This is my second LaQuette and it will not be my last. First, this book is amazing because the main characters are in their 40s. Y'all we need more 30, 40, 50 year old main characters in romance! They had solid jobs, were strong and confident, and no one had children!!!!! My favorite. Second, this book is great because Vanessa and Michael are HAWT HAWT HAWT. They are hot people. Their sex is hot. Their banter is hot. Everything about them is hot. Lastly, I loved the divorced ex-husband is garbage, let's sabotage him because he's manipulative and we need to save my sister storyline is FAB. This book moves fast, is a quick read, and you'll love it. Now I need Janae and Cree to have their stories with Adam and Derrick. NOW.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for my copy.

I just loved this so much, think this is one of the best romcoms I’ve read,. I love how the friendship and camaraderie between the women in this book, but I most of all loved the chemistry between Michael and Vanessa, the humour is so good too. This is definitely one of my favourites now and I’ll be looking forward to more by the author

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion ,

Vanessa Jared’s Got A Man is a beautiful story of reclaiming and finding oneself. We follow our main character Vanessa two years after her divorce to an abusive man. When sheriff Michael comes knocking requesting her help in stopping his little sister from making the mistake of marrying her ex-husband Vanessa agrees in hope that she is no longer that scared woman she once turned into. What she isn’t looking for is a new man but with Michael anything can happen. I really enjoyed this story both characters were fully flushed out. We really get to know them and see them grow into themselves. I loved Vanessa’s small friend group and how supportive and loving they all were. I liked that they were older because this provided honesty and straightforwardness between our two MCs. It wasn’t a “will they won’t they” there wasn’t silly miscommunication. I enjoyed that. I hope this turns into a series because I would love to see the stories of their respective friend groups explored. This cover is absolutely gorgeous and perfectly represents our two main characters. I gave this read 3.75⭐️

I enjoyed reading Vanessa Jared's Got A Man. This story was very entertaining with great characters. Loved how the ladies had their own group the Savvy, Sexy, and Single Club. The chemistry with Vanessa and Michael was hot. This is a good second chance at romance read. I received an ARC for my honest opinion!!

This book has a strong female main character and is wonderfully spicy. However, I was not the biggest fan of the male main character. The way he uses his job as a sheriff to dig up information of Vanessa and others just gave me a bit of a icky feeling.

Thank you St. Martins Press and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. The storyline is fun and filled with heart. I think Vanessa will be highly relatable to many readers. I really liked Vanessa and Michael. Their chemistry was obvious, and they generated plenty of sparks and steam. This multicultural romance was cute and swoon worthy but also offered a powerful story about empowerment that worked and worked well.

What's it about (in a nutshell):
Vanessa Jared's Got a Man by LaQuette is a second chance at love story with a lot of diversity and heat.

Initial Expectations (before beginning the book):
I can see this is a story with diverse characters by the cover, and I love that. Its cartoonish quality lends to the genre I am expecting: Romantic Comedy. In the blurb, it is called a sexy romantic comedy which, since I'm the fast-forward-through-sexy-scenes Queen, makes me a bit worried. I will also be listening to the audio version and doing a mixed read and listen, so I am always curious about that aspect since audio often goes badly for me. But my mind is open! So I am hopeful as always.

Actual Reading Experience:
What I loved most about this story were the characters. There is just so much to them, and the narration of the audio version just added an extra depth that I enjoyed immensely. It really brought even the support characters to life. But more on that in other sections.
The premise is amusing and also poignant. Vanessa's ex-husband is getting remarried, and Karl told his wife-to-be that his first wife (Vanessa) was dead. His fiancé's brother sensed something was off and investigated Karl, only to discover that his first wife (Vanessa) was alive and kicking. So, he asked her to come to his small town and expose Karl for the liar he is. And what happens next is the story. Some components are laugh-out-loud funny, and others are embarrassingly (for me) explicit and crude. Still, other sections are much more serious and poignant.
In both versions, my only issue with the story is that the sex scenes are incredibly detailed, explicit, and even sometimes crude. That just isn't where my tastes lie, which meant that I "fast-forwarded" or reduced the volume through a significant amount of the story.

Characters:
Vanessa Jared is a forty-something divorcee who survived an emotionally abusive husband. She is now in a stronger place, ready to experience whatever life has in store for her. She is fiercely strong and independent and loves her life as it is. She is not interested in changing anything, or at least that's what she thinks.
Sherriff Michael Park is focused on his worry about his sister, who he knows is marrying the wrong man for her. Since his parents' deaths, he has been protective and stubborn, and it's almost too much for Cindy to bear.

Narration & Pacing:
I absolutely loved the narration of the audio version, and it brought the characters to life for me. The narrator is Denise Wallace.
The pacing is medium. The audio version actually went faster for me than the print version. Still, I think that is because of the entertainment value Denise Wallace brought to it.

