Friday, May 29, 2015

Lauren Layne Party, part 5- Isn't She Lovely by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 28 October 2013
Publisher: Flirt/Loveswept
Series: Redemption 0.5
Pages: 288 pages.
Rating: 5 stars!
Buy on:  Amazon

"The rules are clear—until they're broken. Lauren Layne puts a New Adult spin on Pygmalion, also the inspiration for Pretty Woman, and gives the classic love story its edgiest twist yet.

"Who knew that pretending you're not falling for someone would be so much more difficult than pretending that you are?"

Stephanie Kendrick gave up her whole summer to ace her NYU film school screenwriting course, so she's pissed to be stuck with a preppy, spoiled frat boy as her writing partner. Then again, with her piercings, black-rimmed eyes, and Goth wardrobe, Stephanie isn't exactly Ethan Price's type, either. He's probably got his eye on some leggy blonde with a trust fund... or does he?

As the summer scene kicks off in the Hamptons, Ethan is desperate to make his snobbish mother forget the pedigreed girl who broke his heart. While Stephanie's a stretch as a decoy, the right makeover and a pastel cardigan just might do the trick. She may not love the idea of playing Ethan's brainless Barbie girlfriend, but the free rent and luxurious digs make a tempting offer. So does the promise of a ready-made screenplay idea inspired by their charade.

But when Stephanie steps into Ethan's privileged world, the "acting" begins to feel all too real. The kissing and touching that were intended to fool the Hamptons crowd wind up manipulating "them." And Stephanie faces a question she's too afraid to ask: Is Ethan falling for the real her or for the dolled-up princess he wants to see?"

Review:

This is a new adult book. And I love it. I have a confession to make I haven't read many NA books. I think I have under my belt Beautiful Disaster,Walking Disaster and Lick. Out of all of them, I loved only the last.

The Disaster books were exactly as their name implies Disaster with a capital D, yeah. 

That whole singing scene in the cafeteria scared me for life. Not to mention the whole Cavemen attitude is far from sexy. 

But here, oh, here, we have a fantastic NA. Something rare. I also understand why it happened but I'll explain later on. 

This story is about two people in college, the exact opposites, they don't move in the same social circles and now they have to work together on a project for some class.

The idea they come up with is quite simple- like Pretty Woman and My Fair Lady- they are going to do a makeover. It doesn't matter that Ethan actually needs it so his family would leave him alone. Or that it's time for Stephanie to wake up.

“In no ecosystem should we even be acknowledging each other’s existence.” 

So, she is Stephanie (AKA: Goth Girl) known as a total badass. She used to play with the best of them, and she was world class at the top of her game. A champion of her time. 

However,  a series of unfortunate events forced her to grow-up and face the hard reality. Between growing up and rebelling one might say she got just a little bit confused on the way- she is herself but maybe not completely herself. You see, as much as she doesn't want to think about it she might have gone from one role she played to another. 

He is Ethan, the good guy. I have no other way to describe him. Don't misunderstand, he delicious(!) but he's good- jock, smart, golden guy. Even when he rebels he does it in such a conventional way.

Our boy here needs to face the fact that his life became just a bit of a country song. Only he finds it a bit hard to accept. Needing to save face he thinks of the best of ways- and hey, a beautiful badass brunette with the biggest bluest eyes and a double Ds is not such a bad idea to help him save his pretty face from the humiliation he thinks he should be feeling.


“And here’s what you don’t learn in Film 101…in real life? The meet-cute isn’t the least bit cute. It’s more like a meet-awkward. Sometimes even a meet-shoot-me-now.”

So  Stephanie, the Goth, is going through a makeover so she could fit in the Ethan's preppy family setting. So far so good. But as the story progress we learn more about them. About what the Stephanie went through, which is not very out of the ordinary and her response is only human, we see her growing up into her skin. We see Ethan learning to accept the fact that his dreams to take over the family business, though guided by his family, are still his and what he wants.

Furthermore, we see how despite their supposed difference they are very alike, they complete one another. Each teaches the other about the things missing. 

