4.9 Stars

We already met Matt Cannon in Ian's book. He's one of our three very successful broker's at Wolfe's on Wall Street. But his idiot cousin's bachelor weekend in Vegas ends with him in the Wall Street Journal - and it's not a nice article! His bosses tell him he has to grow up and stop the partying and drinking ... and to get himself a girlfriend! Or better yet - a soon-to-be fiancée - to look good in front of the clients at the company gala in a month!

Enter Sabrina. She's Ian's best friend from way back - and she's also Matt's sometime hook-up. They're hugely attracted to each other ... but she's also the person who hates him most in the world. And he can't stand her either.

But she'll take the job as his girlfriend, because that's what she does professionally. No, she's not an escort. She's a 'fixer'. And poor Matt really needs her ...

Let the fun times begin!

WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO SABRINA & MATT??
READ THE BOOK TO FIND OUT! ☺

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Well.... that was a fun little thingy!

We already fell for those three guys in the first book.

And now it's Matt's turn. His in a bit of trouble with his bosses and clients, but he'll try everything to save his career ... even if it means pretending to be in love with HER.

But surprise surprise ... after a little while it doesn't feel like pretending anymore ... WHAT? ☺

Really adorable romance. Funny, sparky, sexy, cute! I really enjoyed reading it!

Now I neeeeed Kennedy's book asap!

HARD SELL was a really adorable & funny romance! Run to your nearest amazon asap for your own Matt - he'll be sold out in NO TIME!

Lauren Layne's second installment in her 21 Wall Street series is just as much fun as the first! This story focuses on Matt and Sabrina, who were introduced as enemies in the previous book. It is a romance, so it's pretty clear they won't stay enemies for long, but I really enjoyed how Layne played the trope out. It wasn't done in the usual enemies to lovers way, and without giving too much away, I really appreciated how much more believable and real the book feels as it moves through that plot, as each character realizes the true nature of their feelings, both past and present.

Like always, I enjoy Layne's emphasis on friendship, and while there was slightly less of that than in the previous book, those relationships were still extremely well done. I like that there was no underlying drama or cattiness between Sabrina and Lara, as that relationship could have been used as a source of drama and conflict. I much prefer Layne's approach, which is to have Sabrina understand that she's not losing her best friend (Ian), but gaining a new friend (Lara), while still acknowledging that Sabrina's relationship with Ian will change. I very much enjoy books that have the appropriate amount of drama/conflict, without heading into soap opera territory, and this definitely delivers. I also really hope that Montlake picks up the third book in the series, because I'm desperate to read the story of Kate and Kennedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Montlake Romance for a review copy of this book.

There is a fine line between enemies and friends. For Matt and Sabrina the line is even finer, almost non existent. The banter and bickering hides a lot of hurt for both of them. It's their friendship that gets them through, but the banter is what brings out the sexy side.

Matt and Sabrina are as jaded as they come. With very different backgrounds but both coming to the same conclusions, that there is no such thing as a fairy tale love or relationship. Problem for them is that even when they try to avoid each other, even when they don't understand the meaning of their feelings and even when they try to fight welcoming something new and try sticking to what they are comfortable with... they are under each others skin and there is no escaping. They are both always trying to be one step ahead but they can't anticipate the impact that spending so much time together will have on their relationship or as they like to think of, lack of it. When Matt asks Sabrina to fix his reputation she will end up doing more than that, she will fix his life. It just takes them a bit of opening up to do. This story is like experiencing an eye opening slow falling in love type of relationship. But always with a deep feeling of caring underneath.

Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot ! What a book....very rarely do i devour a book in one night now days - cause who really has the time ? But this book was one of my favorite romance books this year.. Matt is a cocky high flyer that you cant help but love, while Sabrina is a women that comes across as cold but has a heart of gold. This book made me swoon and often laugh out loud as Matt was his own worst enemy ....and often needed to be rescued by Sabrina. A typical love hate relationship with like-able characters and steaming hot sex !

If you have been following me for a long time, this review is going to seem redundant. I adore Lauren Layne's books and she rarely ever disappoints. My review for Hard Sell is going to be all rainbows and cupcakes because I loved it! I mean what's not to love though? It had some of my favorite tropes including fake-relationship and enemies-to-lovers!

