If Lauren Layne writes a book, I’ll read it. Her banter is witty, the characters are funny, and the drama is non-stop. Her latest release is a holiday rom-com co-written with her husband, Anthony LeDonne. My expectations were high as her husband is a comedian by trade, and Lauren is a comedic writer. I was interested to see how their writing styles would blend.

Emergency Contact is a hilarious Christmas story about two exes who still have feelings for each other. Ambitious attorney Katherine gets a concussion, and her ex-husband Tom is her emergency contact. Despite their animosity, Tom alters his holiday plans to do the right thing and care for her. Katherine flexes her sarcastic muscles, trying to deflect her true feelings, but being around him stirs up feelings she thought she had put to rest.

The story is a quick read filled with hilarious scenes as Katherine and Tom encounter a blizzard thwarting their journey to Tom’s family home. The sexual tension between them pops off the page as they try to navigate their suppressed feelings for each other. I especially liked the truck driver who peppers the story with holiday cheer. This one is for you if you’re looking for a feel-good, funny, festive read.

Lauren Layne has always been such a great palate cleanser for me. I know if I am in a rut, I can pick up any one of her books and just feel better. This book is no exception. I love a good second chance romance and this book just gave me all the warm fuzzies, even moreso with the Christmas setting. Really enjoyed this one!

This was a fun "exes to lovers" romance very reminiscent in parts to the movie Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, which is a favorite of mine.

Through a series of unforeseen circumstances, exes Tom and Katherine end up heading from NYC to Chicago, where Tom's family and girlfriend Lolo await to celebrate Christmas. Tom plans on proposing to Lolo on Christmas Eve...if he can get there.

Very funny with bigger than life characters. I enjoyed this story very much.

I received this advanced reading copy from Net Galley through Blackstone Publishing. My opinions in my review are my own.

I'm a huge fan of Lauren Layne and it's been a hot minute since she had a new book released, so I was excited for this one! It was slightly different from her usual as you can definitely see the comedic moments influenced by LL's hubby's humor. I'm glad the typical LL banter was still there. I enjoyed this second chance romance and loved all the hijinks that ensue! I can definitely see how this story came from a screenplay first because it's definitely got those feel-good, funny rom-com movie vibes.

This book had a fun Planes, Trains, and Automobiles feel with a contemporary Christmas setting. The banter was witty and fun, and I loved the prickliness of the main character. Some of the plot points required some suspension of belief, but overall it was a great seasonal read. I would recommend it to friends who like the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and road trip trope.

Cute story about how after a divorce, Katherine forgot to update her emergency contact. So when, right before Christmas, she gets in a car accident and ends up with a concussion. When they call Tom, her ex, he takes pity on her and tries to help. They have to decide if its better to be apart or together.

Great characters and a fun plot. Really enjoyed this book! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me all the emotions. I laughed at the mess that Katherine and Tom found themselves in but I also felt their pain when they were vulnerable with each other.

Man I am just excited to have Lauren Layne back in action again. I miss her work when I don't have it and nothing feels as comforting to me as slipping into her world again. This did not disappoint even after all the buildup. The same excellent banter, wonderful heroine, and a new flavor for her with the backdrop of Christmas season all leads me to saying this is a must pickup to get in the mood for the season.

This is a second chance , mis-communication , Christmas themed story . And honestly none of them are my favourite trope 🤦‍♀️ yet this book is fun and entertaining and I really enjoyed it 🤷🏼‍♀️

Katherine is an ambitious, 36-year-old attorney who gets a concussion after a nasty car accident, and needs to be monitored for 48 hours. Unfortunately, she failed to update her emergency contact information, so the person called to take care of her is Katherine’s ex-husband, Tom. Tom likes having a plan and a few spreadsheets to boot. He doesn’t like being pulled back into Katherine’s chaotic orbit anymore than Katherine likes having him there, but like it or not, they’re stuck with each other. That is, until he makes it home to Chicago to propose to his new girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

This Murphy’s law, dual POV book is chock-full of witty banter that somehow captures Tom and Katherine’s animosity and affection for each other. It probably has something to do with the fact that this book is written by a husband and wife team, which means you get a more well-rounded view of both characters and their feelings for one another than you might otherwise in a cozy read like this one. Their banter felt real and landed on just on the right side of a romantic relationship as opposed to a brother/sister relationship. The writing really is spot-on.

