I still don't like the profanity of Lauren Layne's language but I enjoy everything else about her stories. This second title in the Wolfes of Wall Street series was as entertaining as the first with the bonus that we had already met Matt and Sabrina and so were invested in their story.

He needs her. She wants him. Will pleasure trump business or will their chemistry blow up in their faces. Hard Sell is an easy read with a whole lot of temptation thrown in for good measure. Layne takes readers back into the fast paced world of trading with a naughty broker and his image fixer. Matt is young, sexy, wealthy and a hit with the ladies. He's also a genius on the trading floor, which makes his bad boy image a liability when it comes to his clients. Enter Sabrina. Her skills are legendary when it comes to PR. She knows just how to fix any problem including a playboy with a wicked reputation. Theirs is a battle of wills that never seems to shut off. They quickly go from choice words and hot looks to stolen kisses and deep feelings. What happens when the person that drives you crazy becomes the one you can't live without? Hard Sell is a pressure cooker of chaos just waiting to explode.

This was a quick and fairly fun read. However, it was a little disappointing. It felt unpolished.

The characters are interesting. The friendships (male, female, large group, etc.) is probably the best part. The hero and heroine-Matt and Sabrina-have a lot of potential. That's what is disappointing. Looking at their past, they should be very compelling, but instead it's never developed enough. I think it's that the emotion of their emotion of their various situations is never really explored. This means even thought they shouldn't be, Matt and Sabrina both come across one-dimensional.

The romance was good and fun to read. IT was an interesting play on the enemies to lovers trope. I liked their bickering. They had a good push and pull to their interactions that built a strong chemistry. There was a lot of mentions to previous interactions from before this book. It would've been nice to get some flashbacks of those interactions to more fully flush that out.

While this is my least favorite Lauren Layne book, I do still really enjoy her writing. I will continue to read her books and would even read the others in this series-especially what I assume will be the next one.

YOU GUYS!! Hard Sell was amazingggg!! I loved Matt and Sabrina more than I thought I would honestly after seeing them in book one but was hooked from the minute this hook started. This book was hot, sexy, emotional and had ALL of the things you can love in a Lauren Layne story!! This was fantastic!!

Gah! this story hit me right in the heart folks. I thought it would be a typical enemies to lovers story but it was so much more. It was more of a frenemies to lovers story that hit you right in the feels. Matt Cannon and Sabrina Cross are pretty much oil and water. At least thats how it seems at first. He gets himself in some hot water and needs an image overhaul to appease the higherups and his stuffy iBanking clients and she is a well known "Fixer" who can fix everything. But what happens when the heated frenemies and sometimes bedmates decide to play pretend when Matt needs a fake girlfriend to make it look like he's a changed man? PURE FIREWORKS!!

Man, this story was so addicting. I could not stop reading as I felt like the author balanced their spitfire banter and their electric chemistry perfectly. I absolutely loved this story and loved the insight Layne provided about both Matt and Sabrina's backgrounds and in turn the reason why they were the way they were. I was so so hooked and was absolutely glued to my kindle. To be fair (and this is shocking since I absolutely HATE flashback scenes) but I would have loved to have seen a flashback of the first night they were together for better context and to understand the colossal fight they had the night and the reason why they were so acrimonious towards each other in the subsequent years. But all in all, this was another amazing story by this author and I hope we get to have Kate and Kennedy's story! Bravo! 4.5 stars! ~Ratula

Lauren Layne really has yet to disappoint me. She writes contemporary romance in such a way that it's enjoyable, not over the top dramatic, and gives you butterflies as you read the sweeter moments. While I haven't read the first book in this series, I thoroughly enjoyed this one and all of the characters in it. What I enjoy about Lauren Layne is that she writes her series as one-shots but they still intertwine just enough. You could easily read one book in a series and not be confused or lost by another couple mentioned within the story. Her stories, including this one, play like a seamless romcom movie. I would gladly eat it up every time. It doesn't matter how many books she's read, I'll happily read it.
You know what's great in contemporary romance? Enemies to lovers. Matt and Sabrina are just that. They've known each other for some time, they have a history, and it's not necessarily a good one. They still can't seem to resist one another and that's what makes the story as good as it is. After Matt has a wild weekend and ends up in the papers, he's in trouble with the bosses. He turns to his frenemy, Sabrina because she's just the sort of person to fix these situations. They decide to fake date (another fantastic trope) to help with his image and get back in his good graces with his bosses. These two characters worked well together and I really enjoyed reading about the supporting characters as well. They have a story to them and they're not one-dimensional. You're rooting for them as well as the main characters. I think I enjoyed the more intimate moments with these two, when their guard was down and they were growing closer without even really trying. It's a slow build-up but it's worth it. Lauren Layne doesn't leave the reader unsatisfied, peppering sexy moments throughout the book instead of saving it for the very end. The climax of this book was what got that extra star from me. I was waiting and expecting it and the payoff was better than I expected. Lauren Layne is the perfect author for light, breezy guilty pleasures without the guilt!

