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.

Gracie is a romantic, with a soft spot for fairytales thinks she will know when she meets the One and she does, only he turns out to be, Sebastian Andrews the one trying to buy her shop. She is also chatting with Sir on a dating site, and thought she has never met him, but that doesn’t stop her from starting to fall for him. And as she gets to know Sebastian she realizes he could be her Prince Charming. Can a girl fall for 2 guys ?
This is a very cute read , and left me with a warm, mushy feeling, and a smile on my face. A book that left me wanting more and that in itself says how much I enjoyed. I wish we had Sebastians POV also, might have made it more fun 🙂
I think this is a cheerful and refreshing read that will definitely go on my TBR again folder.

This was so cute! Definitely would be great for a book club pick and I will be recommending it to all of my friends to read!

Lauren Layne captured the beauty of online dating and the ever-favorite "You've Got Mail" plot down. I must admit I had been in a reading slump of sorts, but I connected almost immediately with the characters. The story felt genuine but it had its fairytale moments. I guess I really liked the story but as far as it feeling like something that could really happen? I doubt it. Nonetheless, the book was highly entertaining. Will definitely recommend it to friends.

What a cute book! If you love the enemies to lovers theme this is a great read. Featuring a smart and sassy female lead and her just as charming suitor this pair meet through a blind dating app and hit it off. Little do they know in the all 'real world' they have quite the rivalry. Someone please please please make this into a movie!

I really needed a quick fun book with great characters and this fit the bill. I love a You’ve Got Mail type story. If you’re familiar with the story you know what is going on and where this is going from page one. The characters and the writing made the journey fun and enjoyable even though you know where you are going to wind up. I loved Sebastian and Gracie. There was just enough conflict between them but nothing over the top and drawn out. The supporting characters were fun and interesting as their own people. It was also fun to see hint of a New York I’ve lived in yet still have missed the last year and a half. I’m very happy for the fun little escape that this book was and that I got to experience it early thanks to a free copy from Netgalley!

To Sir, With Love by L. Layne, published by Simon & Schuster Gallery Books, is a full length, stand-alone romantic comedy.
Gracie Cooper manages the family shop. She's born and raised in NY, loves art, is a romantic by heart, believes in fairytales.
Sebastian Andrews is her nemesis and at the same time her hearts desire, only she doesn't knows it - yet.
TSWL is a witty and fun, charming, easy to read book, that had me in suspense till the last page. The book was nothing like eypected and everything I could have hoped for. A fantastic read, 5 stars.

This is exactly the type of romance novel I have been CRAVING!! I gave this 5 stars for sheer enjoyment factor. Was this a work of literary fiction? Not really. Did this story give me butterflies and smile like an idiot? Oh definitely.

The relationship between Sebastian and Gracie had just the right amount of whimsical ✨love at first sight✨ vibes with a heaping platter of real world problems. I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop.

Additionally, I loved the supportive group of friends and family that were by Gracie’s side the entire time. It was clear that they all wanted what was best for her and for her dreams to come true.

As I was reading, I was writing down in my notes the small things I thoroughly enjoyed about this book. Included in that list is the following:
The writing style
The TEXTS!
The banter
The SPARKLING WINE
The fact that she talks to her cat, because same
The beautiful New York setting
THE SIBLING LOVE!!!

So, I guess there was a lot to love about this book. If you, like me, like any of the above things, then you should really give this book a read

I did some free hand nail art inspired by the cover of this book if you want to check that out: https://instagram.com/p/CPLwz4TsU08/

"Why should I settle for less than a stomach-flipping meet-cute or the kind of romance you see in old movies and listen to Frank Sinatra songs?"

Goodness! I LOVED THIS BOOK. "There's something lovely about two souls connecting over words alone." Gracie Cooper, thirty-three years old, proud owner of Bubbles & More. B&M is on the struggle bus though. Sebastian Andrews is a troll in a business suit and his corporation is proposing a buy-out on some very-high quality stationery. Insufferable and handsome Sebastian Andrews. Gracie has a lot of her plate and seeks advice from a mystery man "Sir": her romantic pen pal from a dating app. Gracie and Sebastian are not friends. They're downright adversaries. But they're connected somehow. She has feelings for both men, can have neither, and is left wanting...


To Sir, with Love is a story about hope, first impressions, forgiveness, growth, kindness, love, and friendship. And it is intensely romantic. *wipes tears from cheeks*

Lauren Layne wrote the classic 1998 You've Got Mail premise into the twenty-first century... falling in over over a dating app. A timeless story that romcom readers need on their shelf! Easily a top comfort read. I already can't wait to reread! A FAVE of 2021!

READ IF YOU LIKE
-those three little words: You've Got Mail
-romcom & chick lit
-the classic blaring NYC horn
-Frank Sinatra
-Cinderella AKA fairy tale nut
-those butterflies & old fashioned romance
-pen pals
-family dynamics
-#IsThisAKissingBook: It's a PG-13 fairy-tale kiss with cheering and whoops from the crowd!

