After being told by a psychic that she's already met "The One" and she'll reunite with him by Christmas, Kelly is a woman on a mission to connect with her exes to figure out who the lucky man is. Mark and Kelly have been best friends since high school but he's not really into the psychics, magic 8 balls, and general reliance on fate that Kelly is. He tells her, at every chance, that this plan is ridiculous but Kelly just can't let it go. The lengths that Kelly goes to to track down her exes and ignore her growing feelings for her BFF are hilarious.

This is my first Christmas book for the year and it definitely put me in a holiday mood. I couldn't really get why Kelly was so obsessed with magic 8 balls and psychics but Mark's response to all it was fantastic. He was constantly the voice of reason, the reminder of why these men were exes, and was quietly there waiting for Kelly to get a clue. I loved their friendship and laughed so much. This holiday story was sweet with some heat and the perfect start to the Christmas season.

*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*

4.5 'All I Want for Christmas is Mark' Stars!
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

And again, Lauren Layne delivers another heart-warming love story! Winter is here and Christmas is around the corner so what better way to start getting into the Christmas mood than a friends to lovers love story by one of my favorite authors! I thought (at first) this story would be about exes reuniting but it is more “complicated” than that. This is about two best friends who fall in love (or have been..) with each other.

An Ex for Christmas is a standalone novel, but it belongs to the Love Unexpectedly series (all standalones). This is Lauren’s first Christmas novel and as I said it’s a friends to lovers romance. Kelly and Mark have been best friends for the longest time, Kelly is more than ready to settle down with the love of her life, but, this love is nowhere in sight (according to her..). Our lovely heroine is in fact a believer of all things “fate” so she believes everything an unknown woman tells her: that she already knows said person. A quest starts, Kelly is going though all her exes to find this love, but everything gets complicated when she discovers that she has feelings for her best friend Mark (who *swoon* has loved her from the very beginning).

Some things just weren’t meant to be questioned; they simply were.
Mark and I are one of them, I guess.

As all her other creations, Lauren Layne made An Ex for Christmas a slow burn romance that melted my heart. I found the relationship between Kelly and Mark absolutely adorable. Their friendship is so especial: they have so many fantastic moments together and their chemistry (as friends and later as lovers) is palpable on every single page. In fact, I loved Mark from the very start because he is so clearly protective of Kelly and very much in love with her! I mean, sometimes I wanted to shake Kelly so badly because she does not see that AT ALL! And I just wanted that fantastic man to be happy.

I should be freaked out—I know I should, but truthfully what’s freaking me out more isn’t how wrong this is but how absurdly right it feels. As though his mouth was made for mine, as though we should have been doing this a long time ago.

And here is maybe the only thing that I did not enjoy as much: how Kelly is not able to see what Mark feels for her (and what she feels for him!) until almost the very end of the story. Yeah, they do realize the chemistry between them earlier and the sex (as always) is beautifully written and oh-so-sexy! Lauren’s heroes always do it for me and the slow burn is to die for! But, I felt like the ending was a bit rushed: it was amazing and so sweet but a little rushed. However, I can almost forget all this because I really enjoyed the love story as a whole and because I loved these two together as a couple!

I’m in love with you.
(And don’t bother telling me I’m too late.)
(I’ll win you back. You know I will.)
All I want for Christmas. . .
Is you.

Therefore, my rating for An Ex for Christmas is 4.5 STARS because it was an adorable Christmas-themed love story that holiday lovers will definitely enjoy! If you love this festive holiday and you also happen to love Lauren Layne’s stories, you surely will enjoy this one! Mark and Kelly are great together and their happy ending will melt your heart. So yeah, I am recommending this one, especially if you are a LL and a Christmas fan!

My love for all things written by Lauren Layne gave this book a 4 star rating, as the writing is funny and sassy. A Christmas story with a friends-to-lovers trope is a thing of beauty...but Kelly, our heroine, is a kook! Now, I know people believe in tea leaves, magic eight balls and such, and that's fine. But Kelly's belief has taken over her life, to the point where she can't make a decision without shaking the numerous magics 8's she has in her possession. Now her bff, Mark, humors her about it, for the most part. But I think if I were him and in love with her for years, I would have thrown one at her by this point in time. Kelly is so busy looking at the stars for guidance that she almost loses what's right in front of her. And to me, she was just super annoying.
Now, Kelly together with Mark...the sexy best friend...Layne played the banter between the two of them perfectly.That man has the patience of a saint! And he is what kept me going, despite my initial distaste for Kelly. I did grow to appreciate her, if not love her.
Great read, not overly long but just enough to whet my appetite for more holiday reads!

