I love this series. I was looking forward to this story since Hard Asset because I just needed to know what was going on with these two. Hard Sell is everything I wanted Matt and Sabrina story to be. Between the funny bantering and the HOT sexual chemistry, Matt and Sabrina are perfect together. Yes, there were some mistakes made on both sides at the beginning of their somewhat past relationship. There were some slow parts but that usually comes when you are trying to the past about a couple.

This group of co-worker/friends are hilarious together, but I think that is mostly Kennedy. I can’t wait to see where and how Kate and Kenndy finally come together.

I Loved Matt and Sabrina! Absolutely my favorite couple out of the series so far.

Matt finds himself in a bit of a predicament when he lands in the Wall Street Journal as a man out of control when he's caught partying in Las Vegas with Friends. Although the most he's guilty of is a wicked hangover, his bosses are not that happy and have given him an ultimatum. Get a steady girlfriend and clean up your act otherwise, you might find yourself unemployed.

So Matt calls the one person he knows who can help... Sabrina Cross. Even though Sabrina and Matt aren't the best of friends... more like mortal enemies, Sabrina agrees to be his "girlfriend" and help Matt out of his sticky situation. What neither of them ever expected was that it was all starting to feel a little too real.

I adored Sabrina. She was fun, sassy, spunky and could definitely put Matt in his place. Matt was sarcastic and at times he blew me away with his romance and sensitivity - I guess because I didn't really expect it from him. He was obviously very swoony. Another great book by LL and can't wait for the next book in the series!!

Another quintessential Lauren Layne. There's a lot to like about this book but after reading so many Lauren layne, this felt like her other novels. It was good but I've read this one before.

HARD SELL is book two in the 21 WALL STREET series and a nice continuation (though this can be read as a stand-alone romance) as we are reunited with not only Matt and Sabrina, but also Ian, Kennedy, Lara, and Kate. We learn more about Matt and Sabrina and see how good they are together, even if they are only friends with benefits and/or frenemies.

The characters have a depth to them, keeping their personal life and family history well hidden from each other and others too. The story is told by either Matt or Sabrina a chapter at a time, which was sometimes confusing since I’d have to look back to see who was telling it in the first person.

It was nice to catch up on the 21 Wall Street gang’s lives. Matt and Sabrina are a fake couple at first, but they develop into something more in a really fun way. I’ve never seen two people so anti-relationship—not just anti-marriage and anti-love—be there for each other! There are a lot of twists to the story, some expected and some not. There’s the requisite happily-ever-after that I wasn’t sure would materialize and some closure due to the epilogue, which takes place three months after the story.

Ms. Layne is a fairly new-to-me author, having only read the first two books in this series plus two books and a novella in THE WEDDING BELLES series. I look forward to reading more of her books, especially Kennedy’s story.

4.25 stars.
Dual 1st person POV.
I've had this ARC but couldn't get it to download to my kindle. Luckily, it came out on KU, so I was able to read it thru KU. I've read and enjoyed many of Lauren Layne's books. I haven't had a chance to read the previous book (Ian & Lara's book "Hot Asset"). I do want to go back and read it. They were great in this book & I want to get a little more on Sabrina and Matt's backstory too.
As usual,in LL books, the supporting characters play a big part in the H & h's lives. The heroine, Sabrina is a long time friend of Ian's. She's a consultant-ie like the TV show "Scandal" She's a fixer of reputations. Matt, the H, has been photographed at a wild party. The photos appear in the WSJ, which gets him in hot water with his bosses, "The Sams" (The husband & wife -Sam & Samantha- heads of a very successful Wall Street investment firm). Matt has to do damage control-and fast. He hires Sabrina to date him and to create the impression that they're in a serious relationship.
The catch is that they can't stand each other. AND they've been having hate sex since... I don't know-the first book. They have great chemistry. Sabrina reluctantly agrees to help Matt. Her stipulation- NO sex during the time that they're "together". Matt isn't happy about that, but he "agrees" (with fingers crossed behind his back). He's kept a torch for Sabrina, but he was a lug head & hurt and ticked off Sabrina. She's never forgiven him.
There's a wealthy investor that The Sams are trying to land for their firm. Jarod Lanham is a 30 something billionaire that is looking for a new firm to handle his investments.
The writing and the flow of the story kept my interest. Yeah, Matt is a lughead. He's relationship phobic. His parents are still married but have an "open marriage" that puts the idea of marriage out of Matt's wheelhouse.
Sabrina was "raised" by her single parent mother-no father. Everything she has is because she's pulled herself up and made a success of herself. Sabrina still has hope of finding "the One" and getting married- like her good friends Ian & his wife Lara. Matt & Sabrina's contract puts them in proximity for sorting out what went wrong in the past. Sabrina wants Matt to value her for herself, not just a booty call.
By the end of the book, I think that Matt & Sabrina learn to appreciate where the other is coming from.
I'm hoping the next book has Kennedy (Matt's colleague) & Kate (the firm's right hand woman).
The banter was fun, the growth in characters was satisfying (especially Matt).
I recommend this book. I wasn't lost not reading this first book, but If you can, check out Hot Asset too. This is my 14th Lauren Layne book.

