I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

This may be only the second book I've read by the author but she is quickly becoming a new favourite.

I loved this so much, it is a fresh take on "You've Got Mail" and thus has a very familiar rom com vibe to it, but at the same time you are never completely sure if your hunches will be right, or just how various aspects may turn out.

There was even a moment where I felt oddly emotional with the story which was unexpected but shows how deeply I was connecting with the characters.

I also loved the interactions between Gracie and Samuel, and the whole idea of the Champagne shop.

I just completely enjoyed my time spent reading this lovely book.

Thank you to Headline Eternal and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Really fun, lighthearted romcom. I liked the main character and all of her various family and friends.

The Bubbles aspect was lovely, though sad at times. Absolutely adored both Sir and Sebastien, their various differences and similarities. This is one of my favourite tropes too, so big plus.

Perfect to curl up with and devour in one sitting, which is what I did. And I'll definitely be checking out Lauren's other books!

Super cute, often funny, entirely enjoyable read! I couldn't get enough of this book. Loved that Ms. Layne made Gracie optimistic and slightly naïve but still relatable (could so easily have gone into TSTL territory, but it never does!)
Was expecting Sebastian's POV after reading the blurb, but you know what? In the end, I didn't miss it. Gracie carried the book throughout and she did it really well.
Loved that this was a real feel-good book, with no extra/'dumped' conflict just for the sake of drama or 'something' needing to happen. The focus is on the characters, and that's done masterfully well!
Happy sigh - I couldn't get enough of this book, and seriously mad I wasn't able to sit down and gulp this in just 1 sitting (it was that good!)

Ahh I had wanted to love this story so much but it just didn’t work for me. I have absolutely loved all the other LL books that I’ve read so maybe my hopes were just a little too high. This felt so, so slow to me. I couldn’t connect to the characters and and I just felt a bit bored by the overall story. It was a really lovely setting though and if you are looking for a slower paced romance then definitely check this out as LL is such a great writer this one was just not a favourite for me this time unfortunately!

This was a fairly short book so obviously there wasn't as much room to see a full and clear story or character development, but this didn't bother me at all. I loved the focus on Gracie's relationship with her family, as well as her developing relationship with the 'men' in her life.

I just had the best time reading this. It's the perfect quick romantic comedy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book is so incredibly sweet, it’s guaranteed to leave you smiling and has literally been a perfect gem to escape covid with.

This is a book that has pulled me in from the very first page. The characters have been a delight and it has been a delight to go through this journey with them.

This is a book which has made me laugh out loud so many times. The chemistry between the characters is evident to the reader throughout.

This is a fun and flirty romance read which will leave you craving more fairytale romances and happy ever afters.

I love that this contains a dating app, with a spin. That has really made this a unique element of the book.

I wish this was a movie, it’s definitely one of those cheer up and feel good reads that can lift even the worse moods.

I absolutely adore this book and it is definitely one I cannot recommend enough.

I like Lauren Layne's books. I like her light-hearted, bouncy style. Yes, there's usually some life issue in the background of one or more of her characters but she doesn't try to pretend that she'd writing a weighty novel designed to have a profound impact on her readers. She writes books for enjoyment - others' and, I think, her own. In addition to all this, in To Sir, With Love she has written an homage to one of my favourite films (think James Stewart rather than Tom Hanks).

Girl meets boy twice but is unaware of it, although the reader is clued in pretty quickly, and becomes increasingly conflicted about her feelings for two different (she thinks) men. Add in to that some strained family relationships and unfulfilled dreams and you're off on a romantic, but not saccharine, romance.

I really liked the cover of this book and the synopsis reminded me a bit of ‘You’ve Got Mail’ the Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan movie.

The book was good, it took me a while to get into it and connect with the characters, but it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review 📚

A good, strong read. Slightly predictable (but isn’t the genre always?) but the wonderful characters and pacey plot make up for that. Recommended.

What’s not to love about falling in love with a mystery man. I think this was well written especially as you get to know the characters. It was nice to read how they all got what they wanted too.

