I always enjoy Lauren Layne’s book and this is no exception. She writes witty, stylish contemporary romances with just the right mix of sophistication and hotness.

In this romance of opposites, socialite Georgie finds that the best part of her day are the moments at 5 am when she’s arriving home from a night on the town and hunky, uptight divorce lawyer Andrew is heading out of the Manhattan apartment skyscraper they both live in. They clash, exchange sarcastic acknowledgements of each other’s existence and then spend the rest of the day unable to forget the other. Those brief exchanges of insults serve as a kind of foreplay. They have nothing in common and shouldn’t be attracted to each other, but sometimes opposites do attract.

I loved how Layne was able to make Georgie, a character who should be quite unrelatable to most readers so very lovable. Like Andrew, I found myself silently marveling at this effervescent, perfectly ridiculous woman who is living off inherited money and spends her time hanging out with her other rich friends in nightclubs until 5 am. Her only occupation seems to be shopping, clubbing, and running the occasional fundraiser. But she’s also extremely sweet, the type of woman who brings her doorman a box of donuts every morning and makes friends with everyone she encounters from a taxi driver to a waiter. She’s just a nice person. And Andrew marvels at her even as he can’t quite understand her.

If you enjoy smart contemporary romances, do yourself a favor and get yourself some Lauren Layne books. You’ll smile all the way through.

.I was given a free ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Classic Lauren Layne and I LOVED it!! Full of snark, humor, and sexy times, this opposites attract story had me laughing out loud and kept me completely entertained. Georgie and Andrew were great characters and I enjoyed the slow build of their relationship. She's a party girl and loved by everyone. He's serious, stoic and doesn't let too many people get close. Teasing Andrew and trying to get him to smile is the highlight of Georgie's day. Andrew won't deny he's attracted to Georgianna but she's everything he hates about the pampered wealthy. Then one surprise kiss changes everything!!

This is a must read. I highly recommend it.

Layne is back with a sassy, sizzling novel that I couldn't put down (no, really, I got this eARC, stopped what I was doing, and read it from start to finish without breaking).

Georgie should be an annoying heroine. She's got all the boxes ticked for it (rich, party girl, famous for being famous, designer label everything, etc. etc.), but somehow, she's so very likable. She's sweet, with a kind streak a mile wide, and she's just so much more than what I expected. She's glitter and sparkles and happiness personified.

Andrew was the perfect contrast. He is all about schedules, work, and the gym. He thinks Georgie is vapid, and I loved watching him discover that there was more to her than what she showed to the world. He's a bit jaded, as he's a high-powered divorce attorney, and doesn't really believe in that happily-ever-after stuff that Georgie's built her dreams on.

The two of them heat up the pages from the first time we see them together. From Andrew's accidentally cutting remarks, to Georgie's grace under pressure, it was a book that had my heart hurting in the best way, my laughter going strong, and my soul wishing that their pages could go on forever. Two words, my friends: Book. Hangover.

Five stars.

reviewed by Nancy

This. Book. Is. Everything!!!!

Oh my God, if a story was ever about loving love, this is the one. We all long for the kind of love that smacks us in the face with a brick as it walks by, and this story is all about that. There is love (obviously) but more importantly, there is hope. Hope that we could live long enough to experience what Andrew and Georgie learn. Add in the absolutely incredible humor of the author, and this is a 10 star read.

I enjoy Lauren Layne's romances when there is plenty of humor to balance the angst, and the angst is earned (which is so much more effective) than imposed by a heavy authorial thumb.

Georgie is a rich New York society girl, who usually arrives home to her swanky apartment just before five a.m., carrying fresh-baked donuts for the doorman and staff. She invariably meets Andrew, high-powered, totally driven, utterly humorless divorce lawyer on his way to the gym before work. He apparently despises everything about her, and she can't help teasing him . . . while showing up every single day in order to meet him. And he likewise.

I enjoyed them both. At first I got a bit tired of all Georgie's swanky product name dropping but I expect that that is a necessity in "rich people protagonist" romances these day. And who doesn't want to pretend to be rich along with the heroine, as long as the book lasts?

