After 8 years of waiting...he's got 1 month to make her his.
TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH
The Wedding Belles #3
Lauren Layne
Releasing Oct 18th, 2016
Pocket Books
Sex and the City meets The
Wedding Planner in The Wedding Belles, a contemporary and witty
romance series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any
wedding—but their own.
Alexis
Morgan has spent the past six years devoted to turning her tiny start-up into
Manhattan’s premiere wedding planning company, The Wedding Belles. Now that her
business is thriving, it’s time to turn towards her much neglected personal
life, and Alexis approaches her relationships like she does everything else:
with a plan. Not a part of that plan is Logan Harris, the
silent partner in the Belles, and the one person who’s been there for her since
the very beginning. But Alexis needs someone fun, and Logan’s all business, all
the time—except when a late night at the office ends with an unexpected kiss
that leaves the usually cool and together Alexis reeling.
Logan
has lusted after Alexis since the day he walked into the tiny Harlem apartment
that used to double as her office. But the ambitious wedding planner has always
been untouchable...until now. Alexis has made it clear that she’s on the dating
market—and equally clear that he’s not in the running. But when Alexis finds
herself in need of a date for her sister’s last minute wedding in Florida,
Logan knows it’s the perfect time to show Alexis that there’s more to him than
numbers and spreadsheets—and beneath the pinstripes and glasses lies a hot-blooded
heartthrob. As Florida’s sultry days turn into even hotter nights, Logan’s out
to convince Alexis that the fling of a lifetime could just maybe turn into
forever...
Lauren Layne saved the best for last in the finale for her wonderfully romantic Wedding Belles series. At last, Alexis and Logan get their chance at the (especially in their case) almost elusive happily ever after.
Alexis is a frustrating heroine. You love her, but you want to shake her sometimes. She has always loved weddings and knew that she wanted to be associated with planning weddings as her career. When love let her down with her first love, she focused on creating the best wedding planning business in NYC. Whether dealing with bridezillas or sweet young women, she dedicated herself to creating a brides dream wedding and surrounded herself with a staff of like-minded women as you met in the previous stories.
When she first came to the city, money was tight but fate put a sexy young Brit in her path named Logan. He is attracted to Alexis immediately, but she makes it clear that she isn't interested in anything but her business at this time. So they strike up a friendship and Logan becomes her silent partner. He is such a different type of hero, smart and sexy, and boy he has the patience of a saint! And come on, you know you love a British accent. He hopes that Alexis will truly see him as a man someday. it's been eight years since they met, but things are changing and even saints can sometimes lose hope.
I love how Ms Layne painted the many layers to Alexis. She is so smart and talented and yet lonely. She has kept people at arms length, but the ladies in her life have inched their way into her heart. Burned once in such a personal hurtful manner by love, she has sabotaged her own chance at love especially when he has been right before her eyes.
Whew, what a ride!
This story was such an emotional journey, and really tugged at the heart strings. As frustrating as Alexis was, I really wanted her and Logan to get their chance at forever. What a beautiful end to a sweet romantic series!
“Hello.”
The
sexy British accented startled Alexis out of her thoughts, and she
glanced up, both alarmed and intrigued to find that the face that
awaited her was every bit as appealing as the voice.
The
man was about her age—early, maybe midtwenties—and ridiculously
cute. His hair was dark and maybe just a touch too long, as though he
intended to get a haircut but kept forgetting. The eyes were brown
and friendly, accented by trendy black-framed glasses.
The
chunky cable-knit sweater with elbow patches—for
real—bordered on
dorky, but then, Alexis had always had a soft spot for dorky. He had
a bit of the Clark Kent thing going on, which had always been far
more her type than the overrated Superman.
“Hi,”
she replied quickly, realizing that she’d been staring.
His
smile grew wider as he extended a hand. “Logan Harris.”
Darn.
Even the name was good.
“Alexis,”
she said.
“Does
that come with a last name?” he teased, lowering himself to the
vacant barstool beside her.
“Not
to strange men,” she retorted.
“I
could buy you a drink. Get rid of the ‘strange’ part.”
Alexis’s
smile slipped as she remembered that romance, even flirting, wasn’t
part of her plan. She’d learned the hard way that she could have
one or the other—her own business or a boyfriend—not both. And
even if she wanted the latter, the latter didn’t want her back.
“No
thanks; I’m fine,” she said, letting the slightest amount of
chill enter her voice. The ice-princess treatment, Roxanne called it.
Logan
shrugged, undeterred. “All right then. May I borrow your menu?”
She
nodded, and he picked it up, perusing it for several moments and
paying her no attention.
It
was both a relief and also a bit of an insult, if she was being
entirely honest, to be given up on so easily.
Alexis
tried to turn her attention back to her laptop but watched out of the
corner of her eye as he finally shut the menu, waiting patiently to
catch the bartender’s eye.
