One Sweet Lie

by Whitney G.

*Billionaire seeking Live-In Nanny*
Must have at least a decade of childcare experience.
Must be available to me at all times...
No exceptions

I wasn’t searching for a new job, and I didn’t have any nanny experience.

I was just dropping off a cupcake order…but one sweet lie never hurt anyone.

Besides, being a pastry chef is way harder than watching young children, right?

WRONG.

Before I could come clean, the grumpiest billionaire in Manhattan made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and I was stupid enough to take it.

I just forgot to leave my heart out of the equation...

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Billionaire Romance, Contemporary Romance, Rom Com, Childrens, Adult

276 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2024

About the author

Whitney G. is a New York Times & USA Today bestselling author. Her books are currently published in over a dozen languages.

She lives deep in the Tennessee woods and spends most of her time drinking coffee while penning dirty-talking alpha males.

Find out more about her next project at www.whitneygbooks.com

(Be sure to sign up for "The F.L.Y. List" as that's the best way to receive new release updates. Link: eepurl.com/hbhVOf )

You can also connect with Whitney on Instagram and Facebook.

Reviews

[Wobilba · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was such a ridiculous story.
Does it deserve the 3 stars I’m giving it? Probably NOT! But I’m doing it anyway because I had such a fun time reading this and that’s all that matters to me today 😂🤷🏾‍♀️

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up

An 18 year age gap from Whitney G had me one-clicking faster than I could blink 👀. This is my favorite from Whitney G’s newest releases 👏🏻.

Pierce (45) can’t believe he has twins; even after many positive paternity tests have confirmed it 😅, he’s in shock. Not only does he have newborns to take care of (their mother died after giving birth), but he’s also taking care of his foster sister’s 8-year/old daughter 😬. He needs help.

Harlow’s (27) an amazing baker and after she gets fired from her Michelin stars job, she’s in need of a job ASAP 😬. So when she applies to an agency and she gets called in to work for a billionaire as a nanny (and not the job she originally signed up for), she can’t say no- especially when she’s getting a six-figure salary that would make any struggling person weep 😅.

As soon as she begins, there’s tension between her and Pierce 👀. This megalomaniac thinks way too highly of himself and isn’t going to make it easy on her 😅. Not to worry though, cause Harlow’s got this 💅. She isn’t gonna let his grumpy a wear her down…

She just needs to maintain the one sweet lie she’s been telling this whole time 🫣

What I liked/loved:
—the banter 🤣. I love how quick witted and sharp they are with each other 🤣 especially once things get steamy 👀

—the tension 👀. Ufff. Yes 👏🏻

—the 🔥. This is on the medium/slow burn side with some early base hits happening in the mid 40s and full home runs by 60% ish 🔥

—the dirty mouth on Pierce 🥵. Yuuuup 💦

—the kids ❤️ especially Olivia 🫶 that girl needs so much love 🫶

—the dance floor scene 🥵. NGL. I wish Harlow had said she knew it was Pierce, but still 🔥

—the twist 👀 didn’t see the guilty person causing the drama as the one causing the drama 👀

—the side characters 👏🏻 I’m glad Harlow has reliable friends on the side

—Pierce scrambling for Harlow 😈. Love it when the guy suffers the consequences of his rashness 😅. I’ll admit. I understood why, but come on man 🤦🏻‍♀️

—Pierce confronting his foster sister 👏🏻

What I didn’t like/wanted more of:
—the lack of a proper epilogue 😒. We get a one page ish epilogue with no real time frame. If you sign up for the newsletter, we’re supposed to get another one, but I never go it 😭. I just want my epilogue 🤣

—making him grovel more 😑. Man. Pierce really made Harlow feel like ish 😒. He needed to grovel and she needed to not cave in too quickly 😒. I do love that he scrambles to find her, but I needed more scrambling 🤷🏻‍♀️

—how quickly things happen, as in, I wanted more development 😒. This is less than 300 pages and has 53 chapters plus the epilogue. I wish some of these chapters/scenes had more detail/depth. This also related to the time jumps 😒

—the lack of info on Harlow’s past. What I mean is that we find out how much of a loose character Pierce is, but we don’t know much about Harlow 😐.