What I really liked was Georgie's good heart. I also liked Andrew's intensity, and the reasons for it. And the thread about Georgie's parents worked really well, though (view spoiler).

Layne does a terrific job of building the sexual tension between Georgie and Andrew while they are still bickering, emphasizing their differences by Georgiana's POV being first person present tense, and Andrew's (rare) POVs third past.

Some of the plot points are standard, but they work very well. The story is breezy and vivid and of course there is a sparkly happy ending.

But after I was done I wondered how happy they would stay. No spoiler to say that in the sack their compatibility rating is boom chikka chikka pow! But (view spoiler). The climax was cinematic instead of convincing (view spoiler). But the emotions carried it.

Despite these small bumps, overall it was a fast, fun read, and leaves me looking forward to Layne's next.

2.5 "...it’s all just feeling a little bit blah." Stars

Seems that I'm in the minority here, but my first experience with Lauren Lane sadly wasn't what I'd term a huge success.

"Sometimes I annoy even myself."

I struggled with this pretty much from the start, particularly when it came to Georgie who, whilst kindhearted and at times sweet, generally came across as privileged and shallow making her difficult to relate to. And, whilst Andrew was better, he was a bit of an uninspiring hero for much of the book despite the fact his banter with Georgie was at time quite amusing. Admittedly I warmed to them at around the 65% mark and the ending and epilogue upped my rating, but I needed more much sooner.

"You’re probably rolling your eyes right now."

Overall I found the story predictable and bland, which was a real shame as I do love an enemy-to-lovers romance. Plus the switch between first person for Georgie's POV and third person for Andrew's wasn't a style that worked for me. It's highly likely that this is a case of it's not you, it's me and I'm certainly going to check out a couple of Lauren's earlier books which I have on good authority should work for me, so this is one I'd say to judge for yourself.

**4.5 Stars**

Lauren Layne has the genius of a Rom-Com down pat. Walk of Shame was so, so fun and enjoyable that I couldn’t put it down. The lightness of its airiness mixed with building sexual tension between Andrew and Georgianna made this an unputdownable novel. It’s a novel with the perfect amount of animosity and romanticism between its main characters that it crackled with awareness.

There was such a great juxtaposition with Georgie. She’s a New York socialite, an unemployed but a self-proclaimed party girl, and yet, underneath all of that, she’s holding onto the brightest, biggest heart and personality around. You wanted to dislike her for her easy life, but you just couldn’t help falling under her charm. I loved her. The hopeless romantic with so much love to give. Add in Andrew, the stodgy, icy lawyer, and one couldn’t help but think they complemented each other so well. The two of them had amazing chemistry, both in hate and lust (and even beyond), that it carried the story forward with such ease.

LL is a favorite author for a reason: she mixes wit and charm so beautifully in her love stories. The characters were so concrete and vibrant, the pull between them built in the perfect way, and it was hot to boot. Honestly, it’s the perfect light read that has every wonderful element you want in a book. Walk of Shame is a must-read romance from an author whose writing is so effortlessly easy to fall into.

Georgiana is a rich young woman with a sweet heart. Andrew is a cynical divorce lawyer. They live the same apartment building. Georgie just loves arriving home at 5 am as Andrew is leaving for work, just to tease him. He finds her "perfectly ridiculous ".

This story is perfectly wonderful. The teasing gives way to deeper feelings, written by Lauren Layne. In her closing remarks, she writes of the difficulty she experienced in getting the story just the way she wanted it. I don't know how much time and effort she expended, but the story is worth whatever she invested. I loved it.

I loved this book so much that I immediately read it a second time through. Lauren Layne has an uncanny knack for writing unique characters who lead complex lives- It's almost impossible to not get sucked in! In Walk of Shame, Layne blends the perfect amount of backstory, humor, romance, and of course- steamy sex. I imagine that most readers will come for the sexy bits but stay for the endearing humor. Never before have I smiled so much while reading a romance novel- another homerun for Lauren Layne.

