Cute, fun read that was a breeze.

Story of a woman living in NYC that owns her parent's champagne shop. In comes the tall, dark, and handsome developer that wants to close her business down.

A story, of love, family, and laughs.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give my honest feedback.

I received a copy of this story from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars if I could

I've read many a Lauren Layne over the years. This one is a little less steamy and a little more grounded in reality. The romance almost takes a supporting role here, even though Gracie is and always has been a fairy-tale romantic at heart. It's more introspective and explores the question: "Am I really living life for me?"

The cast of characters is wonderful. I adored Keva and her flair. Everyone needs a May in their life. Alec is sweet and gently supporting. Sebastian is layered like a delicious parfait. Gracie is strong and brave and a little too romantic for my tastes but that makes her all the more lovable.

The plot, however, was a bit predictable. It was absolutely a lot of fun seeing how it all worked out but there weren't any twists and I found that a tad disappointing. It made up for it by provoking genuine introspection on my part, much like Gracie herself experiences.

This would make a lovely beach-day read!

To Sir, with Love is like a gorgeous piece of light, airy confection. A macaroon perhaps - delicious, sweet and not too heavy.

The prose is effervescent, the pace is lively, and the characters hit the right notes of people you want to root for, and return to time and again.

Gracie is charming and rootable, if a little "head among the clouds". She clings to her fantasies a little too much for a die-hard New Yorker. Others might find that romantic, given she lives in one of the harshest urban jungles there is - Manhattan, but I felt the Disney/Cinderella aspect was incongruent with the realities of city living.
Sebastian was your stereotypical romantic male lead for these sorts of novels. Somewhat arrogant, aloof, cold - but then later revealed to be kind, insightful and down-to-earth. For me, he was somewhat of a cipher, as like most contemporary romance novels, the story is told mainly from the POV of the female lead.
Ultimately, we cheer for the two crazy kids to get together, although I still wanted more from Sebastian, and Sebastian and Gracie together. Their interactions needed to be more frequent and more deep for me to truly sense that these two characters were each others' The One.

The one aspect of the novel that had me rolling my eyes was the ease with which Gracie was able to have a gallery showing of her art. Yes, Sebastian eased the path for her, but it still had more than a whiff of unbelievability. But of course Hugh, the gallery owner would absolutely adore Gracie's art, and she would sell her artwork as easy as ice cream on a scorching summer's day. Sure, yeah, OK.

Still, To Sir, with Love is a refreshing break from life, if only for a couple of hours. Like a fantastic glass of champagne, it can be enjoyed, knowing it's a transitory enjoyment, so just let the bubbly parts take you away.

Thank you to Gallery Books and Netgalley for the Advance Copy of this book for review. All opinions are my own.

This book is just plain fun. It uses an age-old trope of "I love them, but I've never met them" mixed with a little "enemies to lovers" to create a book that has the comfort of an old favorite and the excitement of a fresh modern take.

In this book, Lauren Layne gives us the tale of Gracie and Sebastian- enemies in business who are unknowingly communicating with each other through an anonymous dating app. In the true vein of "You've Got Mail", the backdrop of this story is New York City, where Gracie and a cast of delightful supporting characters run a charming champagne shop. In light of Sebastian's attempts to buy out her business, Gracie finds herself turning to "Sir", her online pen pal, to examine her life and figure out what she wants.

I so enjoyed this book. Its light and airy (I mean.... it's set in a champagne shop, how could it not be?) but the characters still drew me in. Romance abounds, but it also tells a tale of personal growth, family, and duty. Not to mention, Sebastian is exactly the type of "tall, broody, and handsome- but actually a cinnamon roll" leading man you want in your romance novels. If you enjoy a good light breezy romance, this one is for you!

Reviews Posted on Goodreads and The StoryGraph. Post will be made on instagram closer to Pub Date.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3869844583
The StoryGraph: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3df55f02-a0a3-4288-8dfe-083990595afc

I’m a longtime fan of Lauren Layne because she never disappoints. To Sir With Love is yet another example of how she can craft friendship that rings true, chemistry that sizzles, and love that feels like falling off a cliff into earth’s most pristine waters. This is a clean romance. Ms. Layne can write steam with the best of them, so I was surprised this didn’t have one drop. Even more surprising, I didn’t miss it. It’s that good. Pull up a beach lounger, my friends. This one is a winner!

