Blog Tour Stop : The Trouble With Love by Lauren Layne
Title : The Trouble With Love (Stiletto #4)
Author : Lauren Layne
Publication Date : March 3rd 2015
Publisher : Loveswept
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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 fiancée . . . 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.
Personal Thoughts
If you're a fan of contemporary romance and haven't read a Lauren Layne book, then you are seriously missing out. The Sex, Love & Stiletto series is my favorite by this talented author. I binge-read all of this author's books earlier this year and as you can probably tell, I found a favorite author in Lauren Layne. While I enjoyed all of the books in this series, I was mostly looking forward to The Trouble With Love because I've been itching to know these two characters' past stories. Was I satisfied? Completely!
We learned from the previous books that Alex and Emma had some kind of past. You all know how much I enjoy reading books about second chance romances, so it was obvious that I would jump into The Trouble With Love as soon as I got my copy. Alex and Emma were both fiery characters. Their relationship in the past and the disastrous ending had left them very stubborn and bullheaded. As much as they tried to deny that there was nothing left between the two of them anymore, there was no doubt that the chemistry between them ignited the pages. With the help of their sneaky boss, Emma wound up as Alex's neighbor and well, as you can imagine, as hard as they tried, they could not stay away from each other. One thing I really enjoyed about the romance in this book wasn't just the smoldering chemistry, but the realistic approach that Lauren Layne took with it. These two clearly hurt each other in the past, but they did not jump into each others beds immediately. They had to talk through matters and come to forgive each other, which was admittedly hard after all the emotional turmoil they went through in the book. I also liked that they were not ripping at each others throats and tried to be as polite as possible. The cute and flirtatious banter between them was everything! All in all, the romance in The Trouble With Love was exactly what I wanted it to be.
Another thing I absolutely adore about this series is the friendship between the girls. I loved how supportive they were of each other and their scenes always managed to get a laugh out of me, especially when Riley was present. They were a riot together and you could tell that they were so much more than just co-workers. I also loved that we got to see the couples from the previous books acting all cute and being happy. I also love the Stiletto magazine setting that this series has. It's a lot of fun trying to see what article their boss would come up with for the gang. I loved how sneaky the lady was and how she always managed to do something to pair up her writers with guys. We all needed fun and nosy bosses like her! I was also really into Emma's story that Alex himself assigned her about her exes. (Don't ask! I don't even know how he thought that would be a good idea for him!!). What ensued was a lot of jealousy from Alex (cue fangirling!) and him realizing how he was still not over her! It was definitely a lot of fun and I had blast reading about Emma interviewing all her exes, some who were weirdos!
In conclusion, Lauren Layne delivered yet another entertaining and thrilling read with The Trouble With Love. Fans of contemporary romances and cute chick-flicks should have no trouble enjoying this book.
Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5
“See you ladies around,” Cassidy said with a smile for Julie. Emma barely warranted a glance. “Oh, and Emma, just a friendly reminder that winter’s right around the corner. Careful you don’t catch a cold with that wet head.”
He moved away before Emma had a chance to respond. Or give him the finger. Not that she would have bothered.
“Friendly reminder, my ass,” Emma muttered, glaring briefly at his back before she and Julie headed toward the office they shared.
“I think it’s sweet. Maybe he cares,” Julie said, linking her arm in Emma’s.
Emma grunted in response. “Give me the rest of your coffee. I need it.”
Julie complied and the two of them stepped into their office. Grace and Riley were already there. Grace, texting on her phone . . . probably sexting with her husband, if her dirty smile was any indication.
Typical.
Riley was eating a doughnut. Also typical.
Riley paused in her chewing when she saw Emma. “Whoa. Is it prom already? Nobody told me! I didn’t even order a corsage.”
Emma dropped her purse on her desk. “Tell me one of you has a hair dryer.”
“Yeah, I totally carry one in my purse,” Riley said, even as she shook her head to indicate that she most definitely did not have a hair dryer.
“I don’t have one, either,” Grace said. “But we can hit up the girls in the Beauty department. One of them might.”
“Emma had an incident,” Julie said, plopping in her chair.
“What, like a Noah-wouldn’t-let-her-on-the-ark-because-she-was-overdressed kind of incident?” Riley asked.
Emma smiled, despite her bad mood.
“Oh my gosh, Emma!” Grace leaned forward. “Did you go out to that gala at the Guggenheim last night? Ooooh, did you go home with someone? Is this your version of the walk of shame?”
“If it is, I’m impressed,” Julie mused. “My walks of shame involved a lot more sweat pants with USC written across the butt and a dude’s oversized T-shirt and flip-flops.”
“You should totally write a story about this, Em,” Riley said, resuming her dedication to her doughnut. “‘The Walk of Shame for Grown-ups.’”
“Okay, you guys are making this situation way more interesting than it actually is,” Emma said, holding up her hand with a plea to stop.
“Well, of course,” Grace said, tilting her head. “That’s what we do. We sex things up.”
Emma had to grant her that. It was what they did.
Stiletto was the top-selling women’s magazine in the country, and Julie, Grace, Riley, and now Emma were its darlings as the Love & Romance gurus.
Author BiographyLauren Layne is a snarky cynic with a serious weakness for happily ever afters.
Marrying her high school sweetheart was a good start. *cue Disney soundtrack.* But Lauren wanted all romance, all the time.
Now she writes fictional happy endings, and considers her job done well if you swoon while reading her books. Don't worry. You will.
Once upon a time she lived in a Manhattan high-rise, but now she's on the laid-back train in the Seattle area. If you ever find yourself in Issaquah, she'll probably buy you a drink. Maybe.
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Giveaway
Prizes
- $25.00 eGift Card to Choice Book Seller
- Loveswept Mug and Romance at Random Nail Polish
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Be sure to check out the other tour stops here.
Thank you to Tasty Book Tours for letting me part of this tour and to NetGalley and Random House for the e-ARC of The Trouble With Love.
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