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

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