4⭐
Genre ~ contemporary romance
Series ~ Cold Springs #2
Others in the series ~ The Wrong Bridesmaid #1
Setting ~ Cold Springs (not sure what state we're in, but I think it's on the East Coast)
Publication date ~ December 12, 2023
Est page Count ~ 285 (p+ 28 chapters +e)
Audio length ~ 10 hours 10 minutes
Narrators ~ CJ Bloom, Ryan West
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ small town, lawyer, construction worker, fast burn to slow burn, miscommunication, second chance, some steamage, no 3rd act breakup

The prologue starts us off with a bang (literally) with Jesse & Wren in a friends with benefits situation. and then nada for a bit.

We've met the awful Jed already, who is Wren's uncle and Jesse's boss and currently going through a divorce because he cheated on wife, Chrissy, with a much younger lady who is now pregnant. Why am I telling you all this, well because this takes up a big part of the book, more so then the actual romance, which I really wish wasn't the case because I really liked these two. Jesse & Wren, not Jed & Chrissy because they were both a hot mess.

Jesse is a possessive, jealous, yet sweet alpha, and I loved him. He's a foreman at a construction company and cared so much about his guys. I was mad at him though for acting like he wasn't worthy of Wren because of his job. Hello, where would we be without blue collar workers? We wouldn't have a house to live in for one. And all the muscles from all the labor is not necessarily a bad thing either.

Wren is the towns's lawyer and really showed her smarts and skills to do what's best for her small town. She's fierce, strong and independent. I could have went without the other man drama with Chrissy's lawyer, Oliver, but I suppose the story wouldn't be complete without it.

Like I said above the divorce is a big part of the book, but when these two were on page the chemistry was burning my kindle. There is the dreaded miscommunication, but that's dealt with pretty early, so we didn't wait around too long for them to get their act together, speaking of act...no 3rd act breakup, hallelujah.

Overall, I liked this one much more than the last one, but I just wish there was less messy divorce and more budding romance for this contemporary romance. I, also, like how the main side characters ~ Avery & Winston and Hazel & Wyatt ~ are progressing with their lives.

Series notes:
Not a continuation per say, but all the characters we have already met are heavily involved here, so I'd say more enjoyable to read The Wrong Bridesmaid first. Here's my review if you're interested.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.

absolutely loved jesse and wren, they were perfect together. i loved their dynamic and banter, their chemistry was fantastic! it was so well written and their dynamic was so perfect, couldnt put this one down !

“He’s enough for me. And I’m not too much for him. We’re perfect, and together, we’re even better.”

The Wrong Guy was an entertaining read with fun characters and a lot of heart. Wren and Jesse’s push and pull relationship was full of tension and heat and I loved watching them band together to fight for their town.

“This is what I want. A man who wants me, not for the boxes I check, but because I’m a blend of just-right and all-wrong.”

Wren was tough as nails and so smart. I loved how feisty she was and how she used other’s misperceptions about her to her advantage. Jesse was positively swoonworthy with his possessive, alpha personality. He was in awe of Wren and would do anything to make her life a little easier. These two were perfect for each other if only they could learn to communicate.

“Together, we’re perfect, and she can use my rough edges to polish the shine of her diamond all she wants.”

Full of humor, heart, and heat, The Wrong Guy is a fun, flirty read and I really enjoyed watching this small town come together to protect what was theirs. The snarky yet sweet relationship between Jesse and Wren was delightful and the supporting characters were absolute perfection.

Ok so now I’ve got to read The Wrong Bridesmaid! Because I loved
The Wrong Guy by Lauren Landish. This is book two in the Cold Springs series.
A sweet and funny romance with some fun and entertaining characters.
The humorous interactions, intriguing characters and great cast of secondary characters will keep you
entertained. This was a really enjoyable read and the perfect story.

I would like to thank NetGalley and Montlake for the opportunity to read this ahead of its publication date in return for my honest review.

I lurrrrved this book. There is more history if you start with the first book, The Wrong Bridesmaid (it's good, too!), but this can be read as a standalone.

The Wrong Guy is primarily focused on a great storyline with the romantic relationship a close second...but it all works and will keep you gripped to your book/e-reader. I love the girl power and humor in this book - especially Jesse's 'gift' to Oliver in Wren's office. Curious? Do you like intelligent plotting? Like a bit of steam? Grab this book!

