I, Marlow Taylor, need to stop fantasizing about the hot, single dad next door.
Should I have agreed to nanny his cute six year old who loves my dog Waffles? Absolutely not.
But her dad seems to think he can do everything himself. ( no one can)
3 reasons why I absolutely cannot fall for Dylan
1. He’s grumpy and doesn’t seem to like me very much 2.He lives next door – literally next door to my perfect pink house 3. There are no secrets in a small town
I’m an optimistic artist, never living in one place for too long.
He’s a cynical billionaire, trying to raise his kid on his own like a “normal” person.
Since I’m not going to fall for Dylan Stafford, it shouldn’t matter that he shovels my driveway or looks at me like he could devour me.
One kiss later – I, Marlow Taylor, am completely screwed.
Ann Einerson is the author of enchanting contemporary romance novels that will keep you hooked until the very last page, complete with heroes who fall hard and the heroines who keep them on their toes. She believes sometimes the best family is the one we find, curiosity is good for the soul, and a good book isn’t complete without banter.
You can find Ann surrounded by her ample supply of sticky notes ready for inspiration and ideas. When she’s not writing, Ann enjoys spoiling her chatty pet chickens, listening to her dysfunctional playlists, and going for late-night treadmill runs. She lives in Michigan with her husband.
4.5⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Series ~ Aspen Grove #1 Others in the series ~ If You Give a Grump a Holiday Wishlist #0.5 Setting ~ Maine Publication date ~ March 14, 2024 Est page Count ~ (37 chapters +e) POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ small town, billionaire CFO, single dad, artist, nanny, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, neighbors to lovers, slow burn, some steamge, no 3rd act breakup
Dylan (33) & Marlow (23) don't get off on the right foot when her dog, Waffles, trespasses in his backyard. Flash forward one year later and Marlow becomes 6 year old Lola's nanny.
Book boyfriend alert! Dylan is most definitely a guy you’d want around when you’re sick as he’s a wonderful caretaker. He cooks and cleans, and even bakes muffins before 6am after he's had his workout. He works a bit too much, but he's such a devoted dad, and Lola is absolutely adorable and so well behaved.
Marlow is an artist and a bright spot of sunshine. Her relationship with Lola was wonderful. She has a strained relationship with her parents, but has found a great support system with Dylan's family, which was really nice to see.
Overall, I had a really great time reading this one. We've got the set up for the next book that seems like it'll be a lot of fun.
Series notes: This series follows siblings, so although not absolutely necessary I think you should read If You Give a Grump a Holiday Wishlist first because not only is it delightful, but you'll get to meet the whole clan because they're pretty involved as a tight knit family.
*Thanks to the author for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
i wanted to read a funny romance with no 3rd act breakup, weird conversations and fun tropes. (weird request) but it kind of was. when i picked up this book, i honestly wasn’t expecting a super developed romance with distinguishing characters or storyline and there wasn’t 🤷♀️
.·:*¨༺ this book felt very disconnected. the story would abruptly change, adding new moments that had no sense. for example, the main male character was very grumpy and unpleasant toward female. this feeling would continue throughout the first 40% until from nowhere he started showing affection. ????? where, how and what happened? he literally changed in one page. he took care of her, talked sweet and whatever, but where did this came from? same continued with other moments: weird dates, interactions and notes.
.·:*¨༺ i liked lola (kid). she was sweet and acted like a child which was so fun because usually they act weird in books. also, what happened to other characters? main characters had no connections or interactions with their friends who live in the same city? then, those friends would appear from nowhere and offer trips, ask questions that honestly felt very disconnected.
.·:*¨༺ overall, fun read if you are bored or want to experience embarrassment. other then that, this was purely developed book that actually had a potential
If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny follows Marlowe, a young artist who has just moved to small-town Maine to work on her next collection, and Dylan, her grumpy new neighbor. Despite getting off to a rough start, when Dylan's daughter Lola and Marlowe's dog Waffle become inseparable the two begrudgingly forge a relationship. However, when Dylan's nanny quits and Marlowe offers to help out, their connection quickly turns into something more as they get to know each other.
This story was so sweet and lighthearted! The romance and characters were just green flags all around. Dylan was so attentive and open to falling in love with Marlowe despite them being complete opposites. I loved that he was the grumpy and responsible dad but always let Marlowe bring fun into his and his daughter's life. The man was so devoted to being there for both of his girls and it was so cute how gone he was for them. Beyond that, the romance was just so sweet and full of tension, I loved that neither Marlowe nor Dylan wanted to jump into things right away and got to know each other before starting to get close. Their playful banter was everything and only added to the slow buildup of them coming together. I absolutely recommend this charming small-town romance, the story was so light and full of adorable family moments and so much chemistry!