Setting:
The story is set in a small town in Pennsylvania that the characters refer to as Mayberry. It's a quaint small town and used very well in the story as being a close-knit and safe place – a real community.

To Read or Not to Read:
If you love the idea of a steamy and diverse romantic comedy, this is one you will want to pick up soon.

This stunning cover drew me to read this book and the fun and sexy story within keep me entertained throughout. If you are looking for a sexy contemporary, with a hero and heroine in their 40s, and a heroine who is finally ready to move on from her 20 year marriage (content notes around an emotionally abusive and controlling relationship), then look no further than Vanessa Jared's Got a Man! LaQuette's writing is fun, understanding and straight forward, well paced with the perfect mix of sexy sensuality. I really enjoyed getting to know these characters, watch them work together and watch the heroine take full control of her life in a beautiful way.

Vanessa was married for 20 years to an emotionally abusive and controlling husband, and on the second anniversary after a messy and long divorce, she is approached by a sheriff wanting her help to convince his sister that her fiance, Vanessa's ex, is not the man she thinks he is. Vanessa at first hesitates but after realizing that the sheriff's sister is wearing her grandmother's ring, she knows this is her opportunity to finally stand up for helpself and move on.

This novel proves it is never to late to fully grow into yourself, it is never to late to start over and it is never to late to find love. LaQuette balances a budding romance with Vanessa's journey of self discovery of who she is now. This novel is sexy and sweet. The hero is fun and interesting, and while he wants to help Vanessa and keep her safe he does learn that she needs to grow and change for herself. The chemistry between these to if very nicely built and LaQuette knows how to write a delightfully steamy scene. Overall LaQuette keeps this book fairly light hearted and fun. Vanessa has some wonderful support in her friends, she is learning to trust a man, and she is finding ways to assert herself and make sure that she is doing what she needs to do in order to be proud of who she is and where she is in life.

If you have never read LaQuette before I would definitely recommend checking this novel out, I think it is a great introduction to her work and will definitely make you interested in exploring her backlist!

I received a free copy of the ebook from Netgalley. All opinions shared are 100% my own.

I really need to do a better job of filtering out novels that are “too sexy” for me because I feel like I’m doing a disservice to the author when I read a “too sexy” ARC for review. It is just not my cup of tea. I admit I skimmed through some pages… and pages… of some pretty detailed scenes of intimacy. So if that is your thing! You will find it here. I can’t really say how well written that part is since I didn’t read it closely and I don’t read enough of it to have a sense of what is good writing and what is bad.

Overall, I think the plot was good and could easily be expanded on into a series about Michael and Vanessa and their band of entertaining and surprisingly non-meddling friends. There were some parts of Vanessa’s character development I struggled with. It was hard for me to believe that someone raised to be so strong and independent by her grandmother could have been so easily manipulated and controlled by her ex-husband. The end of that relationship made sense - needing quite a lot of time to move past her abusive relationship with her ex and find her own sense of self again. However, it seemed odd for her to have gotten in that relationship to start with given how the relationship with her grandmother was portrayed.

While the action of the book is good, it felt like the backstories of both Michael and Vanessa had unnecessarily long periods of no personal development on the part of either character. So the “love at first sight” sort of storyline followed by rapid personal change didn’t ring entirely true. I think the book will resonate with someone who is divorced or otherwise making some mid-life changes. It was good. I don’t regret spending the time to read it, but mostly not my jam. I am probably the wrong reader for this book.

LaQuette's Vanessa Jared's Got a Man is a refreshing romance. Vanessa is a newly divorced woman looking for her purpose in life. She is trying to get her life on track after her abusive relationship of 20-plus years. Her ex-husband was a cheating, lying manipulative man who emotionally abused her once she started to prioritize her wants. At a group session for newly-divorced people, she ends up befriending the ladies who would start The Savvy, Sexy Singles Club with her and keep each other accountable for making progress in their after-divorce lives. Two years after forming the Club, Vanessa still feels like she has not found her purpose when Michael suddenly comes knocking. At the mention of her ex, she walks away but when Michael explains that he needs her help so that his sister doesn't fall into the same trap of marriage with her ex-husband, she feels reluctant to say no. Vanessa ends up in forced proximity with Michael as a result and he wins her over. Vanessa is able to confront her ex, help Michael's sister and make the moves necessary to move on from her past.

