4.5 stars rounded up.

This book perfectly captures the warm gooey feeling of romcom movies at their best, particularly those of the master: Nora Ephron.

You feel like you’re in on the secret the whole time. You know this is a two person love triangle. You know the online flirtation and the in person animosity are one and the same. And yet it’s still such a stomach-churning joy to see the characters work it out.

It’s just abso-freaking-lately adorable.

There’s a lush cast of supporting characters, but it never felt like they overwhelmed our main couple. The business bickering was there, but not overwhelming.

I just loved the low-angst fluffiness of it all. No overdramatic dark moment. No conflict for the sole purpose of conflict. This is the kind of book that makes you happy.

Only a couple of nitpicky complaints — First, I would have liked to see more of Sebastian, particularly at the beginning. He’s a bit of a non-entity for a while, which isn’t my favorite in romance. And second, I feel like Sebastian and Gracie jumped a bit too quickly into close friends territory after their dinner, which felt a bit jarring to me.

Also there is so much sexual tension and the hero is hot as hell (a given, since he’s named Sebastian), but there’s no release. Not even a closed door scene. Which left me a bit wanting.

Steam: 0/5 🔥 (nothing more than kisses shown or implied)

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced copy. This review was left voluntarily.

To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne is another one of her wonderful sweet romantic novels. Gracie Cooper, our heroine, runs the family Champagne shop, after the death of her father; putting aside her passion for painting. She is determined to find ways to increase the low profits for the shop. Gracie is sweet, smart, loyal and liked by everyone. A big corporation has been trying to buy her out, which she continually refuses, and now meets the man behind the proposal, who immediately comes across as arrogant, as well as extremely handsome.

Sebastian Andrews is determined to convince Gracie to sell to his company, though they both get off on the wrong foot. Despite his showing her that she cannot survive in the long term, and could lose the business; he also tries to propose that she can move to a different location with success. As stubborn as they both are, Gracie fights off her attraction to Sebastian; and he knows that he is beginning to have feelings for her. In a short time, their relationship heats up, but Gracie also has someone else she is falling for.

Gracie meets ‘Sir’ on a faceless dating app, as they have fun texting to each other; the banter between them was cute. Though she is enjoying her texting, Gracie spends more time with Sebastian, and their chemistry is off the wall. Who will Gracie choose the handsome sexy Sebastian or the fun unknown ‘Sir”?

As time went on, I loved Sebastian and Gracie together, especially when he praised and pushed her to go back to her love of art, which he thought were the signs of a great painter. I really loved all the secondary characters that were great; as Lauren Layne always creates wonderful and likeable characters. To Sir, With Love was a sweet, heartwarming, romantic and uplifting story. I have enjoyed everything I have read by Layne, as she writes such wonderful fun pure romances. If you like heartwarming romances, great couple, sexy and fun, look no further than anything by Lauren Layne.

If you’ve seen the movie “The Shop Around the Corner” with Jimmy Stewart or “You’ve Got Mail” with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, you know what will happen in this story. Since I enjoyed “You’ve Got Mail,” I enjoyed this updated version where the heroine owns a Manhattan Champagne store that the sexy guy wants to buy out so he can develop a new high-rise. Sparks fly between the H and h although the heroine rudely refuses his generous purchase offer. And then there is the anonymous guy she’s been texting with for several months. He seems to understand her innermost feelings and even though they’ve never met, she is kinda, sorta falling for him in a fairy-tale sort of way. Guess where this is going.

The problem is that I just didn’t buy that their texting was all that enthralling - I didn’t believe for one moment that they were bonding so deeply over a bunch of generalities without ever sharing any specific details about themselves.

The irony involved in “You’ve Got Mail” is that the Tom Hanks character runs a set of giant bookstores which a few years after the movie came out will be sinking fast as they can’t compete with Amazon. And developing skyscrapers in Manhattan is probably also going to be a declining investment given the economy in NYC, especially after Covid-19. I have a feeling that romance authors are going to have to get innovative with their career choices for their characters in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Although this was a decent romance I was disappointed at how clichéd and predictable the story was. The heroine falls for a guy she meets online and also falls for her nemises who wants her to sell her store. Of course they turn out to be the same person and all is forgiven. There just wasn't enough there to keep me entranced, that's what I've experienced with other novels by this author.

Gracie runs her parents old Champagne shop. While it was never her dream, she continues to run it to keep her parents legacy alive. If it were up to her, she would be an artist and get together with Sir the anonymous man she is flirting with on a dating app. Sebastian wants to buy Bubbles & More to build a high rise in its place. His aggressive approach gains him no favors from Gracie. Except the more he runs into her the more he likes her. Can Gracie decide between a guy in real life vs the mystery man from the dating app?

I could not put this book down! I read it in one sitting. I loved Gracie and related to her so hard. I often put others wants and needs ahead of my own and get caught up in their dreams instead of being the main character of my own story.

