I've read and enjoyed nearly every book Lauren Layne has written, but this one might be my least favorite. There were SO MANY things that bugged me about the story, so every time the lighthearted banter started to pull me in, something would rub me the wrong way. We don't get the hero's perspective and he really isn't likable - he barely says anything, and 95% of what he says is mean. Our heroine is a bit of a doormat, and she's also in a semi-relationship with a man she claims to love for a significant portion of the book. Add that to a My Fair Lady-inspired storyline that makes most of the characters sound like judgmental jerks, and this just didn't sit right.

The story follows Violet, a woman who fits in perfectly with the New York elite. She "works" for an elderly woman who is more like family to her than anyone else, so it's a shock to Violet's system when the woman discovers she has a grandson she never knew about. He's a crass, bearded man from New Orleans who feels more comfortable in scuffed boots and worn jeans than a suit and tie, but if Cain wants to take over the family business, then he'll need to clean up his act. Who better to teach him how to fit into NYC society than the woman who has molded herself into the perfect socialite? But as Violet and Cain spend more time together, they realize that they aren't so different after all.

On paper, this sounds right up my alley. Not only am I a longtime fan of Layne's rom coms, but I also love My Fair Lady and an opposites attract romance. And there IS some great banter in this; I loved the playfulness of some of the scenes, and had we gotten to know Cain better, I probably would've liked this more. Unfortunately, he doesn't do much to win either the reader or Violet over. He's a jerk for 90% of the book, and I lost respect for Violet every time she swooned over his behavior. There's also a lot of needless drama involving the guy Violet is in a relationship with AND Cain is dating/sleeping with other women for who knows how long. No amount of banter could override the disappointment I felt about other aspects of the story, and the length is too short to really delve into anything too deep. Here's hoping that this is an isolated miss for Layne, because I've sincerely enjoyed many of her books in the past. I appreciated receiving an early copy, and am voluntarily leaving a review of this opposites attract romance.

Oh my goodness. I am obsessed with this book! Are all Lauren Layne books like this? You better believe I’m going to find out because this just made my heart smile.

It’s kind of a My Fair Lady type tale. Except Violet from the upper east side of Manhattan is trying to makeover Cain from New Orleans. He needs to learn to act like a Manhattan socialite and businessman in time to win the role of CEO at Edith’s, Violet’s surrogate grandmother’s company.

The characters are so likable. I really couldn’t put it down. Of course there are some traditional tropes and predictable rom-com moments. But I don’t consider that a negative. This book is just a perfect example of what a romantic comedy should be.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for the advanced ebook. Thank you to Lauren Layne for the heartwarming joy. Everyone go pick up a copy on pub day. You won’t regret it.

Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne is another one of her wonderful romances. We meet our heroine, Violet Townsend, who grew up living a privileged life in the Upper East Side of Manhattan; her parents died when she was a child, and lived with her grandmother, who passed away when she was an adult. Violet loved the life she lived, always wearing the right clothes, shoes, as well as being well liked by everyone. Violet worked closely with Edith, her grandmother’s best friend, who treats her like her own granddaughter; Edith owns a multibillion-dollar business, The Rhodes Company. To Violet’s surprise, Edith gives her an impossible task: to train Edith’s newly discovered grandson (who lived in Louisiana, and doesn’t want to be here), how to fit in with the elite of New York and eventually take his place as heir. Needless to say, Violet has her hands full.

Cain Stone, our hero, was also surprised to find out about being Edith’s grandson, and is he was a bit grumpy early on, not eager to listen to either lady; especially since he was happy in New Orleans, but he knew he couldn’t ignore the possibility of becoming a billionaire. Violet goes above and beyond to teach Cain how to act, as well as how to dress to make a good appearance, since he will need to eventually interview with the Rhodes Board of Directors. They clashed often, with Cain acting resentful, impatient, rough around the edges, and wanting to do things his way.