Не можу сказати, що гірша чи краща, але 50/50. Мені не дуже подобається в людях, які мають собак, що їм не потрібно дресирування, бо «ну він же милий, кого вкусе», абсолютно на це начхати, якщо ви виводите собаку в люди, то ви повинні або в нашийнику, або з намордником, і щоб він вмів виконувати вказівки. Тут головна героїня підбісила, бо як же так, чого це її сусід не любить її песика, а те, що цей пес заліз до чужого будинку, насвінячив там то пусте, і можливо у дитини є алергія на тварин? Чи про це жгг не подумала? Мене підбісило, коли вона не послухала батька дівчинки і дала тій якийсь фаст-фуд чи чіпси. Я все розумію, але ти працюєш нянею, то повинна виконувати вказівки які тобі дали, а там було чітко написано здорова їжа. Я ще б зрозуміла якщо б батько сам дав, так тут взагалі ліва людина. Я не дуже люблю людей, які схожі на його матір. Ті які постійно думають, що знають краще, і намагаються влаштувати життя своїм дітям. Відчуття що йому не 30 з хвостиком, а 16. А сцена з сліпими побаченнями? Це такий крінж для мене. Гаразд якщо люди добровільно на це йдуть, але якимось обманом заманювати ну таке. Я пропустила той факт, де жила жгг але не закривати двері на ніч, це треба мати 100% бажання пригод, бо там наче не було вказано, що район гарний, але і поганого не було. Але не замикати двері вночі, коли ти не знаєш, чи втомиться хтось чи ні.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This was okay and predictable, but that's what I'm into at the moment. So I guess this works just fine.
Dylan (33) and Marlow (23) have been neighbors for a year. He's the grumpy single dad, and she's the eccentric sunshine-y painter. In the year that they've lived next to each other, Lola, Dylan's daughter, has grown fond of Marlow and her dog, Waffles, and vice versa.
Lola's nanny quits, and they have to find a replacement, wherein Marlow comes in. Lola and her meddling Grandma convinced Dylan to hire her as the temporary nanny until they found someone else. And Marlow was more than happy to do it, and still be a full time painter.
The story plot isn't something I haven't read before, but there's still comfort in reading these kinds of stories.
With forced proximity and mutual attraction, of course they'll eventually give in, and readers obviously know what's going to happen next.
Although the writing style was good, there seems to be something lacking in the storytelling that I can't quite put my finger on. I didn't feel that palpable chemistry between the MCs, and the sudden interest on Dylan's side felt like it came out of nowhere.
I know he's attracted to her, but he has always stayed away—he successfully did it for a year. Yet, for some reason, he had a 180 and wanted to do something with his attraction. 🤷♀️ Maybe because it's been brewing for a long time??? Or maybe because he wanted his mom to stop her not-so-subtle matchmaking attempts for him and Marlow to be together??? Or he finally realized he wanted to know where the attraction would lead them??? Anyway, they caved and finally decided to give it a shot. It was too sudden for me, but hey, it works for them.
Overall, this was good, cute, and fluffy. The grumpy-sunshine trope will always be one of my favorite tropes. Totally loved Marlow and Lola's relationship, and she's such an adorable kid. Loved that there's no third-act breakup. Also, I loved that Dylan's family is so welcoming of Marlow and Waffles.
Book info: - Grumpy-sunshine - Single dad - nanny - Age gap - Neurodivergent h - Small town romance - Absentee parents - No cheating, OWD - Non-virgin MCs (both celibate for a year) - OMD (not really, see notes below) - Separation (see notes below) - HFN (living together) - Bonus epilogue (engaged)
Notes: - OMD. Dylan's mom pushed Marlow to attend an event, and she didn't know it was speed dating. Dylan was also pushed by his mom to attend the same event. He saw Marlow talking to some guy and became a jealous caveman. They both ended up leaving the event. - Separation. Marlow received a training program in Paris for three months, and as much as she wants to do it, she doesn't want to leave Dylan and Lola. But thankfully, Dylan told her to go for it, and they have a long distance relationship. - The egg donor isn't in the picture; she left when Lola was six weeks old. She was Dylan's high school girlfriend, and they'd been together for 10 years. He did love her and was hurt when she left. But he already moved on and realized she did him a favor by leaving them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am always, always gonna jump on a Single Dad x Nanny romance. So I was only to eager to check this out. I also had read the Christmas novella set in Aspen Grove and the teases to this dynamic had me so excited.