This was one of my highly anticipated reads since I enjoyed the first book in the series!This a cute enemies to lovers tale. Their relationship is unique ,they have a four-year history, filled with tons of barbs and some sex. Matt and Sabrina have the type of relationship where they can’t be in the same space for five minutes without arguing.Their sexual chemistry was off the charts. Their story was so real .

After meeting Sabrina and Matt in Hot Asset, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Hard Sell to find out the story between these two. I was not disappointed. The chemistry was visceral, the banter snarky-sexy, and the back stories were compelling. Layne is quickly becoming a contemporary romance favorite of mine.

Matt needs an image overhaul STAT! Pictures of him partying it up in Vegas were printed in the Wall Street Journal, making his clients question his credibility which is NOT a good thing when you’re managing millions in assets. Sabrina is a “fixer” so Matt seeks out her help in the plot his employers have concocted…that he’s ready to settle down. He knows Sabrina is perfect for the job because there’s absolutely no risk of her falling for him. Ah…the best laid plans.

Hard Sell was sweet, sexy, and fun. I enjoyed getting better acquainted with both Matt and Sabrina – especially getting to know what tipped the scales in the love/hate relationship. They’ve always argued and fought but the sexual tension was obvious. Neither was interested in long-term and learning the reasons behind their feelings was insightful. I understood them so much better once they opened up and let the other in. Besides spending time with Matt and Sabrina, Layne also allowed us more access to Ian and Lara, and Kennedy and Kate. I appreciate the close-knit friendships of the guys and I adore the fact that the girls have all gotten close. The dynamics between them are all fun as well as realistic.

The only fault I could find with Hard Sell was that some of the drama was a bit contrived. Overall though, I adored Matt and Sabrina and I’m anxious for Kennedy and Kate’s story!

Just when I thought I had read it all, Lauren comes out with Hard Sell!

A little while ago, I had read Hot Asset, the first book in this series. I completely fell in love with it, and didn't think the other books in the series would make me fall as hard. Whelp.... I was wrong. Hard Sell made me fall even harder. This novel blew me away.

Matt and Sabrina had such a complex and complicated relationship. Nothing these two ever did, or said to one another was simple and easy. There was always implications and ramifications. While I was reading, all I wanted was for these two lost souls with broken hearts from their past, to end up getting their happily ever after. I thought that they deserved that more than anything.

While I won't tell you what happened and give away spoilers, I will say, that in their times of need, the other was always there, and willing to help them no matter what.

For me, Hard Sell has topped Hot Asset in becoming my all time favourite Lauren Layne read! Go and grab this beautifully written novel today. Trust me... you won't be sorry!

5/5 Stars

This is the second installment of the 21 Wall Street series by Lauren Layne. We first met Matt and Sabrina in Hard Asset, Ian and Lara’s story and the first in the series. It’s here that you are first exposed to the animosity between these two. In Hard Sell you find out the reasons behind their particular dynamic. Matt, aka The Wonder Boy, finds himself in hot water with his bosses after a wild Vegas weekend attending his cousin’s bachelor party. Sabrina, Ian’s childhood friend, is a well respected fixer to the rich and famous or infamous. As the storyline progresses you begin to understand the reluctance of these two against relationships. Mixed in this story you also get glimpses of the third man of this group of friends Kennedy and the assistant extraordinaire, Kate, who attends to these three workplace needs.

I anxiously wait for this author to delve into Kennedy and Kate’s story plus updating us with the rest of the group of friends.