The more time they spend together, each begins to learn more about each other, and find common grounds; respecting each other, leading to slow burn opposites attract romance. I really liked Violet, and despite his smugness and complaints, she began to find him more charming each passing day, not to mention hot. I did not care too much for Cain in the beginning, but he too started falling for Violet, as well as listen more to his grandmother, by the last half I really started liking him. Layne gives us some great secondary characters, with Edith, Avery, Alvin and of course Violet cute adorable dog (who Cain kept calling ‘Toto’)

What follows is a sweet slow build romance between two unlikely people. Made in Manhattan was a fun, enjoyable, uplifting, fast paced story that was very well written by Lauren Layne. I absolutely loved the wonderful epilogue which left me smiling. I have enjoyed everything I have read by Layne, as she writes such wonderful fun pure romances. If you enjoy pure romances, great couples, and secondary characters, you should read this story. If you have not read Lauren Layne, you need to start now.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Made in Manhattan is a wonderful romance between Manhattanite, Violet Townsend and native Louisianian, Cain Stone.

When Violet's adopted grandmother asks Violet to teach her long lost grandson how to fit into the the upper echelons of New York society, she's determined to do everything she can to accomplish that goal. But Cain has no interest in being a willing participant of this makeover and they end up butting heads at every step of the way. But with each conflict, they look past their own judgements and start to truly see one another for who they are.

Their mutual respect soon to turn into something a whole lot more, and they begin to realize that there's more to life than just the lives they've been living.

Lauren Layne has always been great at writing stories about the socialites of NY and this one was no different! From page one, Violet had me hooked into her story. It was a perfect mix of growth, love and learning to accept the unexpected!

This was single POV and while I would have loved to get both POV's, it worked for this book cause a major part of it was Violet's own personal growth. He journey from being the perfect example of a socialite to walking down her own road even of it was off the beaten path, was truly wonderful to see.

I adored the way Cain pushed her to find herself and supported her through everything and vice versa. There were a lot of really sweet moments between the two and that epilogue was the cutest part of the whole book!

I'd recommend this if you're looking for an opposites attract, enemies to lovers story that's a little Gossip Girl mixed in with some French Quarter magic, and a whole lot of love!

Lauren Layne does it again!

I want to live in the New York City she writes about. It always feel like falling into a lovely dream.

Made in Manhattan tells the story of socialite Violet Townsend who is tasked with helping Cain Stone, the secret son of a recently deceased wealthy playboy, who is set to inherit a billion dollar company. Though they are initially constantly at odds, they quickly learn that there is more to both of them than meets the eye.

I didn't expect to love this as much as I did but I was smiling the whole time! Even though I could tell what was going to happen next every time, I had such a fun time reading this. Violet and Cain both start off as carbon copies of their stereotypes, spoiled but nice rich girl and couldn't care less bad boy, they have so much depth to them.

Violet struggles with defining in her world after having lost all of her family and Cain is angry at after thinking that his newfound grandmother may have only found him now so he can take over the company as CEO and continue the family legacy.

But the part that shines the most in this book is the insane chemistry between Violet and Cain. Every scene between the two of them is so charged that I was screaming at them to just kiss already!

But aside from the hot tension, these two opposite attract lovers learn to like each other before they love each other and I appreciate that more than anything.

Jump into Layne's perfect world and experience the magic she is able to weave in every word she writes.

3.5 out of 5. Its a really cute romance. I love My fair Lady, so I was going to dig an adaptation of it, but once I rad it I was very surprised that I liked how much it differed from My Fair Lady, and that is a good thing! The characters were cute, even if a bit stereotypical, but they had some solid growth and the tension was very well written. A really cute quick read romance book

Ohh this one hurts. I love Lauren Layne. I really do. Her last book blew me away and I fell in love. This one however...

Told in the format of a reverse My Fair Lady (which who doesn't love Audrey?!?), Violet Townsend is tasked by her grandmas best friend to turn her newly found grandson Caine Stone into a reserved upperclass man in order to take over her company. Violet is quiet, reserved, and the perfect person to tame rough Louisiana native Caine into the perfect Park Avenue CEO.