I love, love, love a good holiday romance. Add in the elements of a friends to lovers trope and I'm toast. Lauren Layne made this book fresh, fun and sweet and I absolutely loved it!

I can read holiday romance any time of year-and I think I'm in the minority in saying that. Which is funny because I don't like to listen to holiday music until after Thanksgiving...but a book? I just love falling into that holiday setting.

Quite frankly, I adored Kelly. I loved her smart, superstitious, sassy self. She was quirky and not afraid of that. It was fun watching her plot and work her way through her list, almost missing what readers were dying for her to realize.

Mark was so patient...and determined. His determination to show Kelly that they were right for each other? Total swoon factor! Plus, who doesn't love a man that can cook? Mark was hot, sexy and had me sighing.

There's a connection between these two that is so much more than just sexy times. They have a shared history, shared loves and dislikes. They know each other inside and out-so they think. I loved watching them unravel for each other, truly showing the other WHY they were just right for one another.

The writing here was sharp and fun. Lauren Layne is a one click author for me because she always engages me as a reader; she has a knack for pulling me into the story and making me feel like I'm there with her characters. This holiday romance definitely put me in the Christmas spirit-and I loved every moment of it. I absolutely recommend this book!

What a delightful Christmas book to start the season with! The great story and character development made this book a very enjoyable and entertaining read!

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

Christmas comes gift-wrapped to romance readers in the form of Lauren Layne's new book!

An Ex for Christmas is a winter wonderland filled with psychic readings, magic 8 balls, cheesy Christmas movies, snow ball fights, Christmas tree decorating, and mistletoe kisses.

Kelly Byrne is a romantic elementary teacher, with an affinity for fortune-telling, optimism, and happily ever afters. When a psychic tells her that she has already met her "one true love", Kelly begins obsessively going through her Ex-list for all her failed relationships. Thinking she missed something about the men the first go-around, she reunites with them all. All the while, her best friend, Mark is sitting by wishing he could tell Kelly that he's the One for her.

Mark has been in love with her since they were in high school, but he's never had the courage to say anything, instead watching as she was swept off her feet by the next boyfriend. But now, they're both single. Mark tells Kelly this plan is ridiculous and that only bad can come from it. Still, she doesn't relent from her plan. And Mark realizes that it might not be long before Kelly is taken away again by "the One".

Mark and I are close-as close as a guy and girl can be without hooking up (which we've never done- I know you were wondering). But anyway, we're close and yet there are some things we don't see eye to eye on. My "superstition" (his term- I call it "cosmic wisdom") is one of them.

During the weeks before Christmas, Kelly and Mark's relationship changes and the line between sex and friendship and love and friendship becomes hazy. And soon, Kelly will have to choose between the perfect love story and the One that's been right in front of her all this time.

I have high hopes that my Christmas morning will involve naked time with me and the love of my life by the light of the Christmas tree.

Christmas and romantic readers alike will enjoy this friends to lovers story. Indulge in a cup of apple cider or hot cocoa, burn a delicious smelling candle, and open up that Kindle of yours.
While making your holiday feasts, open up this deliciously fun holiday read and you won't regret it!

One of the best friends to lovers romances I have ever read...because you really believe that they are friends. There is a development of that relationship in the story and there is a history between Kelly and Mark that makes them not only interesting but you want to see them work out.

Kelly is oblivious. Mark is in love with her. But, he is also her friend and he supports her. Even when her crazy scheme has her making a list and revisiting her ex-boyfriends because a psychic tells her that her true love is someone she has already met.

Yes, the story isn't necessarily original. But, and this matters, the romance genre is tough. There have to be 2 strong characters, they have to have and develop chemistry, and there is a happily ever after heading your way...so, within this formula it is the challenge of the author to find a way to make the story feel fresh and new. The beauty of this story is the characters, and the writing, as you are charmed and engaged by both, leaving you wanting to keep reading, to know what happens next, and to see how long it takes Kelly to figure out what is right in front of her.

The scenes with them, once she finally figures out what is right in front of her, are wonderful and the side of Mark, the one where he finally gets a chance at the girl, are wonderful and are some of the best I have read. There is something so compelling with reading about someone who is finally getting to have the experience (and the girl) that he has wanted forever. Yes, there are bumps and a few hurdles for them to get past, but they are so worth it to get to the end.

This is a holiday romance. I don't read them as a rule. I picked it up because it is a Lauren Layne, and I will read anything by her. I recommend it, and would read it again, because I absolutely loved it.

This is truly a special story. It is the absolute best Christmas story. I read it in one day; I could not put it down. Kelly had me in stitches from the beginning until the very end. What a great character. And Mark was perfectly adorable. Just biding his time. This story had me floating with happiness. I love Lauren Layne's romantic, special stories. And I totally agree with Kelly, Love Actually is the best Christmas movie.

