Five years ago, I lost her. Now I have eight weeks to keep her.

Hiring a nanny for the summer seemed like a good idea. Finding out she’s Ivy Sullivan– the woman I never got over? Not so much.

At first, we’re just trying to survive sharing the same ranch. Then Ivy starts helping my six-year-old daughter create a memory book to honor her mother, winning over my grandmother, and turning family dinners into my favorite part of the day.

The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore the feelings we left behind years ago.
Especially when my daughter is convinced we’re in love and keeps collecting “evidence.”

For the first time in a long time, Hartwell Ranch feels whole again.

Then Ivy gets accepted into the Nashville program she’s dreamed about for years.
Suddenly, the woman who feels like home has an expiration date.

Now I have eight weeks to convince Ivy that the best things in life aren’t always the ones you plan for.

Titles in The Hartwell Ranch series include:  The Widowed Rancher and the Nanny ~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  The Widowed Rancher and the Nanny
Series:  The Hartwell Ranch #1
Author:  Jancy Marlowe
Published:  September 22, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

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.*

This title is available on Amazon