Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review!

A sexy and sweet romance that delivered a worthwhile story. The cover is so eye-catching and is emitting some serious heat between the two characters on it.

Vanessa is still trying to move on with her life after being in an emotionally abusive marriage for twenty years. Even with the best girl friends a gal can have and therapy, at 40 years old she feels lost without direction. Until the charming sheriff of Monroe Hills, Michael Park, unexpectedly turns up at her door.

I admire her greatly for agreeing to help Michael stop her ex from marrying his little sister after all she’s endured. I wouldn’t have blamed her if she’d said no. It’s taken a lot of hard work for Vanessa to get to a place where she can advocate for herself, her worth and what she deserves. She will never let anyone dictate or micromanage her life ever again. I really enjoyed seeing her shine with sass, wit, and confidence.

Michael is a great big brother who, ever since his parents tragic death, has devoted his life to caring for his much younger sister, Cindy. So he only has his sister’s best interest at heart when he goes behind her back to seek Vanessa’s aid. Cindy’s sudden change in behavior and engagement to a man (Vanessa’s terrible ex) who gives him bad vibes sent off too many red flags for him not to do something. What he didn’t expect was feeling a deep attraction to Vanessa, to her wit, her strength, and her curves. Michael’s very protective of those he cares about so it was natural for him to extend that to Vanessa. He’s very easy to like but overstepped quite a few times.

I adore second chance romances, which was one reason I was looking forward to reading this story. Vanessa and Michael are so cute together and have great chemistry. I wanted so much for them to be together and happy and carefree. But their escalating relationship further complicates the inevitable. Vanessa just wants to get her grandmother's ring back and close the door on this dark part of her past, be happy, and have a fulfilling life. Michael wants to keep his sister safe even at the cost of potentially losing her. Comparatively, I think this story was also a (non-romantic) second chance for Michael to let go of the past and go after something that’s just for him and makes him happy.

The author has devised a complex situation that really draws you in. Of all the times to find the love of your life it had to be in the midst of facing your darkest demons and more than likely destroying the good heart of another. Getting involved romantically with each other could complicate things. Throw in forced proximity and an agreement to be temporary friends with benefits, and you’ve got an exceedingly enticing romance. My emotions were held in such excruciating suspense the more Vanessa and Michael got to know each other, fearing the inevitable confrontation and its aftermath. I wasn’t a fan of the moment when things went south because I didn’t think the shock value was worth it and also not fair to Vanessa or Cindy.

The main characters have a great support system in their respective best friends who are equally endearing and likable. And, luckily for us readers, there’s an equal number of conveniently single best friends, which I’m hoping means more books for the other members of The Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club.

"Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man" was better than I could’ve ever imagined. It made my heart happy. If you like second chance and/or forced proximity romances, then you’ll enjoy this fun, heart-warming read.

CW: emotional abuse in a relationship/marriage

There a lot to like about this book. One hot couple with two great characters, multiple cultures represented, two great friendship groups the for me stole the show, some rebuilding after getting out of an abusive relationship, etc. I love how Laquette doesn’t hold back when talking the issues in this. Especially when it comes to abuse.

It a really great read funny, sexy, and emotional. Been in a book slump but I bet I apprecate this one more if I ever get to reread it. Right now giving this 4 stars.

Thanks Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and OrangeSky Audio for this book and audiobook.

5/5
Ummm y’all I have no words I loved this book with my whole heart. I have nothing else to say but go read it u won’t regret it. It kinda gives of dating dr.dil vibes and I loved that book.

I'm conflicted on how to rate this. I LOVED Michael and I liked Vanessa but I especially liked them together. I thought the sex scenes (there are multiple on-page scenes) were well written and riveting - closer to erotica than the average contemporary romance has. I think the story could have really benefited from some breathing room of a few more chapters. I hope all of the friends get their own stories. Sometimes it's too obvious when an author is setting up for future books and at first introduction it seemed that way to me as well but then as the story focused more on Vanessa and Michael.

