It's been two years since Vanessa Jared got divorced and she wants nothing to do with her emotionally abusive ex-husband. That's why she immediately refuses Sheriff Michael Park when he asks her to help keep his younger sister away from Vanessa's ex-husband. But when she finds out that her ex had given her grandmother's ring to Michael's sister, Vanessa is motivated to help Michael and get her ring back in the process.

I read this book purely because of the gorgeous cover. I liked the whole city girl in a small-town vibe this book had going. I also found the hero, heroine, and supporting characters likable. I just wish that the romance was based on something more than insta-lust. The stakes are also pretty low, which is fine. I do enjoy low angst and low stakes romances. But when the stakes are low, the banter and chemistry have to be exceptionally good to keep my attention. And while I did like Michael and Vanessa together, I just didn't get that sizzling chemistry I was expecting.

So overall, I did like this book, but it just didn't leave a lasting impression on me.

Vanessa Jared's Got a Man by LaQuette is a fun, fresh romance that I really enjoyed. Both main characters, Vanessa Jared' and Sheriff Michael Park, are people who want to find love but have been burned before. Their romance blossoms fully in this sassy, sexy tale but not without some humorous mishaps along the way.. Definitely check out this read if you want a light-hearted love story with POC representation that proves you're never too young for a happy ending.

Vanessa Jared's Got A Man is all about one women's journey in self discovery and love. Vanessa Jared was stuck in an unhappy married which was broken up after it was discovered her husband was having an affair. Following the break up of her marriage, she attends a divorce counseling group where she meets two other divorcees' and together they form their own Savvy, Sexy, and Single Club. All three women are in their 40's and are tired of being in the box their former relationship put them in.

The Savvy, Sexy, and Single club have been friends for nearly two years. All three women are still single and have become very supportive of each other. I adored this friendship. They balance each other out and their banter is just so good . They aren't afraid to call each other out either. In the case of Vanessa, her friends begin pushing her towards a new man in her life.

The new man in Sherriff Michael Park and he has come to enlist Vanessa's help in saving his younger sister who has gotten involved with Vanessa's ex-husband. Michael can tell that his sister is in way over her head and that her now fiancé' is nothing but a con artist. And when he looks into him further, he discovers that he is not the widow is is claiming to be. In fact, his ex-wife is a full real women, and Michael cannot keep his eyes off her.

The chemistry between Vanessa and Michael is there right from the beginning. Both of them have not been in relationships for sometime and are not looking to get involved with anyone. Their chemistry is just too hot to ignore though and together they decide mixing business with pleasure might not be such a bad idea after all. They set a deadline that everything will be over once the truth regarding Vanessa's ex-husband is revealed. Except once they start, it becomes obvious that it won't be so easy to let go.

I loved the dynamic between Vanessa and Michael. They were so much fun together. Fun and sexy! There is also an element of diversity in their relationship as Vanessa is African American and Michael is Asian American. They really bring out a different side of each other and remind each other that they have the ability to have fun. Michael has always been one who needs to be in control and protect those around him. In comparison, Vanessa had been so emotionally abused by her ex that she is afraid to full give herself completely into someone else. This leads to a very strong push pull dynamic.

I really hope that Vanessa Jared's Got A Man will be continued in companion novels. The other two ladies in the Savvy, Sexy, and Single club need to get their happily ever after. Plus, Michael has a couple of sweet friends who might be able to help with that. And one of them seems to have a history with one of Vanessa's friends. Oh, this could get very interesting!

After being married for two decades to a man who didn’t respect her or treat her well Vanessa is now divorced and determined to live her life on her terms. As part of her journey, she decides to join a divorce group where she finds an incredible friendship with two other woman who can relate to her experience. All she wants to do is leave her ex in the past until Michael shows up at her door wanting her help to ensure his sister doesn’t follow in her footsteps.

Michael is a Sheriff who is determined to protect his sister from what he believes is a big mistake. He has a bad feeling about her fiancé and believes that the best way to uncover the truth is by meeting the woman who has firsthand experience. All he expected was for her to talk to his sister about the man she was marrying, and he certainly never expected to develop feelings for her.

Neither Vanessa nor Michael are looking for a relationship although their reasons are very different. The interactions between them are humorous, the romance is steamy, Vanessa and Michael are relatable characters and there is a great cast of second characters that add to the story.

My favorite kind of romance.

By the end of the book, I didn’t know who I had a bigger crush on, Michael or Vee! Both characters stole my heart and I was rooting for them throughout the story. LaQuette created a strong female MC that you wanted to jump in and be best friends with.

A very fast paced read that’ll make you laugh and tug at all the right heart strings.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

This was cute! I loved that we had an older couple and it was interracial that wasn't just your stereotypical l BWWM romance. The chemistry was great and the romance was hot. This story was sweet and funny and overall a fun time.