It never takes much for me to fall for Lauren Layne's heroes and as always, I was head over heels in love with Matt Cannon. At 28, he was one of the youngest brokers on Wall Street. The guy had quite the brain for numbers and had gotten filthy rich as a result. When an unflattering photo of Matt is published in the Wall Street Journal, he is urged by his bosses to fix his image. I always like heroes who are driven and hardworking and Matt was one of those heroes. He initially seemed like a playboy with commitment-phobia, and I know that is an overrated trope in romance books, but I found his reasons for his attitude to dating to be compelling - his parents hadn't exactly set up the best example for him growing up. Despite his loverboy persona, he was actually a sweetheart who cared about the people around him. As much as I adored Matt though, Sabrina was the star of Hard Sell in my opinion. Matt's situation forced him to hire Sabrina Cross as his fake-girlfriend, which put them in close proximity. Sabrina was badass. She was sassy, feisty and just generally, a treat to read about. She had a tough childhood that forced her to grow up very early on - it turned her into a strong and independent woman who worked hard to build a life for herself. I was fascinated by her job in Hard Sell. She worked as a fixer essentially providing solutions to anyone's problems for a price. Despite this confident persona she exuded, she did have vulnerabilities that were slowly showcased in the book. Sabrina was a beautifully well-rounded character and I think she may be one of my favorite characters ever from Lauren Layne.

In her author's note, LL described the relationship between Sabrina and Matt to be a "frenemies-to-lovers" romance and I think that description perfectly fits these two. Sure there were constant quips and back-and-forth insults between them, but they were also somewhat friends before the book began. Not to mention, they had also had a friends-with-benefits type of situation going on, so they were not entirely enemies. Plus, there was obviously some history between the two that needed to be dealt with. Anyways, their fake-relationship forced them to interact more and I just loved every scene of them together. Lauren Layne just knows the way to write really entertaining couples and the banter between Sabrina and Matt, their chemistry and all the romantic moments they shared were to die for. I believed in these two and I rooted for them. Their path to their happily ever after made the romantic in me just happy. As always, readers are treated to amazing friendships in Hard Sell. I loved seeing Lara, Ian, Kennedy, and Kate. The banter, the playfulness and just the constant support they had for each other were so satisfying. I love it when books make an effort to also develop friendships in addition to the romantic relationships. It's one of many reasons why Lauren Layne's books stand out for me.

Hard Sell was a romantic and feel-good book for me. It made me happy and it made me swoon - what more can I ask of from a book? Now, we better get Kennedy and Kate's book next or else I'm going to riot (JK ... not really)!

Love, love, love! I knew from the previous book that Sabrina and Matt have a history, but I didn't realize how deep that history was. Matt and Sabrina were absolutely perfect for each other, even though they fought it and fought hard. I can't blame them though, they both have crappy family stuff that makes them love shy.

Matt really needs Sabrina to help him out of his situation, and as a Fixer and knowing him so well Sabrina is just the right woman for the job. There is a ton of bantering between them and I loved every minute of it. I also felt that the situation that led to their break up and eventual re-connection felt very real.

I cannot wait to read Kennedy and Kate's story. Two books of build up has me beyond excited.

I was looking forward to Matt and Sabrina's story considering the hate and tension between them was so thick in Hot Asset. I loved their back and forth snarky banter and them chemistry always buzzing between them. I think their pasts, although very different, is what truly connected them together and I loved the understanding between them because of it. I really wasn't sure how Matt would all of the sudden become the type of man to desire a HEA, but Layne made it believable and really made me root for him to figure out the real issue behind his apprehension. Matt and Sabrina were perfect together and enjoying to read,

Hard Sell is the 2nd book in the 21 Wall Street series & while it can be read as a stand-alone I would recommend you read Hot Assets first as the characters are in both books.

Matt and Sabrina have a love/hate relationship (mostly hate) when Matt finds himself in trouble at work for his partying way & reaches out to Sabrina (the Fixer) for help cleaning up his reputation. I loved the dynamics of the main characters and their relationship with their friends. I can’t wait for more in the this series.

This was a fun story, and kept me interested and coming back to pick up the story. Great cover, and enjoyable story.

Lauren Layne's Hard Sell is the second book in her 21 Wall Street Series and I was just as enthralled by this book as I was the first.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS BOOK AND THE SERIES. THESE CHARACTERS ARE NOW MY FAMILY!! I CRIED PRETTY HARD EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T LOVE THE COUPLE AS MUCH AS IAN AND LARA BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE GUESS WHAT? KENNEDY AND KATE ARE NEXT!

4.5 Sparking, Needing Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free
When Big Money is Changing Hands...Image, as well, as Results Matters. When Wolfe Investments comes under the spotlight for sexy lap dances instead of high percentage returns, the man in the pictures becomes under fire. The joke is that Matt Cannon had been at a bachelor party trying to mind his own business. He becomes the target of the tabloids and the ire of his bosses.

We met Matt and his other circle of pals in Hot Asset. He is a man who showed mathematics talents at a very early age, a wunderkind. The numbers float in his mind, showing him patterns which will had him excelling early but also put him in situations where he may not have had the necessary communication skills needed at the time.

