This is gonna be a tough review to write...

I was holding on to 4 stars for a while but the big conflict at the end didn’t work out for me at all.

What I liked

Two adults who know nothing about taking care of a child and are way out of their comfort zone? One gets her info from watching Youtube videos, the other thinks it’s safer for the child to wear a helmet all the time. What could possibly go wrong, right? Even though I wished Jordan would have been more involved in Maisie’s everyday life, all the scenes with Maisie were so much fun and adorable as hell! Why are kids always so awesome in books?

What I didn’t like

— I’m a huge sucker for the whole serious/sunshine trope (I know it’s grumpy/sunshine but Jordan wasn’t really grumpy, he was more serious than grumpy but whatever, I take any variety there is to it) but the switch from “stoic expressions” all the time to “smiling deviously” was too sudden. I made my peace with it while reading because I’ve been waiting for SOMETHING on his part for ages but now after finishing the book a more gradual development would have been nice. He struggled without her “off-screen” which made it seem so abrupt when he did a 180-degree turn after.
— I am a little disappointed with the sex scenes. I thought they would be sexier, hotter, or at least more descriptive than what the book actually gave us.
— I felt like the depth, emotion, intimacy in many of their conversations was missing. Some of the attempted convos ended after two or three sentences which left me really confused.
— Here comes my biggest problem and I don’t know if this is a me problem because I like to play favorites with heroes in general and interpreted the whole conflict accordingly (i.e. in his favor) or if others will think so too. In a nutshell, I didn't agree with Riley's thoughts, actions, and words and was very irritated with her by the end of the book.

All in all, this book was an okay read. The first half was super good but the latter half disappointed me. This particular problem might just have been me though, but I'd say, if you love cute babies in your stories then give this book a try!


**ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

How to Save a Life is an absolutetly must read !

I adore this story so much! It’s this kind of book, that will made Your day brither and heart very warm. Faster than the speed of light author sucked me into Her world, and made me fall in love with Jordan and Rilley. It was a jurney and adventure from the first paiges, I just couldn’t put this book down.

I liked how author lead Jordan and Rilley thru the paiges, every event was perfectly mixed togehter. The chemistry and banter between main characters was outstanding and made laugh very hard many times. I love that Rilley is strong and inddependent young woman, who knows what she wants from life. Thanks, to that Jordan has the best rival for himself, and… his commaning style. Their story was funny, but also has hidden some skeletons in the backgrund. They both has their own demins, but … thanks to truly love they find strenght to fight them.

How To Save a Life is this thing that You need today - I'm sure after reading this book, You will feel ready to conquer the world.

How to Save a Life is the type of romance I love. Dangelico has always had the characters that I crave in a good romance; the distant, brooding guy and the lovable and caring woman. This book really was a sweet and loving book with a great slow burn feel to it. I would defiantly recommend this book for those seeking a great love story.

I loved this book. Riley was really well developed as a character. She was easy to understand and love. Jordan was a little more of a mystery throughout the book but in the end I could get where he was coming from and why he was acting like a fool at times.
The romance a slow burn | opposites attract | hate at first sight.
Very enjoyable :)

4 1/2 stars...

This was a beautiful and heartfelt romance. As you read through it, you will understand the many ways that the title applies to the story.

Riley and Jordan are an unlikely couple. When they initially meet, they don't necessarily get along. Then fate continues to play along and they cross paths again. Some of their encounters are ironic and unexpected. However, as you learn more about each of their characters, you see how their differences are actually a compliment to the other person's personality. I enjoyed watching their relationship organically grow and develop. It didn't feel forced or rushed. However, when they realized they both cared for each other, there was some very spicy chemistry.

Overall, this book contains all the ingredients needed for a good romance. There's a strong female lead, a somewhat broken male lead, a cute baby, an overbearing mother (of the male lead), a friend that adds complications to the relationship, painful histories and insecurities. It truly was the ideal blend of all of this.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I voluntarily chose to review it and the opinions contained within are my own.

What a book! This story grabbed me right from the start and I could not put it down. A journey that is both heartbreaking and heartwarming, this book made me feel all of the emotions! The best book I’ve read in awhile!