An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne is a funny friends-to-lovers story. Kelly Byme has a case of the “can’t see the forest for the woods” syndrome, plus a case of obstinacy to boot. It is a fun read even if I wanted to shake her a time or two and say, “Look at the guy, right next to you. You know the one you can count on!”

Smooth-paced with some witty dialogue (a Layne trademark), with a superstitious lead and a likable best friend to round out this fun read. Not too serious but still an appealing Christmas romance by Lauren Layne.

Cute, hallmark Christmas story about best friends who should be lovers. Totally saw this as a movie. Kelly was a clueless doofus who had what she always wanted in her next door neighbor, Mark, and didn’t know it. This was a one afternoon read for me, and the only thing I would have wanted more of was Mark’s POV. We never heard his side of the story or at least in his voice until the last chapter and this was one of those books that I think would have worked well if they had each had alternating chapters. This is just my opinion and certainly no detraction from the book overall. Thanks as always to Netgalley and the Publisher for allowing me to read this book for an honest review!

It read like a movie and I could easily seen this being turned into a Hallmark Christmas movie. It was so freaking adorable and so much fun to read. Kelly and Mark's relationship as best friends is swoon worthy. Kelly being oblivious to the fact that Mark was in love with her made for some excruciatingly delicious sexual tension. I loved that Mark was the strong, silent type. You could tell through his actions how he felt about Kelly and that just made him so much more appealing. Normally clueless characters drive me nuts but in this book it just added to Kelly's charm. I think because she took her feelings off the table so early in her friendship with Mark, she never considered the possibility that he may have feelings for her. She was adorably silly and it paired perfectly with Mark's seriousness. I just loved everything this book made me feel!!

I am sooo in love with “An Ex for Christmas” by Lauren Layne! Two of my favorite tropes: Christmas romance and friends-to-lovers all wrapped up in one super sweet, fun and quirky, super romantic read that leaves your heart spilling over with love and happiness. I seriously ran out of my room to my daughters and gushed about this book and how much I loved it. This is definitely going on my “Must read again and again” list!

If you are looking for a quick, seriously funny, full-of-feels romance, this is definitely a one-click you don’t want to miss!

I have to start by saying that I have ready every single book that Lauren Layne has written and Kelly and Mark may officially be one of my top 5 couples!! LL has such a talent for creating characters that you wish were your friends. And the romance is always off the charts. An Ex for Christmas is a friends to lovers story (a personal favorite of mine) that was a sweet, contemporary romance that I think would make the perfect Hallmark Channel Christmas movie. I loved the magical element of the "strange woman who tells Kelly she has already met the love of her life"...Kelly's total commitment to astrology and her magic 8 ball (I totally get it!). Enter her best friend Mark...gorgeous, a chef and totally grounded and "anti-signs". I think I fell in love with Mark the very first time we met him and I was rooting for him to win over his best friend. And let's not forget the magic of Christmas and misletoe (it really pulls the story together!) Their relationship was perfect and it just goes to show how talented Ms. Layne is as a writer. This is a story I will definitely read again and would highly recommend to anyone. Can't wait for her next book!!

I received a copy of this title from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

4.5 stars

An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne is a fun, sweet, hot and very entertaining friends to lovers read.

The storyline is well written, the plot held my interest all throughout the book and Mark and Kelly were likable, engaging characters that I easily connected with.
Watching these opposites come together had me laughing one minute, then wanting to shake them the next. It was so obvious they belonged together but the fear of losing their friendship kept them from giving into their feelings.

I loved Kelly and Mark together, I have no doubt these two would have a long and happy life together.

Lauren Layne has once again written a beautiful love story that will bring out the feels and leave you with a happy heart and a smile on your face.
An Ex for Christmas is the perfect holiday read and I highly recommend it.

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*I received an advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts*.

My Rating:

4.5

Favorite Quotes:

He looks like a lumberjack version of Clark Kent, Byrne. Other men don’t exactly love their girl being besties with sexy, scruffy Superman.

I’m nothing but the half-batty sister who believes in tea leaves and kinda sort believes Hogwarts is real.

He gestures with his fork toward my boobs, and I glance down to see a glob of cheese. I sigh and get out yet another napkin and clean up the mess, although mostly I just smear oil around. “I’m usually very elegant on dates.”