Overall, I enjoyed this ❤️ I just wish there was more at the end

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/omd
-neglectful parents/mom
-foster system upbringing
-mild owd: not true owd but the H’s assistant causes drama between the MCs. In another scene, a woman hits on the H but he makes he clear he doesn’t want her
-not really omd: the h’s ex hires her and then doesn’t pay her. He comes by later in the book to pay her
-HEA/epilogue

[Jessica Alcazar · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 20(something)%

I've read a bunch of you saying this is crazy and ridiculous but fun so you just read on, and while I agree it's bonkers, I'm not having any fun. It's so bizarrely outside the real of humor that I think the scenes belong in some kind comedy club.

This is mostly in poor taste and a waste of time and money.

Please don't come at me for rating this book before I "finish" because there's no law out there you have to finish a product before you rate it. That's actually one of the dumbest arguments I've see go around on social media. I've wasted enough Saturday morning time now. See ya next time.

[Carvanz · Rating 5 out of 5]

No one writes a sassy, steamy, snarky rom-com like Whitney G. I absolutely LOVE her heroes. I don’t even know how to describe what it is about them except that I crave more each time I reach the end of the book. One Sweet Lie is no exception and Pierce was hilariously difficult when it came to his children and Harlow. I was totally taken by this story and could not stop reading it. This is a fast read with characters that are wonderfully relatable and a storyline that was addicting. I need more of this couple, more of the children and more from this author.

Dual POV
Safe no ow/om drama; h not a virgin; H not a manwhore: children were from a woman who said she was not/was pregnant????
Triggers no apparent triggers
Steam 5 /5; explicit; condoms used

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️

[Vika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Це така легенька історія, і так легко мені читалась.🤌🏼

‼️Далі можливі невеличкі спойлери‼️




Харлоу прекрасна кондитера, але через брак коштів на власну пекарню, змушена працювати на кухнях вищого рівня з іншими шеф кухарями. Але одна маленька брехня привела її в будинок сексі мільярдера , щоб бути нянею для його малюків.
Пірс це поєднання всього сексуально з жахливим характером😄😄😄
Коли він вирішив все таки забрати малюків до себе, і ці моменти де він біля них сидів такі мімімі🥹
Харлоу в ролі няні це так мило, з кожним днем ці діти проштовхувати шлях до її серця.
Момент в клубі був ухххх🥵 шок😄
Бісяча Деніз в кінці ще більше шокувала. Фііііі
Кінець зробив купа метеликів в животі, люблю оці моменти, коли чгг розуміє як йому без його жінки, і яку фігню він наробив🤌🏼

4/5

[Mili Teveez · Rating 4 out of 5]

venía de lectura de -1 estrellas, y este libro me ha salvado... LO QUE ME HE REIDO CON ESTE LIBRO...

Los protagonistas son todo lo que está bien, tiene el spicy justo y necesario.

3.5

[hasi.readsromance ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

★ 4 ★


📖 what it's about:

After getting fired from a Michelin starred restaurant, Harlow Hawthorne visits an agency with a box of baked goods but is mistaken for someone applying for a live-in nanny position. When the agency discloses the salary—money that could help her open her own bakery one day—Harlow lies, claiming she is indeed there for the nanny position and that she has experience with children.

Pierce Dawson is skeptical when he learns that Harlow has applied for the nanny position. She’s young, yet insists she has a decade of nannying experience. After multiple failed interviews with other candidates, Pierce reluctantly hires Harlow, fully expecting her to quit within the week.


📝my thoughts:

Whitney G. is an author who knows how to write great banter, heated scenes, and awesome characters, so it was a no-brainer for me to pick up this book. I love the single-dad trope and knew I would fly through it in one sitting.

Pierce was kind of an asshole (the good kind *wink*) if I’m being honest, and at times I wanted to reach through the pages and punch him in the balls. But I love this author’s work, so I knew I’d be swooning soon enough. The way he treated Harlow—never allowing her any time off and making her look after his kids and niece without rest—had me boiling, but I loved how Harlow stood up for herself. For me, Harlow, Olivia, and the twins stole the show—I could legit read a whole book with just them! Overall, this was an enjoyable read, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


🩷 FMC: 5+/5
💙 MMC: 4/5
📖 Story: 4/5
⌛️ Pace: 4/5
❤️‍🔥 Heat: 3/5
👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 Romance: 3.5/5
🤩Overall Rating: 4 🌟

🗣️POV: Dual (1st)

🎧 or 📖: I read this book on my Kindle.