4.5 Stars

Matt Cannon has an image problem, and his future at Wolfe Investments hinges on him cleaning it up... quickly. With the genius idea of a temporary girlfriend, he only needs to find the right woman for the job... 

Sabrina Cross is a fixer. Building her life and reputation in NYC all on her own, she does what it takes to get the job done. But, when he nemesis asks for her help in what should be a simple fake relationship job, she finds herself looking for any other option than taking the job on herself.

Bickering with each other is practically a full time job, but Matt and Sabrina have a history of hooking up that never fails to start them right back at square one... hating each other.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I loved this book!! Matt and Sabrina have their own brand of dislike that ultimately  keeps them avoiding whatever real feelings they have for each other. But, with their off the charts sexual tension, it is only a matter of time before one of them gives in...

Sabrina is a self-made woman who overcame an awful childhood. When Matt asks for her help, she hesitates, because he is the only man who has ever made her feel like there could be a true fairytale-type of love out there, and then he turned around and crushed her ideals right after.

Matt has a particularly jaded view of relationships due to his parents pathetic excuse for a marriage. Knowing the possibility of Sabrina ever developing feelings for him, he figures she would be the perfect person to have a fake relationship with, that won't turn into either of them expecting more in the end.

With a history of hooking up and lukewarm friendship already between them, Matt and Sabrina's fake relationship quickly turns into more than they signed up for...

I had such a great time reading this fast paced and enjoyable story! Matt and Sabrina's relationship was funny and cute, and loaded with the best kind of banter and sexual tension. Matt and Sabrina were incredibly well written, complex and completely lovable as the main characters. Actually, I adored all of the characters in this book and in the 21 Wall Street series (and there was a super fun cameo, too!!) 

I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

I liked this book. It was cute and sexy, they both have some explosive chemistry because they already slept together but neither wants to have a serious relationship.

Matt would like to stay a bachelor but because of the recent events, he needs to find a girlfriend. The one who is not too clingy and would know their relationship is just a pretend.

His friends suggested asking Sabrina, who can’t stand Matt. But since she’s the only choice, she agrees. What starts as a favor, ends as…? Well, you’ll have to find out 😉

Their hookups? Hot.

Their banter? Hotter.

But will they trust each other with their past, secrets, and hearts?

A wonderful story, worth 4 stars.

Matt Canon the youngest broker in the Wolfe Investments and Wall Street too is in trouble. After a wild bachelor party night in Vegas, he is qualified as a wicked and he starts to lose his clients one by one. So, his bosses the “Sems” give him final demand he must find a girlfriend or he will be fired.

Only one person could help him? But, will she do it?

Hard Sell is the second book from a Wall Street series and I love it so much. I like when the minor character from the first book Matt and Sabrina become the main characters in this one, it’s like I know all of them Lara, Ian, Kate, and Kennedy. After reading this installment I’m looking forward to reading the next one.

Matt is a wonder kid as everyone called him; he is very good with the numbers and the women.

He looks mostly the same as always. Impeccably styled blond hair. Blue eyes that can go from playful to guard in the span of the single breath. His suit’s a dark navy today, the slim silver tie keeping the look modern and sharp…

Sabrina is a strong independent woman who succeeded by herself.

I know. You’re thinking I’m someone who thrives on the other people’s problems.

Sort of.

But I offer them solutions. For a price, yes, but I don’t deal in extortion. I’m upfront with how I work and what they can expect from me from the very beginning. There are no “gotchas” at least from me.

Matt and Sabrina are enemies they hate each other, is it possible that they could be a “thing”.

“It’s not like we’re holding hands and having a sing-along in the street. We’re merely tolerating each other.”

“Sure, she wants me dead. And there were a handful of times I’d have happily strangled her. But counter-intuitively, there was a strange easiness between us, too. Almost as though our mutual wariness of the other person and romantic entanglements frees us up to be our true selves. With each other.”

I like to laugh out loud scenes and phrases like this:

“Where did that phrase come from? Kennedy muses. “Marie Antoinette?”

“No, that’s let them eat cake,” Kate says.” I think have your cake and eat it, too is in reference –“

“Guys,” I interrupt.” A little help here?”

