughter settle in, even though his brothers have all left the area on their own careers, despite family riches. Falling for his daughter's kindergarten teacher, Brynn, was not in the plans. // Brynn left the big city behind after losing her cop husband in the line of duty. She swore she will never date a cop again. She had no children, and being a teacher seems to be the closest she would get to a family. When Owens needs a sitter for his daughter because he works the night shift, and Brynn needs a "room parent" to help with the school, they ended up spending more time together. But when she made a mistake, how many secrets can they confess to each other to regain trust?

Nice, and the family fortune barely factored into the story, merely as a background element for tension. It's basically two damaged people coming together. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Blind Date with Her Cowboy Billionaire Boss by Hanna Hart

Shelby lost her infant son to SIDS. When she found her husband had been cheating, she left it all and went home to Carrin, TX, but without any workable skills, she felt lucky to find a job to be a nanny to a local single father, Colt and help raise his two kids. She then found Colt is a local billionaire and owner of a luxury ranch... and still grieving over the loss of his wife 8 months ago. Being set up by a friend to meet Colt for a blind date is even more awkward... but is falling for her handsome such a bad thing, when he feels the same way?

Good feels, and getting over past wounds. Shelby seems to be one of those people who feel responsible even though SIDS is unexplained and not her fault. 4/5

GRR Reviews My Little Rock Airman by Brittany Fichter

Jessie is a pre-school teacher and one of her favorite students is Jade, a young girl with Down's syndrome. At the last day of school, she got an intriguing offer... Jade's mother offered Jessie enough money to finish her master's degree if Jessie will be Jade's nanny for the summer. And Jessie quickly agreed. However Jessie didn't know that she'll be sharing her duties with Jade's big brother, airman Derrick, who pulled strings to be moved back home to Little Rock due to an incident a year ago. And the two developed a hostility to each other... and a cold prank war ensued... Until a truce is called... and understanding is achieved... they both actually want the best for Jade. But is Jessie has rules about love... and #1 is NEVER date an airman... Even as she secretly likes Sam, a fellow teacher. However, Derrick is tempting her to break her rules...

Oooh, VERY nice, a military romance without suspense or special operators, nor terrorists and such. Just regular citizen-soldiers dealing with family and life and its struggles. There is not too much angst, and whole thing is rather light-hearted, even as it deals with some heavy issues. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews Shattered Diamonds by Ann Omasta

Alex is a single dad raising her daughter alone, under the glare of the town, who believes he had a hand in his wife's death. Josie was the Olympic swim team darling until a shoulder injury shattered that dream and she was forced to return home. Being a nanny for the most notorious man in town wasn't exactly her choice, but with both searching for a purpose in life, perhaps they can find it in each other...

I honestly didn't feel too much chemistry between the two. 2.5/5

GRR Reviews The Wrong Kind of Love by Lexi Ryan

Nicole found out she was betrayed on her wedding day... Her twin sister Veronica is having an affair with her fiancee... and is pregnant. In a fit of anger and desperation, she accidentally grabbed her twin's purse and ran off... and went way north, and met a stranger in Jackson Harbor that did make her have hope in men again... But in order to make a living, Nicole had to take the job that Veronica meant to take, by pretending to be Veronica... be a nanny for a six-year-old girl... and that's when she found out her boss, Doctor Ethan Jackson, was that stranger in the bar. And he has secrets of his own, in addition of being a workaholic and almost always on-call. As Nicole became fond of Jackson and his daughter, her assumed role started to unravel. Can she come clean before Jackson found out for himself? Or will that be the end?

Interesting twist on the "twin switch-a-roo" trope, and the reasoning for all characters are actually plausible given their state of mind and background. There are a couple other subplots, like best friend Teagan in town, Jackson's mother's secret, and so on.  4.5/5

GRR Reviews Now and Forever by Mona Ingram

Jenna is homeless, through no fault of her own. Her "fiancee" stole everything from her, every penny from her accounts, all her photography equipment, and left her months behind on the rent and other bills. She had to sleep in her car. And with no job and no equipment, she had no way to make a living... Then she found a cute boy named Danny had stowed away in her car... // Brett is a surgeon that worked hard to create the perfect family, but things fell apart through no fault of his own. His wife died, taking a secret with her. His son Danny was supposed to be with a housekeeper, but when he found the house empty, and a message informing him that the replacement housekeeper fell through, he started to panic... Just then Jenna drove up to their house with Danny. // Jenna can see the concern in Brett's eyes, but he clearly doesn't know how to show it. When Brett, in desperation, and saw how well Jenna connected with Danny, offered her the housekeeper position... She can't turn it down...

