Reviewer: Tracy
The Nanny with the Skull Tattoos by Elizabeth Barone
Publisher: Booktrope Publishing
Publication Date: January 25th 2015
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
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Single dad Max isn’t looking for love—he only needs someone to help take care of his two-year-old daughter, Chloe. Or so he thinks. After being kicked out of his parents’ house, he’s determined to make it on his own. But juggling a full-time job, an undergrad program, and childcare is pretty much impossible. When his best friend jokingly suggests he post an ad for a live-in nanny on Craigslist, he goes for it. After all, he has nothing to lose… right?

When artist Savannah quickly responds to his ad, Max is thrilled. Her resume is perfect and Chloe seems to like her, despite the slightly menacing tattoos decorating her arm. Savannah brings a light and warmth into his life that he never thought possible. Max hasn’t so much as dated since Chloe was born, but he’s willing to give it a shot with Savannah. There’s just one problem.

Everything is perfect just the way it is. Even his daughter is happy. If he messed up things up with Savannah, how could he ever forgive himself?

Max is 20 years old and has a 2-year-old daughter, Chloe, and he is the sole custodial parent.  His ex-girlfriend is not in their lives at all.  Max lives with his parents while he goes to college to get his elementary education degree and he also works at a music store.  His mother has been taking care of Chloe when needed but Max’s mother finally tells him she can’t do it any longer as she has no free time for herself and then not only quits as his daycare provider but then kicks him out of the house.

Within a couple of days Max is in an apartment with Chloe but he’s stuck for daycare.  He gets his best friend Riley to watch Chloe occasionally but it’s not enough.  He decides to put an ad on Craigslist for a live-in nanny.  He only gets one response from a girl named Savannah.  He’s leery about hiring her as she has skull tattoos up and down one arm but he’s desperate so his hires her.

Savannah is great with Chloe and she works out well but soon Max is having feelings for Savannah and they end up sleeping together.  A misunderstanding about Max’s ex (Chloe’s mother) has Savannah moving out. Eventually they work things out and get their HEA but not before Max grows up a bit and learns to stand on his own two feet.

While this was a cute story I can’t say that I thoroughly loved any of characters – except for little Chloe.  At first I felt sorry for Max when his mother kicked him out of the house, especially as they had let all of his older 4 brothers live there while they were getting their undergrad degrees.  They also gave his 4 older brothers cars when they graduated high school and Max got “a lecture, a box of condoms and a baby shower.”  While I can see why they did all of that it really irked me that the parents would treat Max so poorly.  I mean – he’s got a daughter…wouldn’t the grandparents want to get him a car that is safe?  I didn’t get that at all. Overall I understood where they were coming from, and got that they wanted Max to stand on his own two feet but I didn’t like the fact that they treated Max so differently from the rest of the family. Then as the book went on I got pretty sick of Max whining about things.  He was a good father to Chloe, even though he had insecurities about that.   I didn’t care for him not fighting for Savannah when the shit hit the fan and then “getting” with his ex but was happy when he finally stood up to the ex.

I liked Savannah at times but she acted kind of high and mighty about Max not teaching his daughter about her Puerto Rican heritage and she seemed condescending about Max’s family as well.  She did seem like a good person thought and was happy when the two finally got back together.

Overall it was a cute story.  The romance was pretty sparse and interjected into places.  I would have loved to see more tension between the H/h prior to them sleeping together.  I just didn’t feel the connection as much as I think I should have.

Rating: 3.25 out of 5