Thursday 11 August 2016

Review: To Have and To Hold - Lauren Layne

To Have and To Hold by Lauren Layne, published by Headline Eternal on 26th July 2016

Goodreads synopsis:
Discovering her fiance is a con man moments before they exchange vows devastates LA celebrity wedding planner Brooke Baldwin. With a fresh start in New York and her first Wedding Belles bridal client, things are looking up. Until she meets the uptight businessman who's holding the purse strings...

Seth Tyler wishes he could write a blank cheque and be done with his sister Maya's wedding, but micromanaging the event is his only chance at proving that Maya's fiance is a liar. He needs the help of her stunning, sassy wedding planner who he finds both irritating - and undeniably tempting.

Can Seth persuade Brooke to unplan a wedding? And, more importantly, how will he convince her that the wedding she should be planning...is theirs?


Review:
'To Have and to Hold' is the first book I've read by Lauren Layne and kicks off her brand new series, The Wedding Belles.  An indulgent treat, this was exactly the kind of book that I was in the mood for.  It was sweet and romantic and reminded me a lot of some of my favourite Jill Shalvis titles.  I'm so pleased that there is a whole series about the Belles to look forward to.  I'm going to be reading them all!

Brooke is a wedding planner who has recently moved to New York and has got a job working for the Wedding Belles - a service which helps brides to plan their dream weddings.  She's been hurt in the past but wants to put all of that behind her and move on with her life.  I liked the steely centre that Brooke has and the way that she is always looking for the positives in a situation.  She is one tough lady but she 's also a real sweetheart and I'm sure readers will identify a lot with her.  In the course of helping to plan the wedding of Maya Tyler, she meets his brother, handsome businessman Seth.  Although she is instantly attracted to him, he is much more of a closed book.  He is gruff and appeared controlling at first, but it soon becomes evident that he is just trying to look out for his sister and ensure that she doesn't get her heart broken.  Once you get past his tough exterior, he is a real softie underneath. 

Brooke and Seth both have issues to deal with and there are some ups and downs as they traverse the numerous obstacles in their path.  I never doubted though that they would perfectly compliment each other if only they could truly open up their hearts. 

I thought that the book was sweet, sexy and romantic and very well written.  The characters were rounded individuals who I really liked and there were some intriguing secondary characters too, who I'm hoping to see more of in the future.  They all seem to have their own stories to tell. 

The ending genuinely made me cry and Lauren Layne made me a very happy reader indeed.   

Bring on more of the Belles!  'For Better or Worse' is next in the series and I can't wait.    

No comments:

Post a Comment

Thank you for leaving me a comment. I love reading them!

Related Posts with Thumbnails