Now he is sitting with his crew, telling them what the head honchos of the firm have told him. His position is in jeopardy because of this "unseemly" publicity has been directed, not suggested, to get himself a girlfriend, settle down and keep his nose clean. His guys explain he must figure out how to make it all happen... and after all scenarios put out there and shot down...there seems to be only one person to save Matt and his career....

PR genius Sabrina Cross...

Sabrina Cross is well known as the Fixer... you name a situation and she is able to make it go away, turn it around or leverage it to a win. She has her threads of knowledge of where all the bodies are buried woven through all of the movers and shakers in all industries. She found her niche and has mined it over the years. She has a code of ethics and never reveals the secrets she keeps... which is her power. She will never work with a client who lies to her and she has the ability to be comfortable in five inch stilettos and bling or on a golf course and cleats.

It was Sabrina who helped out Ian when he had his accusations from the SEC. It was through Ian, the crew has grown to appreciate and know Sabrina. He is the only person Sabrina trusts as they are childhood friends. They share the ugly of their backgrounds and keep it in the past.

But one's past can rear its ugly head when not expected...which brings us to the relationship Matt has with Sabrina...Sparks, verbal daggers, digs and sexual magnetism is their pattern. When Matt finally realizes Sabrina is the only way he will be able to work through this business need to "have a relationship", he approaches her carefully.

Sabrina knows this is really a bad idea because she and Matt have history... history which causes the two of them to do one of two things when they are together...

They either bicker and fight about everything...

or

They cannot keep their hands, mouths, body parts off each other...

Yes, they had a physical history that went sideways...and have never worked it out, forgiving Matt or actually talking about it. When Matt asks Sabrina to help him, she agrees with one necessary rule...No Touching.

This story has more then the fake fiancee deal. There is the camaraderie between the guys, the women who are part of their lives and how all of them pull together to help each other through whatever is happening. Sabrina reinvented herself to protect herself from the past. This caused her to be personally isolated from true friends other than Ian. With her becoming more involved with this group, she is able to make women friends for the first time...it is new and comforting.

What is also new is the sincere connection between Matt and Sabrina...both are a bit stunned how they are enjoying each others company...but not surprised at all how they are not enjoying the sex diet.

When they break this diet... man, oh man... they are on fire for each other...

This entry of this 21 Wall Street series felt even stronger than the first. Lauren Layne is working her strengths; she writes excellent friendships, new relationships and weaves them with situations that work. If she were a Stock on the Exchange, I would tell my broker to buy.

The next entry is our conservative, old money Kennedy Dawson. Ellie Thorton, his shared assistant, has been caring her love for him quietly...I cannot wait for this next book, Huge Deal.

I love this author and will read almost anything she pens.
This was both the same and different from her regular writing style. The same in that you get all those feels that a Lauren Layne book gives you - honestly I think I can recognize her writing even if I was given un-labelled pages with just her words on them- but the characters are a little tougher/harder on the outside that her other characters. On the inside however, they are just teddy bears with so many walls erected around them.

The story follows a wall street self proclaimed whiz kid who messes up and needs the services of new york's number one "fixer".Sounds clear cut right. Absolutely not. This fixer is the female best friend to one of our hero's own male best friends and their relationship is complicated to say the least, best word to describe it would be - frenemies. Ms Layne takes us through their journey from frenemies to friends, to so much more.

**I was given an ARC by the publisher through netgalley for an honest review**

4.5 Stars!
Any time Lauren Layne releases a new book, I always have to read it. She's never let me down. Her writing is always fun, witty, and engrossing. Once I start one of her books, I don't want to put it down. That's how I felt about the second book in the 21 Wall Street series, Hard Sell.

Hard Sell was a frenemies to lovers / fake relationship romance. Matt and Sabrina have a sordid past. They share a best friend and some nights they don't want to admit to. Matt and Sabrina's lives are tied together, and become even more so, when Matt needs Sabrina's help to save his image. Sabrina agrees to be Matt's fake girlfriend as long as they keep things strictly platonic. Matt agrees, but that's easier said than done for both of them.

I simply adored Hard Sell. It had some of the wittiest dialog I've read in a while. Matt and Sabrina really knew how to banter with each other. I loved the love-hate thing they had going on. I loved it even more when their relationship took a turn toward romance.

Matt and Sabrina were such great characters.They had more in common than they thought. Both were strong, stubborn characters. They were influenced by their upbringings and parents in different ways that led to similar results. I loved the resistance they both had to being in a relationship and marriage, and how their fake relationship with each other changed that.

It was hard for me to find any faults with Hard Sell. I only found myself wanting more. I really would have liked to have learned more about how Sabrina got to where she was in her job. That was probably the only piece missing for me. Well, I wouldn't have minded a longer ending. That's just because I didn't want the story to end, though. I'm very thankful Kennedy and Kate still have a book coming in this series. At least I have another Lauren Layne contemporary romance to wait for!