Whoa, Jesse and Wren's story is AWESOME!
I couldn't get enough of these two and wanted to keep reading ...
The chemistry, the heat level, the way they fit together and complement each other ... I love their story so, so much!
The plot is intricate and surprised me time and time again, had me laughing out loud, holding my breath and everything in between.
This book is truly a page-turner par excellence and an absolute must-read!

A big thank you to Montlake for providing me with an ARC.

*3.5

This book was interesting. It felt like the romance part was done at about 50% but we still had half the book to go. I don't think the rest of the plot was interesting enough to put the romance on the back-burner. I would have liked this more if it was actually focused on Jesse and Wren.

I received an arc through netgalley.

Opposites attract then save the Town🎉🏘🎊

This plot was pretty original, centering around an epic, messy divorce and the town attorney and builder who look for ways to save the town's affordable homes construction project. On the whole, both the romance and the divorce battle were entertaining, but I felt the story tipped a bit too far to the steamy side for my taste, particularly in the shock beginning and the penultimate chapter which, in my opinion, was unnecessary.

Wren and Jesse had one of those lack of communication things going for over a third of the story and, in this small town where gossip is rife, their cluelessness about each other's feelings seemed a bit farfetched but it made for drama and the lightbulb moment when they both start talking candidly. Hallelujah🙏!

As for Chrissy and Jed Ford, the couple whose split affected most of the town, those two are caricature characters but everyone in town (and I) wanted to pull up a chair on the sidelines and watch their battle to see who won. The only scene related to them that grated on me was the silly baby talk scene with Jesse, Jed and Lucy. Turned my stomach it did😒.

This story had a bunch of secondary town residents who livened things up that helped keep me invested in a plot that stagnated occasionally. I think it's the first time I've read one of the author's romances. I liked it but didn't love it.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

A spicy laugh out loud rom com that will have you tingling in all the right places! This series is so very fun to read, but also difficult when you are trying not to wake anyone in the house with your laughter or trying not to be a disruption in the coffeehouse! The characters are so well written that they literally come alive on the page. The plots are well thought out and totally entertaining. I thought the first book in the series wouldn't be topped as the funniest rom com I've read, but I was wrong. This one is every bit as good and continues the story of the town so very well. I absolutely can't wait to read the next book in the series, at least I hope that there will be a next book as this series is too good to stop now! I do highly recommend that you read the series in order as you will get to know the characters and storyline so much better, not to mention have hours more of laughter and enjoyment!

Rating: 4/5
I received an eARC for my honest opinion.

This is book two of the series, and I didn’t read the first one before reading this one and I had no issues with understanding. So, it can be read as a standalone, but I will be reading the first one now.

This book has everything you would want in a romcom, spice (and good amount of spice), romance, comedy, drama, second chance, and of course some great writing.

I really enjoyed getting to know Wren and Jesse more throughout the book and seeing the character development throughout the book was great and not just for one character but for both. I really enjoyed Wren’s character and I found her to be a strong character, even though she has her flaws like miscommunication and assuming. I enjoyed getting to see a powerhouse strong woman still having insecurities and learning how to deal and talk about them.

Jesse, I mean who wouldn’t want a strong, hunky male that works in construction who can’t get enough of you? Sign me up lol. I loved the banter between these characters and with other side characters as well. I really enjoyed that these two, one who thinks that they don’t have a chance in hell with the other ever again and the other one that is scared to think what a life with them would mean team up together to take down a scandalous corporate takeover all in the name to protect their town and everyone that lives there.

In this book you will get a mix of passion, humor, and determination. Oh, and like I said earlier SPICE!

I really enjoyed rooting for Wren and Jesse and getting to see their love overcome their past.

I want to thank NetGalley and MontLake for the opportunity to review this book.

Rounded up from 3.5
Wren is the city attorney for Cold Springs with a friends-with-benefits arrangement with the well-muscled and very attentive construction worker Jesse. She wants more, but she thinks he's not interested in getting tied down, while he is head over heels in love with her, but he can’t picture a happily ever after. As a scandalous high-profile split escalates from name-calling to corporate takeovers, Wren and Jesse must team up to find a way to protect the people and the town they love.
This best friends with benefits, small town, second chance romance with a touch of mystery is book 2 in the Cold Springs series, but this first one I read by this author, and it definitely can be read as a standalone. It was definitely an entertaining read and a quick one. I loved how badass Wren was. I loved all of the sdte characters (at least the likable ones). I love that there was no third act break up and the spice was good. The only thing I didn't love as much was that the romance part of the book was very secondary to the plot, where the main plot was what was happening with the divorce. But over all I enjoyed the read.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 stars

This is a book that starts off with a literal bang, and then leaves readers trying to put together the pieces of what went wrong. If miscommunication is your thing, you’re going to love this book. If not, this book might not be it. Though, I will say that the miscommunication element is resolved earlier in the book, and the remaining conflicts are mostly external.