“Some guys have a thing for cheerleaders,” he says, his voice easy. I roll my eyes as I start tossing socks into the bag. 
“Let me guess. You want to know if I still have my old uniform.” He sets the picture back on the nightstand and moves toward the door. “Nah. Not my thing. But I think I could develop a thing for girls in combat boots.” I spin around in surprise, wanting to see his face, wanting to know if he means what I think he means. But he’s already gone.” 


I'm not sure how to explain it so well, but I'll try. You see, the reason why this book is so damn good, in comparison to the genre, is because Lauren Layne is not a New Adult author. She is a chick lit author. Which means from start she is capable of avoiding the most annoying things in the NA genre. 

What do I mean? Great you asked.

Many NA books consist of a tattooed guy that was in prison or is fighting a lot. One who acts like a caveman, a Neanderthal. He's tattooed, he's danger, he has a tragic past, a responsibility to take care of something. He's a man-whore, a player, a fighter, a possessive jerk that treats women with disrespect. Because they are stupid whores who want to get in his pants and that's all they are good for, actually. Well, beside the MC of course. Because the MC is so fucking special that she too needs to deal with a troubled past, something so very dramatic it's a miracle she's still capable of breathing, not to mention talking and walking (she is however incapable of thinking most of the times). Most NA books are about stupid meets stupid and they fall in love, thus being even more stupid together (And god helps us with the children they gonna have).

Chick lit book are, mostly, nothing like that. Why? Because I'm sorry to tell you ladies (those of you that haven't figured it out yet) but a guy who treats you like his property, a guy who is not reliable and emotionally strong, is not a guy that you would want to date on real life. Yes, it's a fantasy, a great one for some, but if a guy approached you on the street, picked you up and slanged you over his shoulder telling you the two of you were meant to be, odds are you'll castrate him and run as fast as you can to the nearest police station.

I know we want our man to be The Man- we want him strong, reliable and powerful. But I think somewhere along the way it got confused with the tattooed criminal. For some unknown reason, perhaps in a desperate try to describe a masculine modern male version, we went ahead and chose jerk instead. Because it is just so much easier to portray a man if he is a jerk- his maleness probably will not be in jeopardy then. However, I don't think that's true because-

A girl dreams of dating the bad boy, but she marries the good guy

Lauren Layne knows it, which is why Ethan is the good guy. Even if he likes Stephanie he understands she has two feet of her own to stand on, thank you very much. She's capable of making her own choices, and he's not allowed to act like a caveman about it. He respects boundaries. He respects her as a human being. And guess what? That doesn't make him any less of a man. That makes him Sexy & Hot. 

“I look like the troubled girl parents warn their kids away from, and Ethan looks like the homecoming king.” 

Because of all this, Isn't She Lovely reads more like a chick lit with the MCs being in college. No slut shaming, no stupidity, no overly tragic past, no "us against the world" [who invented that stupid saying, I wonder?]. the adults might have disappointed you, but guess what? They are human!!

And still, we have the 'growing up' thing, the 'understanding sometimes things don't go the way you wanted them to' thing, the 'coming out of your shell and finding you center' thing. 

I can only tell you that, once I finished this book I checked what other books Lauren Layne wrote. And I read her first book, After the Kiss

A review copy was kindly provided by Flirt in exchange for an honest review 

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Lauren Layne Party, part 4- The Trouble with Love by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 3 March 2015
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 4
Pages: 240 pages.
Rating: 5 stars!
Buy on:  Amazon

As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.
 
As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar. 
 
After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancĂ©e . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.
 
Includes a special message from the editor, as well as an excerpt from another Loveswept title.


Review:

After a lot of wondering, begging and hoping we finally got Emma's and Cassidy's story. It was Totally worth it. 

I have to admit this one was a bit other the top in regard to their history but I believed it and it could have been even more over the top, but it wasn't. 

She- Emma Sinclair, the perfect southern belle with Bambi eyes and every damn hair it her place. If grace wat total elegant then Emma is the complete Iceberg that will never be moved (she wasn't always like that). 

This is an agent with a lot of expertise in the field. Emma is the queen of heartbreak. She knows all about it. 

Hell, Emma knows that for every woman that walks happily down the isle with her knight in shinning armor there is a woman with a broken heart. 

Unlike her friends, this agent is a tough nut, unwilling to play fetch. 