Michael was almost impossibly hot for Vanessa pretty much immediately (the entire story takes place in under a month). So hot for her that every moment alone was spent with his hand just thinking about her. He was so ready to dive in head first, so quickly, based on not much of anything other than a feeling. It seemed like Michael's desire for Vanessa was the only thing driving him once he knew he had to wait for his sister to return. He had such intense feelings, deeper than his initial lust, I actually sighed a few times. For a fictional man, wonderful! IRL of course it would be a bit scary for either of them to fall so hard in such a short period of time.

The premise fell a little flat for me. For a large chunk of the book I forgot why Vanessa was even in the town in the first place, I forgot about Michael's sister, Vanessa's car - and I was okay with that. That conflict resolved a bit too quickly for the gravity of the issue. I think the book itself is just too short to really tackle something so heavy as emotional abuse but I appreciated how LaQuette didn't turn the story into a "all she needed was the love a good man" story and instead talked about the therapy.

There were some slight things that irked me while reading that don't really take away from the story at all but where else would I bring it up other than a review? I'm not sure why we needed the prologue if Vanessa was just going to say it all again in dialogue, nothing was gained that we didn't uncover and I wonder how it would have read if we would have learned about her past marriage and how she met her friends over the course of the book instead. It was also a bit odd that his friends knew Vanessa was coming but he introduced her to "Vee" and none of them ... got it? Vee sounds like it could have been a nickname (and he does call her this once in private).

From my instagram post with a round-up of recommended reads:

-VANESSA JARED'S GOT A MAN by @la_quette

*Small Town, opposites attract, ride or die friends, lots of 🌶️🌶️🌶️
*Available 9/20

THIS WAS SPICY Y'ALL

2 years ago Vanessa Jared was granted a divorce from her Ex-husband after 20 years of philandering and abuse. In current day she is in a great place and ready for her next chapter after working on herself. She gets a visit from a sheriff of a small town in Pennsylvania. Michael the sheriff's little sister Cindy is newly engaged to Vanessa's dirtbag ex, and he wants Vanessa to go to his town and talk some sense into his sister. Vanessa agrees but not everything goes to plan, and a few surprises may alter how Vanessa sees her life turning out.

Number one at the top of my list is the spice in this book was top notch. The chemistry and connection between the Vanessa and Michael had me squealing. The female friendship was also wonderful. And the small town vibes were there and I loved every side character.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for an eARC in exchange for an honest review

I REALLY like this book. I love how the relationship between Vanessa and Michael unfolded. I love how she handled her past and not let it ruined her future. The chemistry between Vanessa and Michael was magnetic. And the spice in this book is so 🥵. Michael uses Korean terms of affection towards Vanessa and is the cutest thing 🥺. I love the side characters in this book. Adam is one of my favorite side character because doesn’t sugarcoat anything. I love Cree and Janae. They were real and very funny characters. I wish this book was longer though. Overall this was a great read.

What happens when you get the rug pulled out from under the life you’ve built for two decades? A 40-something woman deals with just that in LaQuette’s ‘Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man.’

Vanessa Jared was married for 20 years before her jerk of a husband confesses to his multiple infidelities. Finally seeing his abusive and harmful behaviors for what they are, Vanessa courageously files for divorce and spends the next two years trying to figure out what she really wants out of life. When a handsome sheriff shows up at her door asking if she can help his sister from making the same mistake she did, Vanessa will discover that sometimes the thing you’re looking for is where you least expect it.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The strong female friendships, the character growth, and the chemistry between Vanessa and her sexy sheriff. I loved the rep, mature conversations about consent, and the way that the story as a whole unfolds.

This is my first time reading a novel by LaQuette and it will not be my last. I’m already itching for another story told in this universe.

Thanks to St. Martin’s and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Full disclosure - the cover is what lured me in. I mean what’s not to love about a PoC cast / lead Black woman in a romance novel?!?! Sadly, the romance fell short for me.

