Violet Townsend, the manhattan socialite and ultimate people pleaser has been given a tough task. Violet has been asked to take the unpolished southern boy, Cain Stone and mold him to fit in with Manhattan's elite.

When her grandmother's best friend Edith discovers she has a secret grandson, she enlist Violet to to help her make Cain into CEO approved material so that she will be able to pass down her company to a family member. Violet is unable to say no to Edith even though the tasks seems impossible. From first meeting, Cain is absolutely impossible to deal with and unwilling to cooperate making Violet's predicament worse.

While reading this book it reminded me of a plot from a Rom-Com movie like Drive Me Crazy or Can't Buy Me Love. We have the popular girl taking the unpopular guy under her wing so he can fit in with the cool kids. Don't get me wrong.. I love both those movies, but I expected a little more from this book.

This book was missing something. I feel like I missed the building of the relationship between Cain and Violet. They shared a couple of defining moments but I just wanted there to be more to the actual relationship. I enjoyed the sexual tension that radiated from the beginning of the book. The secual tension gave a nice build up but the deed itself was disappointing.

Both Cain and Violet were annoyingly obtuse. The defining issue between this couple was basic communication. I just feel like this book missed out on the romance and read more like a coming of age story for Violet. Overall it had its cute moment and that is reason enough for the 3 stars. However, I do feel like the end was rushed through and the book's ending was underwhelming.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lauren Layne for providing an ARC copy of this read for me. This book is a flipped retelling of "My Fair Lady." It follows the characters Violet, who lives in the upper east side and Cain who is born and raised in Louisiana. Due to some circumstances Cain comes to New York where Violet is asked to help "teach" him about the culture of the upper East Side and how to navigate it.

I really enjoyed this read. It is a great romance. I enjoyed the character development both as individuals and as a couple. I also liked that there is some spice but not anything to graphic or too spicy. The only thing I wish was different was that we had more time to develop Cain's and Violet's relationship. It felt almost too fast for me. I wanted to read and see more of their development within the society.

Lauren Layne does it again. This story of Cain and Violet was just what I needed. Cain with his grumpiness. Violet discovering what she really wanted out of life. New York and NOLA. Food and friendship. Go read this book!

Made in Manhattan is a perfect title for this gem, a short novel about how life can change in a second. Violet's life has been the same since her parents died, and she lived with her grandmother on the Upper East Side. Violet's home is close to where Edith lives, the woman who took her under her wing when Violet's grandmother passed away. Violet does not need to work but is Edith's unpaid executive assistant in running the Rhodes Company, a global conglomerate left to her by her husband. Edith has recently lost her son, Adam, and her perfect world is coming apart. Violet frequently helps; she loves Edith like a grandmother. She is the closest person in the world to Violet.

Violet does have an active social life with rich women like herself and a steady relationship with another old school friend, Keith. From the beginning, it looks like that relationship is stale, and when an unknown son of Adam shows up after the reading of the will, things start popping! Edith asks Violet to help her new grandson, Cain, get familiar with New York. The first item on Violet's list is to get Cain to a tailor and change up his New Orleans get up for something more sophisticated. And that is where the push and pull of their relationship begins. MIM is a fun and heartfelt novel, and I recommend it for a lovely, fun weekend read. Never give up love, even if it comes with a drawl and scraggly beard.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lauren Layne, and Gallery Books for this ARC.

A few complaints: 1) I didn’t like the “duchess” nickname thing -it tried too hard to be sassy and just was rude; 2) There was quite a lot of falling and being steadied by the waist or arms; 3) The love interest was a little too alpha-male-asshole-stereotype for me to get invested in, and I wasn’t give time to adjust and buy into his maturity; 4) Also lol that someone wearing old jeans in New York is “outsider defiance.”

I did like the main character’s emotional journey, the side characters, and the gender-swapped My Fair Lady premise. I also nostalgically loved the writing style because it reminded me of first generation CW shows.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fun and breezy read. I enjoyed the characters and the NY background. I particularly loved her best friend and her advice on men :)

Violet is the prim and picture-perfect Manhattan socialite, down to the strand of pearls she wears every day. She's used to exhibiting her best manners no matter what and always lending a hand when others need it. She might regret being so helpful when she meets Cain Stone. Cain 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 getting him up to speed? His polar opposite, Violet.