Gracie Cooper has always been a dreamer and believes her Prince charming is out there just waiting for her, she always dreamed of being an artist but was guilt tripped into working at her dads champagne shop so put her dreams to one side, after the death of her dad Gracie runs the shop but it’s struggling to survive, Gracie joins a dating app where you match through personality not looks and she starts chatting to ‘Sir’
Gracie is approached by her relentless landlord Sebastian (hot man in a suit) to take the money he offers for her to close up shop, she tries her hardest to keep her family legacy alive with the help of her family and friends but eventually admits defeat.
Sebastian starts out being an enemy but soon becomes so much more.
With her feelings toward ‘Sir’ growing along with her feelings for Sebastian can Gracie love two different men at the same time, or are they two different men?
I love Lauren’s style of writing, her characters are the best and this book did not disappoint one bit.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I LOVED this book 🥰 it was such a fun light read! I really liked the concept that our main characters fell in love having not yet met in person through the dating app and in real life, not knowing each other was the person they were messaging. All the supporting characters were likeable especially Keva. This was my first Lauren Layne book but won’t be the last!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I have nothing but praise for this truly one of kind novel focusing on the sudden upheaval in this aspiring chef’s life, alongside her desire for a romantic connection. Lovely and intricate!

I would first like to say thank you to NetGalley, the author Lauren Layne and the publisher Headline Eternal for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To Sir, With Love is the first Lauren Layne novel I have picked up and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I’ve been on a romance kick of late and the last book I read didn’t do it for me so I decided this would be exactly the think to take with me on holiday to read on the beach. Sadly the weather was rubbish (as I should have expected from the British summertime) so not much reading on the beach was done, but I still found myself picking it up and whizzing straight through it. The weather did not dampen my thoughts on the book though and I ended up enjoying it thoroughly.

To Sir, With Love follows hopeless romantic Gracie as she runs her late father’s champagne shop in New York City. It not only looks at her love life but also her career and the sacrifices she has made to please those close to her. I found Gracie to be very relatable, probably due to my own romantic tendencies, and all the other side characters just as likeable. They all played their part in the story as well as all having their own little arc of character development that I loved. None of the characters felt like they were there for no reason.

The story was fun and lighthearted, as well as being very easy to follow which makes it the perfect beach read. I know that isn’t for everyone, but personally I love a good cheesy romance novel in the summer. I only wish it didn’t end so quickly. I spent so much of the book rooting for Gracie and hoping she would get together with the love interest, so when they finally did and we didn’t really get to see any of them as a couple I was disappointed. Maybe if the epilogue wasn’t in the form of messages I would have felt for fulfilled by it, like I had gotten the answers I wanted.

Lauren Layne has written a great summer read, with romance and fun throughout. I can’t wait to go and read some of her backlist now for some more easy reading. It’s perfect for anyone that just wants to escape, anyone that fantasises about what life could be if it were a fairytale, or just anyone that loves a simple yet sweet romance.

Really enjoyed this book. A modern twist on an old classic.

A quick, fun, easy read with likeable characters. Gracie confides in Sir, Sebastian confides in Lady and then Gracie and Sebastian meet. He refuses to fit her profile as the villain who is out to ruin her business, she realises her fairy tale prince may actually not exist and she might need to adjust her romantic and business ideas.

Fun and easy to read.

‘To Sir, With Love’ - Lauren Layne’s modern-day ‘You’ve Got Mail’.

Goodreads rating: 4.21 stars. My rating: 4.75 stars.

“Why should I settle for less than a stomach-flipping meet-cute or the kind of romance you see in old movies and listen to in Frank Sinatra songs?”

I like to think of myself as rather a ‘chick-lit’ connoisseur (my current favourites being Sally Thorne and Beth O’Leary) so was thrilled when I heard about this book. I confess I hadn’t heard of Lauren Layne before (which I now realise is a sin) so I did a bit of a google deep dive into her writing history and was not disappointed: it would seem she is a master in the field of romantic fiction and, after reading To Sir, with Love in an afternoon, I can certainly see why. I wish I could go right back to the first page and read it again for the first time.

So, what’s it all about?

Gracie Cooper, our leading lady, has always dreamed of finding her ideal man and living out her storybook love fantasy: the stuff of fairytales, where the girl gets the guy, the music dramatically swells as they kiss, and they ride off into the sunset together. Unfortunately, her reality is not so rose tinted. She is 33, runs her late father’s champagne shop, lives in a shoebox apartment with her cat, and is yet to meet her Prince Charming. However, the dream might not be dead just yet. Via an anonymous dating app, she meets the mysterious ‘Sir’, with whom she has an instant connection. They continue speaking, forming a friendship of sorts, but Gracie soon finds herself falling for a man she’s never met. Though her day-to-day life may not be so exciting, she comes alive when in conversation with him, and thus the red flags appear rather green.

