Author: Lauren Layne (Page 1 of 11)

Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne
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Synopsis:

Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement.

Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman.

But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.

Review:

Romance lovers will passionately fall in love with Made in Manhattan!  It had a fun and flirty vibe, while also pulling on my emotions.  The story was impossible to put down and easily became an instant favorite!  If you love an opposites attract adult romance then I can’t recommend this book enough!

Could she take this angry, uncouth man and turn him into someone who held his own in a boardroom? Who could navigate the sticky intricacies of the New York social set?
Who could not only tie a tie, but look good in it?
Suddenly she wanted to try, rather desperately.

Cain Stones learned that he had a grandmother he never knew about, along with a billion dollar company that she wanted him to take over.  Coming from the South, he needed to learn the city, dress the part and work on getting voted in as CEO.  And Violet Townsend was to help Cain achieve that goal.  Their grandmothers were best friends and there was nothing Violet wouldn’t do to help Edith, Cain’s grandma.

Violet had the sudden urge to tell him he was wrong.
She didn’t always get what she wanted.
She didn’t even know what that was.

Violet Victoria Townsend lived on the upper east side and I absolutely loved her.  She was kind, helpful and held herself in almost a regal way.  She dressed the part, had impeccable manners, was a thoughtful hostesses and always seemed to say the right thing.  She definitely gave me Charlotte from Sex and the City vibes, who I adored.  Violet could be seen with Keith, who was a blue blood like her, except I thought he was beyond pretentious. So when Cain stepped into her life, Violet’s seemingly perfect world completely changed.

Cain shrugged and bent down to gently rub Coco’s head with a knuckle. Violet ordered her heart not to melt. Or to think about the fact that Keith barely tolerated her dog’s existence, much less pet the little Yorkie.

 Cain was the ultimate book boyfriend.  Yes he was a little rough around the edges and had no filter on his mouth sometimes, but oh my goodness was the man swoon worthy.  Not only in the way he held himself and talked, but his actions literally melted my heart into a puddle.  Whether he was being thoughtful of Violet’s dog Coco, who he called Toto, or remembering details from what Violet said, Cain was most definitely more then others in Violet’s world would see at first glance.  Cain was sexy, seductive, charismatic, and I was obsessed.

His smile was slow. Predatory. He moved even closer until she could feel his body heat. “Careful, Duchess. Look at me that way again, and you’ll be the one who’s handled, and not the least bit gently.”

Violet and Cain started out rough.  Yes there was an instant attraction and chemistry between them, but Violet was trying to change who Cain was.  And he fought her every step of the way.  It started with a clothing makeover and went from there.  But Cain wasn’t the only one who started to change. Violet found herself changing too.  She kept her emotions guarded and always came across as composed and together.  But Cain pushed her time and again and invoked emotions from her that had me clinging to every single word between them!

“Keith can be . . .” She sighed. “He’s struggling. He’s put a lot of himself into the company, and it’s hard for him to have an outsider come in and take a position he thinks should be his.”
Cain’s eyes flicked up for the briefest of moments. “That’s not what he should be possessive of.”
Violet didn’t reply. Couldn’t. But neither did she look away.

Their moments together brimmed with delicious sexual tension and banter.  Whether it was a look, a touch or a barbed word, everything had an undercurrent of electricity running through it.  And there were so many moments that held such powerful emotions.  Like the piano scene.  I didn’t know whether to laugh and smile or cry tears of heartache.  This book toyed with my emotions in the best ways possible!  There was some steam in the pages and by the end of this story I found myself with tears in my eyes.

“You deserve it.”
“What, to learn piano?” she joked.
He didn’t smile back. “All of it. You deserve to have everything you want, Duchess.”

Made in Manhattan was beautifully emotional and seductive.  It had characters that were larger then life, a story-line that I devoured way too quickly and even side characters that constantly made me feel.  This book became a top favorite so easily and I can’t wait to read it again and again in the future!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Synopsis:

Perpetually cheerful and eager to please, Gracie Cooper strives to make the best out of every situation. So when her father dies just months after a lung cancer diagnosis, she sets aside her dreams of pursuing her passion for art to take over his Midtown Manhattan champagne shop. She soon finds out that the store’s profit margins are being squeezed perilously tight, and complicating matters further, a giant corporation headed by the impossibly handsome, but irritatingly arrogant Sebastian Andrews is proposing a buyout. But Gracie can’t bear the thought of throwing away her father’s dream like she did her own.