Dylan and his little girl have a good thing going. He may work hard, but he loves Lola so much. The steps he's taken to make her feel loved and like the center of his universe.. you will swoon hard. We're talking hair braiding, meal making, bed time stories and snuggles. It made me all warm and fuzzy. He may have been a grump to Marlow at the start, but I never doubted how wonderful he was because of his devotion to Lola.
Marlow is an eccentric artist who rents the house next door to Dylan and Lola. She bursts into their life with her sunny disposition and her wild dog Waffles. Causing chaos and too many feelings for Dylan to feel comfortable. She is a thorn in his side and a constant irritation to him, especially because Lola practically idolizes her. Poor Dylan.
Then Dylan's current nanny has to quit and he can't always ask his parents to pick up the slack, but then some meddling parents and the begging eyes of his little girl gets him to cave. He can keep up all the resistance he wants but Marlow is now firmly wedged in his life and if he isn't careful, his heart.
The slow burn, sweet moments, and eventual steaming spice made this romance so charming. I love all the characters and there is no third act break up. There are some challenges to overcome and some things to work out but the deep connection is so beautiful.
Dylan is truly a caretaker and I was so in love with him. Watching Marlow shake him up was a true joy.
“Such a pretty canvas. What am I going to do with you?”
This follows Marlow 23 a brilliant artist who moved to Aspen Grove and lives next door to the grumpy Clark Kent look-alike Dylan 33. After Waffles broke into his backyard, we didn’t lead on the right foot but lucky his daughter Lola loves Waffles and I think I can grow on him especially when he needs my help the most…
This was a feel-good read. I love the characters in the book so much even the side ones. We love a grumpy MMC who loves to control and worship and has a beautiful cute daughter. The FMC is such a free spirit, bubbly and vibrant ray of sunshine which I loved as these two main characters were so different but worked so well. Chemistry, tension and banter from the get-go were fantastic. Dylan the MMC made me swoon with the notes, flowers and just being gentlemen once he opened up and owned his feelings. Looking forward to the other books in the series.
If you love:
🔹Small Town 🔹Single Dad 🔹Nanny 🔹Age Gap 🔹Opposites Attract 🔹Perfect Amount Of Spice
Genre/Type: Small Town Romance 18+ APK: Kindle Arc Pages: 307 Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5 Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5 Series or Stand Alone: Book One in the Aspen Grove Series Tropes or Themes: Small Town, Single Dad, Nanny, Grumpy Sunshine, Age Gap (10yrs), Opposites Attract, Billionaire, Neighbours, He Falls First, Artist, Taken Care Of, Chemistry, Banter, Letters, Cursing, Made Me Laugh, Sexual Content, Praise, Dirty Talk, Toys, Phone Scene, Painting Scene, Bath Scene and Light BDSM Check Triggers ⚠️ 💫
Hands down, I love this one more than the first book!!
Dylan is a workaholic who loves his daughter and his family, and when he meets bright bubbly Marlow and Waffles, his world is turned upside down. They have some cute family moments with all 3 of them and solo. When Dylan is in a pickle, Marlow agrees to be his temporary nanny. I loved how Dylan he had a thick binder of rules, which was sweet. Even if Marlow didn't follow some of the rules, she made sure his daughter was loved and safe.
Hair braiding, snuggles, painting, and taking care of each other that what you get with them 🥰. And the more time they spent together, the more time both fell hard. I love how Marlow was so good for their family, and Dyland and his family were there for Marlow. That's the kinda family both deserve.
But they did have a tiny problem that they worked hard to overcome near the end. And honest, I was so proud of Marlow and Dylan for not giving up and sticking to the plan even when it hurt both of them. And we saw the next couple and the bombshell that was dropped.
