e-ARC Review: THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE by Lauren Layne

 

Title: The Trouble With Love (Sex, Love, & Stiletto #4)
Author: Lauren Layne
Publishing Date: March 3, 2015 (from Loveswept)
Buy Links: Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo

As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.

As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.

After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.

 

Why did I want to read it?

It’s Emma and Alex’s story! I’ve been waiting for their story since we first met them in Book 2, I think. And this is basically a second-chance romance, a trope that I do enjoy reading very much.

 

What worked for me?

All the FEELS, you guys. ALL. THE. FEELS.

Okay, I’ll try to be coherent now. One of the things that Lauren Layne does so well in her writing is her ability to bring to life all her characters. After reading her book, you not only think you know her characters. You actually know them. And that’s pretty spectacular, don’t you think so. I love this book because I got to know Emma and Alex so much better and knowing them more made me love them more.

We finally learn what their back story and ultimately how they ended up having a cancelled engagement. And this is another thing I love about Lauren Layne. She doesn’t tell us outright what happened to these two that led to their broken engagement. She shows us bits and pieces of the past, laying down the details one by one until we finally get the big and complete picture. It’s that build-up that’s one of the things that gave all. the. FEELS.

Another one is just every single interaction between Emma and Alex. Because you know they share a history and not just any history because these two were engaged once upon a time, each interaction, each exchange between them always carry that emotional tension. There’s no cutting off the connection. There’s no getting away from that connection. And that connection translates so well in the story and with the author’s words that even just looks exchanged are fraught with something, even the put-downs, the indifference, the insults were something.

And another one is the slow-burn romance that this book gives us. You’d be surprised at which percent of the book we finally see some action on that front. But to the great credit of author Lauren Layne, it works so much for this story because of the set-up. The build-up to that can be likened to an unpaved road. You have all these bumps and grooves left to be fixed before everything passes on the road smoothly. And Emma and Alex had a lot of issues and emotional baggage to contend with before they get past their history. But the journey was, for me, heartbreaking at times and every bit profound all the way. I loved it.

 

What did not work for me?

A had only a minor wish with regard to this book and that was to have learned more about how the two fell in love. The focus was more on their engagement and how everything went sour from there and so there weren’t enough glimpses of how they actually fell in love with each other. I was left curious on this part. Nevertheless, I still freakin’ love this book. 🙂

 

My over-all take on it?

I’ve never dared to imagine what Alex and Emma’s story would be like. I just wished there would be one and gosh, Lauren Layne absolutely delivers in this latest book in her Stiletto series. Poignant, emotional, and yet absolutely entertaining, you wouldn’t want to miss this 4th book.

 

My rating:

 

 

Disclaimer: I received an eARC of this book from the author/publisher in exchange  for an honest review. Yes, these are my honest and personal thoughts on this book.

 

 

 

Lauren Layne used to work in e-commerce. She wore cute shoes and big-girl clothes like an adult.

Then she was like, nope, changed into her pajamas and started writing romance novels.

She believes in sarcasm, weekday happy hours, and happily ever after.

Connect with Lauren Layne:

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Goodreads |  Tumbler

 

 

 

 

More Lauren Layne on the blog:

Love the One You’re With (Sex, Love, & Stiletto #2)
Just One Night (Sex, Love, & Stiletto #3)

Only With You (The Best Mistake #1)
Made For You (The Best Mistake #2)

Broken (Redemption #1)

Isn’t She Lovely

Have you read any of Lauren Layne’s books before? Do you enjoy reading second-chance romance? Do you have other books with the same trope that you enjoyed reading?