Member Reviews

4 Timely Stars
Lauren Layne does not disappoint with this stand-alone. With everything being political today and no escaping tabloids, she takes a man who has done right as the mayor of NYC with eyes for the Governorship and pairs him with a woman who could hold the keys for everything.

Exellent

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I really liked her other books but I did not vibe that well with this book. I will probably try this author again though.

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I really enjoyed this slow burning, political romance from Lauren Layne. I can always count on her to deliver a well-written, intriguing story. Yours in Scandal is the story of Robert Davenport in the last months of his tenure as mayor of NYC and Addie Brennan/Adeline Blake, event planner and estranged daughter of his rival in the upcoming gubernatorial election. Robert hires Addie to plan a party with the intention of getting the dirt on her dad but instead ends up falling for her, even though her wild child reputation could cost him the election. The two characters have chemistry that sizzles from their very first meeting and the slow build of their relationship makes it that much more satisfying when they finally get together. Although the story could be a bit predictable at times, it was an overall enjoyable read. I can't wait to see which of the side characters introduced in this book will eventually have their own. 4/5 stars.

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Wow. Just wow. Robert and Addie are simply amazing. I loved this story, and can’t wait for more from the series!

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I really enjoyed this book. It had all the right ingredients. I loved Robert and Adeline immensely.
The story had a little bit of everything : cute, funny, heat-tugging.
I loved it all really and yet, something's preventing me from giving it 5 stars.
I didn't like the fact that Robert was in politics. There is a "crooked" aura to the profession that I can't get passed. Add to that the fact that he lied to her a good bunch of the book and connected with her under false pretense...
This all left a bad after taste in my mouth. Too bad because the writing was excellent.

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I love everything by this author, and Yours in Scandal is no different. Both main characters are dealing with fathers that loom large in their personal history and continue to impact their daily lives. The story that unfolds is nuanced and layered in beautiful ways. But the highlight of this book for me was the BANTER! The banter is off the charts fantastic. These characters flirt like it's their job and I was there for it. Highly recommend!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MontlakePublishing for the ARC
#LaurenLayne #YoursinScandal

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I really enjoyed Yours in Scandal. As someone who did an ill-advised thing or two in her youth (thankfully no drugs, and blessedly before Facebook was a thing) the heroine resonates with me. Yes, she has a rebellious phase, but now she’s a (mostly) well-adjusted adult, who gifted and passionate about her career. The hero is all things swoon worthy. Handsome, loyal, kind, smart, and gaga over the heroine. Watching them fall and risk it all for each other is a day of reading, well spent.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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I love Lauren Layne. However, this book didn't work for me. I think because it was a romance with the mayor of NY as a character. The politics turned me off. I'm still giving it 4 stars it's written well. Just not my favorite of hers.

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In an age of political cynicism, ‘Yours in Scandal’ is a more lighthearted take on politics and an incidental romance that develops out of it, never steering too close to the deep divisiveness that dominates the headlines these days.

That said, I am familiar with Layne’s style which does have a certain smartness and intelligence to the modern-day rom-com. But in recent times, they’ve sort of faded for me and I’d hoped that ‘Yours in Sandal’ would be a perk-me-up. As a result, I’m mixed with this one, even though this has a delicious premise of fraternising with the enemy, a slow burn and a hard juggle between professional facades and personal feelings.

Subterfuge underlaid Robert’s and Adeline’s relationship both ways and I struggled with this majorly when it became obvious this was going to be the part where the lack of communication would blow up in their faces. Clearly not all was as it seemed—and both Robert and Adeline carried on that way for yonks—and if there was some hint of attraction in their interactions, nothing was too hot and heavy such that I was squinting by the halfway mark to feel a chemistry that wasn’t quite there. I didn’t get the anticipatory sense of sexual tension or build-up; instead I got a pursue-and-dodge pattern which got tiresome after a while.

I generally liked Robert’s principled nature as mayor of New York, his determination to be a clean politician—though he was dragged by some forces to not quite do some right things. At the start, there was also such an appeal of wanting to know how Layne would reconcile the wild girl rattling against the cages demanding to be let out and the prim and proper event planner that was intriguing both Addie and Adeline.

Sadly, she merely ended up as a frustratingly opaque character, constantly pushing Robert away with excuses about his chosen career not being for her. In fact, she was a player of games because she wanted to hide behind her past, coupled her inability to put herself out there and be emotionally brave was off-putting. I found her, in essence, a huge flight risk (and was proven correct) with a foot ready to step out of the relationship when she could.

‘Yours in Scandal’ was a personal disappointment, but I’ll be first to say that it’s classic Lauren Layne in many ways as well…and will probably guarantee stalwart fans a better time than I had with this.

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Lauren Layne is a familiar author to me. I have read many of her books. I was very happy that I received this book as an ARC. Yours In Scandal is the first book in the upcoming series Man of the Year. It is a light, feelgood contemporary romance.

Robert is New York mayor and Adeline is a party planner he hires to organize his last party as a mayor. She is also the daughter of his political opponent. Robert's political adviser wants him to use her in the battle for the governor's seat. All Adeline wants is to do her job and stay out of the spotlight.

It is very difficult to love completely this book or dislike it. I'm somewhere in between. Besides predictability, there is nothing really wrong with this book. Also, predictability can bring a certain comfort while reading. I guess I can argue both sides. Then there is a fact that I had a feeling that Lauren Layne already wrote this book. I am sure there is an entire series about wedding planners. The characters, the plotline, the upcoming series - it all feels very deja vu. Maybe if I cared more for these characters I would love it more.