No ow/om drama, no cheating, slight secondary character, sexy times, no virgins
Recommend-yes Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️ Heat level-🌶🌶
Slowinsta 23h/33H Single dad Grumpyxsunshine Seperation/long distance 3 months (both faithful) Pinning Praise kink No condom Hea Epilogue
3⭐️ Книга дуже солодка, аж приторна, я весь час чекала якогось підвоху Обійшось без сварок, вияснювань стосунків і лишньої драми Мені сподобався Ділан, те який він батько це вражає Це напевно кожна дитина мріє про такого батька А ще він дуже сильний буркотун, все йому було недогода Марлоу дуже яскрава дівчинка, ходяче сонечко, мені вона сподобалась по характеру, не зважаючи на те, що її всі хотіли змінити вона залишилась собою Стосовно її роботи нянькою, я її розумію, вона сама нічого не знає про дітей тому не дивно що вона не дуже справлялась Лола ця дівчинка це просто щось😻 яка ж вона мила, добра, щира, вона мене сама закохала в себе А ще вона дуже схожа на Марлоу Бісила мене трохи мама головного героя, вона таки забагато пхала свого носа, але якби не вона то я б не знаю що було Їхня сімʼя мені дуже сподобалась, вони всі такі дружні, постійно підтримують один одного😻 В принципі якщо нічого від неї не очікувати то вона класна, але так то є свої нюанси Книгу я не знаю чи рекомендувала б Ще мені не дуже подобається як пише авторка, дуже ванільно і сцени 🔞 якісь максимально не реалістичні, їх було не багато і на тому дякую Стосовно її собаки, я сама працювала в зоомагазині довгий час і бачила всяке, (сама планую завести собаку вже коли переїду на квартиру) і що можу сказати Це дуже важко, особливо важче з собаками з притулку, вони вже дорослі і їх важко до чогось привчити Марлоу не хотіла змінювати її, і заставляти до дресирування Бо таки треба з малечку привчати до дисципліни, з того що я бачила собака не настільки погана Я бачила набагато гірші випадки
I absolutely loved this so much! It was entirely too cute 🥹💖 The characters were amazing, of course! I loved getting glimpses of Presley and Jack and absolutely loved their mom’s meddling once again! Dylan was so precious with his protectiveness over Lola. He’s such a great dad and you can tell he would do anything and everything for his little girl. I loved seeing Marlow and him interact and how much Marlow’s carefree, sunshiney personality affected him and made him so grumpy 😅 it didn’t help that Lola loves her furry companion, Waffles so much- they were inseparable from the beginning! Marlow is just perfect. I love how sweet she is regardless of Dylan’s brooding and how she didn’t let it affect her whatsoever. I also loved that Marlow felt so comfortable with Dylan and his family. Found family will always be a favorite of mine and this one was too precious!
thank god i finally finished that lol. genuinely thought i’d dnf it but somehow pushed through. felt so so long even tho it was only 300 pages. the whole thing annoyed me. i hated the unnecessary time jump in chapter 2. so pointless. their feelings appeared so suddenly & both characters got on my nerves. also wouldn’t shut up about jack & presley (which i’ve now found out was the couple in the novella). came across as if id missed so much by not reading it even tho this was marked as book 1 in the series? should’ve made the novella a full book & this be book 2 lol. anyways 1.5 stars there was a few tiny things that happened that made me think oh it’s not too bad but overall it was pretty awful. OH ALSO how come the epilogue was legit a prologue for book 2 then the author said to read the bonus epilogue (w a proposal & surprise) you had to click a different link like WHAT. put that in the actual book
☀️ Single Dad ☀️ Age gap ☀️ Grumpy / Sunshine ☀️ Forced Proximity
Dylan is your typical grumpy single dad, totally focused on his daughter, but when a ray of sunshine moves in next door, she turns his world upside down.
As Marlow steps in as Lola's temporary nanny, they end up spending more and more time together, and Dylan's tough exterior begins to soften.
I absolutely adored Marlow's chaotic energy and the heartwarming connection she formed with Lola.
Watching Dylan shed his grumpiness and allow himself to fall for Marlow was incredibly satisfying. He became the ultimate book boyfriend, always there to support her and make her feel valued.
And let's not even get started on the incredible chemistry between them—it was simply *chef's kiss.*
Huge thanks to Ann Einerson for sending me this ARC.
#️⃣4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Read & Reviewed in 2025 ☁️🪨 Date : 🌬️ Tuesday, August 12, 2025 🌪️🌫️☕ Word Count📃: 82k Words 🐑⛰️
⋆𖦹⋆ˎˊ˗ 〰️〰️〰️ ──── .✦
₍^. .^₎⟆ My 22th read in "But I can see us lost in the memory. August slipped away into a moment in time. 'Cause it was never mine" August 🤍
2️⃣🌟, it all just becomes forgettable. —————————————————————— ➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗
Thnak you @Ashley W for the buddy read! (Its forgettable)
This is one of those romances where it's so shallow and doesn't try to do anything that much so it just becomes really bland. This maybe cozy but fun romance book to read but the only cute things that happen in here is the dog and the daughter...yeah that itttt. The main pairing and the two people that were supposed to care about are common "happy people", doesn't really have that much problems in their life and basically gets annoyed for random reasons.
This was supposed to be a grumpy x sunshine book but i feel like both of them are grumpy affff. The two of them share the same characteristic of ✨✨✨✨being annoying ✨✨✨ and yeah i think that the two of them are fit for each other because of that. There is also a non-existent plot andy of course the thing that doesn't get lost on all romance bookssss:
insta-fucking-love oh yeah we absolutely never got tired of that. On a random note he just showed affection and express how much he loves her... On a random occasion, on a seemingly an eventful scene and the most unexpected out of character moment for our main male character..