Overall, this is a pretty low-angst book that doesn’t have a third act breakup. So if you are looking for something with those elements, this is the book for you.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for the ARC.

Wren and Jesse had a friends with benefits arrangement that ended with neither of them really happy. Wren and Jesse both have feelings for each other but both have their own insecurities that get in their way. Wren’s job gets complicated by a divorce which will affect the entire town. This brings them back together and I was so happy when they spoke to each other and sorted things out between them, but it also threw me a little as it happened pretty early in the story. I was a bit worried what the author might throw at them. I didn’t need to worry, the story involved the whole town coming together to support Wren when she worked out the best solution for (almost) everyone involved. I loved how Jesse was there by Wren’s side, only stepping in when she needed him. Wren was strong, smart, determined with just a little bit of crazy thrown in. Jesses was loving, loyal and just the right amount of possessive. This was a really enjoyable read with characters who really draw you in.

I love Lauren Landish! Her books and characters are great! This one did not disappoint! Jesse and Wren are some of my new favorite characters! They are so fun and I loved reading their story! Keep writing and keep introducing us to some of our favorite couples!

If you want to read something light hearted please go for this book. I am impressed by the witty style of writing. Absolutely enjoyed reading it.

3.5 stars rounded up. More and more I've been seeing a trend of contemporary romances that don't have the third-act breakup. Sometimes these are successful and sometimes these aren't. I don't mind either way as long as the story is compelling. Is there something holding the couple back from fully committing even if they don't break up completely. But in a romance, my expectation is that the romance will be the element driving the plot.
Unfortunately this was not the case in The Wrong Guy. In fact, I don't even think the title is apt given that the couple gets together in the first 1/2 of the story and remains together throughout. The "plot" was what was going to happen with the town construction company and a messy divorce. I'm still not sure why the town lawyer needed to get involved, but apparently she was an integral part of the whole thing. I just wasn't that invested in that part of the story. If you like rich people behaving badly maybe it will intrigue you more. It was a bit too heavy-handed for me.
I did like the couple. The two POVs were a good mix. The chemistry between the couple was good, and I really enjoyed the side characters. I would have loved more scenes with Wren's brothers and Hazel. The steamy scenes were very steamy, which I don't mind, and well done - definitely not cringy in my opinion. Overall, it was an enjoyable if not very memorable read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 2 in a series and I did not read the first book. This book easily stands alone. I totally loved this book. The characters of Jesse and Wren were so awesome. They are both totally into each other but they do not communicate super well. There was a little bit of angst because these two feel they want to be together but they kind get in their own way of making that happen.

I loved Jesse's jealousy and I loved Wren's too. These two are perfect together and everyone knows it but they have to see that too. I loved the supporting characters because without them Jesse and Wren would be still running around in circles. This book had everything from laughter to angst to love and family. It was just so much fun.

The Wrong Guy is a hot upbeat laugh out loud romance with a solid plot and easy flowing storyline with a few unexpected surprise's a charming colorful collection of characters tied to one another through family marriage or friendships this is a great pairing between the sweet alpha male and the kick b**t take no prisoners heroine.

I received a advance readers copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review

This is the second book in the Cold Springs series but can definitely be read as a standalone. This one started off with spice right in the prologue… and it continued that way throughout. We have second chance romance and small town romance compiled into a really cute story. Wren is a very strong and independent woman while Jesse is a hard headed but romantic guy. I really enjoyed their banter and how the tension builds through. The entire town is a pretty awwslme group of people who I think I could really be friends with!

The Wrong Guy was a pretty quick read but I enjoyed the story line and the spice was on point. I even liked the legal drama of an uncles divorce as a side plot. I would definitely recommend this one to my romance lovers.

Book 2 of the series.
Loved this book, it can be read as a standalone as well as part of the series. For me I started with this book instead of the first one which I'm not bothered that I didn't but still makes me want to go back and read it anyway.

Wren and Jesse are a lovely couple and they show how miscommunication can lead to all the wrong assumptions. However when they stand strong they stand it alright.
The twist and turns in the storyline are brilliant and it keeps you on your toes especially with the back storyline including her uncle and his misadventures.

Well worth the 5 stars in my opinion.