I did find the Disney/princess obsession story line a little cringy. I also didn't think a man in today's time would talk the way "sir" did on the app. I also didn't believe that **SPOILER ALERT** Sebastian would have the same talking style as Sir. I mean you knew from the start they're one in the same, but yet I found it hard to believe he would say the things that Sir said. Even with that though I totally enjoyed this book. I had a smile on my face the whole time and read it in 1 night.

I just adore this book by Lauren Layne! Full of fairytale moments and adorable banter, I loved everything about it. A light and fun romantic read, woven in with some serious moments and emotional growth. This was EXACTLY what I look for in a romantic read and was even better than I expected. Hints of You've Got Mail were what made me pick it up, but Layne's style will keep me reading anything else she writes! Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. If you are a fan of Christina Lauren or Katherine Center, this will definitely be a book you will enjoy!

A modern re-telling of “Little Shop Around the Corner” and “You’ve Got Mail”, “To Sir, with Love” does not disappoint. Just like my favourite sweet, fizzy wine, this rom-com provides all the feels. The dialogue is not only laugh-out-loud, but clever and witty. With hints of nostalgia, the story expertly weaves the un-romantic idea of a dating app with the ageless allure of fairy tales.

It's been a while since I've read a Lauren Layne book and I'm wondering why... I had so much fun reading this book. This was truly adorable and left a huge smile on my face. If you're looking for a feel good romance, look no farther.

Gracie is on a dating app, but it's not the swipe right kind of app. It's an app where you get to know someone by their words, not their photo. This is where she meets 'Sir'. Sir and Gracie haven't met or exchanged photos, but she has it bad for him. Sir consumes a lot of her thoughts, but so does Sebastian Andrews.

Sebastian and Gracie's storyline is going in that enemies to lovers direction, it's easy to see that. Sebastian wants to buy out her families business that she runs and she is not happy about it. The problem is, the more she gets to know Sebastian the more she realizes he's much more than she first thought. And she finds not only does she have the feelings for Sir, but also Sebastian. She's in trouble.

To Sir, with Love is fun, flirty, and will leave you happy and wanting to read more fairy-tale romances. The chemistry, the banter, I loved it all! I enjoyed this one loads and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author! Highly recommend this one for all romance readers.

This was my first Lauren Layne book and, let me say, it absolutely lived up to all the hype I have heard about her books. I could not put this one down for a second! One of my favorite troupes is enemies to lovers and I'm obsessed with the way this one played out. The romance was perfectly cheesy in all the best ways. Even though I knew what was coming, the journey was as incredible as the ending! I loved Gracie's own journey of self-discovery and the role Sebastian played in it. I gave this book a 4.5 / 5 star rating, and it is absolutely one I would recommend!

To Sir, With Love was freaking adorable. I was surprised when I got about 15% into this book, and a friend told me this was a clean romance. Having read a few Lauren Layne books before, namely Walk of Shame, and remembering that those books were not clean romances, I was a bit surprised. Yet, the clean romance didn't deter me in the slightest. Gracie was a bit whimsical for my tastes. She was looking for her Disney Happily Ever After and I prefer a more snarky, level-headed heroine, but she ended up growing on me. Loved, loved, LOVED Sebastian. He had those rich sexy man in a suit vibes that are my weakness. The meet cute between Sebastian and Gracie was adorable. I love how they started off as enemies but quickly dipped into friends/lovers territory.

The letters between Lady and Sir were the cutest and I always wanted MORE from the letters. I would get sad when a chapter didn't have a letter between Lady and Sir quite honestly.

The ending with the inevitable identity reveal of Sir was just so cute. We already knew what was going to happen, but nevertheless, I still got the feels when Sir's identity was revealed.

I do wish there had been MORE after the reveal of Sir's identity. I wanted more of their relationship together. But alas, I am happy with what I read. Lauren Layne's books always put a goofy smile on my face that becomes a slight frown when I finish the last page.

3.75 stars! Would definitely recommend!

Gracie Cooper runs her dad's Midtown Manhattan Champagne shop. She's been doing it since her dad died since her other siblings never wanted anything to do with it. Things are finally starting to look up with the changes Gracie has added when a huge corporation starts sending her offers to buy her store and turn it into a parking garage. Gracie is furious! She gave up a career as an artist to take over the shop and she's not about to give in to some narcissistic, charismatic jerk like Sebastian Andrews. He spends an inordinate amount of time trying to get her to sell. When she finally agrees, she ends up with a showing at a prestigious art gallery. When she finds out it was Bastians' idea, she is even more furious. She has never been able to trust men and now, she knows that will never change==or will it??!!
This was such a wonderful story that I had trouble putting it down!!

This is the second romance in a row that I’ve read where one of the main characters is in another relationship at the open of their relationship - I feel like that’s something that should come up in the synopsis. I loved watching them fall for each other in real life and online, and it was a really cute story. I had a lot of feels about Gracie’s comments to Sebastian when it was clear he was falling for her, but she wasn’t quite there yet. Overall, I really liked the enemies to lovers meets You’ve Got Mail vibes.