Thank you Simon & Schuster/Gallery Books for an advanced copy. I am going to cherish this one forever!

Song: It Had To Be You by Frank Sinatra

First I wanna say that I love Lauren Layne. Read all her books. Some of them are my absolute favorite contemporaries that I read over and over and over. I love a good Lauren Layne book and there aren’t many that I don’t like.

Here’s the things I love about Lauren Layne:
-Characters that I swoon over with their tender mushy hearts
-GREAT friendships
-Humor
-Always a fun setting

It’s like Lauren Layne gets an automatic 4 star rating. Just because I. Love. Lauren. Layne.

This book was cute and fun. I love You’ve Got Mail so you know I’m loving the Lauren Layne retelling. She had all the fun Easter eggs in the book from the movie that I loved, sweet tender moments, all the things.

Aaaaaaalll the things I love about Lauren Layne are in this book...

EXCEPT steam.

There’s no steam.

None.

It gets a .25 on a scale of five for steam. If I could give it zero, I would, but *technically* there is steam so it gets .25 from me.

Someone told me today that sometimes authors don’t feel comfortable with writing love scenes, and that’s okay!! We should not give negative feedback if authors don’t want to share physical intimacy in their books.

And I get that. I do. And I respect it. And there should be more of that...

But does that apply here?...???

But Lauren Layne writes love scenes soooooo well. That’s why it makes me sad to see the .25 degrees of steam factor in this book.

But it’s super cute and I love Lauren Layne and You’ve Got Mail so it gets four stars for me because maybe she’s done writing steam! And, you know what, you do you, Lauren. And I’ll still be here reading.

And rereading the Oxford and Stilettos series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to @netgalley and @gallerybooks for an eARC of To Sir, With Love.
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Gracie Cooper has always dreamed of having her own fairy tale and her own Prince Charming. When she joins a blind dating app where matches get to know each other through messages before sharing pictures or meeting, Gracie finds herself falling in love with someone she’s never seen.
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Gracie soon finds her business going under and being bought out by Sebastian Andrews, the handsome but arrogant business man who owns her building.
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Overwhelmed and stressed about losing her business and seeking advice she turns to “Sir”, the faceless man she’s met online. But as time moves on she starts to see Sebastian in a different light...
Soon her online world and real life world collide.
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This book was super cute! It’s a total YOU’VE GOT MAIL story, which is one of my favorite movies. 🥰
The only thing I would have added is a little more of their story AFTER and a little more steam. This book is very PG. (but, that’s just me😆) However, it made me laugh and Sebastian made me swoon. It had all the makings of a good romcom. I’d definitely recommend this one!
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A modern version of You’ve Got Mail - one of my favorite movies. It would’ve been hard to achieve without a Tom Hanks, but the setting, the shop and other characters sold this! 5/5 would read again.

Thanks to NetGalley!

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: June 29, 2021

I’m conflicted after reading this one because You’ve Got Mail is one of my all-time favorite cheesy romcoms. This definitely delivers the cheese (maybe a bit too heavy handed on the fairy tale references) but was an easy/fast read. It brought a smile to my face and some of the banter had me laughing out loud—but it’s a plot we know, and it’s difficult to stand out when the reader knows what will happen.

As a light, PG romcom with a cutesy happy ending, this is an enjoyable read and it would make for a cute Hallmark movie.

I did struggle at the beginning because Gracie was knowingly pursuing an emotional relationship with a man who had a girlfriend. This reconciled itself in the story but it took a good portion of the book to have me on her side again.

Additionally, as a New Yorker, I found that there were numerous descriptive inaccuracies in this book. I’m not sure if they were done on purpose or not, but it came across as lazy (or completely nonexistent) research for this book.

An hour on the train to Astoria from Manhattan? That’s quite a stretch—coming from someone who lives a few blocks from Gracie’s fictional apartment. Green garbage cans? No, the trash bins in Central Park are black. The green ones are for newspapers. What is a “pop-up Manhattan flower cart”?!! I’ve never heard of bodega flower guys referred to this way. They aren’t pop-up carts, they are permanent fixtures in neighborhoods all over the city (but correctly portrayed in the book—many of us do have a specific flower guy that we are loyal to, even if it’s out of the way!). Central Park closes at 1am, not midnight as stated. Also the mentions of NYPD turning a “blind eye” to jaywalking and the drinking of cosmos were so trite.

That being said, if you’re into glass slippers and pink drinks—this one is for you!

TW: infertility, parental death

I love a good Romcom & this book is like reading one. Gracie & Sebastian may be some of my favorite leads in a romance novel. I love this concept that has been updated from something like You've Got Mail (love Tom Hanks & Meg Ryan). I could totally see this going to the big screen & playing out in a fun way. I highly recommend reading this novel if you enjoy a good, sweet romance.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review