I wouldn’t necessarily call this a romance because if it were, the reader probably wouldn’t like Tom very much. However, it’s a heartfelt story about what happens when a couple stops communicating and starts making assumptions about each other. It’s about the inconvenience of loving someone who maybe isn’t right for you on paper, but you can’t help loving anyway.

Emergency Contact is a sweet story about reassessing your priorities, and finding your way back to someone you thought you lost forever. For those looking for a lighter, contemporary novel with a bit of romance that still delves into nuanced, adult relationships, this book is for you.

This was such a wholesome, fun holiday romp! Think Planes, Trains & automobiles for the romance set.

I loved the festive holiday vibe, the alternating points of view, the smart dialogue, the witty banter and the loveable, if imperfect, characters. The pitch perfect balance of emotion and laughter, angst and amusement had me laughing and crying right to the last page.

Read if you like:

🎄 Christmas rom com
✈️ forced proximity
🚊 opposites attract
🚍 second chance romance
🚖 closed door romance
🚘 travel humor

I just loved this one and highly recommend! Thanks so much for putting it on my radar @marenreads.

Available now.

My thanks to @blackstonepublishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.

"The Grinch’s heart grew three times on Christmas Day. Mine? I wouldn’t know. It belongs to Tom. And always has."

Rating: 4.5/5

- Holiday romance
- Divorced couple
- Second chance
- Grumpy (her) sunshine (him)
- Dual POV
- Slow burn & no spice
- Narrated by Tim Paige & Brianna Cohen

Katherine and Tom divorced four years ago. But when he gets a phone call two days before Christmas that his ex-wife has been in an accident and he’s still her emergency contact, he goes to help her like the good guy he is. Because she suffered a concussion, he drags her from NYC to Chicago to spend Christmas with his family. But it's not an easy journey to get there. Like everything that could go wrong? It goes wrong.

First off, I was sceptical about the premise of this book, but it surprised me in the best way. Like a book focusing on a divorced couple that's set over less than two days? With the slowest of slow burns imaginable and no spice? Who knew I'd eat it up and listen to the audiobook in less than two days? Not me! There was just something about the way they knew each other intrinsically (even though they didn’t want to admit it) that I couldn’t get enough.

The writing was also SO good. You’ve got witty banter that will make you LOL. An opposing dynamic between pragmatic Katherine ("A softie with a hard candy coating") and charming planner Tom that will just make you instantly fall in love with them. Emotional moments woven into the story that perfectly balance out the humour (yeah, I teared up). Plus, a deep dive into being female and unlikeable that will instantly make you see Katherine in a different light.

I give this 3.5 stars. I laughed out loud so many times and loved Tom and Katherine. I just thought it went on a little too long and became a little hard to believe. The delays were necessary but just too many. Great Christmas romance story of remembering what you miss. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC

**I would like to thank NetGalley, Blackstone Publishing, and Lauren Layne & Anthony Ledonne for an ARC of this book! This is available as of 10/24/23**

I was really excited for this book and it was the holiday romance I was looking forward to the most. Set in the Big Apple, Katherine gets in a car accident, landing in the hospital. She never changed her Emergency Contact after her divorce, so Tom is called in. When they find she can't be left alone and with no one else to help, Tom reluctantly brings her on his journey home to his family. Confusing feelings are brought up and Tom is in a race against time and weather to propose to his girlfriend, who is waiting for him (them) at his parents.

The flow of the writing and storyline read much more like a movie than a good novel. There's lots of transportation issues and other scenes that I think would depict well in a movie. The whole time I was reading, all I could think is I'd actually rather watch the movie than read it.