Vanessa, a 40-year-old woman is searching for her next steps after having divorced her terrible and emotionally-abusive ex-husband, when Michael contacts her asking her to help him save his sister from the talons of her ex-husband, Karl. Michael is the sheriff of her best friends’ hometown and he’s got no life because he spends all of his time keeping the town / his sister / his friends safe. Vanessa agrees to help him so she can get her grandmas engagement ring back (because of course Karl took it). Things heat up relatively quickly between Vanessa and Michael and they start catching feelings in less than a week(!)

Again, I can’t say I was 100% a fan. I would have liked to see more of everything (more between Michael and his sister, Michael and his friends, Vanessa - what was her backstory? Did I blink and miss it completely? Did she have siblings?, Vanessa’s best friends, etc). Props to the author for writing about a middle aged woman + not talking about her lack of children (!) though.

This was a cute romance I really enjoyed it. I love the chemistry between Michael and Vanessa. It was a cute story about a 40-year-old woman finding love again after divorce in the process of finding herself. I really hope the Author writes a second book about their friends great story.

⚜️My Summary
📚Thank you @netgalley @stmartinspress for sending me this awesome read by @laquette This definitley won't be my last read by Laquette. This book starts off with Vanessa Scott getting divorced from her lying, cheating husband. The book continues to follow her with her name change back to her maiden name Vanessa Jared and life after divorce.

⚜️Can eveyone read this book?

📚Yes

⚜️Would I recommend?

📚Yes, a cute love after divorce story.

Just Read Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was good, but I did not really connect with the characters or the story. I found myself really bored when I was reading because I did not really care about the characters. The romance in this book was ok but it felt a little underdeveloped to me. There is no way they are in love after spending like 3 days together. Overall, it wasn't bad but I personally did not enjoy it. The cover is gorgeous though.

First off the cover is gorgeous!! Interesting read with strong female lead, plenty of heat/ chemistry with the male lead Michael and good supporting characters to round the story out. (3 ⭐️)

I thought this was a good concept in theory and I really wanted to like this one however I think that the plot and romance were very rushed and it could have definitely benefited from being longer.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced copy of VANESSA JARED'S GOT A MAN by LaQuette. I liked how this book went into how Vanessa overcame the emotional abuse she suffered before her divorce, and the group of best friends she made from a divorce support group. I also enjoyed the drama of her LI's sister being engaged to her ex. I actually just wish more of that drama had been in the book. My main issue was, I never got very into the romance and since this book was a romance—that was a problem. I think maybe it just felt too contrived. There were too many convenient things going wrong to force them together, and it wasn't natural enough. I think some convenient things going wrong for that reason is just a part of romance, but this piled on too many at once and broke the believability for me. Overall, there were some aspects I enjoyed still so it gets a middling rating from me.

Finished review coming soon! Review will be posted to Netgalley, retailers, Instagram, and TikTok!

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!

Let me tell you something about this book. As a 33-year-old woman, sometimes reading romance books where the characters are in their 20s can be…tiring. It can be the same problem/solution in every book if you’re reading them back to back.

In Vanessa Jared’s Got A Man, we are introduced to Vanessa who is two years post-divorce, in her 40s and is just trying to figure out where she is in her life. One day, a man appears on her porch. A very fine man named Michael Park. Michael is a small town sheriff, in his 40s and he needs Vanessa’s help.

Vanessa was hesitant to help Michael due to the circumstances surrounding what he needs. She couldn’t let what happened to her, happen to someone else so she agreed to help Michael.

In order to do that though, she had to go to Michael’s small town and possibly face her past as well.

I really enjoyed this book so much! Michael and Vanessa are great characters even with their flaws. They’re also at the age where they know what they want so there weren’t any games. They’ve gone through their fair share of heartache and just want to move forward, possibly with one another. The slow burn was well worth the wait.

I also want to touch on the friendship group that Vanessa is part of. I like when the MFC has a solid friend circle of women that is reflected in a book. It makes for good comedic relief, healthy examples of sisterhood and it balances out the steamy parts.