Lauren Layne teased us Matt and Sabrina’s story in “Hot Asset,” the novel that launched her 21 Wall Street series. Frankly they were more interesting to me than that book’s couple.

And “Hard Sell” doesn’t disappoint. Sabrina is Manhattan’s best “fixer,” an occupation I didn’t know existed but sounds pretty cool. It’s a fancy way, we’re told, of saying she handles the messy stuff and dirty laundry her clients can’t. Apparently it involves lots of time spent with the One Percent and she knows everyone who is anyone, which leads Matt to seek her services. He’s had a weekend of Vegas indiscretions made public and that’s not good for a broker handling millions for skittish clients.

Matt and Sabrina are occasional lovers but frenemies first. The author builds the suspense as to why exactly Sabrina has a hate on for Matt, to the point I was desperate to know. Because they seem so great together, right? And when the big reveal comes, it doesn’t disappoint.

I began this book thinking I knew these characters. But I was wrong. Sabrina seemed like a cynic, but she’s not. Matt seemed like an affable, easy-going guy, but he’s not. In fact, the plot is twisty enough I changed my mind several times trying to figure out who exactly was zooming who. Add in a most unexpected matchmaker and you’ve got a fun read with a great payoff.

ARC supplied for an honest review.

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title compliments of NetGalley and the publisher**

I really enjoyed the first book in the 21 Wall Street series and I was anxiously awaiting the second book. I was not at all disappointed! These books are filled with great characters and you can't help but want to pull for them!

Matt Cannon may still be young for someone in his position, but he is smart as a whip and has risen quickly through the ranks at the firm due to his brilliance. Where he isn't always as smart is in his personal life. A poor decision at the bachelor party he was attending in Vegas gets blown out of proportion and lands him on the front page of the Wall Street Journal and has predictably landed him in hot water with his bosses and put his ethics into question for the clients. His bosses tell him he has to clean up his act and fast. But how exactly will he do that?

Sabrina Cross can fix just about anything and so when in doubt, Sabrina's your lady. When Matt finds himself in need, he calls in Sabrina, but knows it won't be all smooth sailing. While these two have known one another for years, they clash like nothing else due to past baggage. Even with that looming over them, Sabrina is the best at what she does and being able to act as Matt's girlfriend to help right his image is something she knows she can do. But the question is, can she keep feelings out of it and keep it strictly professional?

I loved this book and the chemistry between Sabrina and Matt was evident from the get-go. It didn't matter if they were sparring or loving, the sparks were there and it was fun to hang on for the ride to see where they eventually ended up. I also can't wait to see what happens in the next installment. I'm hoping Kennedy gets out of his own way and finds happiness. This is such a fun series of books and one that I've quickly come to love.

Hard Sell by Lauren Layne is the second book in the Wall Street Series. It is a stand-alone but it really helps to read book one first. I’m really enjoying this series. In book one, we meet a beautiful FBI agent who is investigating a Wall Street whiz for insider training. In that book, we are introduced to Matt and Sabrina, two enemies who somehow always end up in bed together.

At the age of twenty eight, Matt Cannon is incredibly successful and rich. But his playboy ways have landed him in trouble with his bosses. He hires Sabrina “The Fixer” Cross to restore his reputation. How does she do this? By posing as his fake girlfriend. But, suddenly, it doesn’t feel so fake anymore.

I really liked this book. I found the plot to be intriguing and well thought out. The characters were great—very complex and interesting. There was smoking hot chemistry between the hero and the heroine.

If you are looking for a good contemporary romance, this book is for you!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Romance for granting me an ARC!*

Let me start off by saying that the model on the cover is hot, hot, hot! I love his suit!! (Just had to get that out of the way. Heehee!)

We first meet Matt and Sabrina in book 1 of this series, in Ian and Lara’s story. You know from that book that they had a very heated *something* in their past. So if you’ve read book 1, it should come as no surprise that this is an enemies-to-lovers story. It should also come as no surprise that these two are explosively hot together. As in whoa!-fan-yourself-bec-they’re-on-fire kind of hot. When you read this, you’ll see what I mean. 😉

And while I really enjoyed Matt and Sabrina’s story, what I really liked the most about this series is the friendships evident between all the MC’s and secondary ones.

I have to say though that the one I’m dying to read is Kate and Kennedy’s book. Can’t wait for their story!

Every time I read a book by Lauren Layne I figure there is no way I will like this story better than her last. Wrong again! Matt and Sabrina's story is an extremely satisfying and a non-cookie cutter read. This frenemies to lovers story made my week. Run, do not walk, to get this book.