I feel like it’s only fair to prewarn you that this month’s Five Star Reads is basically a Lauren Layne appreciation post with 7 of the 8 Five Star Reads being written by her (the exception being the fabulous Isn’t It Romantic? (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams).
After reading The Prenup last year (My Favourite Books of 2021) I’ve been on a mission to read everything Lauren Layne has written and so far I’ve managed 34/40.
This month, I finished what’s quickly become one of my favourite series of all time: Sex, Love & Stiletto / Oxford (see below for Goodreads links). There aren’t words to describe how much I love this series. As an already anxious person dealing with the world continuing its descent to hell in a handbasket, these books provided the perfect escapism.
On the hell in a handbasket note, before I go any further, I’ve included a link below to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, working with local partners in Ukraine and neighbouring countries to provide food, water, shelter and medical assistance #istandwithukraine.
Back to books and if you want to check out the full list for March 2022 on Goodreads, click here.
I’m going to start this month’s Five Star Reads with Sex, Love & Stiletto featuring the 4 x dating experts of Stiletto magazine in Manhattan: Julie, Grace, Riley & Emma. The series includes After The Kiss (#1) (Julie & Mitchell), Love The One You’re With (#2) (Grace & Jake), Just One Night (#3) (Riley & Sam) and (if I could give it 5+ stars I totally would) The Trouble With Love (#4) (Emma & Cassidy).
After The Kiss (Sex, Love & Stiletto #1) by Lauren Layne
The star columnist of Stiletto magazine will do anything for a story.
Anything… except fall in love.
Julie Greene loves flings, steamy first dates, sizzling first kisses, and – every now and then – that first sexy romp between the sheets. But when Julie gets assigned the hardest story of her career – a first-person account of the shift between dating and “I do” she’ll need a man brave enough to give a total commitment-phobe a chance at more.
Mitchell Forbes, a devastatingly hot workaholic who tends to stay in relationships for far too long, is the perfect subject for Julie’s “research.” But what Julie doesn’t know is that Mitchell is looking to cut loose and that Julie, notorious for avoiding love, is exactly the type of no-strings fling he’s looking for..
Just One Night (Sex, Love & Stiletto #3) by Lauren Layne
Riley McKenna knows sex—good sex, bad sex, kinky sex…Her articles in Stiletto magazine are consistently the publication’s most scandalous—and the most read. But Riley has a secret…all that sexy talk? Not an ounce of it comes from personal experience. Her own bedroom escapades are more limited than even her best friends know. When her editor requests that all columnists write something more personal for Stiletto’s anniversary issue, Riley turns to the one man she’s always been able to count on and calls in the favor of a lifetime.
Sam Compton would do anything for Riley McKenna. Anything except be her experimental sex toy. He refuses her request. At least until she tells him that it’ll either be him or she’ll go to someone else. And that, Sam can’t accept. Reluctantly he agrees to her terms—one night of completely meaningless sex in the name of research. Riley thinks she’s prepared for what awaits her in Sam’s bed. After ten years of writing about sex, actually doing it shouldn’t be that different, right? So wrong. What starts as “one time only” becomes “just one more time.” And then one more. And before they know it, Riley and Sam learn first-hand that when it comes to love, there’s no such thing as just one night.
The Trouble With Love (Sex, Love & Stiletto #4) by Lauren Layne
Side Note: It might only be March but I already know this is going to make my 10 x Favourite Books of 2022.
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.
Moving on to Oxford (a men’s magazine with the same publisher as Stiletto). The series includes Irresistibly Yours (#1) (Cole & Penelope), I Wish You Were Mine (#2) (Jackson & Mollie), Someone Like You (#3) (Lincoln & Daisy), I Knew You Were Trouble (#4) (Taylor & Nick) & I Think I Love You (#5) (Brit & Hunter).