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

This was a really good book. I loved Matt and Sabrina. She was so solid and stable and he was so much of a party boy that it was affecting his job. When Matt finds himself with no other options he turns to the only person he could turn to … Sabrina


Will Sabrina be able to help Matt while protecting her heart? Read and find out!

3.5 Stars

“Hard Sell” was for me a hard sell… The beginning started out strong with some fun moments, but it fell short in the middle and ended up being too cliched for my liking.

Matt is a very successful 28 -year-old Wall Street wonder boy who climbed the ranks at a young age. He likes to party, and that is okay with the bosses until he becomes an above-the-fold newspaper item of him partying a little too hard on a bachelor trip. His image is now tarnished and the bosses are worried his clients will take their business elsewhere. I liked this part of the story. He had a comical way of describing himself and his woes.

Sabrina is personal assistant who fixes everything. She is the A-list go-to-gal when your image needs clearing up. She would be the perfect gal to entrust to change Matt’s image. And the bonus…Sabrina and Matt already know each other!

We’re simply two people who, against their better judgement, sleep together, with each ill-fated naked encounter somehow driving us further apart instead of closer together.

Well this certainly puts an interesting spin on the tale, now doesn’t it? But this is where I felt the same story being told…frenemies to lovers…one is falling in love with the other…it’s a tale as old as time. I lost interest. Matt’s personality definitely outweighs Sabrina’s and I liked the book just for Matt.

I really enjoyed Hard Sell by Lauren Layne. If you are a fan of boardroom romances, you will really enjoy this. It definitely has the whole "dating for convenience" vibe, but also a business aspect. It was a slow burn in terms of the characters actually getting together, but once they did it was worth it!

4 <b> praying for love in a lap dance and paying in naivety.</b> Stars
<img src="http://business-ethics.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Wall_Street_Sign.jpg" width="400" height="300" alt="description"/>

This is book 2 into the wall street book and it focuses on Matt and Sabrina.
Matt has been a bad bad boy and was caught getting a lapdance and with his morals in question his clients are dropping him like flies … is Sabrina the honey he needs to attract his clients back or will they both burn like moths to a flame?
This is an enemies to friends story. Matt and Sabrina have history that you were told about in book 1 hwoever this book can be read out of order. I think for me the book was both too long and too short in terms of the romance. However, the slow burn of it really justified the speed love aspect that was given. The couple matching isn’t my favorite because they are a bit too different and I think I wanted them to end up with different people. I think Matt’s bad image needed a different result. Also … I am still mad that this was his character. However the scenes were hilarious and fun and I think their emotional level was a good fit. This is a book you stop living your life and read cover to cover and you don’t even stop for a bathroom break.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆
What happens when a bachelor party in Vegas gets a little out of hand and the bosses in New York see it in the newspaper? No one is happy and the clients are starting to pull away. So now it is time for damage control.

When Matt Cannon gets called into his bosses’ offices, he cannot think of why but when the two Sams show him the newspaper with a picture of him, he doesn't know what to say. But when they tell him to straighten up or lose his job, Matt can't believe what he needs to do and only one woman can help him.

Sabrina Cross is a fixer and she can fix Matt's problem. But only one problem first, they can't stand each other. So how is she going to play Matt's steady girlfriend without them killing each other? Sabrina's only condition to the contract is there will be no fooling around while she is his pretend girlfriend. That would only make things more complicated. Because there are sparks between them that could burn down all of New York City.

Can Sabrina and Matt make it until the Wolfe Gala without falling for each other? Will Matt win his biggest client with Sabrina's help? Or will Matt lose the biggest client to win over Sabrina? Will forever be enough for the both of them?

I really enjoyed the first in this series and loved Matt and Sabrina just as well. And now I can't wait for Kennedy and Kate. Author Lauren Layne knows how to write the hot and sexy Wall Street men that are alpha all the way, until they meet the woman that steals their heart. Another great addition to this series.


Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This is the second book in the series, and I loved book one, so was excited to get to read the next installment. With Ian settled with Lara, just Kennedy and Matt are footloose and fancy free. As it turns out, Matt's exploits make the Wall Street Journal, and he is going to have to do some major damage control if he wants to save his career.

Cue Sabrina, Ian's best friend and a fixer by trade, coming to his rescue. The two of them have had four years of meeting each other thanks to Ian, and they have a love-hate yet-often-sex relationship, which neither of them understand. But for the planned devoted girlfriend set-up to work, she insists that sex is off the table.