My Review:

Kelly made all her important life decisions with a Magic 8 ball, actually with three Magic 8 balls, stashed strategically so she is never without coverage. She had one at home, one at work, and a small one on her keychain to consult when she was “out and about.” She was also superstitious and believed in the “woo-woo” of fortune-tellers, tarot cards, and palm readers. So when a homeless woman on a train platform beckoned to Kelly and told her that she had already met the love of her life and would reconnect with him before Christmas, Kelly takes that message to heart and generated an Ex List of her past boyfriends and began locating them to determine which one was her “One” in the few days before Christmas. This sounded like a cute and entertaining premise, and it was. Kelly was rather obtuse and thoughtless in her treatment of her best friend and neighbor, Mark, whom I adored.

I enjoyed this delightfully amusing and light holiday read and I always enjoy Ms. Layne’s clever wit. Written primarily from a first person POV, the narrative was confessional and packed with self-effacing humor with breezy asides from the sassy and self-obsessed Kelly. My favorite scene was the procuring of the Christmas tree, one of many scenes that kept me smirking.

This is my favorite holiday read so far this year. Which is saying a lot since I started reading them in August!!

One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers, when they are done right. This was done right. From the very beginning of the story you could see that Kelly and Mark are honest to goodness best friends. I mean, they share a dog!!! Of course, you also realize pretty early on that Mark has more than friendly feelings towards Kelly, but she’s beyond oblivious.

Mark is really the epitome of the strong and silent type. It’s strange because I feel like I got to know him really well throughout the story, yet somehow he was sort of a mystery. He comes across as kind of brooding and indifferent to Christmas but he still manages to tag along with Kelly at every opportunity. And don’t even get me started on the fact that he’s a chef!

Kelly has decided, after a run in with a psychic, to spend her Christmas break (she’s a teacher) meeting up with each of her exes to decide which one of them she is meant to reunite with forever. Despite Mark’s obvious annoyance with this plan, Kelly is so focused on her interpretation of the psychic’s vision that she doesn’t see what’s right in front of her.

This story was sexy and sweet, funny and even a little bit heartbreaking. The connection that Mark and Kelly had as friends drove this story and made it obvious that they were meant to be together as more than friends. Their story felt real and was therefore it was super easy to get lost in. I kind of want to go back and get lost all over again!

If you are only going to read only one Christmas book this season, read this one. Great story of best friends to lovers during the Christmas season.

Kelly Byrne is a school teacher and is finally on Christmas break. She splits her time between Manhattan, NY and Haven, which is in upstate New York. Kelly is on her way to her house in Haven to spend time with her best friend Mark Blakely who lives next door. While on her trip home, a psychic tells the superstitious Kelly that she has already met her one true love and she will find him again before Christmas. Kelly decides to make a list of all her ex's and is determined to hunt them all down before Christmas. What Kelly doesn't know is that her bestie Mark has been in love with her for years and he is not happy with her plan to find her ex's.

Through a series of LOL moments, Kelly reconnects with her ex's, while at the same time the sexual chemistry between the her and Mark is really heating up! Mark needs to decide if he wants to push Kelly for something real between the two of them or just let her go for good and move on with his life.

I just adored Mark and Kelly. Mark is such a great guy and the type you want to marry. Kelly was so fun and quirky you couldn't help but just want to be friends with her. The road to their happy ending was perfect! I loved this book and just couldn't put it down!

*Review scheduled on blog for 11/15 with Tasty Blog Tours*

If you're looking for a book that will put you in the perfect Christmas mood, then definitely pick up An Ex for Christmas! Not only was it fun, flirty and sexy, but I found myself humming Christmas songs for days after I finished that last page. It was impossible not to since we got to witness them decorating for the holidays, there was Christmas songs playing in the background and the story even took place in a setting that felt like a winter wonderland. An Ex for Christmas became my favorite Christmas romance, and I hope you end up loving it just as much as I did!

I turn back to Mark’s house and look up at the second floor, even though I know his bedroom window faces the opposite way. As expected, there’s nothing but still darkness, and I can’t stop the sinking sensation that things are somehow changing between us. And I don’t know why, and I don’t know how to stop it.


Kelly Byrne was a character I definitely haven't met in a book before. She used Magic 8 balls, horoscopes and tarot cards to help determine where she should go in life. I liked her quirky, friendly ways, especially since she was a huge ball of happy energy. On her way home at the train station, a woman beckoned to Kelly that she had news for her. She told Kelly that she'd already met The One, and he'll come back to her before Christmas. Taking it as the honest truth, she made a list of her exes and slowly started meeting back up with them.

The last thing I need when I’m trying to hunt down my exes is to start getting sexy thoughts about my BFF.