This a well-written book, with great pace and it is really easy to get into it and finish reading it. But I wish I loved it more. Nothing really stood out. A solid read that I am sure many readers will enjoy.
I would recommend this book to all the readers who enjoy cute, comforting and light contemporary romance books.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me this book copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

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Robert Davenport’s campaign manager talks him into hiring event planner Adeline Blake. Of course it’s with an ulterior motive but Robert goes along with it but when meeting her you know it’s going to be more. But it was more than just that. I swear I could actually hear him literally fall for her in that first meeting. Of course it takes leery Adeline longer, but their story was delightful, not without a little suspense and a completely surprise ending for me.
I love Lauren Layne’s books and when she starts a new series, I’m all in. When you add in hunky politicians who take a risk, especially in their personal lives, you have a great combination that can only mean a five star read.

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This is the first book in the Man of the Year series, and what a way to kick off the series! As always, Lauren Layne creates characters that I want to be friends with in real life - full of humor, sass, and style. The chemistry between the main characters is off the charts! I also really enjoyed the political theme, especially the bad girl vs. good politician dichotomy. A reformed party girl and an honest politician? Love it. And nothing can beat the witty dialog between all the characters and the strong friendships.

Overall I would definitely recommend reading this book if you're in the mood for a light, fun, and romantic read, as well as other books by this author. Lauren Layne is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

*I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review*

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There is always something special about a Lauren Layne book. She has the uncanny ability to create dynamic characters with stories we wish would go on forever. Yours in Scandal had those signature traits, but had an extra layer of emotion, I think. Robert and Addie’s story is a beautifully emotional journey of two guarded people – for different reasons – and how they learn to trust themselves and each other. All wrapped up in witty banter, swoon worthy romantic moments and, of course, sexy times. Robert and Addie’s story is the first book in this series and is a powerful start to what I am positive will be an incredible series.

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I want to thank NetGalley for giving me an ARC I exchange for an honest review as I'm a big Lauren Layne fan. And she did not disappoint! This was a one-sitting read as I couldn't put it down. This is the first book I've read in a while that had a political backdrop, which I enjoyed. The love story of a mayor and a party girl and Lauren Layne writes captivating characters that make you want to keep coming back for more!

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What a terrific book! Robert Davenport is the youngest mayor of NYC who has a spotless reputation. Adeline Blake is the daughter of the current shady governor of NY who hides her past. The relationship buildup between Robert (who is torn between being the upright politician and going after Adeline to get damaging information on her father) and Adeline (who has left her rebellious teen years behind) is perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the the two of them. The ending is a bit predictable but still satisfying!

I received an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Love love love! One of my favorite Lauren Layne books, which is saying a lot. I loved the political backdrop and the characters. I see this is the first in a series, which excites me.

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Thank you Netgalley for a copy for an honest review. I’ve only read Lauren Layne’s park avenue series which I really loved! This story was cute but I don’t think I was in the mood for it. I thought I’d give it a try since I loved her other books but I think the job positions weren’t working for me. Not my style for a contemporary romance

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I’m a little bummed after reading Yours in Scandal. It was not my favorite book by Lauren Layne. She is one of my go-to contemporary romance writers and I have loved every single one of her books but this one fell short. Yours in Scandal was just okay bordering on good for me. I’m going to give you my likes and dislikes for it below.

Likes:

*I loved Addie’s character and her back story. The whole estranged daughter of a political opponent thing was fun.
*The romance between Addie and Robert was sweet. It was the best thing about this book. It felt like it was made for a T.V. movie.
*Robert when he wasn’t making dumb decisions.
*Addie’s friends. I see some fun stories coming in the future for them!
*How all the drama and the end played out. It was cute!

Dislikes:

*Normally, I’m not a fan of third person narration. It usually works for me in LL’s books because she’s such a great writer. Sadly, it didn’t work for me in this book. It harder for me to connect to the characters.
*I didn’t really like Robert when I first met his character. There was something off-putting about him and I couldn’t figure it out. Maybe it was his willingness to go along with his advisor. I don’t know. I did find myself liking him somewhere in the middle (see above).
*My biggest dislike is that the entire book just felt slow. I had to push myself to read it when normally I’m enthralled with LL’s stories.

I really wish I hadn’t struggled through the beginning of this book and had to push myself to read it because the romance and the ending were so good. I’m hoping the rest of the books in the series are stronger reads for me.

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A big thank you to NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I admit I am a fan of Lauren Layne, so I am maybe a bit biased. I enjoyed this book. Boy did I not like the campaign manager! I did like Robert and also Addie. I felt the ending was a mit rushed and a little confusing. I can't talk about my confusion as it might give the plot away!! Yikes. This is a fun fast paced book with interesting characters. A solid 4 stars. I think most romance readers will enjoy!

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4 stars.⭐⭐⭐⭐
A scandalous and amusing read from one of my favorite authors.

This is a really great start to Lauren Layne's new "Man of the Year" series. Yay!!!!
A "Politically" themed romance with the all the wit, humor and style that I have come to expect and associate with this author.
I really enjoyed this supposed bad girl?/honest politician? storyline . A very "rapid" page turner for me!!
Say no more.
I do highly recommend this humorous and smart romance to all fans and lovers of contemporary romance!!!!


Thank you Montlake Romance and Netgalley for this ARC and this is my honest review.

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