The Widowed Rancher and the Nanny: A Sweet Small Town Second Chance Rom Com

by Jancy Marlowe

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 22, 2026

Reviews

[Happily Ever After Romance]

Reviewed at Happily Ever After Romance

The Widowed Rancher and the Nanny begins The Hartwell Ranch series with a sweet, second-chance-to-get-love-right romance between Jasper and Ivy. At one point, it seemed this couple would build a life together, but that didn’t happen, and they moved on. Jasper married, has an adorable daughter, and became a widower at a young age. But he never really forgot his first love. When Ivy applied for the nanny position he desperately needed filled (unaware of who would be involved), it was either life giving them a second chance or karma getting a chuckle… Jasper preferred the first option. Now, to convince Ivy that dreams change, and sometimes the right place for you is right where you’re standing.

I enjoyed Ivy and Jasper’s (and Rosie’s) story so much. Watching them find and grab onto their second chance to be together was a delightful journey. Their story is well-written, emotional, and full of laughter. This is my first time reading Jancy Marlowe’s work, and I will definitely be looking for more. If this sounds like your kind of (sweet) Contemporary Romance, then you’d enjoy The Widowed Rancher and the Nanny.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. I chose to leave a review with my personal opinion of this book.*

[Mary Ann Speel]

Really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great, you could not help but fall in love with them. The daughter is precious and the father was so good and loving with his daughter. The nanny was a great addition to the family. Hope you get this book, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading a nice clean story. Enjoy.

[Coffeenbooks]

- Single father
- Close proximity
- Second chance

Imagine taking a job as a live in nanny and then finding out the single father was your former boyfriend? The sparks are still there, but so much has happened since they were together....

Ivy travels to the Hartwell Ranch not realizing her new boss was her first love, Jasper. Jasper had moved on after they parted ways, but his new wife didn't make it through childbirth. He has been raising his daughter Rosie, but is in need of help. He left the hiring to another person, which is how he didn't know his new nanny was the one woman he can't stop thinking about.

Rosie is a delightful, precocious child and she and Ivy connect instantly. Will this new situation turn into the family that Ivy always dreamed of?

This is a sweet romance, full of emotions and light hearted moments.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Norma]

I really enjoyed this book! It was a super fast read for me. I’m a sucker for a cute romcom. It was funny, charming, sad, and very relatable. Rosie is the absolute cutest little girl ever!!! Her personality was perfection! Her sarcasm and the way she was so observant of everything was so entertaining.

I enjoyed seeing Ivy and Jasper rekindle this college romance that clearly was meant to be. I gave this a 5⭐️ because I felt all of the emotions. I laughed, I cried, got angry, and was super sad.

[Erin]

This was a nice sweet read for a relaxing afternoon. Jasper and Ivy were immediately drawn back to a place they had been several years before. Seeing their bond grow was special. My favorite was young Rosie who was far too wise and clever for her age. She absolutely stole the spotlight in this story.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[LaRae]

Such a sweet, fun book with cute memorable scenes. One of my favorite tropes in nanny and boss! Great book!