This books was great! I stayed up all night reading it and I don't regret it one bit... Okay maybe a lititle because I only got like 3 hours of sleep, but it was worth it! Loved the banter and chemistry. I just wish it was a little longer and we got to see more of them together.

"<i>You know what I think?</i>"
"<b>Breathless with wondering.</b>"
"<i>I think you've had too much peaceful in your life. I think peaceful has become synonymous with boring.</i>"
"<b>Are you sure we're talking about my life, Georgiana?</b>"

Guuuuuys WALK OF SHAME was so so good. And yes, I'm totally surprised by this. I mean, the synopsis sounds adorable but not particularly groundbreaking and the cover is cute but nothing special or eyecatching and yet this book. <b>This book</b>! I don't want to throw around comparisons to THE HATING GAME because the situation isn't similar but if you loved, or even liked, that book you'll like, or maybe love, this one, too.

<i>I feel a tiny stab of relief that he's as aware of me as I am of him, even if neither of us is happy with the situation.</i>

Georgiana Watkins is a socialite who is feeling a little.. lackluster about her comfortable life, her fancy apartment, her days of fundraisers and her nights of partying. Like maybe she wants something else, something more, something she's missing. But it isn't until a not-so-cute-meet with Andrew Mulroney, Esquire, that she starts to feel this sense of uncertainty about her very fortunate circumstances.

"<i>Oh Andrew and I are aligned, all right. Him at one end of the battlefield, me at the other.</i>"

Every day at five AM she finds herself coming home when Andrew is going to work and every day they square off, trading barbs, honing their wit. Each of them look forward to the brief exchange, neither willing to admit why, unable to refrain from entering each other's orbit. But it isn't until they meet outside the contained bubble of their five AM encounters and see each other in the real world that things start to change. That Georgie, especially, starts to wonder if he could fit into her much different lifestyle.. or she into his.

<i>The socialite was everything that he abhorred. Self-indulged, flighty, useless.. ridiculous. And yet..</i>

Andrew is smart. Genius level smart, fast tracked through school, and naturally awkward because of all of those factors. He doesn't know how to handle himself around Georgie -- who is fun, vibrant, bubbly, the opposite of everything he is -- and he definitely doesn't know how to handle the affect she had on him, and watching him fumble, watching him stumble, and watching George always bring out the worst in him, when it's the last thing he wants, is amazing because it's the best kind of frustrating. Not only for the reader but for the characters.

"<i>So the attraction was instant.</i>"
"<b>What part of what I just said translated to attraction?</b>"
"<i>None of it. But I saw you guys talking when he first came in. It was a toss-up whether you were going to arm-wrestle or just start making out.</i>"

I loved how Layne made these two go through all the typical motions, all the standard romance tropes, and yet.. make them so self-aware while still managing to change up the game. I love love loved it. The bonus to watching WALK OF SHAME play out, too, is that Georgie is telling you everything from her perspective, cheeky-like and with commentary, and yet we still get to see glimpses of Andrew's side (a mix of first and third person narrative that worked so well) and that added a level of dimension to this that definitely branches away from any further HATING GAME comparisons.

"<i>Oh no. You're not that guy. The one that thinks he's never going to get married because his career only shows him the bad side of marriage.</i>"
"<b>I am definitely that guy.</b>"

Reading this book was so so fun. I enjoyed the shit out of the whole experience because it has all of my favourite things and reminded me of why I love them. There's relentless snark, delicious chemistry, so many two steps forward and three steps back agonies, adorable moments, heartbreaking moments, a little bit of drama, aaaand swoons. I highlighted so much of this story that filtering through them for this review is basically like reading the whole thing all over again and I have no regrets. It's that good.

"<i>Do you ever let loose? Order french fries? Unbutton a button? Have a one-night stand?</i>"
"<b>That an invitation?</b>"
"<i>Of <b>course</b> I'll share my fries.</i>"

Unbeknownst to me at the time of request, this is book four in the <i>Love Unexpectedly</i> series, which I assume are standalones but have no idea the extent of the crossover as this is the only book I've read (so far), and this is also my first time reading Layne. And it may be premature to throw this out into the universe buuuut I'm an insta-fangirl. I definitely intend to go back and read through the first three books and definitely intend to pick up the next in the series.

