Headfirst
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Pub Date Jul 14 2026 | Archive Date Jul 1 2026
Turner Publishing Company | Keylight Books
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Description
Amelia Markley bursts onto the romance scene with a spicy small-town rom-com about a single tattoo artist father and the annoyingly sexy nanny he’s determined not to fall for in this debut perfect for fans of Lana Ferguson and Meghan Quinn.
Meet Ivy Bennett. After fleeing California and a bad relationship, Ivy moves to the small town of Canyon Creek with nothing to her name but an ancient car off of Craigslist and a teaching position at the local middle school. She quickly learns to love two things: The two best friends she’s made—her eighty-year-old landlord and a more age-appropriate coworker—and the charming little town nestled in the pines. The thing she hasn’t learned to love? Her job. As if fate intervenes, Ivy gets laid off, and a job nannying for her best friend’s brother falls right in her lap.
Enter Wes Cooper. He’s grumpy, tattooed, hot as hell, and has Ivy so nervous that she can’t help but make an ass of herself. Their relationship starts...rocky, but Ivy soon realizes it’s all a mask to protect his and his daughter's hearts. In the rare moments when he lets his guard down, Ivy can’t help but fall, especially seeing the way he melts for his daughter and makes sure Ivy’s taken care of too. He seems like the perfect man, but will he let his walls down enough to let Ivy in for good? Or is she doomed to be the only one that falls headfirst?
Advance Praise
"A small town full of character and found family I want to join!" —Mollie Goins, author of the Boston Blues series
"Headfirst is a delicious blend of heartwarming touches, family dynamics, and sizzling (off-limits) tension. A fun, sexy little romp of a book that I absolutely devoured!" —Amanda Linsmeier, author of A Dance With Death (The Three Bells Trilogy #1)
"This book is more delicious than fair food, and just as impossible to resist! Perfect for fans of Elsie Silver, Headfirst is a spicy small-town romance with an overprotective, tattoo artist single dad and the sassy nanny he simply will not fall for. But just like Wes Cooper with Ivy, you're going to be powerless to stop yourself from falling Headfirst!" —Julie Cook, author of Off Course
"When laid-off teacher Ivy is in need of a new job, her coworker delivers—in more ways than one—in setting her up to care for her brother Wes's little girl, Delilah. Wes, a tattoo shop owner, is locked tighter than Fort Knox, and Ivy needs to maintain boundaries to keep her job. But their attraction is undeniable, and Markley gives the readers just enough steam and humor in each chapter to keep us wanting more, too. The small-town The Nanny we didn't know we needed!" —Jen Michalski, author of All This Can Be True
Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9798887982427 |
| PRICE | $18.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 410 |
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Featured Reviews
Liz G, Reviewer
Wesley and Ivy are everything!!
The tension 😅
The banter 🤌🏼
The spice 🔥
“Having Ivy in my arms feels like the earth finally righted itself on its axis. Like my mess of a life, finally found its peace. Like the noice in my head finally quieted, and all the pieces of my life shifted into place. She makes me feel steady. She’s home.”
I love that you can feel the tension building for the characters in what I can only assume will be the next books!
Wesley is a case of when you let yourself fall you fall hard. I was never bored reading this book. We love a man who yearns for someone he thinks he can’t have. And a woman who drops inappropriate jokes at the best moments to make the man blush.
Grumpy/Sunshine
Tattooed Single Daddy
Nanny who slips inappropriate jokes
Funny 4 year old
Rude but hilarious old bestie
Mallory G, Reviewer
Ivy, a former school teacher, that is still new to town finds herself in need of a job. Coincidentally her best friends brother, Wes, finds himself without a nanny. What luck!
- Tattooed Single Dad/Nanny
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- HE COOKS FOR HER (I will swear by this being a legitimate trope until I die)
- Found Family
- Romcom
Ivy and Wes might be one of my favorite contemporary romance couples. Ivy is just as charismatic as Wes and you will be just as in love with her as you are with him. (You hear a lot about book boyfriends but Ivy is my top book girlfriend!) She is so caring, silly, and charming in how she carries herself. Wes is everything you want in a book boyfriend - he is grumpy and broody, fiercely jealous, and wildly protective but also sweet, nurturing, and just as charming as Ivy.
If you are looking for a lighthearted, fun romance that is free from miscommunication and 3rd act breakups, makes you laugh and kick your feet, you will want to pick this book up immediately but I warn you, I ate this up in 1 day.
Thank you to NetGalley and Turner Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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