I was SO EXCITED to get into this one. That unbridled excitement may have led to the massive let down I felt while reading this one. I couldn't connect with really anyone. Violet had zero personality of her own. Everything down to her dishes and I'm sure toilet paper was an exact replica of her grandmas. And Caine. The idea of who he could be was quite hot. A sexy southern man who loves to get his hands dirty and the most classy thing he wears is his clean t-shirt as opposed to his dirty ones. Let's not pretend a man who works with his hand isn't hot. Only problem was. Caine isn't hot. He's rude. Just nasty. He seems almost like a character of what a rough Louisiana man could be only made into someone who no one would be attracted to. And him and Violet together was truly not at all believable. Their zero chemistry didn't add anything to the book either. All in all this one was a dud. I hated posting this because again. I ADORE Lauren Layne. And I'll pick up her next book because she's a wonderful author. This one just didn't do it for me.

⭐⭐/5

Thank you to Gallery Books, NetGalley, and Lauren Layne for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Another great book by this author. I loved the characters and the setting.

I loved LL’s novel last year, so I was very excited to get into this one!
I thought it was cute, but it didn’t blow me away.
I found Cain irritating and never really got his charm. He’s just flat out rude. I don’t get why Violet liked him.
However, I liked Violet’s transformation through the novel. She deserved someone better though.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Made in Manhattan follows the story of Violet Townsend and Cain Stone. A reverse « My fair Lady ». Violet, a polished, sometimes judgmental Socialist, is asked by her grandma’s dear friend to teach Caine Stone; the newly discovered grandson and sole heir to the family company; how to fit in with New York city’s elite to impress the board and get the job as the CEO of the family company.

Where to start? Lauren Layne is my favorite author for a reason and she reminds me with every new release of hers why. Her stories have the perfect amount of story development, intrigue, chemistry, witty banter and heart warming moments to make you forget for a moment your troubles while you turn the page eager for the next line.

I have to confess that I’ve never watched My Fairy Lady but I did some research (google) before starting Made in Manhattan.

What a way to start 2022 ! I picked this book as my first read for this year and I'm glad I did ! I loved Made in Manhattan. I admit I didn’t like how snobbish Violet was at first but I respected how self aware she was and how even in her most judgmental moments she wasn’t cruel. I loved how while Violet was training and molding Cain to be the perfect Heir, she started to see herself clearly and ask herself what she really wanted.

Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck, he agrees to his Gradma's request but he makes it hard for Violet at times. Cain Challenges Violet, which brings another side to Violet, a side she didn’t know she had or she simply forgot about it. I loved how Cain remained true to himself while trying to explore the new world of Socialists and blue blood. The witty banter entretained me but what I adored most is the tender moments between them and Cain's small actions that showed his sweetness under his rugged exterior. Oh and the sexual tension was there. HOT.

Made in Manhattan is the perfect romance for Valentine or any time you want to read a good romance.

A reverse "My Fair Lady," where a rich Upper East Side young woman is asked to groom a young man to take over a massive corporation. While I did appreciate the fact that Layne jumped right into the plot, it also felt very abrupt. I enjoyed this book as I read it, but I didn't find anything particularly memorable about it.

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

Violet knows all the ins and outs of New York and is well-known among her high-end community. But what happens when Edith, her grandmother’s best friend, tasks her with turning Cain, Edith’s long-lost grandson, into a prospective president of a super fancy company?

Loved the premise of the story! We’ve got a heroine from the posh, upper-class New York crowd who mingles with the grumpy man from Louisiana. Being two worlds apart, naturally, they clash immediately.

I want to be Violet’s friend. She’s kind, caring, and sweet. And I loved watching her transform into the fierce, decisive woman I came to love and adore. And then there was Cain. Oh, Cain. ❤️

Will definitely be purchasing this book when it comes out on January 18, 2022!

Being the softy that I am and loving romance novels above all, this book warmed me heart. Not only was it a quick read, it flowed easily and Violet and Cain's bickering was soo funny, there was so much chemistry between them it was just so GOOD to read, especially as the first read of the year.