So heartwarming! An homage to You’ve Got Mail (and its earlier iterations). The method of communication has changed over time (hand-written letters, then email, and here in an app), but the message is the same. It’s about 2 people who meet as enemies while unknowingly falling in love anonymously. Layne does a fabulous job of bringing us a 21st-century enemies-to-lovers story between a serious, scowling developer, Sebastian Andrews, and champagne shop owner Gracie Cooper, who meet when he shows up with a hand-delivered letter (after she ignores his earlier ones), offering her a buyout of her family’s business. To her, he has a callous disregard for family tradition, but has to admit that taking him up on his offer might free her to follow her own dreams rather than living her deceased parents’. In the meantime, she’s falling in love with the faceless Sir who fulfills her dreams for a fairy-tale romance. So what’s she to do when she starts to fall for the gorgeous man who is standing right in front of her?

Although there’s sizzling chemistry between these two, this clean romance is tame compared with Layne’s previous books. The focus is on the slow-burn relationship, not a rush to the bedroom.

I COULD NOT HAVE LOVED THIS BOOK MORE! I laughed out loud, I was utterly in love with the characters, and though predictable, the arc was a lovely journey. I read the entire book in one sitting because I just couldn’t get enough - and then by the end I wished I could start all over again! I’ve always been a sucker for an epistolary novel, so I enjoyed that the relationship was built (partially) via writing. Their messages were to die for; I ADORED the old timey fashion of their writing. Though I could see how some might think it’s weird and be turned off by it, their uniquely old fashioned banter was my absolute favorite part of the book. Though happily married, this book made me long for the days of exciting banter on dating apps - the kind that truly makes you wonder if the person can really live up to the hype you’ve built up around them in your head based on your delightful conversations. I could FEEL Gracie grappling with that same apprehension, and it was so relatable. My ONLY quip is that it’s blatantly obvious who “sir” is from the very beginning, and I have more respect for Gracie than to ever believe that she was so oblivious as to not put the pieces together. But I enjoyed suspending my disbelief for the payoff when Sir finally revealed himself. I will be buying this book ASAP; I need a hard copy on my bookshelf!

5/5 wholehearted stars. Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery books for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The perfect book for lovers of the classic “You’ve Got Mail”. Gracie is the owner of a champagne shop in Midtown New York City, which was left in her hands after the passing of both her parents. She pours her life into the store, but her passion can’t keep it alive on its own. In walks Sebastian, who’s company owns the building and are eager to get the property back, which means the end of Bubbles. As Gracie fights to revitalize her the shop that means so much to her, she finds love on a dating app, one where the suitors are secret. Who is the “Sir” she can’t stop thinking about? And why is Sebastian, who she should hate, making her swoon? The story was short and sweet with a main character who was easy to love.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

To Sir, WIth Love was a breath of fresh air for me, as a reader who has been in a slump for months. Gracie, owner of her deceased father’s champagne shop, is slowly coming to the realisation that she is stuck in her life. No romantic interests, continuing at the shop from a sense of duty, in a creative slump. She meets “Sir” on an online dating app that meets only via written word. They develop a repoire alongside Gracie’s meeting Sebastian Andrews, a real estate mogul who wants her property. Who is “SIr”? Will they every meet? Why is Sebastian so attractive? Can you love more than one Person?

Sound like a familiar plot? Yep, the You’ve Got Mail vibe is all over this lovely book and it just works. They cast of characters in this story are charming. And it is a very clean romance, which just heightened the romantic tension between Gracie and Sebastian.

If your’re looking for a great escape, this story is the one.

I received an advance copy of, To Sir, with Love, by Lauren Layne. This is a cute love story. This is not your typical love story though.

Gracie has been talking with some guy she's never met on a dating app; he seems perfect in every way..but she also doesn't know his name, what he looks like, or anything else about him. Then enters Sebastian; the guy whose company wants to buy out Gracie's family’s business she's taken over running. While initially despising him, Gracie becomes torn between her mystery man and Sebastian. This book definitely gives off some insta-love energy, but it was so so cute!! I loved the message snippets interspersed between chapters, and I really appreciated the writing style, but some of the book was focused a little heavily on other characters which made it not feel as focused on Gracie/Sebastian's relationship. Overall, I really enjoyed it!

Another good book from Lauren Layne and a much needed good and fun rom-com. Very enjoyable from start to finish and a great rom-com. This was just the laugh I needed and it was relatable and believable. Recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley, Lauren Layne and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 6/29/21

What’s not to love in this novel? A woman struggling to maintain her father’s champagne shop legacy pits herself against a dashing man ready to buy out her lease and bulldoze the building. She also has an ongoing conversation with a dating app man she’s never met. Sparks fly all over. Does she choose the online or the physical man? Can the shop be saved? It’s so engaging and fun to read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.