This book is a great read. It's a sweet, opposites attract romance with the best of everything. Cain and Violet's banter was hilarious and so fun to read - I was smiling almost the entire book. The character development on both parts was amazing to see and the most special part of this book is that the opposites stay opposite, Violet doesn't turn into a wild child overnight and Cain doesn't turn into Chuck Bass. But, they learn more about themselves and how what they've been in the past isn't the full picture.

This book was an adorable, gender-bent retelling of My Fair Lady. It is a very easy read, and I flew through it. My issue with the book is that most of the struggle happened off the pages. The struggle is where most of the intrigue and connection to the characters comes from, and because this book was missing it I never felt the deep connection with them. The tension that I have come to love in romance novels only picked up at the end of the book. I do admit that by the end I was reading as fast as I could and feeling that pull that I love. The epilogue wrapped the book up in a sweet and nostalgic way. The book definitely feels like an old romance movie, and it was a wonderful book to read on my holiday break when nostalgia is exactly what I'm looking for.

Violet is the perfect Manhattan socialite. Always perfect in appearance, impeccable manners, the consummate hostess. She is summoned to her grandmother's best friend's house (the closest thing to family that she has). Edith just discovered she has a grandson. Rough, gritty, sexy Cain needs to be polished to fit into the Manhattan scene and Edith thinks Violet is the perfect person to help accomplish that. As Violet works to transform Cain, she realizes that she may not like her perfect life as much as she thought.

I really enjoyed this book. I read it in less than a day- Christmas Eve- a busy day with errands and a family party. Both Violet and Cain are likeable and relatable. I liked both of their transformations.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! I'd recommend it for fans of It Happened One Summer and The Princess Diaries (but reverse and not royal). We follow Violet, who is given the task of reinventing Louisiana-living Cain into elite Manhattan material so that he can take over as CEO of his grandmother's company. I really enjoyed the NYC setting, this was kind of a love letter to the city and I loved seeing Violet show Cain around. The romance was also done really well; Cain is your typical brooding male hero who shows no emotion or excitement, and Violet is the epitome of well-mannered socialite, so they're very different but they work so well together on the page! Violet also goes through some realizations about herself, as does Cain, and I enjoyed that as well--it wasn't the main plot point by any means but it did add some character development. I would recommend this one if you're looking for a light-hearted romance when it comes out!

3.5 stars. I absolutely adore Lauren’s books but this one fell a little flat for me. This one is a self-aware Pygmalion retelling with Upper East Side Violet giving Louisiana-born Cain a makeover and helping him fit into society to take over his long lost grandmother’s business. I say self-aware because Violet calls what she is doing for Cain as the My Fair Lady treatment.
I loved Violet. She’s a Blair Waldorf type a.k.a. exactly the type of heroine that Lauren writes so well. Throughout the book we see her step out of her comfort zone and become her absolute best self. My issue worth this book was Cain. He is an alpha-hole and never changes or grows. Violet deserves better than him.
Overall the book was a quick and easy read, I just wish it had a hero I could get behind. Thank you to @NetGalley and @gallerybooks for the ARC

Lauren Layne has a way of writing that sucks you in for just one sitting. Made in Manhattan is her latest work that makes you feel that you are living in a romantic comedy movie.

Violet has the society, grace and etiquette of a posh person. Losing her parents at a young age, she was raised by her grandmother and grandmother’s close friend: Edith. Edith has a challenge for Violet: change a “bad boy” in cowboy boots from New Orleans to match upper class New York. The man? Cain Stone: disagreeable, set in his ways bachelor.
Violet has less than a calendar year to prove to Edith’s company that Cain should be the CEO. Violet and Cain go on a makeover together that will change at least one person’s world. But are looks the only thing meant to make a lasting impression? Or is the man more than what meets the eye?

Made in Manhattan is sure to delight Lauren Layne fans and fans of romantic comedy. Filled with important characters, classic settings and delightful laughs, this book was an easy read for myself. Read until the end: the epilogue ties things up perfectly!

Lets be honest here... Lauren Layne never disappoints! This charming story just proves that she is a force to be reckoned with in the romance world! Her story's just warm my heart, and leave me feeling good.

I love how I am drawn into the Upper East Side so easily, I can see and picture the whole story in my head from her fabulous descriptions.

Violet needed to relax and Cain needed help to get his chip removed from his shoulder and their pull and push was just the way to get it done! I loved how brawny and manly Cain was (LL writes such manly men and I am here for it), but the help that violet gave him didnt lesson his manliness - if anything it increased it! And for Violet - Cain helped her let her hair down and find what she really wanted to do! As with any LL couple, they were beautifully balanced and played off each other so well.