I always find Lauren Layne's characters interesting, but these two are definitely in a mould of their own. Matt has a very unconventional home life, which has definitely put him off any form of permanence and romance, even if he finds himself irrationally desiring forever with Sabrina. Sabrina had a terrible childhood, but has pulled herself up by the bootstraps, and will not make herself vulnerable again, even if Matt tests her resolve.

As we get to read both their viewpoints, we know the inevitable will happen, but just how will it all fall into place... their friends have a ball being along for the ride... but Kennedy better watch out, his turn must be coming!


Jordan – ☆☆☆☆☆
I am a huge Lauren Layne fan and I love that I can always count on her for a lovely read with a happily ever after. I read the previous book in the 21 Wall Street series, Hot Asset, which is not necessary to read in order to enjoy book #2 (Hard Sell). However, the Wall Street Wolfe’s are HOT and an easy sell. Honestly, I’m obsessed with these guys. After being completely charmed by Hot Asset, I have been waiting to finally read more about Sabrina and Matt’s rocky history!

Hard Sell follows the story of Matt, who is somewhat of a wunderkind, but his playboy ways have caught up with him and after a recent stint at a Vegas bachelor party, his bosses, the Sams, are giving him an ultimatum to clean up his image – get a real girlfriend. After the recent SEC investigation, the company can’t take any more bad press. Matt needs a girlfriend to make him look settled and clean up his playboy image. And who better for the role than Sabrina Cross, NYC’s ultimate PR consultant/fixer upper. The only problem is their explosive history, which means a “no-touching” rule has to be established. But rules were meant to be broken.

Ever since reading about Matt and Sabrina in the first book, Hot Asset, I’ve been so curious to finally read their story. Sabrina and Matt have phenomenal chemistry and it practically leaps off the pages. Hard Sell easily sucked me into the life of Manhattan’s Wall Street guys and kept me reading into the night. Another fantastic addition by Lauren Layne. I can’t get enough of these guys. Honestly, this series has quickly stolen my heart and I can’t wait to see what Layne does in her third installment. Plus, I’m so excited to finally see what happens in Kate and Kennedy’s story.

5 STARS for Hard Sell by Lauren Layne

This is the second book 21 Wall Street series and this series just keeps getting better with each new book. It has everything, fabulous characters who have real depth, plenty of steam and sexiness, fantastic banter and an entertaining storyline, it’s all wrapped up in a story I didn’t want to put down at all. Can’t wait for the next book in this series and by this author. A definite must read of 2018.

This book... These words... This author... Just so amazing. Every book is fabulous from the beginning to the end.

Hard Sell was perfect. Every word of pure perfection. I flew through this book, and I still wish I had more. AMAZING!

Hmm not sure what to say about this book other than yes I did enjoy it for what it was.... A fairly predictable story about love where the two main characters 'hate' each other but then fall in love...... A few laughs along the way but still ended in the exact way i predicted.

An easy summer read. Many thanks to netgalley for an arc of this book in return for an honest review.

I loved this story!! The banter between Matt and Sabrina was hilarious and just so great! It had all the feels in one story. I liked the whole frenemies to lovers concept. This was my first Lauren Layne book, but it sure wont be my last!

I thought this was a good read! This was a first for me from this author, and the writing kept my attention from the start. I thought Matt and Sabrina had great chemistry! Even when they're arguing, you could tell that there was a spark there. Although it's eventually revealed why Sabrina was hurt by what Matt said to her when they first met, I felt like she was WAY to hard on him over it. He didn't know her situation, and it wasn't said maliciously. I haven't read the first book in this series, but I didn't feel like it kept me from enjoying this one. I hope the next one is Kennedy and Kate's story!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced readers copy of this book.

4.5 stars

I loved this one. Lauren Layne is my go-to author for enemies to lovers story and this one didn't disappoint. Matt and Sabrina had great chemistry and their banter kept the story moving at a fast pace. I also found the book to be very touching after getting a look at Matt and Sabrina's upbringing and how it shaped them. I would say that the conflict, the reason Matt and Sabrina hate each other, seemed a little like an afterthought. I understand Sabrina's knee-jerk reaction and hurt from what happened, but it seems to me that she would have realized pretty fast that it was an overreaction based on things Matt had no way of knowing. I think with them being in the same friends' group, the misunderstanding would have been worked out sooner. That's a really small quibble though. When I finished this book it gave that 'I just finished a great book' feeling and it gave me a book hangover.