Emma herself sometimes worried that she was partially dead inside.

He- Alex Cassidy. A guy full of ambitions, at his young age he is at the top of the Love Agency, running the Oxford Branch. 

Alex is professinal and perceptive. He si willing enough to play fetch but only with a willing partner that will answer his questions. 



However, ambition can't cover for experience. And so both agents are outplayed and outwitted by the big M, the woman running the Stiletto Branch- Camille

Camille is a one woman determined to see these two together, even if she has to resort to some push, shove and tricking. 

Camille was one of those scary women who had made her way to the top of the food chain by having steel ovaries and a penchant for making people cry. [From After the Kiss]

At her request the two find themeselves working together when Alex is forced to run both branches for a short time. 

Slowly the ice queen & king are forced revisit their past. But when they learn from past mistakes and ckear some misunderstanding- will they be able to trust each other again? 

Alex was surprised by how much her disinterest bothered him. Just once, he wanted her to get riled. Just once he wanted to know how she felt… if she felt.

Can they melt the ice and fix the broken hearts?

“Damn,” Alex muttered. “I guess I thought it was odd, but I thought it was just a fleeting thing. What kind of woman leaves a stable relationship because of sexy eye contact with a stranger?” “The smart ones,” Emma said, tapping her fingernails against her glass. “Trust me, you have no idea how rare it is to feel that kind of tug toward another person.”

There was way more to Alex's and Emma's story than I thought there would be- I had my guesses. But this was surprsing.

But that wasn’t what was eating at him. What burned at the corners of his consciousness was the realization that this could have been their path. Would have been their path had they not been two foolish kids who’d let pride and secrets rip them apart.

 At some point I wasn't sure if all these waters can actually fit under the bridge. But Lauren Layne did it- she once again proved she is a wonderfull and talented Romance Author. 

“You want to know what I remember," he said quietly, his fingers fiddling with his cuffs as he rolled the sleeves up to his elbow, his eyes locked on the view before them.
She nodded.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and dipped his head just slightly, glancing at the floor before lifting it and staring out at the night sky.
"I remember everything.” 

Her Writing is getting better, the banter fits the characters well and she is not afraid to take risks. All the while keeping it real. 

I don't how but she manage to creat such likeable characters full of flaws. Each is unique and each couple has their own chemistry. 

This is the final book in the stiletto series, but do not worry we are going on a new journey behind enemy lines as Lauren Layne's next series is about the Oxford Men!!! 

Are you as excited as me? 

An ARC was provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review. Thank You! 

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Lauren Layne Party, part 3- Just One Night by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)


Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 11th March 2014
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 3
Pages: 240 pages.
Rating: 5 stars!
Buy on:  Amazon


"In Lauren Layne’s sizzling Sex, Love & Stiletto series, New York’s hottest “sexpert” has been living a lie—and it’s up to one man to keep her honest…all night long.

Riley McKenna knows sex—good sex, bad sex, kinky sex…Her articles in Stiletto magazine are consistently the publication’s most scandalous—and the most read. But Riley has a secret…all that sexy talk? Not an ounce of it comes from personal experience. Her own bedroom escapades are more limited than even her best friends know. When her editor requests that all columnists write something more personal for Stiletto’s anniversary issue, Riley turns to the one man she’s always been able to count on and calls in the favor of a lifetime.
Sam Compton would do anything for Riley McKenna. Anything except be her experimental sex toy. He refuses her request. At least until she tells him that it’ll either be him or she’ll go to someone else. And that, Sam can’t accept. Reluctantly he agrees to her terms—one night of completely meaningless sex in the name of research. Riley thinks she’s prepared for what awaits her in Sam’s bed. After ten years of writing about sex, actually doing it shouldn’t be that different, right? So wrong. What starts as “one time only” becomes “just one more time.” And then one more. And before they know it, Riley and Sam learn first-hand that when it comes to love, there’s no such thing as just one night. "


Review:
Sam Compton meet Riley McKenna, she's going to turn your world upside down. 

We've met Riley in the previous two Stiletto books. Riley's expertise is to write about sex….but now she's faced with a mission that might just be to big for her belt. 