📜Favorite Character[s]: Harlow.

💜Tropes: Single dad x Live-in Nanny, Billionaire MMC, Close Proximity, Age gap.

📚Series or Standalone: Standalone.

🤔 Would I recommend: Yes!!

[Marty Sandvik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harlow needs a job after losing her own working as a pastry chef. Her dream is to open her own bakery and she takes a nannying job for billionaire turned daddy overnight Pierce who expects her to be available to him 24/7. After a month of non-stop nannying she is almost going crazy not having a personal life and Pierce is trying hard to avoid the nanny who he finds hard to ignore and sexy as hell. The two of them give into their passion but when he finds out about her lie and never having been a real nanny he throws her out and must learn to forgive her and discover that there were others who also wanted her gone.
I love alpha billionaire romances and I really liked Harlow and her relationship with the children and Olivia in this book. I hated Denise and I loved most the other staff. In my opinion Harlow could have made Pierce grovel a bit more but all in all I really loved this book and how long it was. I enjoy all of Whitney G's books and novellas and this was no different and I can't wait for the next.

[Bia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got through it but like wtf happened to this author’s work

I miss the days of reasonable doubt and turbulence. This isn’t it. I miss full length stories that made sense and the endings weren’t so rushed. Also the typos.

[Ana (Aeternam Dea) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐
Los libros de esta autora son, con frecuencia, la mejor de las opciones como lectura, sobre todo si te asola un bloqueo lector, como es mi caso. Su sencillez y su objetivo de resultar directa, le lleva a desarrollar romances de lo más entretenidos que te alejan notablemente del aburrimiento.

Una dulce mentira, seduce en base a la construcción de un romance por entero básico y predecible, pero a la par dulce, al integrar en su historia, personajes adorables. Es tal su corta extensión, que se trata de un relato con gran capacidad para convencer y atrapar, en el que se fusionan sentimientos y erotismo, como seña de identidad del estilo de la autora. A pesar de que pudiera parecer un libro apresurado en su desarrollo, lo cierto es que se sabe jugar bien con los tiempos, alejando con ello cualquier atisbo de decepción, sus descripciones directas, no obvian detalle interesante, sino que concentra en pocas páginas, una historia amena.

Una mentira piadosa, se convierte en el contexto y paisaje perfecto para esta historia de amor encarnada por personajes principales que, aun no contando con demasiadas aristas, saben adornar la trama sin que su falta de profundidad sea un elemento negativo.

Whitney G. siempre sabe lo que el lector busca para alcanzar el tan ansiado entretenimiento. Con este libro, se observa una intención porque su estilo se rodeo de una cuidada sensibilidad, relatando con ello escenas del todo bonitas.

Su extensión, algo más corta de lo acostumbrado, hace de él un libro por completo ágil, que se lee en un suspiro. Aunque pueda parecer que se trata de una historia con escasos giros argumentales, lo cierto es que tiene gran capacidad para hacer que su lectura sea recomendable y en sus páginas finales nos espera una pequeña sorpresa argumental que aunque no goza del desarrollo espero, hace que su historia se cierre con una gran sonrisa.

Reseña completa en el blog: https://aeternamdea.blogspot.com/2025...

[…Welcome to My World &#x1f30e.. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute and I finished it in one day. I give it 4.5 ⭐️ because the ending felt very rushed and left me wanting so much more. How did Pierce make everything up to Harlow? How did he reconcile with a person who had loved him for years? What about Olivia’s mom? So many questions, but overall it was very cute and I don’t regret reading it.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

one sweet lie

As always Whitney G out did herself on another book! This book is such a cute love rom com! I can’t wait for her next release!

[Olesia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Якось все так швидко.
Звідки взялось кохання, якщо взаємодії між головними героями, як такої, то і не було 😩

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I needed a palate cleanser after reading a super dark book. Whitney G is my guaranteed bet! Great writing with all the feels.

[Patri Cia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Novela corta para pasar la tarde sin más

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars generously rounded up. I've read several books by this author and have easily given them 4 or 5 stars. Unfortunately, this book was nothing like the others. It felt extremely rushed and was in desperate need of copy editing. I can overlook a few mistakes, but this had serious mistakes with plot holes, timeline errors, and a problem with consistency when it came to details. Additionally, the ending was very abrupt. I'm glad this wasn't my first book by the author, as it would likely have been my last.