“Hi
there,” he said, when the bartender ambled back over. “I’d like
a Stella, and a maybe bite to eat?”
Alexis
didn’t miss the once-over that the bartender gave Logan before the
curvy redhead leaned over the bar, displaying perky boobs as she
clicked her pen and pulled a notepad out of her back pocket.
“Shoot,”
the bartender said flirtatiously, looking a good deal friendlier than
she had when she’d spoken to Alexis.
Not
that Alexis blamed her. A cute Brit could do that to a girl.
“All
right then,” Logan said. “I’d like the burger, medium, with
Swiss. Fish and chips, extra tartar, and . . . how’s your chicken
club?”
The
bartender blinked. “It’s good. But you want all that?”
“I
do. Thank you.”
“Suit
yourself,” she said, scribbling Logan’s order on the pad.
“Hungry?”
Alexis couldn’t resist asking after the bartender moved away.
Logan
gave a sheepish smile. “I’m a recovering student. I sometimes get
so wrapped up in my day that I forget to eat.”
“A
recovering
student. What does that mean?”
He
turned slightly toward her. “Someone’s showing plenty of interest
in a strange
man.”
She
bit her lip. “I’m sorry if I was rude before. I’m just not
really in the market for . . . you know.”
He
gave her an easy smile. “Everyone’s in the market for a friend,
Alexis.”
She
opened her mouth and then shut it as she realized he was right. She
could
use a friend. She’d spent her entire life in Boston and knew almost
nobody in New York. This guy seemed nice and nonthreatening
enough—what would be the harm in a little conversation over dinner?
It had been too long since she’d had somebody to share a meal with.
Logan
seemed to know the moment she capitulated, because he turned more
fully toward her. “A recovering student, Alexis, is a recent
graduate. One who hasn’t quite absorbed that there will be no more
finals, no more requisite all-nighters, and no more dorm sex.”
Alexis
laughed. “Undergrad, then?”
He
gave her a wry look. “How young do I look, darling? MBA from
Columbia. Just finished up end of last year.”
She
felt a little stab of relief that he wasn’t twenty-two.
He
leaned toward her slightly. “Twenty-five next month, just in case
you were wondering. As a
friend.”
She
tried to hide her smile and failed. “Columbia, huh? You’re a long
way from home.”
“Noticed
that, did ya?” He winked. “I came out here for undergrad, also
Columbia. Always figured I’d go back to London and maybe someday I
will, but . . .” He shrugged. “Seems I have stuff to do here
first.”
“Such
as?” She took a sip of her wine, dismayed to see that it was
half-empty.
“Well,
this will probably shock you, given my vast amount of brawn, but I’m
an accountant. Or at least I will be, once I get my business up and
running.”
Alexis
was impressed. “Your own business?”
Most
twentysomethings, even those with an entrepreneurial bent, opted to
get a few years of work under their belts for someone else before
branching out on their own.
He
nodded. “I’m working out of my flat for now, but I’m hoping to
lease some office space soon, get some legitimacy. If nothing else to
get my father off my back.”
“He’s
not a fan of your plan?” Alexis asked.
Logan’s
shoulder lifted, and for the first time he seemed a little sad. “Both
parents have had it in their head that I’d come home. Run the
family business in London.”
“Which
is . . . ?”
He
spun his beer glass idly. “Financial consulting firm. My father’s
the CEO, Mum’s the COO.”
“Wow,
that’s . . .”
“Scary?”
Logan supplied.
“I
was going to say impressive. That they work together—without
killing each other, I mean.”
“They’re
in love. It’s atrocious,” he said with a wink. “What about your
folks?”
Alexis
laughed. “Not
in love. They divorced when I was in high school. Dad’s remarried
and happy now, I think. Mom not so much.”
“And
you?” he said. “Are you happy, Alexis?”
She
pursed her lips, surprised and yet not entirely unsettled by the
personal question. “It’s been a while since anyone asked me that.
Since I even thought about it, really.”
“Think
it out. I’ll wait,” he said with a wink.
She
didn’t have to think that long. “I’m almost
happy.”
“You
sound quite confident on that.”
She
shrugged. “Let’s just say that I need a few things to fall into
place in my professional life, but once that happens . . . yeah. I’ll
be happy.”
She’d
make sure of it.
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Lauren Layne is the USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen romantic comedies. She lives in New York City with her husband (who was her high school sweetheart--cute, right?!) and plus-sized Pomeranian.
In 2011, she ditched her corporate career in Seattle to pursue a full-time writing career in Manhattan, and never looked back.
In her ideal world, every stiletto-wearing, Kate Spade wielding woman would carry a Kindle stocked with Lauren Layne books.
Thank you for taking the time to review TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH today!
ReplyDeleteCrystal, Tasty Book Tours
It's always a pleasure. I loved this series!
DeleteDidn't Alexis make you want to scream at times? I really loved this story!
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