Violet finds out through Edith, who is like a grandmother to her, that she found out she has a grandson, and he's getting the keys to the business and becoming CEO, but he needs to look the part and act the part to get there. Violet is the perfect person for the job. But Cain is going to make sure that he makes her life very challenging, he is so different, very laid back and NOTHING like what Edith thinks is acceptable in NYC prestige terms. But Cain see's right through Violet, and also sees that she is not her true genuine self, she also is a product of what others think she should be all packaged into something cute and proper.

This book was a joy to read and the transformation between them is amazing. Be who you want to be who cares about anyone else. Thanks Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

4 Magical Stars
* * * * * Spoiler Free-A Quick Review
This starts out as a very easy deal. A simple make-over. Society woman needs to coach, instruct, and redress a man who is the long-lost grandson of the woman's mentor. He is the "fish out of water in NYC", and the grandmother wants him to take over the family business. The man has a life in New Orleans and wants nothing to do with the "grooming".

When these two people have to be together, we start to see it is not just the man who is learning about himself and NYC. Our gal becomes more aware of how restricted she has made her life, how more it could be and learns to let go and live.

This one was cute and fun.

Honestly it made me wistful for New York. I enjoyed the relationship between Violet and Cain grow. The banter was excellent.

It’s a quick easy read. And overall just an enjoyable experience.

My Fair Lady was a new premise for me. I’ve never seen the movie or any movie that is based on it (to my knowledge), but I did enjoy this version. Part of me has always loved the glamour that goes along with life of New York’s elite. So reading a story, that had great character growth, about trying to fit in or our f that world was interesting.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster for letting read an advance copy of this and allowing me to give an honest review.

Familiar enemies to lovers trope but it was a fun read.. The dialogue was good and the tension was believable.

Lauren Layne is the author introduced me to world or contemporary romance so I was eager to read her latest novel Made in Manhattan.

Violet is the picture-perfect Manhattan socialite. From her tiny purse dog named coco to the pearls she wears every day. She has an outfit for every occasion and always has the best manners no matter what is thrown at her. Everyone knows they can count on her to lend a helping hand, especially her grandmother like friend Edith. When Violet meets Edith's long lost grandson, she might regret being so helpful when. Cain Stone is a seemingly rough-around-the-edges Southern man who's thrust into the New York life when his unknown family's billion dollar empire is dangled before him. Who's tasked with helping assimilate to New York life? His polar opposite, Violet.

This book has it all. Sunshine and grump, enemy to lovers, opposites attract romance.. Cain and Violet's banter was gleeful the character development on both parts while painfully slow, bordering on the frustrating it was well done and realistic. this book is that the opposites stay opposite, The only complaint I have is I felt the ending wrapped up a little too quickly after the long slow burn buildup.

Overall, Made in Manhattan is a great breezy read, and if you enjoy Lauren Layne, you will not be disappointed. thank you NetGalley and the published for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was an easy to read rom-com.

I enjoyed the characters but felt like the plot got a little lost or, perhaps, was a little too rushed at parts. I would recommend it if you enjoy romance novels.

3.5/5 stars

Violet and Cain are polar opposites. She was raised with a silver spoon in her mouth with the finer things in life, however she loves to help and give back. Edith has been a surrogate grandmother to Violet for years and when she is summoned to Edith's house, she is shocked to see a strange man at her house, a long lost grandson, Cain.

Cain was raised in Louisiana and has worked for everything he has,. When Cain mysteriously arrives in NYC to take over his grandmother's company, Violet is on a mission to turn blue collar Cain into the Wall Street Man everyone expects, Cain is very rough around the edges and wants to earn his spot at the head of the table. I fell for Cain immediately. Cain makes a great book boyfriend!

I loved everything about this book. We had 2 head strong characters from the start who both knew what they wanted. I am a huge fan of Lauren Layne's book and this did not disappoint. I always get excited when I find out she has a new release. Please keep them coming! .