"<i>So what's it going to be? The deli and I call you Andy forever, or..</i>"
"<b>I don't suppose I could exchange a steak lunch for you calling me Mr. Mulroney?</b>"
"<i>I'd rather die.</i>"

Read this book. You'll love it. Highly recommend.

5 "I like that you've seen all my bits, and you're still crusty" stars

Lauren Layne is delightful. Hot romance, great plot and a HEA. We always buy her for our library.

4.25-4.5 STARS

There are very few authors that I automatically one-click once I learn of their newest release. Author Lauren Layne is one of them… and she never disappoints! Without a doubt, “Walk of Shame is no exception. Fun and flirty, it’s simply a delightfully sexy read.

Georgianna Watkins is a rich socialite with a party-girl image. Andrew Mulroney is a rigid, uptight divorce attorney to the rich and famous. Daily sparring becomes part of this unlikely couple’s morning routine, causing tempers to rise and sparks to ignite. In a fit of fury (or is it a fit of lust?), Georgie and Andrew are caught on camera in the grips of a salacious kiss. Quickly, the rumor mill spins, suggesting they are now a couple.

With a secret looming between them, Georgie and Andrew’s tumultuous relationship is so much more complicated than what initially meets the eye. Is it even possible for two people so very different to turn their burning lust into a forever kind of love? To find out that answer, you’ll just have to pick up this book and discover it for yourself.

Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne was so good and kind of different from her normal type of books. Most of Lauren Laynes books the heroine is usually career driven and not a socialite, party girl like Georgie. Andrew is very driven, young Attorney who is super smart.

Georgia and Andrew move into the same apartment building and instantly clash. George usually comes home from her nights out with her friends around 5 and Andrew is heading out for his morning work out. So almost every morning Georgie and Andrew argue/bicker. You can tell underneath the bickering that there is mutual like on both sides. They honestly don’t know what to think about someone so different from theirselves.

Georgie loves everyone and it is her goal to win anyone she meets over. Andrew prefers to go to work and not really socialize. As the book progresses Andrew realizes that Georgie is actually smart and full of love and not the total party girl he thought she was. Georgie also learns Andrew is closed off because growing up he was very smart and didn’t really have a lot of friends. Andrew also has no clue how to communicate with Georgie and he is constantly saying the wrong thing. Watching Georgie and Andrew figure out their relationship was so funny. They bickered, made fun of each other but did sweet things for each other.

The end of this book was so good to me. You can tell from the beginning of the book to the end that Andrew has changed and that he really cares for Georgie. While he was quiet and it came off as rude he was actually paying attention to everything that was Georgie.

This book was very sweet and sucked me in from the beginning. This book is a dual POV, with some sexy scences and moves a very good pace.

I received a free copy for an honest review.

He's a cynic. A divorce lawyer to the stars Andrew has seen it all and is not impressed. She's a party girl. Georgie has everything money can buy, but lately she's looking for more. Walk of Shame is a delightful look at the pitfalls of celebrity. As always Ms. Layne brings a smart wit to her characters that is a pleasure to behold, but she also exposes behind the curtain. The labels, unhappiness and loneliness that life on a pedestal entails. Georgie is more than the pampered heiress people assume her to be. Andrew is more than a pompous jerk. Their human and can feel pain and bias just as easily as we can. This is why I love Lauren Layne. She creates characters that seem larger than life, yet she exposes their frailties, while stealing her readers hearts.

I really loved this book. It was heartwarming and sweet with unexpected depth. I would read this again and again!

Oh this book was just pure fun!
Georgie and Andrew couldn't be more different from each other if they tried and their animosity/chemistry jumps off the page from the first time we see them together.
Ms. Layne does an excellent job of peeling back the layers of these complex personalities so that we get to see more about what makes them tick while also keeping up with the fast pace of the story. Both Georgie and Andrew evolved during the course of the book and I appreciated that they had the individual growth while they also developed a relationship.
If you are looking for a fun, sweet, "enemies to lovers" type book then this would be a great one to pick up.