She, Riley Mckenna, is a sexy brunette bombshell with great rack, blue eyes, long legs and and the quality of a sex kitten. Now, she's on a mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 


considering Riley love for sweet things, this is a perfect picture

Her expertise- none. Riley writes the most shocking articles about sex, but the truth is she is just one awkward encounter from being a total virgin. However, this has never stopped her from being the most sexy girl in the whole agency. 

Her mission- to find the passion within herself. To get personal. 




He, Sam Compton, has been hanging around this bombshell since that time ten years ago, that he was invited to his best friend's home and met his sister in the kitchen. He always found her attractive. Even so, growing up with an alcoholic mother that always blamed him for her problems Sam knows he is not worthy of Riley and he is never going to make a move on her. 

But sometimes temptation is just too damn good

Riley isn't going down without a fight. If she has to get dirty than she might as well do it with the only man she has ever wanted.

Out of all the three books of Stiletto so far, this one was the hardest, I think. 

You see, Lauren Layne creates great women- they are womanly, they are fighters, they're full of passion, fun, snark and they are very different from each other. Each has her own role. Just like if you think of yourself with your friends. 
You are equals but to each her own skills. 

As for the guys, well, they are also very different. Mitchell was the proper kind that had an Alpha male hiding underneath and Jake was the one with the traveling bug and the player ways. Even so, they didn't really have a problem. They were both confident. 
Yes, they were somewhat complex and very human, and totally to die for hot but they didn't have a paradox. Some internal fight they needed to win. 

In that regard, Sam in different. 

I'm side tracking for a moment. Julie had the family issues she had but they didn't hurt much of her everyday life, and Grace had her heart broken but she came back up again. Even Riley with her family and lack of sexual experience does not have any personal demons. As for Emma and Alex, I think that remains to be seen but I suspect that they are also clear of personal demons. At least the kind of Sam's caliber.

In that regard, Sam is different. 

You see, Sam is good looking, he is smart. He is talented. At least if the career he left behind and his new business are any indication to go by. 

But Sam is afraid to move on, and each time he makes a step forward to dealing with his insecurities he encounters his mother that reminds him how unworthy of everything he really is. And my heart went out for Sam [at least when Riley wasn't getting hurt from it]. 

Loving someone damaged is never easy, and I dare say most people are damaged in one way or another. But loving someone whose damage prevents him from going forward and achieve his dreams? It's even harder. This is not a heavy book. It's light and fun, but Sam's insecurities are dealt with seriousness, and I really do believe out of all three love stories we read so far Sam's & Riley's are the hardest. 

What I loved about Riley was that at first she accepted Sam as he was, she gave him the space he asked and did things on his terms. moved on his pace. But when she saw that it's not helping him, when she saw and understood what he was dealing with she stopped cutting him some slack and demanded that he grow up. She threw it all in his face and left him to deal with the harsh truth. Sometimes doing that is even harder than supporting the one you love. 

Out of this series this one is my favorite because of that very reason (but I love them all, I do, I really do). It's fun, it's light but it's also very serious. And you can see Lauren Layne's growth as a writer. I think she is one author I can trust to tell me a wonderful love story in a light way with a serious subject and balance it all in just the right way. 


A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

This review is also on: BookLikesGoodReadsLeafMarks

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Lauren Layne Party, part 2- Love the One You're With by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 9th December 2013
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 2
Pages: 228 pages.
Rating: 5 stars!
Buy on: Amazon

"As a leading columnist for Stiletto, Grace Brighton has built a career warning women about rotten, cheating liars. She just never suspected her fiancĂ© would be one of them. After Grace takes a heart-
mending hiatus, her first assignment is to go on a couple of dates with a counterpart from the men's magazine Oxford and report her impressions. Grace 1.0 may have been instantly smitten with the gorgeous correspondent, but Grace 2.0 has sworn off relationships for six months, and she's not falling for his outstanding bod and trophy-winning kisses... or is she?

Jake Malone wants to get back to the fly-by-night, who-knows-what's-next guy he used to be, and he knows exactly how to do it. Oxford is adding a travel section, and Jake—with no wife and no kids and a willingness to live anywhere, eat anything, do everything—is perfect for the job... except that his playboy reputation makes his new editor nervous. To get the gig, he must agree to a fluffy joint article withStiletto.
But after just one date with snooty, sumptuous, sensational Grace Brighton, Jake starts taking this assignment a whole lot more seriously.."