I am a huge fan of this author, however this book didn’t live up to my expectations. The beginning was cute, and what I have come to expect from her, but i didn’t feel the connection like I wanted to. Maise was really the shining star of the novel. And the end was not at all what I wanted, so I was left with a bitter taste. Just not what I was hoping for.

3.5 Stars

"Did you need something?"
"You...I need you"

This was my first read by P. Dangelico and I was super excited to receive an ARC for it. I've only heard wonderful things about this author. From the beginning, I was very intrigued, especially after that prologue where we see something is very wrong with Jordan, though we don't really know exactly what. As in, that something happened to him. He's in bed, won't answer the phone, the door, anything. His family is worried about him... We get a few breadcrumbs but I needed more details!

"Ever feel so much you'll do anything not to?"

For Riley, on the other hand, things are looking up. After enduring some extremely difficult things growing up, she's now running a prospering business and has people in her life who care about her.

I loved their little "meet cute" where Riley saves Jordan from getting his butt whipped by a couple of muggers. Technically, they seen each other earlier that night, when she spotted him getting drunk at the bar of the restaurant she waited tables at.

Jordan gives a whole new name to grouchy heroes. I loved when we got a few POVs from him later in the book, showing us just how different his thoughts were from what he was protruding on the outside.

On top of everything Jordan is going through, he's also been saddled with being the caretaker for his toddler god daughter, and before long, he hires Riley to be her nanny. I loved the scenes with Maisie...and there was a part of the book when she made me cry, and that is no easy feat!!

This is definitely a slow burn romance, but DANG did these two burn up my iPad once they finally got together. I loved that their love story was realistic and that they had to fight through all of their crap.

There were a few areas where the story felt kind of choppy/stilted to me. Some of the pacing of the character's transitions felt off to me. There were also a few instances where I felt that the characters' behaviors were over the top. For example, would a congresswoman (Jordan's mother) really act so rudely in public when everything with politicians is so focused on appearances?

I really felt like we needed to revisit Eli at the end of the book as well, given some of the things that occurred with his character earlier in the story.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read and I would check this author out again in the future.

"I'd follow you anywhere..."

I was provided with an ARC of this book by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

GENRE: contemporary romance
TROPES: workplace romance, billionaire-nanny
TRIGGER WARNINGS: cancer, loss of a loved one, grief, mention of 9/11. mention of sexual assault
RATING: 4,5 ⭐

This is a heartwarming realistic contemporary romance with authentic people and relatable issues with excellent diverse mental health representation. ( we have side characters with PTSD, depression, addiction)

Jordan West is a broody tech billionaire who, one night while drunk, gets mugged. His savior is Riley James, a hardworking waiter by night and contactor by day. A couple of days after their first encounter, Jordan offers Riley a job as his goddaughter nanny, who was unexpectantly left in his care. Toddler Maise is absolutely adorable. Jordan and Riley don't struggle only with their attraction but some past demons and a lot of trauma. They slowly open up to each other as they learn to navigate the newfound situation.

This is a quick read with an excellent pace that keeps the reader's attention throughout the book. I love how P. Dangelico writes her characters. The hero is that perfect mix of broodiness and vulnerability. The heroine is all steel, determination, loyalty, and kindness.

This book is a perfect reminder of life's fragility.

I recommend this book to all romance readers who enjoy slow-burn romance.

Unfortunately I just can't stand billionaire romances. It was never mentioned in the blurb and I didn't see anything before I started to read.

I at first DNF'd this, having a long list of books I want to read and not interested in spending time on another shallow book. I CAN’T STAND billionaire romances. But I was wrong! I forgot this was even an uber rich world for most of the book. Even the main character forgets. The pace of this book was spot on and I found myself devouring it in one sitting. I liked the heroine Riley a lot. Full of sass and not afraid to kick a man’s ass, she is definitely a woman I’d want on my side! Jordan is VERY rough around the edges and totally undeserving of Riley IMO, but I was still rooting for them. This was a quick read and I think the story would’ve been even better had the book been a bit longer and the plot more flushed out. Things were going at a good pace until the last 60ish percent. Then things just started to feel very predictable and angsty. I also always love an epilogue with romances! I would’ve liked to see these two in the future and of course see Maise again!

