Lauren Layne's Wedding Bells series

Anyone who's been around here for a while knows how much I enjoyed Lauren Layne's New York's Finest series last winter. When I saw that she was writing a series that was about wedding planners, set in NYC, I couldn't snatch them up quick enough. But then I had them all on my Kindle, and they titles are so similar that I couldn't keep straight what order they were supposed to be read in, and I'm way too lazy to look it up, so I just read other stuff. A couple weeks ago I decided that I'd just read them out of order, but I needed to dive in, and I did.

First up is a little novella called From This Day Forward, which I really didn't like at all. This one is about two wedding photographers, who have a history (which is a plus in a novella) but the entire story was about sex between two childish people who couldn't just use their words. This really didn't leave me wanting to move on, but I reassured myself that it was just the novella length and kept going.

The first full length book in the series is To Have and To Hold and it is definitely better than the novella. Brooke Baldwin is a rock star wedding planner on the West Coast, who has just planned the wedding of the decade-- her own-- when she is horrified to find out that he fiancee is a con man. She flees to New York and joins the Wedding Belles, where her first job is the plan the wedding of rich heiress Maya Tyler.  Maya's older brother, Seth, is certain that there's something fishy going on with the groom, and attempts to enlist Brooke's help in uncovering it. But how do you convince a wedding planner to sabotage the wedding she's planning?

One thing that Lauren Layne does really well is sexual tension and this book is no exception. Seth and Brooke are on fire from the first moment they see each other. I love seeing them deal with this, in the middle of client negotiations and planning that thwarts each other. Seth is impossibly wealthy and accustomed to getting this way in all things, and occasionally  pouts badly when he doesn't get what he wants, but his love for both Maya and Brooke shines through very clearly. It's hard to pin down the time line, so it doesn't feel rushed, but at the same time the book is lacking the falling in love that I enjoy so much. This one goes right for the physical, which to be honest is also a good book, but it doesn't really make me close the book with the same type of satisfaction that a good love story does.

The second book in the series is For Better or Worse, and features the assistant wedding planner and her sexy next door neighbor. Heather has never really been in love and believes it's not for her. She's from small town Michigan and her entire life's goal has been to be a wedding planner in New York City. She doesn't have time to fool around or look away from her goal. Josh has recently overcome a bout with cancer, and can't take life seriously-- he knows how short it can be and refuses to add anyone else to the list of people who would be devastated by his death.

This one hit almost all of my sweet spots. The dialogue is truly excellent, the plot is believable, Josh is terrific. I believed that these two could fall in the love, and the romance itself is much better than in the previous book. The ending isn't tied with a pretty bow- Josh IS a cancer survivor- but so realistically handled that you can believe that these are real people and you close the book with complete satisfaction. (If you can ignore Josh's extraordinary wealth, but hey, everyone needs a superpower.)

The last book in the series,To Love and to Cherish, has SO much potential. Alexis, owner of the Belles, is a bit of an ice queen. I never really liked her through the whole series, so I was hoping that all would come to light in her book.  Her hero is Logan, who is the Belles accountant. Logan has been madly in love with Alexis since the moment he laid eyes on her, eight years ago. Eight years is a long time to patiently wait, and Logan is ready to make his move.

This one is really hot, and the plot outline is equally good, but both Logan and Alexis were misses for me. Alexis has a standoff personality, that could have been good but I didn't feel was very well written. Logan would be my ideal beta hero turned alpha, but he "knows what Alexis really wants" way way too often. He's not abusive, but very high handed and not always in a sexy way.  Plus, his sudden ability to BE an alpha at all, after years of being the polite accountant, isn't really believable.While I didn't dislike this one, and it doesn't finish the series nicely, I would not recommend it.

Overall, it's very hard not to compare the series to Nora Robert's Bride Quartet. Both feature a cast of women planners, and while this one doesn't break it down the same way, both feature a complete badass-in-control leader (Alexis here, and Parker for Roberts). Unfortunately, Roberts does it much better. I'm still a fan of Layne, but the New York's Finest series beats this one hands down.

To Love and To Cherish will be out on October 18th.

Cuff Me by Lauren Layne

Cuff Me is the third book in the New York's Finest series by Lauren Layne. I really enjoyed the first two and was not disappointed by this one.

Here's the summary:

Vincent Moretti is one of the NYPD's top homicide detectives-and one of the most eligible bachelors in town. His family, however, thinks he should date his longtime partner, Jill-a sassy, sexy, smart-mouthed blonde who drives him absolutely crazy.

Behind the quiet authority, tough-guy demeanor, and dark aviator glasses lies a man with a big soul-and a hard body that can soften any girl's heart. After years as his coworker, Jill Henley has given up hope that anything could happen between her and Vin. Besides, loving him would break all the rules. But seeing Jill with someone else triggers feelings in Vincent he never knew he had. Now he'll have to stop playing good cop/bad cop-and find a way to convince her to be his partner for life. . .