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book gave me all the feels! I loved the voice given to the heroine of the novel, and how she was able to navigate her way from living her father’s dream to finding her own.
All the characters were lovable, realistic, and genuine. Sebastian was swoony and everything you’d want in a leading man.
This novel was very well written, the characters took you on a journey, and there were no loose ends. What a beautiful story. Highly recommend!!

Cute story and very much like "You've Got Mail" that I only have wonderful memories of watching so of course, this was a fun read for me. I like the enemies to lovers theme and following your dreams, not someone else's. This is due out summer 2021 so it will be perfect vacation read!

This was cute!! A modern day love story incorporating online dating, a meet cute, and a strong likable female protagonist. This was a quick, light read, that had you rooting for the perfect ending. Gracie was just a normal girl trying to run a champagne shop in Manhattan when she gets hit with a proposition to get bought out and shut down the store. The guy behind the buy out is of course attractive and infuriating. You can guess what happens..
Although it is a typical meet cute love story, the details were unique, making it memorable and fun to read.

Oh, I loved the modern day romance that reminds me of You've Got Mail. It was a fun, airy, and heartfelt story that I couldn't put down. It loved the vibe of this book as well as the characters. I can't wait to read more by this author!

I have been reading Lauren Layne for years. This was another solid book from her and I enjoyed all aspects of the book. I will continue to Rea this author and look forward to more books in the future..

I loved this book! It’s such a fun homage to You’ve Got Mail and The Shop Around the Corner. Gracie and Sebastian were easy to root for and like. There’s nothing better than a big smile on my face when a book ends and this one leaves a big one.

What a delightful and heartwarming rom com! Gracie, an aspiring artist, put her dreams on hold to take over the family's champagne specialty store in NYC after her dad passes. With the store struggling and her love life not where she envisioned it, she starts messaging Sir through a dating app where you match based on descriptions instead of a name and picture. She finds herself falling in love with Sir (a man she's never seen or met!) when she meets Sebastian, her corporate landlord who wants to buy her out. She knows she should hate Sebastian but finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. With her heart torn between Sir and Sebastian, she's in for a big surprise...no spoilers - you'll have to read to find out! ☺ While a bit predictable, I still loved every page of this book. It has witty banter, likeable characters, and is such a fun contemporary take on You Got Mail!
Thanks to Netgalley, Gallery Books, and the author for an ARC 😊 This hits shelves June 29!

(More like 3.5/5 stars)
No book blurb will grab my attention faster than the words “You’ve Got Mail”, so of course I leaped at the chance to review To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne. This is my first experience with one of Layne’s books, and it was definitely enjoyable. I read to escape, and I had a difficult time putting To Sir, With Love aside when I was supposed to be working, or cooking dinner, or even getting dressed in the morning. This is a cute adaptation, and I liked the dating app substation for written letter or email penpals. The only reason I didn’t rate this book higher is because the characters felt a little too flat for me. I would have preferred more banter or additional conflict so that the story wasn’t so neat and tidy, but this book has a re-readability factor for me, so cheers!

Literally my only criticism of the book is in the blurb - "she has no idea she’s already met him in real life…and they can’t stand each other." Obviously with the You've Got Mail comparison it's obvious what's coming, but why give it away in the very beginning? When it's said in the book flap, I assume that it means that this realization will happen earlier in the story and actually be a part of the conflict (in the way that in the movie, Tom Hanks' character actually wrestles with the knowledge, but here we only get Gracie's point of view). Still, I read the entire thing in a matter of hours and was just the spring pick-me-up I needed.

To Sir, with Love ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of Lauren Layne’s upcoming release. Her Passion on Park Avenue series and stand-alone novel The Prenup were such fun reads for me last year and her latest did not disappoint!

Gracie Cooper knows her family’s Manhattan champagne shop isn’t exactly a cash cow, but her desire to maintain her family’s legacy makes her adamant that she will not give in in to her landlord that wants to buy out the lease. To distract from her business troubles, Gracie turns to her “mystery man”...an anonymous match from a dating app. They’ve never met in person, but she can’t help falling a little deeper each time they chat. Little does she know he’s already walked into her life and made quite the impression...