Oh, hello I am an instant fan of LaQuette. I absolutely loved this book. The characters were all so layered with a ton of depth - no shallow characters to be found.

LaQuette gave us the heat between Vanessa and Michael from their meet cute and she never let up. I loved every single second of their interactions.

What a beautiful debut, I cannot wait to read more of LaQuette’s work in the future.

As someone who is in her late 30's and recently went through a divorce, this book felt right up my ally. I can certainly imagine a sexy sheriff on top of that. I certainly wouldn't want to deal with the drama of my ex and his new beau, but I won't put another woman down for doing her thang... I love Michael and Vanessa, but their romance is a little too filled with sparks to feel real, but again, no judgement here.

My favorite part are the friendships both Michael and Vanessa have. Those characters are the real heros. Without them, I wouldn't have laughed out loud. Those women are women I want to go out to the bar with.

Special thanks to the author, stmartinspress & netgalley for my advanced copy.

What a gem this was to read!!! I loved everything about this story from the characters, the premise, and the different topics mentioned that kept me entertained. I didn’t have high expectations which made this even more enjoyable. The beginning did have me thinking one thing but after a few chapters I realized it was going in another direction. The ending was a bit predictable though but it doesn’t take away from the story.

Now the author did well detailing the explicit scenes giving you a lot of spice without all the vulgar language. Just be advised she left nothing to the imagination.

I was even pleased with the fact this was about a 40 plus year old woman who’s experienced a traumatic divorce and was ready to move on with her life. It takes you on a journey of what it’s like for Vanessa after marriage with a dash of drama that follows.

Her newfound love sheriff Michael Parker was exactly what Vanessa needed!!! Although things between them moved rather quickly. When it’s meant to be you can’t fight fate.

There was a lot of diversity with the characters. Even without going into depth I was able to visualize all of them individually. Vanessa and Michael both had amazingly supportive friends which made all of them very likable.

Now this ex-husband was the epitome of trifling she did right by walking away from him.

Overall this was a really cute and fun read I definitely recommend!!!!

As someone who found herself in an 11 year emotionally abusive relationship/marriage, I love when I come across the story’s that explore women who have gone through this and come out the other side with a HEA. I wouldn’t classify this as Insta love but the characters did fall for each other a little sooner than what I typically go for. (I’m more of a slow burn lover) Overall, this was an enjoyable read and can’t wait to read more from this author

***ARC provided by the publisher on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man by LaQuette is a wonderful contemporary romance that offers gripping and endearing characters, small-town charm, and a grounded grown-up romance that I personally have not gotten to read in a romance before.

In the aftermath of a toxic marriage, Vanessa Jared is moving on with her life. Free of her ex-husband’s emotional abuse and isolating machinations and two years removed from her divorce, we find her trying to find her next professional step while celebrating with the two women who helped her through it, Cree and Jenae, women who had their own break ups.

Her world is turned upside down when the attractive sheriff of Monroe Hills shows up on her doorstep and asks for her help in breaking up her sister’s engagement…to her ex-husband.

Honestly I love books with older FMCs, and Vanessa Jared was no exception. What a fun, exciting read that is so much more than a romance (not that being purely a romance is bad by any means; I mean that more as a heads up that this isn't a traditional romance). Michael is the kind of man in a book that I fall in love with a little bit myself and... that definitely always makes a book more enjoyable. I'm excited to see what else LaQuette comes out with.

Just an average romance story that I thought was decent enought. A woman seeking love and finding good love.

I really loved the diversity in this novel. A nice, solid romance that I definitely enjoyed! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was adorable and so much fun! Vanessa Jared’s Got A Man would be an absolute gem of a movie! This book was filled with drama, great romance, and just so much fun. I really enjoyed it and loved that it was able to touch on serious topics in an adult’s world, but also was able to be silly and fun—it’s a hard thing to do having both and doing it so eloquently.

Vanessa Jared's Got a Man is a fun and slightly chaotic (in a good way) read filled with great banter, amazing friendships, a biracial couple, FMC in her 40s and a LOT of drama. I'll be honest that the entire premise of the book is not really believable, but if you know that going in and you like romcoms, you'll enjoy this one!

I enjoyed getting to read a FMC who is older than 22 and post-divorce. It leads to a much different dynamic than a lot of romances out there. I liked how she had this amazing friend group that formed later in life and that are always there for each other! While the love interest, Michael, was a bit overbearing at times, I overall thought he was quite the catch!

This book dealt with quite a few real life issues, which didn't alway fits with the less serious parts, but overall it was well thought out, had great character development, and an excellent diverse contemporary romance!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

Sheriff Michael Park convinces divorcee Vanessa Jared to help him keep his little sister from marrying her no-good ex in LaQuette’s Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man. The novel gets off to an emotionally intense start, dealing with the lingering impacts of Vanessa’s marriage and divorce. Brilliant, courageous, beautiful, stronger than she knows, and a bit lost, Vanessa is on the road to rediscovering herself after years of keeping her needs, dreams, feelings, and desires hidden to become the woman her ex wanted her to be. Meeting and becoming friends with two other amazing Black women recovering from divorce in therapy helps her in this journey. Loyal, loving, dependable, sexy, honorable, and overprotective, Michael quit his job, gave up his life in the city, and moved back home to raise and care for his teenage sister after their parents die in a car accident, making her the focus of his life.