The characters didn't do much for me. Katherine was incredibly unlikeable to the point that I didn't enjoy reading about her. It felt like the only defining trait for Tom was that he is Kate's ex-husband, other than that, he was totally flat. You know what else was flat? The entire journey of their relationship. Over the course of a couple days (max of 3), they regret their divorce, realize they're still in love with each other, (all of this while his gf of 1 year is waiting at his parents house where he's going to propose), and gf actually decides to break up with him totally out of the blue...like not even mentioned any where else

You also can't blame me for wanting to take a star off for them naming their child Gorby... after a truck driver that they met for a couple hours one night. I would maybe support the "naming after someone who helped bring them together" but the fact that it was Gorby is so far fetched to me.

I've seen a lot of people like Lauren Layne, but this book honestly didn't make me want to read anything else by her.

Also, I understand that this was an ARC and it goes under final revisions and proof reading, but I have never ever been given a book with as many errors as this. Duplicate words, misspellings, completely wrong words, etc. I'm not going to factor this into my review, but it was super disappointing to have such poor quality work distributed.

This delightful holiday romantic comedy had me from the very first chapter. It's a second chance romance, set over Christmas time and involves a terribly unfortunate and prolonged journey. The characters are deep, flawed and real. The plot is unpredictable and exciting. I was invested from the beginning, and I needed to know all the things that had happened and how they shaped the future. I enjoyed both POVs, and couldn't help but laugh out loud at all the antics in this book!

I love Lauren Layne and jumped at the chance to read this second chance, road trip romance that she co-wrote with her comedian husband, Anthony LeDonne. It was all I wanted it to be. Katherine and her husband (ahem, ex-husband), Tom, have been divorced for two years, but she never updated her emergency contact card at work, so he us called when she's in an accident. And she has to go to Chicago with him for the holidays because she can't be left alone and he HAS to get there.

They encountered every mishap they could and their journey rivaled that of John Candy and Steve Martin. It also gave them a chance to revisit their marriage and divorce and see what happened from the other's perspective. I loved the humor and the poignancy of the characters and their connection. I laughed and I got teary. Perfect holiday read!

Thanks to the publisher for sharing a copy with me. All opinions are my own.

Super cute romance novel - friends to enemies to friends again! Loved it. And I love that it was written by real life lovebirds. I also identify well with attorney characters as an attorney myself. Add to your holiday reads pile!

Much like a Hallmark/Ion television rom-com of errors, there are glossy surface moments that help paint the colors and possibilities of a magical holiday scene sprinkled with some sweet, absurd characters and moments that move the story along to our couple's HEA. It was nice and predictable.

Though I would've loved a little more heat, it was an ok read. (Did anyone else's e-copy have a bunch of typographical errors or was it just mine from NetGalley?) Rounding up for 2.5 stars.

I enjoyed every single second I spent with this book!! If you’ve read LL before, it’s got her classic romcom vibes and as always, a great NYC setting. A fast paced, get me home for the holidays story, with every travel mishap you can imagine.

The authors take care to not glaze over the real emotions of a divorced couple forced to readdress their real feelings for each other. Somehow they manage to add the perfect amount of snark and wit to make it both endearing and funny!

What to expect::
•Grinchy x sunshine (she’s the grinch)
•Forced proximity
•He takes care of her
•Rekindled feelings
•Grief
•NYC at the holidays setting
•Travel disasters: think planes, trains, and automobiles
•First person, dual POV
🔥Kissing only

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

{My only warning is that Tom is in a relationship for most of the story and while there is absolutely no cheating, some people might be sensitive to the emotions between him and his ex wife while he is in a committed relationship}

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

lauren layne never disappoints! second chance with reverse sunshine x grumpy IM SEATED

enjoyed this cute holiday romcom so much especially with the hilarious banter between the two main characters! this book was the perfect balance of humor and emotional! even though the book isn’t that long, the book still delivers in well-written characters where the readers are able to connect with, along with an entertaining storyline to keep us turning the page. katherine and tom are too different characters but their dynamic just works where their banter flows as well as their chemistry the two main characters! lauren layne never disappoints! This book was the perfect balance of humor and emotional! Even though, the book isn’t that long, the book still delivers in well-written characters where the readers are able to connect and root for them.