To Sir With Love by Lauren Layne
Genre : Contemporary Romance
Publisher : Gallery Books
Publication date : June 29th 2021
Love Is Blind meets You've Got Mail in this laugh-out-loud romantic comedy following two thirty-somethings who meet on a blind dating app--only to realize that their online chemistry is nothing compared to their offline rivalry.
Perpetually cheerful and eager to please, Gracie Cooper strives to make the best out of every situation. So when her father dies just five 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 to turn the store into a parking garage.
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.
It's been ages since I read an LL book and To Sir With Love came out right in time for me to get my fix! I've been a fan of Lauren Layne ever since I read her Stiletto series years back and she's one of the authors that made me fall in love with the contemporary romance genre! Every single book of hers is amazing with charmingly unique characters and I've loved almost all of them.
So, it's definitely not surprising that I had an amazing time reading To Sir With Love and I absolutely loved it.
I was already halfway obsessed with it just because of that cover and synopsis alone! Look at how cute the cover is with the champagne glass and the colors! And a modern version of You've Got Mail with a blind dating app? Be still my rom-com loving heart! ❣️
Set in Manhattan, NYC with bubbly, rom-com vibes, we get to meet Gracie Cooper, a champagne shop owner who is struggling to preserve the legacy that her father left behind and Sebastian Andrews, the one who wants to buy out her store's lease.
Gracie is a dreamer, but one with a sense of responsibility. Though she'd love to spend her days painting and daydreaming fantasies about her Prince Charming, she's the only one who has been trying to manage the store that was left behind by her parents. Despite the challenging circumstances, she tries her best to come up with ideas to make the store's business and profits better, but repeated offers to buy out her remaining lease have managed to piss her off.
And after a rom-come worthy meet-cute(because of a twenty dollar bill) she finds out that the man who she'd thought just might be the one, is actually Sebastian Andrews - the one who wants to buy out her business. And he also has a girlfriend. Cue disappointment.
After a few meetings, she discovers that spending time with Sebastian is actually quite enjoyable and he gets her in a unique way, once they learn to put their prejudices aside.
At the same time she has also been chatting with a guy she's never met on a blind dating app, and their conversations have her feeling things she's never felt before. But, they haven't had a chance to meet yet and he has also been going through some issues in his life just like her.
Torn between a perfect guy she's never met and a dangerously attractive man who's her quasi-enemy, Gracie is quite confused on who to choose while she tries to sort out her professional life too. But, what would happen if she were to find out that both men are the same person?
What I loved the most about this book was the NYC setting with the cute, fluffy vibes! Both Gracie and Sebastian were amazing characters that I'd absolutely root for! Though Gracie might be a dreamer, she didn't come across as naive. And I loved her creativity and perseverance.
At the same time Sebastian is not the typical cold and arrogant love interest. He's actually quite humorous and tolerant of many things. I just loved the instant connection been them and how their relationship evolved from cute bickering to a tentative friendship where they give advice to each other.
"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."
Just like all the other LL books, Gracie also has an amazing set of friends and family members. Though her siblings - Lily and Caleb might have left the business for her to handle, they're still there for her when she needs help and she never resents them for pushing the burden on to her shoulders. Her best friends - Rachel and Keva are also equally amazing!
It was so beautiful to watch Gracie grow as a character, while she figured things out about her life and chose to follow her dreams. With the perfect mix of romance, humor and friendship, this book manages to capture all the magic of a rom-com that leaves you feeling satisfied with sugary-sweetness.
If I had any complaints (which I actually don't) it'd only be that I wish there were some steam just like the older LL books! ;) I'd have also loved an extended epilogue or a snippet with Sebastian's POV. This is just me being greedy lol.
Anyway, what are you waiting for? Make sure to grab this book immediately if you're looking for a sweet, summer read to relax with! You'll definitely not be disappointed! : D
I was provided with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
You can also find my reviews of Lauren Layne's other books here.
Lauren Layne is the New York Times, USA TODAY and Amazon bestselling author of more than thirty romantic comedies. Her books have sold over a million copies, been translated into more than a dozen languages, and have been featured in Oprah Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Glamour, The Wall Street Journal, and Inside Edition. She’s based in New York City where she is married to her high school sweetheart.
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I've not come across this author before, but the title definitely caught my eye! and I enjoyed your review :) Can I also just say I had to double take at your 2019 good reads challenge badge - oh my goodness me! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteI loved Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne and started To Sir With Love because the blurb sounded amazing. I kind of struggled a little with it though. But I definitely want to give it another try now after reading your review!
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