I recommend this book to everyone who wants easy summer read and series fulfilled with romance and from enemies to lover stories.

Hard Sell was an absolutely fantastic read. The chemistry between Matt and Sabrina was as strong as their need to argue with each other. I loved them! Their connection was undeniable and you felt it throughout the whole story. I also enjoyed the side characters and the bond and friendship Ian, Kennedy and Matt had. I loved how protective Ian was of Sabrina. Matt's parents were definitely something else and Sabrina's mom was no likable at all. This story had me laughing out loud and smiling other times. I liked how Jarod became a part of the group at the end. I look forward to seeing if we get his story but I definitely look forward to Kate and Kennedy's story in the next book. I will also be looking into more books from this author because I enjoyed the hell out of this one.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Big fan of Lauren Layne's books. They are always fun, fast reads with strong, relatable characters and great banter.

Matt needs a "fixer" for his image after some pictures of him at a bachelor party appear in the Wall Street Journal. His bosses see it and tell him to clean up his image or lose his job. Enter Sabrina. She is a "fixer". Matt hires her to be his fake girlfriend. They have a history and are more like frenemies.

I loved getting the dual points of view, chapter by chapter. It made it more enjoyable to read. I really liked both Matt and Sabrina's friends, too. Looking forward to Kennedy and Kate's story. I would have liked to see more of their time "dating" as it seemed kind of rushed. Overall, a great read.

Such a great read . Polished it off in one delicious sitting. What happens in Vegas well who knows where it will stay. Perfect enemies turned frenemies turn more . Thank you to Montlake Romance for providing this copy via netgalley.

Oh my, my.......first of all I would like to thank Netgalley for a copy of this book for a honest review. Lauren Layne is one of my all time favorite authors. The chemistry between her characters leaps off the page and at times I burst out laughing while reading her books. Matt goes to Vegas for his cousins bachelor party and ends up scandalously on page 2 of the Wall Street Journal. In order to "clean up" his image his bosses want him to settle down. Enters Sabrina, a woman who he has had a hate love relationship. I just loved to be a long for the ride when these two fell in love or maybe they loved each other all along. Great, great read.

*Note: I received the ARC for Hard Sell from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Hard Sell definitely fits the bill for a fun, super sexy, cat-and-mouse romance. Many books in this genre are predictable, which is one of the main reasons that I enjoy them. I know that I am going to get my happy ending after all of the drama unfolds. Hard Sell did not disappoint in that respect. It had all of the necessary bells and whistles, with some fun surprises mixed in.

Here were some high points for me:
Sabrina- Strong, smart, independent, female character with a vulnerable side. I loved her sass and determination.
The alternating points of view- it was really fun to get both Sabrina and Matt’s perspectives.
Constant banter and filtration between Sabrina and Matt was also really fun. The enemies-to-lovers troup just never gets old.
Since both characters keep their vulnerabilities so well hidden from others, I really enjoyed watching them fall in love and ultimately share those parts of themselves with each other.

Here were some love points for me:
Lack of specifics- with both Matt and Sabrina’s jobs and their pasts, we only get surface level detail. I am still not sure I know exactly what Sabrina does for a living- she was described as a type of catch-all fix it girl- which seemed really unrealistic to me. Also Matt is described constantly as being this math genius, but we get to see very little of this side of him which I would have liked. More or less, I felt like I was being told, rather than shown. I would have liked more detail about their past together, both of the careers, and more details about their feelings for each other.

ARC was kindly provided to me by NetGalley! Thank you!

I always love when I get to read a book I'm excited to read before its publication date. The downside is that I have to wait much longer for the next one, and in this case, I'm very excited about the next one in series, hopefully about crunchy Kennedy and feisty Kate.

As for Hard Sell, it was a fun romp. Lauren Layne always delivers a great contemporary romance, with a strong, independent, smart heroine and a handsome hero who can match her every step of the way.

I was looking forward to reading about Matt and Sabrina two and their sizzling chemistry and I was not disappointed.

I'm very excited for Lauren Layne's next book!

**4.5 Stars**

Hard Sell was an easy-going and sexy read with a pair that were closer to frenemies than enemies. Having met them in the prior book, it only heightened my interest in how Layne could possibly spin their story and I enjoyed every provocative moment in which Sabrina’s calm aloofness clashed and sparked against Matt’s cocky ego. The whole fake girlfriend trope never felt so fresh and fun.

