Customer Reviews

There' Something About The Nanny (Harlequin Love and Laughter)

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I originally submitted this review in 1997 (before Amazon created the About You Page) and am resubmitting it under my public account as directed by Amazon's Customer Service. The original review will be deleted via Amazon.

Famous writer and single Dad Alan Magnus is in desperate need of nanny. Facing a crushing deadline for his newest thriller he just doesn't have the time to give little Deanna the attention she craves.

Deanna dislikes all of the nannies Daddy chooses and wishes for a fairy. Into their lives appears beautiful Misty with the purple eyes who claims she is an elf. Deanna immediately loves her and together they talk desperate Dad into hiring her. He thinks she's escaped from the local loony bin but because she is so much fun to look at and listen to he decides to give her a chance. He figures a crazy nanny is better than no nanny.

Misty quickly steals Alan's heart but she fears he doesn't truly love her and that he is under the spell of magic. The only way to know for sure is to make a believer out of him.

Although not laugh out loud funny, There's Something About The Nanny is a quick, lighthearted read with likable, charming characters and just enough magic to perk up your afternoon

I just finished reading this book, and I agree with the reviewers that said that this book doesn't belong in the L&L series. It is cute and sweet, rather than funny. I mean, it was a nice book, but kind of bizarre, almost as if it couldn't decide whether to be a normal contemporary romance or a fantasy. The book is confusing at times, perhaps because I don't read fantasy. I'm not sure that's it, though. The characters fall in love way too quickly, (especially the guy) and I was surprised at one point when he confessed his love for her and wanted to marry her. I thought that I had missed something, but no, the author just chose not to develop the romance as fully as she probably should have. The characters think vague thoughts about how they know their relationship is more than just love on a physical level, it is something deeper -- but at what point do they come to this conclusion? Did the author leave out some chapters? At the beginning of the book, she spent equal time with both the male and female protagonists, but towards the end focused mainly on the elf-woman, which made the love declaration from Alan (the guy) kind of startling, and his later conviction that Misty left him because he didn't understand her or allow her to be who she was rather confusing. How did he arrive at this idea? I have no clue. I also found it difficult to believe that Alan just dismissed the extremely obvious magical occurences as a result of him being overly tired or something like that. Even when he did believe that Misty was an elf, he didn't seem surprised or awed in any way. Maybe the author wanted us to think that magical stuff happens to him all the time, or he is a man steely emotional control, and therefore doesn't show any surprise or shock? I thought that the ending was quite abrupt, and I still am not clear whether Alan believed that Misty was an elf before she left, or whether she was able to stay an elf after he called her, or what. Also, the author gives you snippets of information about the other characters, just enough so that you begin to be interested in them, and then no further development. Not much interesting interaction with main characters, which is what often makes the L&L series so funny. I would have liked to know more about the "evil grandparents" or the "nice grandparents" or the other people in the couple's lives (besides the little girl). It was almost like they lived in some kind of a vacuum. Nice little read, I guess, but overall, it made me say, "Huh?"

This book had a lot of creativity in it. It was funny, moving and a bit odd at times, but overall, it had caught my attention. In the regular love and laughter series, there is usually more romance and gaiety. But, it had the sense of magic and fairy like worlds in it, which any young teen likes to read and dwell upon. Read it, it will give you a different perspective of things after a few months.

I liked this book a lot, and I'm quite picky when it comes to romance. I can see the earlier reviewer's point about it not really fitting in Love & Laughter - the humor in most of the other books tends to be a little broader - but I think it was lighthearted enough that its inclusion in the line didn't bother me. There are several very funny scenes as Misty copes with the modern world. Misty is a charming character, and I enjoyed the unfolding of her relationship with Alan. I thought the ending was especially satisfying.

Although there is much to recommend about the writing of this book, the story doesn't belong in this genre. This is clearly a fantasy book. It was cute, but didn't belong in the Love and Laughter line. I was disappointed and felt misled after buying it.