I will be reading every and any book that Lauren Layne writes!

Retelling of a favorite Musical is something I am always going to be excited for and say yes to! I was super excited for this role reversal in this story! The blurb had me all excited for what was to come! I also am a huge fan of Lauren Layne. She has a magic in her characters that immerse you into their story and leaves you feeling like you are a part of it all.
Cain is the long-lost son of the Rhodes Empire. Cain is from NOLA and is not happy to be in NYC. He is willing to stick it out to see if he has what it takes to run the billion-dollar family business.
Violet has no family left. Her only person she has that she considers family is Edith. Edith has also lost all her family, or so she thought. Edith finds out her son had a son she didn't know about, enter Cain. Edith enlists the help of Violet to get Cain accustomed with the people and places he will need to take over the family business and fit into the NYC Society.
Neither Cain nor Violet want to make the changes. They start to realize they are more related, more so than they ever thought. I was not prepared for the friction between them. Cain was gruff and rough and Violet was prim and proper. Together they had all the sparks of the 4th of July! The push and pull of their relationship was so well down. The evolution of their time together felt natural. I really loved them both as individuals but together they were fantastic! These two were always meant to be!
This book had all the big feels especially the ending! I was not prepared for it, but my heart needed it. I loved this story so much. It is one you want to read it over and over again.

I really love Lauren Layne and will pick up anything of hers. I do struggle with the whole "inspired by" plot lines but My Fair Lady is such a nostalgic movie for me. Having said that, I really did have trouble enjoying these characters and found the plot a little "out there." Still I continue to love the quick plotting and always end up falling for the characters. It's a fun little love story once you get into the book and I enjoyed reading this very much! Another great one!

This story would make a great Lifetime movie. Violet and Cain are perfect for each other. As some would say opposite attracts. However, in my opinion, we always want to learn from our better half. Cain is blunt and honest to a fault, whereas Violet is demure and a high society socialite. This makes for a great story with humor and an eye-opening point of view on both sides. I enjoyed this story and the characters very much.

Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’ve been obsessed with New York City my whole life, so I was excited to read about the elite Manhattan society. This book didn’t disappoint in its descriptions of NYC. I liked Violet and Cain, and I thought the chemistry between them was believable. I found it interesting to see how they changed each other over the course of the story. I would recommend this book to any rom-com fan, particularly those with a penchant for New York.

Pub date: 1/18/22
Genre: romance
In one sentence: Upper East Sider Violet is the picture of propriety - can she turn Louisiana native Cain into the perfect New York gentleman?

Everyone loves a makeover, and this gender-swapped My Fair Lady was a fun ride. I liked Violet a lot - it became clear that she used her NYC etiquette as a shield to protect her from her childhood trauma. I enjoyed seeing her grow and question her assumptions about the world. I liked Cain as well, but his transformation was more physical than emotional (although he did surprise me a few times!)

I'd recommend this one as a cute romcom - it reminded me of some of my fave romcom movies. And of course, who doesn't love a book about NYC?

Thank you to Gallery Books for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read these YET, but they are on my TO READ list and I cannot wait to dig into them!


Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne looks to be a fun story, described as a reverse of My Fair Lady. I was immediately hooked by the synopsis, let me know what you think-

Synopsis:

Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement.

Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman.

But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.

I expect this to be a fun, light novel that is perfect for a cold afternoon!

Raised in New Orleans by a struggling single mom, Cain Stone is the furthest thing from New York elite that one could imagine. Long dark hair held back in a pony tail, large hulking - very nonsuit shoulders - and ripped jeans that he likes just fine. As the long lost grandson of Edith Rhodes, a socialite who runs the family’s billion dollar corporation, Cain is being groomed to keep the Rhodes name alive. Violet Townsend, lovely, polished and politically correct in every possible way, is positioned to help Edith prepare Cain for the interviews, meetings and hopeful role of CEO to follow. At first Violet is merely assisting Edith with what she assumed was a big city makeover; clothes, art, wine lists and which fork to use. But what began as a mere task has turned into much much more. The immediate bickering between Cain and Violet is nothing compared to the magnetic electricity that runs between them at every turn. Violet has been following the rules of society for her entire life. It is only now as Cain awakens all of her senses that she can begin to choose the path of her very own future. Modern day version of My Fair Lady and deliciously enjoyable entertainment for even the most well bred women.