Irresistibly Yours (Oxford #1) by Lauren Layne
Hotshot sports editor Cole Sharpe has been freelancing for Oxford for years, so when he hears about a staff position opening up, he figures he’s got the inside track. Then his boss drops a bombshell: Cole has competition. Female competition, in the form of a fresh-faced tomboy who can hang with the dudes—and write circles around them, too. Cole usually likes his women flirty and curvy, but he takes a special interest in his skinny, sassy rival, if only to keep an eye on her. And soon, he can’t take his eyes off her.
Penelope Pope knows all too well that she comes off as just one of the guys. Since she’s learned that wanting more usually leads to disappointment, Penelope’s resigned to sitting on the sidelines when it comes to love. So why does Cole make her want to get back in the game? The man is as arrogant as he is handsome. He probably sees her as nothing more than a barrier to his dream job. But when an unexpected kiss turns into a night of irresistible passion, Penelope has to figure out whether they’re just fooling around—or starting something real.
I Knew You Were Trouble (Oxford #4) by Lauren Layne
Taylor Carr has it all—a sleek job in advertising, a stunning Manhattan apartment, and the perfect man to share it with: Bradley Calloway. Even after Bradley dumps her for a co-worker on move-in day, Taylor isn’t worried. She’ll get her man eventually. In the meantime, she needs a new roommate. Enter Nick Ballantine, career bartender, freelance writer—and longtime pain in Taylor’s ass. Sexy in a permanent five-o’clock-shadow kind of way, Nick knows how to push Taylor’s buttons, as if he could see right through to the real her.
Nick’s always trying to fix people, and nobody could use a good fixing more than Taylor. Sure, she’s gorgeous, with mesmerizing silver eyes, but it’s her vulnerability that kills him. Now that they’re shacking up together, the chemistry is out of control. Soon they’re putting every part of their two-bedroom apartment to good use. Then Taylor’s ex comes crawling back to her, and Nick figures she’ll jump at the chance to go back to her old life—unless he fights for the best thing that ever happened to him.
Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne
Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement.
Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman.
But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.
Only With You (The Best Mistake #1) by Lauren Layne
Series: Made For You (#2)
Cocktail waitress Sophie Dalton doesn’t exactly have a life plan. She’s perfectly happy being everyone’s favorite party girl. But when a Las Vegas bachelorette party goes awry and an uptight businessman mistakes Sophie for a prostitute . . . well, Sophie wonders if it’s time to reevaluate her priorities. Swearing off her thigh-high boots for good, Sophie slinks back home with damaged pride-and a jackpot of a hangover.
Yet what happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay there. On a trip to Seattle to open a new office, Grayson Wyatt meets his latest employee-who turns out to be the same woman he recently called a hooker. Wealthy and gorgeous, Gray is a man used to getting what he wants. And it doesn’t take long to figure out that smart, sassy, sexy Sophie is everything he’s been looking for. As their late nights at the office turn into hot morning-afters, they realize their Vegas misunderstanding may lead to the real thing . . .
Isn’t It Bromantic? (Bromance Book Club #4) by Lyssa Kay Adams
Series: The Bromance Book Club (#1), Undercover Bromance (#2), Crazy Stupid Bromance (#3) & A Very Merry Bromance (#5)
With his passion for romance novels, it was only a matter of time before Vlad wrote one.
Elena Konnikova has lived her entire adult life in the shadows. As the daughter of a Russian journalist who mysteriously disappeared, she escaped danger the only way she knew how: She married her childhood friend, Vladimir, and moved to the United States, where he is a professional hockey player in Nashville.
Vlad, aka the Russian, thought he could be content with his marriage of convenience. But it’s become too difficult to continue in a one-sided relationship. He joined the Bromance Book Club to learn how to make his wife love him, but all he’s learned is that he deserves more. He’s ready to create his own sweeping romance—both on and off the page.
The bros are unwilling to let Vlad forgo true love—and this time they’re not operating solo. They join forces with Vlad’s neighbors, a group of meddling widows who call themselves the Loners. But just when things finally look promising, Elena’s past life intrudes and their happily ever after is cast into doubt.
My Month in Books (March 2022):
1
14
8
New-to-Me Authors (Excluding Non-Fiction): None
Until next month, Louise x
Louise Hall 
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