Offline, Gracie’s life takes a complicated turn when brooding business man, Sebastian, proposes a buyout offer for her failing champagne shop. Gracie is determined to carry on her father’s legacy, despite how much she is sacrificing her own dreams to do so. The offer from Sebastian sparks an electric conflict between the pair – not remotely helped by the fact that he is devastatingly handsome. Gracie finds herself confiding in ‘Sir’, not realising that she has, in fact, already met him… and hates his guts.

My Thoughts:

So, diving into the book, lets talk about what I liked loved. The straightforward answer to this would be everything. It was a delight from start to finish. It was hysterically funny, heartbreakingly honest (especially Gracie’s sister’s backstory), and just really cute. Gracie is the ideal chick-lit protagonist – she’s quirky, witty, and imperfect (a trait that draws me to the genre – the characters always feel real).

You know the writing is excellent when you’d read a spin-off about every single side-character. I loved them all, especially Robyn, who’s icy heart we watched thaw, and May, Gracie’s whacky and hilarious mother figure. I also adored Sebastian, the love interest: nothing quite gets me going like a brooding business man with a tough exterior and a secret heart of gold. I feel for Gracie here – by the end of the book I, too, was completely in love with him.

Normally I find predictability in romance tiresome, but here it didn’t feel that way. We were meant to join up the dots between the mysterious pen-pal ‘Sir’ and the up-tight tycoon, Sebastian, from page one (this isn’t a spoiler, I promise, it’s obvious from the blurb). Sidestepping into the mystery and thriller genre, my favourite trope is when we, the reader, know what has happened, and watch the protagonist gradually piece it together. This happened here and I loved every second of watching both Gracie and Sebastian come to the realisation that it was, in fact, each other they have been messaging all along.

There was only one thing that confused me slightly and that was Caleb’s girlfriend, who’s name miraculously changed at the end of the book. She was ‘Amanda’, then a few chapters later she was ‘Michelle’. Aside from that slip up (which could very easily just be me being stupid), I find zero faults.

To Conclude:

If you are a fan of the chick-lit genre, you have to read this. It’s an adorable, fluffy read that will certainly put a smile on your face. I am still baffled by how this utterly glorious book ended up gracing the shelves of little-old-me’s NetGalley account. But, it happened, I read it, and I cried tears of laughter, joy and sadness (at the end when it was over and my heart felt empty and full at the same time).

Thank you NetGalley and Headline for the copy. If you couldn’t already tell, I loved it.

I really loved this book. Falling for a mystery man and also in love with a man trying to change your whole life. The way that Layne portrays the characters falling for each other is beautiful. I thought it was a really enjoyable read and just loved the way it ended. I read the whole book in one sitting which shows for itself how I liked it.

Please take in mind it’s my opinion, and everyone is allowed to have one.

This was such an easy read! I absolutely loved it! The whole story just seemed right, nothing about it felt rushed. Even though I found out pretty quickly who the Sir was, the story still was fun to read.

Also loved all of the characters, they were all so great and got what they all deserved.

Gracie Cooper had dreams of heading to Italy to do more with her artistic talents, however, when her father died of lung cancer his dying wish was for the Cooper legacy, aka the family champagne shop Bubbles to continue. With her older sister not interested and her younger brother moving out of state, the responsibility fell to Gracie. Something she has been attempting to save from closure ever since. Introducing new lines and even her own cocktail/champagne inspired artwork.

Busy with the store finding her Prince Charming has been difficult, Holding on to a long-held dream of a fairy tale romance that has yet to make it's self know. Joining a blind date app she was matched with Sir123 and whilst he was open about the fact that he wasn't single and that his friend had signed him up they form a friendship of little messages back and forth. Something so simple bringing a smile to Gracie's face, unlike Sebastian Andrews who is wishing to buy out the lease on the shop so that he can bulldoze it as part of yet another regeneration of the area.

Refusing him at every turn, they have a business hatred for each other yet they manage to be comfortable in each other's company. An unlikely friendship of sorts forms and even an attraction but they are both have 'complicated' relationship statuses. A modern-day 'You've Got Mail' via a dating app - cute, funny, tear-jerking and heartwarming.