With a series that focuses on high-powered men turning to women for help, it was highly enjoyable to see Matt’s dilemma cause the dynamic between Sabrina and him to slowly break down as more pressure was placed on their relationship (or lack thereof). The depth and charm to Matt was in his lack of arrogance; that he had this well of confidence, but could be incredibly selfless at the same time. In the prior book I had trouble connecting with Ian, but I never struggled with Matt—it was an instant liking. On the same hand, some characters like Sabrina, who is cold and capable, can be difficult as a reader to like, but there was this vulnerability that wasn’t so hidden once we were in her head that made her just like any other woman—and a vivid representation of all powerful women forced to dedicate that persona to the outside world because of it being a ‘man’s world.’ They shouldn’t have worked as a couple, but that confidence they shared meshed so well when the walls came down, creating pure fire. What I felt was missing was a bit more banter to fuel their interactions which could’ve made it stronger and more effective in evoking reaction from the reader. LL is so very good at that element, especially when two characters have an intense attraction but loathe one another, and I felt it wasn’t as strong as I know her to be capable of. With that being said, it was still very much a well-written and strongly plotted novel.

My favorite in the series thus far, Hard Sell was a fast-paced ball of longing. The characters were so well-suited for one another and created a wonderful story that sucked me right in from the first page. I cannot wait for the long-awaited third couple to do the very same.

Matt needs a "fixer" to help him with his image after photos turn up of him that are less than desirable. He didn't really do anything wrong at the bachelor party but the photos are pretty damning. So he decides to hire his enemy-with-benefits, professional fixer, Sabrina, to pretend to be his girlfriend. They can hardly stand to be around each other except when they're having sex. Fun romance, great dialogue, and sweet sexy ending. Loved it!

Lauren Layne's contemporary romances are fun, fast reads! Her witty banter is always spot-on, and her romances feel modern and relatable (if perhaps slightly glamorized, which is just fine for the genre). My only complaint is that the story felt short. I would have loved to see a few more things fleshed out. Matt and Sabrina's backstory felt a bit incomplete to me, I ended the book with questions about what brought them to the place they'd been at the start of the book, and I would have actually liked to have seen some of their past on the page. I read book 1 in the series, but I still felt like I was kind of missing something.. Also, I would have liked a bit more development of their romance. The nature of their relationship, as well as their views on relationships, went through such a huge switch from the start to the end, that I think a bit more than 2-3 weeks of pretend dating would have made me enjoy that part of the story even more. At the end of the day, though, this was a cute read. I hope there will be a book for Kennedy and Kate, as I'm really looking forward to it!

Hard Sell was such an excellent read. I laughed pretty much and the plot was greatly written, enemies to lovers. I was already sold while reading the blurb. And the cover guys... hot.

I loved the bickering between Sabrina and Matt, they have to comment just on everything the other says, sometimes funny, sometimes nasty. They can't stand each other and on the other hand they can't leave hands of one another. The air is filled with always present anger or sexual tension.


The story brings to the surface value of things that matter, things you can't buy with money and for both characters the most unexpected, they never ever wanted....

Anyway if you can, get your hands on this book. I loved every second.

What can I say about this book? The suspense was great and I almost had the urge to turn to the last page of the book to see what happens. I held out and it was worth it. This is one of the first books where the true relationship is thoroughly explored without leaving readers on a cliffhanger or making them buy the next in the series. This one book fully explored the true nature of a relationship that was not picture perfect. For a book realism feel was definitely there.

Lauren Layne has become one of my favorite authors.

Thank you Netgalley and Montlake Romance for this read in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

This was a first time read for me by Lauren Layne that was a well-written novel with a nice romantic plot. Unfortunately, I missed out on the first book in this series and will have to go back to read (smiles).

Okay…Supersmart Wall Street broker, Matt Cannon has found himself in a compromising and scandalous situation after he is photographed in Vegas and the center of a WSJ write-up. Well what went on in Vegas did not stay there. When his boss, the two Sams, find out they propose an ultimatum to fix the problem…get a girlfriend or get fired. Naturally, he takes the girlfriend route and starts his search. Not finding any takers, his friends suggest the one person that could fit the bill with no strings attached-- long lost, can’t stand with a passion sometimes, Sabrina. Despite the love-hate she feels for him, she offers to help as his pretend girlfriend. The two main characters once had a mutual heated attraction that led to a “friends with benefits” type of relationship. Can they rekindle it? A must read to find out.

I truly enjoyed reading Hard Sell. It had its funny moments, entertaining couples, and bantering main characters that brought out their sexual tension. It kept me interested and I look forward to the next…if there is one in this series.

4.0-Stars