When Kelly started meeting her exes I was either a laughing, cringing, or desperately needing to cover my face kinda mess. Oh my gosh, count on being more than entertained each time she met a different ex lol. I felt bad for her because each time her hopes were so high. She was always so optimistic! But then when disaster would strike, she'd be reminded all over again why that man was definitely on her ex list. Thankfully Kelly always had a constant in her life, no matter how horrific her meet-ups were. And that was her best friend Mark Blakely.

He doesn’t meet my eyes. Not once. Not until he lowers his hand, his fingertips brushing over my lips at the very moment his gaze lifts to mine.
It feels like an electric shock.
The touch of his fingers on my lips, the heat of his gaze, the weight of his body pinning mine to the ground . . .
Somehow all of those combined is creating the most intense, unexpectedly carnal moment of my life. My eyes flutter in confusion.
No, that can’t be right. “Carnal” isn’t a word I associate with Mark.


Kelly and Mark had been best of friends for the last ten years. They shared a dog, a backyard and they were extremely comfortable around each other. Yet I couldn't help but melt during so many of their interactions. And the thing was, Kelly started to be affected during some of those moments too. Which she shouldn't be, because he was just her bff right?! Well it didn't help that gruff, sexy Mark was kinda hard to read. You see his actions, words or even eyes would come across in an ever so sexy way, but then the next second he'd go back to being just Mark. So I found myself smiling and sighing out loud a lot of the times when Mark was in the picture. I was all for Kelly taking that step to see if Mark was into her too. Yet she didn't want to risk their friendship and tumble down that path. I got it, in real life I would have acted the same way that Kelly did, but since this is a book I found myself wanting to bonk her over the head ever so lightly with her Magic 8 Ball and say go after Mark.

He steps even closer, a slight smile playing at his lips. “Kell?”
“What?”
“Shut up.”
He sets a knuckle to the bottom of my chin, tilting my face toward his.
My heart’s still pounding, although now it’s not so much about panic as . . . want.
I want nothing more at this moment than his lips on mine, his hands on my back pulling me close . . . >
Mark’s lips brush my cheek. My cheek.
He pulls back slightly, eyes locking on mine for one heated heartbeat.
And then he steps away . “Night, Kell.” His voice is rough.
“Night.”
He turns and walks into the raging blizzard, leaving me staring after him, mostly oblivious to the snow that’s getting all over my kitchen floor, soaking my borrowed pajama pants.
I’m ignoring the storm outside because I’m too aware of the storm within . . . and the startling realization that I want a do-over on that mistletoe kiss.
Because a part of me wishes it had gone very, very differently.


The way the story ended *happy screaming* awwww it was the best ever! So if you adore happy quirky females, guys that give off the gruff and sexy vibe, and a cute story line that will give you all the Christmas feels, then definitely check out this book. LL did a fabulous job writing this festive and fun Christmas story, and I'm hoping you'll love it too!

*ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

4.5 Stars - Top Pick

An Ex For Christmas is the perfect way to jumpstart the holiday season. Fans of the friend- to-lovers trope are in for a treat with this deliciously funny romantic holiday story.

On her way Upstate New York to her hometown, Kelly Byrne meets a woman she believes to be a psychic who warns her that she has already met her true love. Kelly believes in horoscopes, palm and tarot card readings so this is right up her alley. As soon as she arrives, she tells her best friend and neighbor, Mark, about her plan to find each of her ex and see if the sparks will fly before Christmas.

Mark Blakely has always watched men come in and out of Kelly’s life. He is none too pleased that she has created a list full of ex-boyfriends to track down during the Christmas holiday. He has been in love with Kelly for years but he held himself back. Watching his best friend look for love with someone else is almost impossible for him but he is her best friend and wants what is best for her. As they spend the two weeks together, feelings are tested for the both of them.

This book makes me giddy. This is perfect as a Hallmark Movie. Oh my, how I would love it. I read the author’s dedication and the back and it is an ode to one because she is right, Hallmark Christmas movies are the best thing in the world!

I honestly thought that this would be such a formulaic hokey story which in some way it is. However, Ms. Layne knows how to work the story with just a few minor twists that makes it just the perfect unique story. Each one of the men that Kelly meets leads her closer to her real true love. When Mark and Kelly finally come together it is so sweet. I love how it all ended with references to a certain movie.

My only complaint is that Kelly took too long to figure it out. The signs were basically right in her face but she just ignored it. When she did possibly try to slip the notion of her and Mark in her thoughts, she was already onto her next thought and worrying about whatever Ex was coming around. It got old quickly.

So if you are looking for a great Christmas story that warms your heart, look no further. Kelly is totally a Christmas fanatic so there is plenty of references to movies, songs and just plain old Christmas spirit to bring you joy this holiday season!

~ Samantha