Review: Walk of Shame by Lauren Layne

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Review

3.5 “perfectly ridiculous” stars

It’s a case of opposites attract with this book, a sweet, fun, sexy and romantic, (almost) enemies-to-lovers story. This is the fourth book in Lauren Layne’s ‘Love Unexpectedly’ series, but like the earlier books, it’s a complete standalone.

Georgiana ‘Georgie’ Watkins is a pampered heiress whose life is a string of parties, shopping and charming everybody that she comes into contact with. But lately her life has started to feel pointless. She wants more from her life, wants to contribute, wants something meaningful. But in the meantime she is content to focus her attention on the most enjoyable part of her day – teasing her uptight yet gorgeous neighbour, Andrew Mulroney.

Andrew is the city’s most notable divorce attorney. A target of the media, he is a cynical, no-nonsense kind of guy who constantly declares Georgie “ridiculous”. But they both live for their early morning run-ins – usually when he is heading out to start his day and she is coming in from the night before, where they tease and banter, and each and every interaction is wonderfully entertaining.

“What exactly did you do for exercise, Georgiana?” he says, giving me a skeptical look. “Twirl your hair?”
“If I do it vigorously, it counts as cardio.”

Georgie is delightfully flirty, yet Andrew seems immune to her charms. He thinks she’s spoiled, shallow and flighty, she thinks he is uptight and way too serious. But despite their differences they share an attraction that is too strong to ignore.

I pop another piece of donut in my mouth and smile. “It’s fine. I won’t tell a soul you checked me out.”
“I wasn’t—” He clears his throat. “Forget it. You’re ridiculous.”
I’m grinning outright now, because that’s two you’re ridiculouses this morning, and when he takes to repeating himself, I know I’ve successfully gotten under his skin.
Georgie, one; Andrew Mulroney, Esquire, zero.

I really enjoyed the interactions between Georgie and Andrew. Her cheery exuberance is a great match for his serious nature, and their snarky banter is lots of fun to read. And from there it’s a slow slip into something so much more.

Shit. He was screwed. How had this woman gone from being the aggravating menace of his early mornings to the center of everything?

I love an enemies-to-lovers romance, and while these two aren’t exactly enemies, there’s definitely an animosity-tinged chemistry to their relationship. Their love story develops easily, and the passion that always existed between them translates effortlessly between the sheets.

The man whose head moves insistently between my legs is nothing like the buttoned-up lawyer who has spent the past few months ignoring me. This man is raw and primal, his touch sure and possessive, as though every part of me is his and he’s always known it.

I enjoyed these characters. I wasn’t sure how I was going to take to Georgie, but though she’s not exactly relatable, she is very self-aware – she acknowledges that she’s completely spoiled and privileged, but she’s really sweet with a huge heart. And Andrew is a great match for her – the serious, steady influence that she needs to counter her tendency to flightiness.

They both have a lot to learn, with neither of them having experienced a connection like this with anybody ever before, and coming from completely different backgrounds with completely different lives, they need to find their common ground. There is some drama (which I thought was more annoying than anything), and once they get together things move a lightning speed, which meant that I didn’t feel it as strongly as I would have liked. But the book ends in a good place, and I enjoyed seeing Georgie and Andrew find their (slightly cheesy) HEA, and I loved the gorgeous epilogue.

This is a quick, fun read. Predictable, sweet and sexy, I didn’t feel it as much as I was hoping but definitely enjoyable.

3.5 stars.

 

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