LaQuette’s vibrant writing style, vivid description, lively and authentic dialogue, humor, wit, and emotional narrative draw you in instantly, making the pages fly by. She deftly develops her cast of diverse and relatable characters in this interracial/multicultural romance, with interactions and conversations between the characters that feel natural and genuine. I love that despite the diversity in race/ethnicity among characters and interracial romantic relationships—Vanessa is African American, and Michael is Korean American—the characters’ races are not at issue or a focal point of the story.

Vanessa Jared, a 40-something divorcee, meets two women who become her best friends while rebuilding her life after divorcing her toxic, emotionally abusive, cheating ex-husband. Together they form The Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club and start the “Do Me” portion of their lives. On the second anniversary of her divorce, sheriff Michael Park comes to Vanessa expecting her to help him stop his little sister from marrying her no-good ex. However, Vanessa refuses to help because she’s freed herself from him and never wants to see or be near her ex again. But when Michael shows her a photo of his sister and Vanessa sees that she’s wearing her grandmother’s ring that her ex must have stolen from her, Vanessa is more than willing to help him to recover it. The last thing she expects, however, is to fall in love with Michael in the meantime.

Vanessa and Michael’s relationship is a bit of a slow burn. But the wait is well worth it. LaQuette wonderfully develops their relationship from uneasy allies, to friends, to lovers with flirty, sexy, sweet, and humorous banter. I love Michael and Vanessa’s connection, interactions, sexual chemistry, intimacy, and love scenes, which are sexy AF. Vanessa and Michael don’t shy away from serious conversations but also talk about all kinds of things, with a lot of flirting, innuendo, and fiery chemistry. I love how intensely Michael is feeling Vanessa. While he tries to keep his cool and stay in control, it doesn’t take long for his attraction to her to deepen. Vanessa, on the other hand, is hesitant to get involved with anyone after her experience with her controlling ex. So, Vanessa fiercely fights the attraction—though she’s deeply attracted to Michael from their first meeting. Spending time with him only makes Vanessa respect and care for him, and she wants him even more. But Vanessa can only allow herself to enjoy being with him while she’s in town because she’s not willing to risk her heart or independence. Michael’s relentless need to protect the people he loves, which tends to get out of control, only reinforces her skittishness about pursuing anything romantic with him.

LaQuette does a great job of showing her characters existing and having lives outside of each other while they’re together, which sometimes is missing from romances. I love Vanessa’s friends and their relationship. Their conversations and interactions are insightful, honest, humorous, and so crucial to the revelation and development of Vanessa’s character and the novel. Likewise, Michael’s relationships with his friends and the townspeople are entertaining and enlightening about Michael and his sister, furthering their development and the story.

I like how LaQuette subtly speaks to the stigma of therapy in the Black community and emotionally manipulative/abusive relationships through Vanessa’s situation. Through Michael and his sister’s loss, LaQuette explores grief’s impact on surviving family members and its influence on their personalities and interactions with the people in their lives.

Jared’s Got a Man is an angsty, sexy AF, humorous, steamy, emotional, multicultural/interracial romance. The novel explores themes of self-discovery, letting go of the past, emotional healing and recovery, friendship, learning to trust and open your heart to love again, and making a fresh start after an emotionally abusive relationship. I highly recommend it to readers looking for a steamy, engaging, sexy romance about diverse characters in their 40s.

CW: past emotional abuse/manipulation and control.

Advanced review copy provided by St. Martin’s Griffin via Netgalley for review.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

This cover is hot. Let that be said.

This was about to be a generous three stars but nah.

I will say that the premise of this book is interesting and why I wanted to read it. I expected this to be some sort of revenge/exposé story of Vanessa and Michael against her ex-husband. And … it wasn’t. I can’t even tell you what happened since I couldn’t get invested. The romance in the book would’ve probably been better for me if they bonded over getting Vanessa’s ring back and “saving” Michael’s sister.

As other people (probably) around my age have said, I’m not the audience for this book. It’s more Adult than New Adult.

I LOVE strong female main characters & Vanessa Jared is definitely it. I loved her character in this book so much because she was a force of nature, but had real flaws & struggles. She felt relatable & memorable.

The chemistry between Vanessa and Michael was AMAZING and filled w/ all of the messy moments of forced proximity in a small town (along with some spice).

This was such a fun read & I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Aaaaaagh devoured! The characters feel so real, the writing was great, and the romance was so well done. Highly recommend, will be posting about this on my page!