I admit, I was turned off by the teaser from the previous book. Vin seems a bit like an asshole, instead of just being blind to Jill's feelings. This means I was completely happy to see that most of the story is about Vin realizing what he wants, and Jill being blind to it. Sadly for Vincent (happily for the reader, or it'd be a short book), he's very very bad at expressing what he's feeling, even to himself.  While I wouldn't quite describe a friends to lovers storyline, there are a lot of similarities, as they are friends and have been partners for six years. (For me, a friends to lovers storyline has a lot more time spent together outside of work, without that work boundary.) As you read about Vin's struggle to figure it out, your heart can't help but break a little for him each time she doesn't see it. By the end of the book I came to really love Vin, and wanted badly for his love to be returned.

That said, I had some issues with the rest. Jill is cute and likable, and while in theory I can understand why she's seeking love elsewhere, in practice I found her new love interest to be such a sham. I mean, he's perfect. He's clearly written so that no one, not the reader, not Jill, not Vin, could actually dislike him. There's never a moment where you actually wonder how she'll get out of that relationship, nor is there a moment of crossing the line to stepping outside of it with Vin. It's very very safe.  Add to this that Vincent's family, who is meddling just enough to be interesting in the other two books, are nearly on his door step daily handing out love advice, and it wasn't my favorite in the series. I would still absolutely recommend the series, and Lauren Layne, to other romance readers, but this one is not a favorite.

Cuff Me is out on March 29th.

Steal Me by Lauren Layne

I admit that I grabbed Steal Me on a whim from NetGalley. This isn't an author that I've ever read before, but something about the description grabbed my attention so I went for it. I was absolutely NOT disappointed!

Here's the summary, from Amazon:

Being a cop might be in Anthony Moretti's blood, but protecting and serving the city of New York has always been more than just the family business. If that means his love life stays locked up, well then that's just another sacrifice made in the line of duty. That is, until he sets eyes on the gorgeous new waitress at The Darby Diner and suddenly Anthony's morning coffee is leaving him a whole lot more hot and bothered than usual.

Though waitressing at The Darby isn't exactly Maggie Walker's dream job, it pays the bills and gives her time to work on her novel. Now if only she could stop fantasizing about gorgeous Anthony Moretti every time he sits down at her table, she'd really be in great shape. But when he needs her help identifying a criminal threatening The Darby-and Maggie recognizes her ex-husband-she fears her fresh start might be a pipe dream. Faster than a New York minute, Maggie and Anthony find themselves in one perilous pursuit that only gets hotter with each and every rule-breaking kiss.

I've discovered lately that I am a big fan of big town contemporary romances, as well as the small town ones. Everyone knows the small town one- everyone knows your name, and even if you're the sheriff or a cop you're also the librarian, or maybe a cowboy. There's one hardware store and the same family has run it forever. There's no anonymity and no fresh starts without the town gossiping.  By contrast, I've read a half dozen or so lately that seem as they they would be similar- in this one we have a cop and a waitress, for example. But the feel of the book is completely different. It's not laid back and easy, and while they might be friends with their coworkers, they don't have the job as a favor to someone else or working for someone they've known since they were six. In many of them, both the hero and heroine are very competent and settled in their life- they aren't starting over at a new job or town.  I find that I'm liking that there is no Lucille posting every moment on Facebook.

So what did I think about this book? I freaking LOVED it. I read it in one sitting. Anthony knows what he wants and he is gunning for it. His life dream is on the line here and he can't be waylaid by a relationship that would get in the way both personally and professionally. He has some history that has rightfully scared him away from relationships, and it takes a couple lectures and near misses before he can see the foolishness of that. He is unapologetic about where he wants to be in life, and is willing to sacrifice a lot to get there.  He's also got a great relationship with his family, particularly with his brothers and his Nonna, and I loved the scenes with everyone in them.

Maggie is strong and determined, and while she is starting over- in a way, it's been 18 months- she's also not a timid or apologetic woman. She's waiting tables in a diner and living in a cosy tiny apartment while she works hard to achieve her real dreams (as opposed to just wishing for them). Her past comes to catch up with her in the book, and while it's clearly not something she enjoys, rather than whine and moan, she puts on her big girl pants and deals with it. On the rare occasion that she mentally backslides, she's able to see for herself that she's not thinking clearly instead of letting the situation get worse.

I loved this book. The tension between Anth and Maggie in the first half- building to their first kiss- was spectacularly done. I can't think of another book I read this year that did it as well. I finished reading the book around 11pm, which is embarrassingly far past my bedtime, and immediately sat up to see if I could find a copy of the first book,  Frisk Me.  I will absolutely be following this series, and this author, very closely.

Steal Me came out on November 24, 2015.