*** Received an ARC for a fair review*** Soooo, i LOVED Wrecking Ball by this author and have been looking for the same magic in all of her books since. How to Save a Life comes in a close second. There were a lot of the same themes - tough, down on her luck heroine, rich broody, grumpy hero, and a baby that needed looking after. How to Save a Life was good and I liked the heroine in this book even more. This was a page turner and held my interest throughout most of the book. P. Dangelico's books have a realness to them, almost like you know the characters in some way. The only issue I had with this book (and the reason it got 4 stars instead of 5) is that I was 60% into it and there was still no real action between the heroine and the hero, which made the last half of the book seem rushed and a bit insta-love. I think just a little bit more time spent on the chemistry between the hero and the heroine would have helped. Overall, I recommend.

What a truly unforgettable read! I remember feeling the same way after I read Ms. Dangelico's "You Can Have Manhattan" and I was hoping for the same with How to Save A Life. Let me say, she certainly exceeded my expectations. Ms. Dangelico's writing makes me feel emotionally invested in her characters from the very beginning of her books and this prologue grabbed me immediately. I adored Riley's character -- she's everything I look for in a female lead -- strong, brave, kind and most importantly, a "glass half full" kind of girl like me. And Jordan.....oh Jordan, devastated and heartbroken, but a heart so full -- he is so much more than the tragedies he's endured in his life and his billionaire status. This book touches on some topics that I believe most of us have experienced some time in our lives and handles it with grace and inspiration. And Maisie is absolutely adorable! There's laugh out loud moments, pull your hair out moments, steamy/slow burn moments and moments when I cried buckets of tears -- both happy and sad. Another stunning, incredible read by Paola Dangelico! I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC for NetGalley.

How to Save a Life was filled with all the feels you want when you read a good book! I cried, I laughed, I was mad, I hurt and I swooned.

This book was an unexpected gem! I have really enjoyed all of P. Dangelico's other books, but this one was just so good!

The story flowed well and kept me invested from the first chapter to the last. The tension that builds between Jordan and Riley was intense and their banter was so fun to read.

I can't wait to recommend this to other readers!

The story was nice and cute, especially with all the Maisie moments that were a big part of the plot and I liked the way she undirectedly helped Jordan and Riley get closer. When I finished this book, I was left wanting for more because Jordan and Riley's relationship evolved very quickly and kind of out of the blue, there wasn't enough build-up or angst and they got together at the very end of the story. And also their backstory wasn't developed enough and I would have liked to learn more about Jordan and Riley because they were interesting characters.

I'm torn with this book. There were so many things I liked but there were also so many things I didn't.
I liked the premise that was in the blurb but there were 2 storylines that added so much drama that weren't outlined.
I really liked Riley in the beginning. She was tough yet sweet. She became a push over pretty quickly and I was disappointed.
I couldn't get a good feel for Jordan. He was quiet and I think he still held emotions for his past love.
I liked when they took care of Maise. They were sweet as a non-family .
The story left me feeling sad for the characters in the book.

Three and a half stars.

I liked this, but I didn't love it.

Riley James is working 24/7 to make a living. She owns her own construction/renovation business and works as a waitress to cover expenses because her mother has been in a depression since Riley's father died and struggles to keep a job. Riley owns three properties, the one she lives in with her mother, a rental property and one she is in the process of renovating.

One night in the restaurant she encounters one of those stand-offish, blank-eyed, rude, billionaires; literally walking into her, and then later that night she rescues him from being mugged and beaten up by a couple of guys. In return the billionaire, Jordan West, offers her a job as his personal assistant.

Riley has no intention of taking up Jordan's offer, even for $4,000 a week, until a childhood friend gets into trouble and needs money fast. So Riley accepts the offer, only to discover that being Jordan's personal assistant involves acting as nanny to a two-year old toddler called Maisie.