After being married to a controlling and unfaithful man for twenty years, Vanessa had had enough, and she divorced him. Fortunately, she had been the accountant for his lucrative business, and she knew where all the money was stashed. So, she became a very wealthy divorcee. While the money was good to have, it wasn't enough. She needed to find herself and a purpose. Suddenly, two years after the divorce a good-looking man appeared at her door asking for her help. His inexperienced sister was engaged to Vanessa's ex-husband, and he wanted Vanessa to tell her exactly what this man was capable of. Granted, this was uncommon request and initially she refused. After a change of heart, she agreed to do this. Could she prevent another woman from being hurt the way she had been?

Masterfully crafted. this story is a delight to read. It is filled with well-developed characters, steamy scenes and lively and witty prose. Packed with emotion and heart, this a story about the power of second chances. Highly recommended.

3.5 stars- Vanessa was destroyed when her husband of 20 plus years doesn’t want to hide his cheating ways and wants to continue the behavior. Now two years later she is still trying to figure out what to do next.

A sexy sheriff shows up wanting her help. His sister is dating her now ex, and he wants Vanessa to tell her just what she’s getting herself into.

When a serious of unfortunate events happen Vanessa and the Sheriff Michael have some time together. Their chemistry is strong and being so close together leads to some super hot scenes.

This had a great female friendship group with hilarious personalities. A few parts lagged for me but it was overall a good story.

Vanessa Jared is divorced, 40, and is trying to make a comeback after the slump she’s in. She’s ready to be savvy and sexy. But when a sexy sheriff Michael shows up asking for her help, she has no idea what’s in store for her.

I really enjoyed the diversity in this story and the characters. I even enjoyed the older second chance. I typically don’t go for those, but this one had so much strength to it. And it has a bit of K-Drama mixed into it, and anyone who knows me knows I love a damn good K-Drama.

The author made the characters and storyline so compelling and addictive. There’s heart and humor in this story

Vanessa Jared's Got a Man by LaQuette was a wonderfully written book about starting over. Single, Savvy and Sexy never looked so good! This book was amazing. I enjoyed the love story of Michael and Vanessa. Starting over done right.

An interesting book. I enjoyed all the characters. Also I appreciate that it was a quick read. What I really liked was that this book was about an age group (40) that doesn’t get a lot of love in the romance genre. The steamy scenes were great and the chemistry was definitely there between the main characters. Overall a fun read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of "Vanessa Jared's Got a Man", written by LaQuette. This novel was released on September 20th, 2022.

Overall, I rated this novel a 3.5/5 stars!

I will admit that this novel was not entirely what I expected, and that I did, in fact, judge a book by it's cover. Oops :) The fact that it was colorful and had diverse characters pictured on it was what drew me in. I was slightly taken aback by the fact that the main character was 40-something, because I am typically used to reading more about people between college-aged and close to 30's. However, that did not completely take away from my experience while reading the book.

She is newly divorced after 20 years of marriage and is trying to recover from the various forms of abuse that she has endured from her ex. She meets Michael in an unexpected way and ends up falling for him.

This book has a lot of my favorite things, but also has some of my not so favorite things. Let’s start with the not great so we can end with all the good this book has to offer.

Third Person POV… I don’t usually read them because I am a visual reader but I like to put myself in the POV of the FMC and that’s hard to do with 3rd person. I feel like I’m creeping into the characters widows haha and the ✨scenes✨ Weren’t as descriptive as I like but still good and a good amount for a contemporary romance.

Now what I liked about the book… if you know me you know I like messy situations and this had the type of mess I love!!! It does seem like insta lovey but I like that about it. They’re also grown folks!!! Like finding love later in life is just as sexy ya know if not sexier cause they usually know what their doing. Even though this is a cop romance( he’s a small town sheriff) it didn’t have no weird shizz. Black FMC!!!!! Love.

This review is all over the place but all of that to say the book was good and I do recommend!

Thanks to ST. MARTIN's PRESS for this book! This was a good enemies to lovers. Romeo and Juliet you could neva!!

Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man by LaQuette tells the story of Vanessa after her divorce and her second chance story. I loved how strong and determined she was and the friendships she has. She had never intentions of seeing her ex again, but when Michael shows up at her door asking for help. Michael loves his sister and will do anything for her. Vanessa did not want to get involved until she saw something she wanted back.

I loved the friendships in the story, the connections and enjoying a story with older characters. Vanessa and Michael never saw the other coming, but I enjoyed reading their journey, together and separately. This was such a charming and emotional story and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Happy reading!

This woman is so due for a good man after her toxic marriage. Who better than the brother of her ex's new fiance, right? The circumstances of their meeting and joining forces only makes their mutual attraction that much harder to resist. An interesting request from a protective brother maybe caught Venessa by surprise, but sometimes the best things come when you don't expect them.
Gotta say the cover really drew me in, so congrats to the artist and it's great to see authors who really pay attention when choosing the cover as the visuals should represent the characters and the story.
Thanks Netgalley for the chance to read this book and give my honest opinion.