Overwhelmed and not wanting to admit to her friends or family that she’s having second thoughts about the shop, Gracie seeks advice and solace from someone she’s never met—the faceless “Sir”, with whom she connected on a blind dating app where matches get to know each other through messages and common interests before exchanging real names or photos.

But although Gracie finds herself slowly falling for Sir online, she has no idea she’s already met him in real life…and they can’t stand each other.

Review:

To Sir With Love was an adorable romance story that warmed my heart.  I wasn’t even halfway through the first chapter and couldn’t stop smiling!  If you love romance that gives you all the feels and has the most wonderful HEA, then this is your book!

Life feels most real when I’m writing to you, when I see your screen name in my in-box. I don’t know your name. Your face. Your age. But I have the sense I know you. And that you know me too, in a way perhaps nobody else does.

Gracie Cooper continued her dad’s legacy by running the family champagne shop.  Even though it wasn’t her dream in life, her true passion was painting.  Gracie was trying to keep the shop in the black, and it seemed like she wasn’t truly living.  Well, except for when she was messaging with Sir.  Sir was someone she met through an online dating app.  They had no clue what each looked like, but they clicked so well.  And with each message that was sent back and forth, Gracie fell that much harder for Sir.

Sebastian nods slowly. “I get that too. It’s not high school territory. It’s human territory. Nobody wants to learn they’re the only one feeling things.”
Our eyes lock for a moment that feels . . . important, somehow.
We both look away.

Sebastian Andrews met Gracie randomly and there was something between them.  But he ended up being the man who wanted to buy out Gracie’s shop lease and he seemed to have a beautiful girlfriend.  Gracie refused Sebastian’s offers, time and again and I loved the animosity that seemed to be between them.  And while Gracie didn’t like what Sebastian stood for, she couldn’t deny there was chemistry, passion and heat between them.  No matter how much she didn’t want it to be there.

“You ever feel completely convinced you’re supposed to be with someone but have no idea how to go about it?”
“Actually. Yes. Twice,” he admits. “You?”
“Yeah.” My voice is quiet now, nearly a whisper. “Twice.”
His eyes darken in what seems to be irritation or . . . jealousy?

Gracie was lovable, thoughtful, caring and I was just as confused about what to do as she was.  Because the more time Gracie spent around Sebastian, she realized he did have a heart.  He did care.  He also listened and showed up at her shop’s events.  And it didn’t matter that Gracie tried to not like him, there was that attraction between them that felt like a flame being fanned into an inferno.  But then there was also Sir.  Seeing the messages they sent back and forth made my heart so happy and I was slowly falling in love too.  Their messages were fun, flirty and as the story unfolded, they shared some of their secrets and most intimate thoughts with one another.

“Why?”I ask softly. “Why did you tell me to pursue the other guy?”
He steps closer, lifting a hand to rest his fingertips lightly against my cheek. “Because you said you loved him. Because you deserve your fairy-tale ending. And because I’d do anything for you, Gracie Cooper. Even if it means letting you go.”

This story was rounded out with side characters that felt just as real as Gracie, Sebastian and Sir.  May, Gracie’s siblings and friends, to even the short moment we were with Sebastian’s parents oh my heart.  I loved them all!  But at the base of the story was Gracie and I was so unsure which path she should take.  Sir or Sebastian.  With butterflies, jealousy, flirting, friendship and the starting of so much more, I was obsessed.  This story not only made me cry a few times, but one of those moments I was laughing while tears were falling down my face.  I loved this story so much!

“It’s you,” I say softly. “It’s always been you.”
“Yes.” He whispers it, his hand lifting toward my face, hesitating. Then, very gently, he sets his fingers to my cheek, his thumb catching a tear I didn’t realize had fallen. “Yes.”

This modern day twist on You’ve Got Mail was addictive, charming, romantic and so much fun!  And I have to let you know that I went into this story completely blind, its LL so I know I’ll love her books.  I’m so glad I did because the last sentence in the synopsis gives away something and I’m beyond thankful I was oblivious, it made the story that much more fun!  Heads up that this isn’t one of LL’s sexy stories, but for me I didn’t even need that at all!  So if you’re a fan of adult romance that makes you smile, laugh and possibly even cry, then you definitely need this book in your life!