Thank you @St.Martin’s Press & @NetGalley for the eARC!

Thank you to LaQuette, St. Martin's Press, NetGalley, and GoodReads for providing me with a copy of a advanced reviewer copy in exchange for an honest review!

Strong female lead. Small town romance.

“Black might not crack, but it will sho fade if you don't take care of it, so fix yo' face”

REVIEW:
This book follows Vanessa who has divorced her abusive ex-husband and has now established her new life with her two best friends as the Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club. As Vanessa passes the two year anniversary of freeing herself from her emotionally abusive ex, Sheriff Michael from Monroe Hills shows up asking for Vanessa's help to stop a marriage between his little sister and Vanessa's ex-husband. Will Vanessa be able to convince Michael's sister of how toxic her fiancée is or will Vanessa goal now to discover who she really is along the way?

I love that this book had a strong female lead character who was able to recognize the red flags that eventually escalate to an emotionally abusive relationship and can stand her ground to leave without appearing as a "damsel in distress." Honestly, I felt like the stereotypical gender roles presented in most romance novels were swapped in this book. Michael appeared more as the character stuck in the lust relationship between him and Vanessa and went against everything to fight for their relationship. With that being said, I did not like how Michael's character was portrayed near the end of the book. His character honestly got quite annoying and I felt an almost co-dependent stalker vibe from him. I appreciate that the spice was not overwhelming in this book, given how short of a novel it is, and had the perfect amount throughout to be more plot-driven than smut-driven.

LaQuette stuns the book world with her stellar debut novel.

She goes down a path where few have dared to venture since McMillan wrote “How Stella Got Her Groove Back” Yet LaQuette has risen to the challenge and done just that, by bringing us a novel that deals with “Grown folks’ business” added with a touch of “Badassery”

Story:
Vanessa Jared

40 Something, 2 years Post divorcee, Vanessa Jared has finally been freed of her abusive, no good,
cheating, ex-husband..

She has joined a support group for divorced women, made some wonderful friends and together they have formed the Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club.
.
Entering:
Michael Park

On the second year of being divorced and free of the creep, Karl Sheriff Michael Park appears on Vanessa's doorstep, asking for her help with his sister Cindy.

20 something Cindy has fallen in love with Karl, Vanessa's ex and they are engaged to be married. Michael has been Cindy’s guardian since their parent’s died and he wants to protect her.

When he found out that Vanessa was Karl’s ex, he came there immediately to see if she would talk to Cindy about Karl.

Michael had his suspicions about Karl and by seeing Vanessa he could almost ascertain that he was correct about him.

At first Vanessa was going to brush Michael off. But when she saw the picture of Cindy and noticed Cindy’s engagement ring she almost choked.

Karl had actually stolen her grandmother's ring and given it to another woman. Oh, it was on!

Not only was she going to talk to Cindy, but She was also going to get her grandmother’s ring back.

Vanessa agrees to return to his town to speak to Cindy, but what she did not expect was to stay for

subsequent nights at Michaels home.

Together:
LaQuette knows how to bring the sexual energy between the characters. It was genuine; not like
you were even reading a book.

They did not just immediately have a one-night stand, they actually took time to get to know one another.

(Even though Vanessa is over 40 something, divorced and if she wanted to have a one-night stand, c’est La vie!)

This was not the typical interracial stereotype either, which was an absolute joy. Michael was Korean American. SO, Refreshing!!

LaQuette has made a very relatable character, that I am sure many of us over “40 something” can agree with. Not the rich or abused part, but the divorced after 20 years part.

End::
Michael was exactly what Vanessa needed and Vanessa was exactly what Michael needed!

I loved this book and I hope the author continues to give us more.

Here is to being Divorced and Over 40something!

Savvy, Sexy, Single

#bklyn4life

Thank You NetGalley/LaQuette/St.Martins Press. St. Martins Griffen for this amazing eARC in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are of my own volition.

This book was cute but I found it hard to get into. I had a book hangover at the time I read this so maybe I will try again at a later date!