[M · Rating 1 out of 5]

seriously what a stupid book. the MCM was such a asshole. this whole book was so poorly written! waste of time

[MissPetiteBrunetteBookBlog · Rating 4 out of 5]

(3.6 Stars)
Harlow Hawthorne was going to deliver cupcakes but somehow one little lie made her Pierce Dawson’s new nanny. She always told the truth since an incident as a child but will this one white lie be a good change or not? Pierce needs a nanny stat after a very interesting turn of events. Will Harlow be able to help him out and maybe even be the very thing this grumpy man needs in his life? A cute and silly romcom with some kiddy shenanigans, campiness and some moments you go “did that really just happen!?” Told in first person and dual POV

[Elle ♡ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 1 out of 5]

So at first I was shocked by how absurdly bad this was and then I finally caught on that it was supposed to be funny…but it wasn’t so it was just laughably bad. My advice to Whitney G. would be to read her earlier books and plagiarize them at this point. Like what’s going on? Swear I used to like some of her stuff. Anywho, I could go on an on about how absolutely nothing in this book made sense, how the nearly 20 year age gap was never brought up, how the sex scenes were so fucking random with no build up, how inappropriate and shit at her job Harlow was and how equally inappropriate and shit at being a boss Pierce was but honestly I’m just super glad this book is over and I never have to think about it again and it doesn’t even deserve anymore thoughts from me so bye!

[Olha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Крротенька та весела історія. Як на мене трохи кострубато написано, веселі діалоги, але... Не знаю не мені не вистачило плавності сюжету. Мені дуже шкода було Харлоу, я б звільнилась тисячу разів на її місці з таким графіком роботи.

Але це було весело і легко

[Babel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wildly fun. A not-so-real nanny and an unreal grumpy billionaire clash and grudgingly fall in love in this hilarious rom-com.

I laughed out loud at least three times with this story. It has surreal comedy moments and cute kids time and a stormy romance. Fun, fun, fun.

Harllow and Pierce make for an unlikely couple, but that's what makes their crush so entertaining. He's super rich, uber snarky and beyond suspicious. And there goes this unemployed chef who happens to take naughty advantage of a nanny position that almost falls into her lap.

Against all odds, they become a nanny-boss tandem. She barely breathes through the mountainous workload of taking care of two babies and a girl, and he fights the temptation to claim her by ignoring her reasonable pleas and drowning her in crazy nanny rules. I enjoyed it all a lot.

Of course, there are baked goodies, a very smart girl, two adorable babies in need of an army's attention, some hot times, incredibly snarky dialogues, and a bit of a drama at the end that binds everyone's emotional issues into a happy ending. Loved it :-D

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute/funny/quick read!!! It had a lot of laugh out loud moments! The interview scene 🤣!

I loved the chemistry between Harlow & Pierce! The tension was palpable!

The interactions with the kids were soooo cute! Loved Olivia (her Mom- not so much).

The ending was sweet! I would have enjoyed an epilogue…but I believe a short story is coming out soon and I look forward to reading that!!

Thank you to WG for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!! Xo

[A L I S S A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm giving this 4 stars because I really enjoy Whitney's books. While this one kept me entertained, I was annoyed with how quickly Pierce reacted to things and pulled the plug. No communication. Pierce is upset. I guess this means this is over. And over. And over... again. And Harlow just kept going back. I liked the book, I swear.

[Isa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un completo despropósito. Toda la historia precipitada, con secundarios que aparecen de la nada al final del libro y que no sabes a qué viene eso. En fin, es lo primero que leo de ella y no creo que repita.

Las dos estrellas es porque, al menos, se lee rápido 😅.

[Nathalie* · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was so cute .. loved the kids!!! character building for her family sucked … even her bff kinda fell flat .. why did she call her mom by her name .. Meh ..also the lies all the lies meh .. and his extreme reaction to said lie meh but the story with them too top notch .. super cute 💕💕

[Eigna · Rating 2 out of 5]

La historia es divertida en varios momentos, pero no le termino de ver mucha coherencia... no me ha convencido

[lostsouls · Rating 1 out of 5]

que libro de mierda

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whitney siempre llega cuando más la necesito

[Susan (susayq ~) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fun read! This was my first by Whitney G. and won't be my last. Pierce was sort of a jerk to Harlow at first, but he made it up at the end with that amazing declaration of love!