Review:

I'm going to continue with the way I've done the previous review. We met Julie and her friends in the previous book. They belong to the "dating, relationship and sex" division of stiletto. 

In each book of the series we get to know one of them better and escort them in their journey to love. Just a little side note before- in the previous book they were 3 girls. Now they are 4. And I hope that means there will be 4 books in the series and not 3 (I can now truly verify there are 4 books!).

Now let the fun begin.


She, Grace Brighton, is on a mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 


Her expertise- relationships. After dating the same guy for nearly 10 years, Grace found the lowlife cheating. Her pride is hurt and she needs to build her reputation once again. Grace is also great at being elegant and lady like in ANY situation (really, Any situation).

But this agent is going on a mission with another agent- they need to work together but they are still rivals and only one can come on top in this battle.

He, Jake Malone, is on a mission for the Love Agency [Oxford branch]


His expertise- women. Jake love women (and boy, do they love him back!), he understands them. After all he has grown up watching his sisters' love life (this is one man who knows his game girls!). 

May the best agent win

The two are thrown together by the bosses, in a mission to date and determine the better agency between the two. Who can read the other sex better?

The result? Pure fun! 

Do you remember the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith? There was a fight scene there with one of my favorite quotes "Still alive, baby?"

Well, we get something like that here- only the arena is dating, and the sparing is verbal (mainly). 

Soon what started as 'who would dupe who?' develops into a sincere friendship and a sizzling attraction. And the two agents find themselves duping the audience. What they didn't bet on, was falling in love.

This book is pure fun for many reasons. Jake is a great guy even if somewhat player and Grace is this elegant, graced lady who happens to wear knives under her dress ever since her heart got broken. She's fierce, she stings with a smile and some part of her is a man-hater. Grace has two versions Grace 1.0 and Grace 2.0 and the whole internal fighting is completely fun. 

I suggest it as a light read. Instead of going to watch a stupid comedy with a questionable humor I suggest you read this book with its great banter, charming characters and a love story you just got to read. 

And when I'm talking about charming characters I'm not talking only on the MCs, but also of Grace's friends- Julie and Riley. Of her replacement turned colleague turned new friend- Emma, who has a story of her own that I hope will be written (*Looking at Lauren Layne expectantly*), and of Jake's family with his sister and parents that were just SO lively. 

A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

This review also appears on:  LeafMarksBookLikes,GoodReadsAmazonAmazon UK

*Origianl Pre Review*

Five stars it is, and I'm officially a Lauren Layne fangirl. Selling a tiny piece of my soul or bribing whoever I need in order to get my hands on her next book is not beneath me. 

also, I really want the story of Riley and Sam, but dear Mrs. Layne- Emma will get her story too, right? * big puppy eyes* 

So review to come ;)

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Lauren Layne Party, part 1- After the Kiss by Lauren Layne (review by Sharon)

Author: Lauren Layne
Date published: 26th August 2013
Publisher: Loveswept
Series: Sex, Love & Stiletto book 1
Pages: 156 pages.
Rating: 4 stars!
Buy on:  Amazon

"Julie Greene loves flings. Loves steamy first dates, sizzling first kisses, and every now and then, that first sexy romp between the sheets. Comfy pants, sleepy Sundays, movie nights on the couch? Shudder. But when Julie gets assigned the hardest story of her career—a first-person account of that magical shift between dating and "I do"—she'll need a man brave enough to give a total commitment-phobe a chance at more.

Normally, Mitchell Forbes would be exactly that man. A devastatingly hot workaholic who tends to stay in relationships for far too long, he should be the perfect subject for Julie's "research." But what Julie doesn't know is that Mitchell is looking to cut loose for once in his life. And the leggy journalist notorious for avoiding love is exactly the type of no-strings fling he's looking for. In other words, Mitchell is the polar opposite of what Julie needs right now. And, at the same time, he's exactly what she wants "

Review:

As some other reviews stated, this book is very much like the movie- How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. IMO, it's better. The characters are more fleshed out, the chemistry is more apparent and there is one lovely snarky heroine to love. 