Be sure to add this one to your list...out 06/29/2021!

Full review post on Instagram: @north_of_dixie

This is not my first Lauren Layne read, I enjoy her work. I was instantly drawn in to the You’ve Got Mail feel of this book. That is one of my all time FAVORITE movies!!! This book was absolutely delightful!!! I loved Gracie, Sebastian, Lady and Sir. I especially loved all the side characters, from May and Keva….to Gracie’s siblings and the drama between her sister and BIL. It all came together so lovely, and they all had their spot in the book. Nothing was forced or out of place. I really loved Gracie as she tried to keep her father’s store alive, but also realizing that she had been living her whole life to please others and their dreams. There was a lot of growth and bravery in her that I very much admired. This is such a sweet, fun book. Definitely read it!

HJ Top Pick!

You can’t fall in love with someone that you have never meet right? That is definitely not the case for romantic Gracie Cooper, for weeks now she has been messaging her MysteryMate match Sir. What was supposed to just be trying a new style of dating app soon turns into Gracie feeling that she might have found her prince charming. However things take an interesting turn when Gracie gets ‘the feeling' while out picking up fresh flowers and she stumbles upon a real life prince charming, Sebastian Andrews.

Thinking it is fate bringing them together again when Sebastian walks into Bubbles and More – Gracie’s family Champagne store – you can just imagine Gracie’s surprise to learn the guy she just felt an instant draw to in non other than the same man trying to shut down her family business. Determined to save her father’s dream Gracie tries to pull out all the stops to bring Bubbles back to life but it would seem that Sebastian is just as determined as her to get the building, soon the two find themselves spending more time together, leaving Gracie torn between two men one that she doesn’t even know and the other right in front of her.

This book was absolutely amazing. Layne has a special gift with bring to life Manhattan based romances, she knocked me over with the Park Avenue girls and now completely outdone herself with Gracie and Sebastian’s story. It was super easy to fall in love with these two characters and watch them dancing around each other. I do have to say I liked that we got to see bit of Lady and Sir's conversation but it was not overwhelming to the story.

Gracie was the perfect heroine, I loved that she was so selfless in giving up her dreams of going to art school to save the family business and without much help from her siblings. However the thing that I loved the most about her was hope for that fairytale love. As for our hero Sebastian, I felt that he was definitely misunderstood at first, he was definitely not the bad guy that Gracie initially thought him to be. I absolutely loved that he showed up to all of Gracie’s events especially the cooking class that was just hilarious. Watching these two fall in love was just precious, all while watching Gracie and Sir explore their relationship over text. It was really cute to see these two relationships play out along side one and other.

I am a huge fan of the role that secondary characters play and I found that To Sir, With Love had a brilliant supporting cast each with their own little quirks. I loved getting to see the Cooper siblings rebuild their relationship. However I do have to say that I loved May the most. She was just hilarious all on her own.

The best romance novel that I have read in months! Lauren Layne has a true gift in creating a brilliantly beautiful story that hits all the right spots.

I instantly feel in love with the Park Avenue series and am totally smitten with To Sir, With Love. I absolutely loved You Got Mail and Layne has taken it up a notch with this retelling of romance lovers favorite. This sweet bubbly enemies to lovers romance is absolute perfect read that had me feeling all warm and fuzzy at the end! A definite must read!

To Sir, with Love is everything great about Lauren Layne. This is a will they, won’t they figure it out kinda deal. Gracie runs her family’s struggling champagne shop and Sebastian is the man who wants to take it all away. Gracie’s character is sweet, relatable, and head strong. I’ll be waiting for a spin off boom of the supporting characters Keva and Grady! Sebastian and Gracie have great chemistry and their banter is top notch. This is a definite reread!!

One of the best books I’ve read this year! Fell in love with the characters, loved the story of how Sebastian and Gracie came about! Makes you believe in the fairytales of love! So happy how the dynamics of family worked out for Gracie ! First time reader of Lauren Layne. I will definitely seek others she’s written!

This uis a very cute romance story with greatcharacters. It is a very modern twist on fairy tales, but I really enjoyed it.