Bekar baba - dadı temalı bir kitaptı. Kızımız Marlow neşeli, parlak biriyken Dylan tam tersi düzenli, huysuz birisidir.Tüm gülücükleri sadece kızı Lola içindir 😍
Hafif bir romans. Zaman geçirmelik, aile temalı bir kurguydu.
If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny is a small town, age gap (she’s 23, he’s 33), grumpy + sunshine, single dad + nanny romance!
“Dylan might think of me as the color in his life, but he’s the brushstroke and the canvas in mine.”
Dylan and his 6-year old daughter Lola meet their new neighbor Marlow when her dog Waffles breaks into their yard. Lola is instantly excited about both Waffles and Marlow entering into their life, while her dad Dylan is not so pleased at first. Marlow is an artist (a painter) new to the small town in Maine and a ray of sunshine to Dylan’s grumpiness. When his nanny ends up quitting suddenly, Dylan is left in a bind and needing a nanny quickly when Lola suggests Marlow become her nanny!
This was such a cute one! I love a single dad and nanny setup and this one definitely delivers on that. I equally adored the time spent with Dylan and Marlow, as well as with his daughter Lola and Waffles the dog! His mom and family definitely are a big part of his life and the story and seeing his family try to push for him and Marlow to get together was fun. I liked how his whole family brings Marlow into their fold. She’s been kind of a free spirit and doesn’t settle any place for too long, I liked her passion for her art and seeing her paint. And seeing Dylan protect and take care of her was so sweet! We even get some sick caretaking! I’ve adored both reads from this author now in this series and can’t wait for more.
I received an ARC from the author, all thoughts in this review are my own!
If you're looking for a small-town, single dad romance, look no further because you've found it. If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny is my first Ann Einerson novel and it was incredible. I had such a fun time reading this cute, fun romance story and I do really hope you all give it a chance as well.
No third-act breakup, swoony moments, cute family scenes between the lonely heroine and the single dad and his cute daughter next door, it definitely feels like a Hallmark movie but with lots of spicy moments! I adore how it went from "ugh I found my attraction to her annoying, and she's sunshine and she always smiles, but why is she so lonely and let me help her while she's sick, and now she's the new nanny of my daughter, and she loves her and I love her too, and please be part of our family now". READ IT!
THESE TWO WERE SO CUTE AND FOR WHAT!!!!! The perfect grumpy and sunshine couple i stg. reading this felt cozy and comforting. i read the novella to this series over the holidays and instantly fell in love with this small town world and this family. i can’t wait to read the rest of this series!!
(3.5 ⭐️) QUE COSA MÁS WHOLESOME. Lo disfruté tanto, es de esos libros de puras vibras y nada de trama. Eso sí, le faltó mucho desarrollo a los personajes.
This wasn't a bad book. I've read this kind of plot many times so it's not something I haven't encountered before. It just wasn't presented as well as it could've been. The scenes were quite messy at points and the jump between individual scenes felt like being transported back and forth, but not in a favourable way. Especially in the beginning—I did not see that 1 year leap coming and I don't think I'm a fan of it.
Another thing that didn't bode well for me—and this is something that I've faced with so many books—is the lack of written content after the characters first slept together. More than half the scenes were sex scenes from that point and it ruined the vibe of the book for me :/
There are two things in particular that I'll give the book credit for are:
➵ No third act breakup. This trope frustrates me so much and ends up making me root for the characters to break up for good so I'm glad the author didn't go into that.
➵ This was a very easy book to read. It's the first book this year that I started and finished within 24 hours.
The small town romance If You Give a Single Dad a Nanny by Ann Einerson centers on the relationship between artist Marlow Taylor and billionaire Dylan Stafford.
Dylan Stafford is the standard, so we all need one in our lives. The fact that he would refer to Marlow as his "sunshine" and shovel her driveway in the winter, all while claiming to "dislike" his bothersome neighbor was EVERYTHING.
Lola and Marlow's bond was the cutest thing ever. Despite not being blood related, they had a lot in common and I loved that.
The idea that Marlow would reject her dream job because of a guy in the end made me feel iffy. I mean, I know that it's Dylan, but really? Unless my memory is failing, I don't remember Dylan ever talking to his daughter Lola about dating her nanny, thus I just feel like the ending was hurried.
Either way, the lovely cover makes sense—this was a very cute and hot read!
*Thank you to the author, Ann Einerson, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*