I thought a lot as to how I should do this review and the others in the series (I am ashamed to admit over a year after writing this review that this method has become my method to reveiw Lauren Layne's books- simply put, because she is the best). I've come to my decision. Shall we go for a ride?

She, Julie Greene, is on an undercover mission for the Love Agency [Stiletto branch]. 

Julie Greene had built a career out of falling in love. Staying in love? Not so much. 
Julie’s boss apparently hadn’t gotten the memo

Julie Greene

Her expertise- firsts; first date, first kiss, first flirt, sometimes even the first sex with a new guy. 

She also knew how to finesse the subtler moments— those key moments where the breath caught and you thought, Yes, this. 
Julie could explain every single nuance, from the toe-curling euphoria
the toe-curling euphoria when his hand brushed yours to the tingle when eyes held for just a beat too long. And then there was her personal favorite moment: the bone-deep satisfaction when you made him laugh for the first time— a real laugh. 
Most women thought these moments just happened. Julie Greene knew better. These moments were created.

Her mission- Saturday TV nights and a serious relationship. Julie is sent to foreign ground when she is asked to discover what happens once the firsts becomes seconds, thirds and tenths. How do you cross the line from dating into a relationship and what does it feel like?

“Go undercover,” Riley repeated. “If you’re not interested in actually taking a relationship to the next level, fake it.” 

The Traget:

Mitchell
This picture fits perfectly because even though Bradley is good looking, he doesn't look that hot here. Just like what Julie first thought of Micthell 

He- Mitchell Forbes, a normal civilian in the land of Wall Street and serious dating, newly released from a long service with the wrong girl he hopes to get a vacation ticket to the land of fun. He hopes the blond bombshell will be just what he is searching for (he has no idea he's totally right)

"two months ago Mitchell had been secure in the knowledge that his future was figured out. He’d propose to Evelyn, have a respectable-length engagement, get married at the Plaza, and start a family within a year of exchanging vows. 
He’d gotten as far as the jewelry store."

Mitchell is the kind that choose a partnet based on many things that are not chemistry. 

“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You analyze every woman as a candidate for the position of Mrs. Forbes. Have you ever touched a woman without first checking her pedigree?”

So one of his friends decides it's time to stir things up a little bit, he says that Mitchell can't- 

“Can’t start seeing a woman without getting halfway to the altar. Can’t use a woman for sex and companionship and then set her free before you start talking about babies and moving across the river to Jersey.”

and-

“No, I’m just saying that you plan to get engaged to every woman you kiss. You need to have a relationship that won’t end with you guys picking out wallpaper.”

But Mitchell isn't going down without a fight. He's heard of Julie, and he hopes she's ready for some casual fun.

“True. But this girl is still perfect for our purposes. Julie lives for carefree dating. She’s got a different guy every other week. I know a couple of her exes, and neither has said a bad word about her other than that she kicked them to the curb after a few dates. No drama, no expectation of jewelry …”

The question is who will win in this battle of wills?

The answer is obvious- We will. Yep, it's a romantic comedy. Which means the ending is predictable, as well as the 'chasing scene' that happens after 'the big fight' in all those romantic comedies. Which means this story needs something to mark it as different or at least worth reading.

Real love— the kind that matters— is giving your heart to someone even after he tries to hand it back.
And it’s knowing that you’d give him your heart over and over again. If only he’d ask.

We have it here, Lauren Layne shows us how the attraction between them grows, and since they are both very different she needs to convince us that they fit together. And she does it very well. She shows us Mitchell's Alpha Male attitude (I really need to fan myself, it's too damn hot in here!!)- when he cares for Julie and takes command in the bedroom. She shows us Julie's vulnerability, the side of Mitchell that wants to fit into Julie's fun fun fun, and her side that wants to fit into his seriousness. In the end from complete opposites they manage to find their balance and create the relationship that fits them both. 

"For the first time I wanted a relationship for the person and not the security.”

By the end of the book you had tons of laughter, a few sad moments some damns hot moments and the knowledge that these two are perfect for each other.

A review copy was kindly provided by Loveswept in exchange for an honest review 

This review also appears on:LeafMarks,  BookLikesGoodReadsAmazon UKAmazon