Not the first novel with the plot "down and out woman rescues kid, ended up as nanny and won over single father" but this was very well polished with ZERO cursing and ZERO sex, just a lot of unsaid emotional angst. 4.5/5

GRR Reviews A Best Friend's Proposal by Layla Holt

Anesthesiologist Josh makes a good living, but being a single father is wearing him down when his wife left them to chase her own love. Five-year-old Noah is acting out in school, and it seems he does need a female in his life... And he does have one... platonic best friend and ER nurse Emma. So his plan was to ask her to be his fake fiancee. And it seems she liked the idea too. It also happens that she needed a place to stay when her lease expired, and he has a guest room. It's all for Noah's sake... right?

Ah, the plot has been done before, but this has a good polish. 4/5

GRR Reviews Crushing on the Billionaire by Liwen Ho

NOTE: 52-page short

Devon is vacationing in Maui, contemplating his life. He has more money than he can spend, but his life is lame without love. When he spotted his ex, Kylie, on the beach, he can't believe his luck... // Kylie is actually working... She's the nanny to an young child with an entitled mother. When the child got away from her for a moment and ran into Devon, she was let go. Devon can easily fly her home on his jet, but he wanted to just stay and enjoy the time, but she needs to go home and find another job, because her family has lost their fortune, and her mother needs her to earn a paycheck for medical treatments. But Devon can easily afford all that, if she'll just let him help her...

Ah, another "pride goeth before the fall" story, where the girl was "too proud to beg" and all that. Didn't really feel much here though, but then this is a 52 page short. 3/5

GRR Reviews Finding Southern Comfort by Barbara Lohr

Cameron did not expect to see Harper back so soon, applying for the nanny position. Cam had seen Harper not too long ago, as a dancer in Catwoman costume for a bachelor party at his mansion. He did enjoy her sass and spunk, and his daughter Bella really does need a nanny, even though neither Harper nor Cameron is good with the toddler. But then, Cameron's existing GF, TV personality Kimmy, is even worse. When Kimmy was a no-show for the gala, Cameron decided to dress up Harper as his date, and almost burned down the dance floor. But Harper can't fall for his boss, even if he's showing a southern comfort side she'd never suspected...

Nice, good background pieces, though Kimmy never really had a chance. 4/5

GRR Reviews Hired by the Single Dad by Whitley Cox

Doctor Mark makes a decent living as a radiologist, but he needs some serious help with his non-verbal autistic son Gabe after his wife left him, no longer able to cope with life with ASD child. On a rare night out, and stood up by another friend, he found himself paying attention to a group of women celebrating someone's separation leading to a divorce... And that's when Mark met Tori... // Tori wanted a degree to help special needs children, but she agreed to get her husband through dental school and he's supposed to fund her degree after graduation. Now that he graduated, she found him cheating with a dental hygienist, emptied the joint bank account, AND kicked her out of their home (lease is in his name). Tori was just pondering what to do when Mark offered her a full-time position: go with his son to and from school, and help him do homework, and other learning activities. And she quickly realized she can't turn it down. She'll also get practical experience as an intern for a counselor, helping her toward her degree. She also realized Mark is extremely... dreamy, and she liked Gabe a lot. She found herself a part of this family, but she's there just as an employee, right?

For 224 page novel, there is a LOT of back and forth and good escalation of the plot. The darkest hour felt slightly forced, but it's tolerable. Good use of ASD coping techniques and other details. 5/5

GRR Reviews Mr. Vega by Xyla Turner

Faith is a failing artist and her home business can't keep her afloat. Forced to find a job, she fell back to what her Trinidad mother recommended and had done: being a nanny. And the interview with the Vega family was... unpleasant. Mr. Logan Vega is handsome as ****, European, and an utter asshole. His wife, however, was very nice, and hired her the next day, despite her lack of experience. And the kid accepted her with no problem, as Logan was often away on business. Until it was revealed Mrs. Vega has terminal cancer., and Faith became a part of the Vega family, without question, and eventually, Faith came to love her employer... Who wasn't as bad as she thought... But can she be her own woman amidst his alpha ways? Is she more than a rebound? Does he really love her?