Georgie Watkins is a socialite who tends to be out until the early hours of the morning. She has found herself in the habit of hitting the local donut shop for a box of donuts for the doormen in her building. If she just so happens to time it for 5:00AM when the Mr Stick up his Butt Andrew Mulroney, Esquire is leaving the building on his way to the gym before work, well, that's just an odd coincidence. His favorite word for her is ridiculous and she lives to needle him. Eventually, like an annoying song, Andrew finds himself falling under her spell and Georgie is finding his quirks kind of cute.
I so enjoyed the foreplay between these two but once they got on track, it was great! Then all of a sudden, a untold secret could potentially tear them apart. I loved how Ms. James worked out the conflict and got these two on the road to HEA.
I'm so thankful to Netgalley for the eARC and for introducing me to this author who has become a must buy for both me and the library where I work.

~~3.5 stars- Low on the angst, high on the cuteness~~

Walk of Shame is an enemies to lovers story involving two neighbors who are polar opposites. I’m a big fan of this author, so I was a bit bummed when I found myself reluctant to pick this back up. All the ingredients of a great romantic comedy are here, but the heroine isn’t my cup of tea and I couldn’t get into it. However, I’ll freely admit that this may more be a case of not being in the mood for such a breezy romance rather than a true reflection of the book’s substance.

Andrew is a well-known divorce lawyer. I found his awkwardness often endearing, and overall he was a likeable character. Georgie is a New York socialite, who spends her days planning charity events, shopping, and hanging with friends. Her bright, bubbly character is the perfect contrast to Andrew’s subdued personality, but she never clicked with me and I had a really hard time sympathizing with her personal dilemmas. Typically with this author, I find myself drawn to the characters even if I don’t personally identify with them. Unfortunately, that never happened with Georgie and while she isn’t unlikable, it made it very difficult to fall in love with their story. Walk of Shame does use a different narration style than what I typically see. It includes alternating points of view, with Georgie’s told in the first person and Andrew’s in the third. The bulk of the book is from Georgie’s POV and while her happy, friendly, relaxed voice makes for an easy read, it dominates the story to the point that she becomes overwhelming for me. Again, this may be a case of the not in the right frame of mind for that type of character, but it was simply too much bubbliness and blue blood drama. That said, Andrew and Georgie have a great energy between them even before they move from frenemies to more. The verbal sparring and banter sets a quick but easy flow and keeps Walk of Shame fun and light-hearted. The chemistry comes across clearly, steadily growing throughout the story and translating into a good amount of physical heat between the two. I love how the author includes some fun, bright quips before, during, and after the sex scenes. These moments had me laughing out loud and really showcased the breezy dynamic of their relationship.

Typically, this author is my go-to when I’m in the need of a pick-me-up as I tend to read her books cover to cover with a smile permanently etched on my face. While the banter and fun atmosphere that I crave is undeniably present, the characters and story felt lacking in depth. It was almost like a muted version of what I’ve come to expect from Miss Layne. However, I do think fans of enemies-to-lovers stories looking for a low-angst, banter-filled cute romance to brighten their day/weekend will likely enjoy this one.

Wizard of Oz and Disney fairy tales are the stories of my childhood and I still believe them to be the best of all time. Georgie, aka Scarecrow, is a socialite with a heart of gold. Andrew, aka Tin Man, is a child genius that grew up a bit too fast and never got to grow socially. The two of them instantly had a "dislike" of each other and love to bait the other into a friendly cold war. The chemistry is off the charts with sarcastic wit, dry humor and subtle fairy tale references. Layne has a fun and magical way about her characters and provides us with a truly satisfying story, along with intensely intimate moments. Always a pleasure to read a book that makes me giggle, sigh and maybe fight off a tear or two. It was an honor to read an advanced copy from Netgalley and I have written this review voluntarily.