I generally love Paola Dangelico's novels, sexy heroes and sassy heroines with loads of sarky banter but this felt a little too much by the numbers. First off, I had trouble remembering whether Riley was a man or a woman (so very binary of me) and ditto Jordan - why choose androgynous names for both characters? Then Jordan and Riley both had things in their past which made them behave the way they did, and I guess you could say we all do, but it was all very NA/YA (you know everyone has been raped/is an orphan/killed their best friend/has some incurable disease yadda yadda). Finally I thought there were two very large plot holes/inconsistencies. First, the job offer as a PA and then as a nanny. Why? And who in their right mind can just leave a small business and not come back for months? Did Riley even consider how she would rebuild her business or what her crew would do for money while she was swanning around in Manhattan? Clearly the waitressing job was just a plot device to get the two of them to meet because it is never mentioned again. The second issue occurs right near the end (view spoiler)

So, I read it in a single day and I enjoyed the Billionaire and the Nanny vibe, but I have loved some of Paola Dangelico's other books, like Wrecking Ball more.

And what's with the cover? It's set in Manhattan.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

SOO GOOD! 4.5 stars
This is my second book of Dangelico and OMG I loved so much Riley and Jordan! The story starts more or less of Riley been hired to be a nanny for Jordan's god daughter and throughout the story we get to see how both of them trust each other.
The book keeps you on edge since there is a lot of enigma around Jordan's past BUT it almost made me cry!
The only thing I would add is an epilogue although the ending is pretty great!


*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thanks NetGalley

I don’t know what sorcery lives on these pages, but I just completely lost myself in this book. I was so enchanted with this story, so enamored of these characters. I lost time, and my heart, in one fell swoop – and frankly, I’m not really ready to walk away from it all just yet.

Jordan and Riley’s story was just lovely. It gave me that perfect belly flipping, heart fluttering, achey feeling that I’m so addicted to. I really am not sure there is anything more beautiful than watching a man brought to life by his love for a woman. Jordan was the perfect grumpy hero with warm soft underbelly that I am completely powerless against. Riley’s indomitable spirit and giant heart (not to mention her unwavering loyalty and strength) was the perfect match for him. I fell in love with them while they fell in love with each other and – I’m just so gone!

The romance here was a slow burn, but fully charged with the kind of sparky chemistry that keeps you reading, knowing that it’s just a matter of time before it all bursts into flames. It’s filled with the kind of flirty banter that keeps your heart on the line, and enough sweet emotion to make you really feel it, like to your bones, when they finally give in to their feelings for each other.

It was SO FREAKING GOOD !

How to Save a Life was the type of book I wish I could read all over again for the first time. The writing is beautiful, smart and engaging. The storytelling is captivating, the perfect blend of light swoony romance, snappy humor, and hard-hitting emotion. The characters – complex, and full of depth – were impossible not to love. This was just the whole package. I was into it, heart and soul, and I am so happy to have taken this journey with them. This was another P. Dangelico hit for me and now I’m off to nurse this epic book hangover!

How to Save a Life by P. Dangelico a five-star read that will save your life. This was so good, I started it and finished it without breaking, I couldn’t even look up I was so engrossed in Riley and Jordan, the darkness and the light. Life comes in many forms and this was simply one of the best, I adore ms Dangelico writing, her characters have a realness with them, they have flaws and beauty and will bring you to anger and passion in the same breath. I fond this to be one of my favourite of her works, it really made me feel like I was there on the boat with them. I must admit I found Riley, to have a great fire to her, she was the one who pulled this together.

When Paola Dangelico writes a book, it is about real people. With struggles, pasts, moods and all.

When Riley meets Jordan West she saves him from some muggers. She also drives him home in his fancy car and is surprised when he visits her on her worksite (she is a contractor) to offer her a job. Riley already has two jobs to support her dream of her little contracting business, but when a good friend needs the money bad, she decides to take Jordan's offer and work - essentially - for free. This is the part I had some issues with. Give up your dreams and life for a friend? Even when he saved her once when she was 12.

The job is to be Jordan's assistant, but actually she is the nanny for 2-year-old Maisie. Maisie is adorable! And there is a slowburn between Riley and Jordan (Dangelico's trade mark... sigh).

Overall I got sucked into the story really fast and I could not put it down. I touched on a subject that came close to my heart (cancer) and I had wished for some more explanation about several subjects.

An epilogue would have been fantastic. The story seemed to end rather abruptly and I thought it needed just a little bit more.