Some parts are brilliant, like the culture shock (Caribbean black is NOT regular black). In case I hadn't made it clear, this is a BWWM romance of the "falling for the nanny" trope. The loss and grieving were handled nicely, as Faith was a part of the grieving process. And there was a good comeuppance in the epilogue on why do people assume she can't be a part of a family, esp. good when the (white) kid called her (a Caribbean black woman) mommy and why would people assume she's a nanny. Her own family drama was rather minimal though. 4/5

GRR Reviews The Treasure Bride by Rebecca Hagan Lee

NOTE: Historical romance

Elizabeth left the East Coast hoping for a new start in San Francisco with her brother, only to find that he had been dead for two months. Sobbing at night, she was comforted by fellow traveler James, who had his own demons to wrestle. And it just happens that James has four girls to raise, and he's looking for a governess. And Elizabeth, being a teacher, would be perfect. But Elizabeth's past still haunted her, how she was rejected by her family for doing the right thing. And James was haunted by a betrayal so vile, he can never forgive... but can they find love with each other?

Nice, very nice, while San Francisco itself was barely covered, it sounds accurate enough. And the side stories, like how she managed to destroy an opium den with just her parasol, how she got arrested and released, and how she was surprised again and again by Craig due to her assumptions, were excellent as well. 5/5

GRR Reviews Saving Grace by Katie Graykowski

Grace Kelley is neither blonde nor a princess. The only thing graceful is her name, and her singing voice. But when she spotted a girl in trouble, her innate sense of justice and doing the right thing kicked in. Suddenly, she's a nanny for one precocious teen and two boys, and she may be able to make a down payment for her uncle's nursing home (he raised her). But the father... Well... workaholic may be too mild a term. //  Chord is an NFL champion team's head coach, and that's because he dedicated his life to football, and as a result, ended up with a dysfunctional family. His kids have zero discipline. His wife left him for a yoga instructor after stealing his notebook. Grace crashed into his life. and he tossed her out. But when he realized Grace was able to control his kids, he hired her. He's weary of any woman near him, but Grace broke through those walls. It's obvious that Grace was the best thing that happened to him... Until his notebook vanished... and it's clear Grace is keeping a secret...

I have a slight problem with the "I have to know he wants to marry me because he loves me, not just because we made a baby" reasoning. It's both sweet... yet horribly naive. But I'm a guy. :)  4.5/5

GRR Reviews Cowboy's Surprise Nanny by Leslie North

Ian promised his six-year-old son Andy a spot in the local strawberry festival, so he had to kowtow to the mayor. The mayor asked for a favor in return: can Ian help mayor's niece by hiring her as his son's nanny? She's great with kids. Ian agreed, expecting a college-aged girl. What he got was Katie... // Katie loved to cook and went to culinary school. She became an Instagram famous chef. Then a scandal involving her cookbook sent her into hiding out in the countryside. When Andy's dietary restrictions (allergies) forced Katie to be creative, she's drawn back into the cooking world, even as she fell in love with both Ian and Andy. Will Katie have to choose between love and career?

Good, sweet, no forced darkest hour. All motivations are reasonable. No trope evil ex's showing up. There is a little bit of "I won't hold you back" self-sacrificing bit. 5/5

GRR Reviews The Nanny's Billionaire by Carly Morgan

Evie is out of a job and soon to be homeless. Her career as a country music singer was dashed when a prospective label suddenly dropped her. She would love to be a nanny to two adorable girls, but it's their father that she has a problem with... For he's none other than Kane Warren, country music's bad boy, recently divorced with drama covered in all gossip rags and news. But she also loved his music. Her phone has a playlist full of them. But what chance does a girl have to spend time at an island beach resort? She had to go... but someone had already called dibs on Kane... his business associate and widow Penelope, who told Evie, in no uncertain terms, Kane is out of her league. Then she found that her ex is also on the island as a backup musician, and wanted her back. Add a kitten named Fabio, a freak thunderstorm, and a lost girl, and it's clear that Evie's feelings about Kane (and possibly vice versa) are complicated.

Kitten and kids are cute, but some of the angst makes no sense. You can really stretch the truth by claiming Kane's special event on the island was an expense item that forced the label to drop Evie, but that'd be really stupid reasoning, just looking for something to blame. And some of the complications, like Evie's ex, are very late and didn't tie in well to the main plot. 3.5/5

GRR Reviews Nanny for the Billionaire by Jenna Brandt

Roger is a rich but reformed playboy. But when his secret son was left at his doorstep due to mother's legal problem, he's definitely not ready for fatherhood, and he had to seek help, even from a frenemy. // Celeste did not like Roger... as he almost broke up her best friend's relationship. But when Roger needed her help to find a nanny for his "sudden son", she can't refuse. When no viable candidates were found, Roger asked her to fill in. And suddenly, it's domestic bliss in Roger's home. But is this all play-acting and temporary? What happens when the child's mother comes back and contests custody?

Eh, nothing really surprising about this one. It's trope all the way, with decent polish, but not much else. 3.5/5