Hearts Abroad by Skye McNeil

When a fun-loving American nanny turns a millionaire British single dad’s world upside down, it’s inevitable life is going to get complicated.

Taking a break from screenwriting in New York City, Londyn Bellerose takes a nannying job in Colorado to get away from the hubbub. A summer to live without regrets is all she wants. While her boss is British, gorgeous, and a millionaire, he has no clue how to have fun. Determined to mend the relationship between father and daughters, Londyn doesn’t expect to fall for the museum curator.

Londyn is American and everything Callum Archer swore to never fall for again. With her carefree spirit and energetic smile, she’s perfect to nanny Callum’s two daughters. The problem is she’s also perfect for him. She’s sassy, musical, and tends to speak her mind more than she means to.

When old history and new dreams threaten her happily ever after, will Londyn and Callum’s love survive?

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33259027-the-duchess-deal

Title: Hearts Abroad
Author: Skye McNeil
Series: The Atlas Series
Pages: ???
Genre(s): Contemporary, US
Hot Buttons: /

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This is the first book in a new series from Skye McNeil about an opposites attract, sort-of enemies (or at least distrusting acquaintances) to lovers romance. Ms McNeil’s writing flows very smoothly throughout, is engaging and accomplished. Those pages kept themselves turning! She’s definitely an author I will look for again in the future.

The story is a slow, sweet romance that follows a well-known tale. In fact, it’s almost a standard storyline of stiff-upper lip Brit whose life is ‘turned upside down’ by a free-spirited, carefree American who’s been employed as a nanny for his children. It’s got all the elements of a Hallmark/Disney teen type movie including teaching the American to dance, realising what’s most important - job or family, after the disruption of said job by hijinks and shenanigans, of course! I even vibe felt a Sound of Music vibe with the nanny helping the children learn to have fun.

Now none of this is a bad thing. In fact, I love those types of movies and I’ve spent many an afternoon watching them and getting that same happy and comfortable feeling from them that I got with this book. However, following a tried and true pattern can only ever make this a good book rather than a great one.

I liked both Londyn and Callum - separately and together. I feel that Londyn could have easily become a cliched stereotype but instead was a well-rounded and interesting character. I was rooting for her. Likewise for Callum but I did feel, as the book progressed, that he was turning into the cliched English lord type with the family who disdained of anyone not of their rank or wealth.

The romance was really sweet and cute - but hot and steamy it was not. There were no passionate clinches, no ripping clothes off each other and no sweaty sessions. There was one sex scene which did have a little more oomph than the rest of the book - but other than that, it was very much a tame affair. (This didn’t affect my rating - just stating it so folk will know whether it will suit them or not.)

Because it is a sweet romance at its heart - I feel I have to mention the few f-bombs in the story. No problem at all for me but some folk wouldn’t necessarily expect them.

I’m always slightly wary of a Brit popping up in a book set in America. Would he Dick Van-Dyke it up or would he be slightly more subtle? Mostly subtle - I’m happy to say. Just a few ‘let’s throw in a Britishism’ to make this more legit but not enough to annoy. And only a few moments when England and Britain become interchangeable but that’s always going to be a bug bear of mine.

I very much enjoyed this book. It’s a fun way to pass a couple of hours and you’ll finish with a satisfied feeling that you’ve enjoyed a light-hearted tale of love conquering all. The adorable cover deserves its own mention and should I see something similar for the following books in the series then I’ll be sure to give them a go.