Loved it!! It's no secret that I'm a huge Lauren Layne fan and this book is full of all the reason why. A super fun romance with lots of snark, high energy characters and a sharp fresh storyline. Kelly with all her superstitions and quirky ways was just hilarious. Then there's Mark. Patient, kind, swoon worthy Mark just biding his time as Kelly goes through her list of exes looking for her one true love since the psychic told her she had already met him. It seems likes he's been waiting forever for Kelly to see what is right in front of her. Will she finally get it or will he lose her forever?

Definitely a book you want on your reading list. I highly recommend it.

An Ex For Christmas scared me a bit. I'm not a holiday book reader. I tend to stay away from them. BUT its and LL book and I've read the last 15 books she's published. I wasn't about to break my stride. So, hence the me being scared part. Here is what I knew...

The writing would be on point - Check.
The characters would be real and entertaining - double check.
The storyline would be fun and unique - check

I was just worried about the whole holiday thing. I'm the one who does NOT like chirstmas music before Thanksgiving.

But you know what? Kelly was just so perfectly obsessed with Christmas that I loved it. LOVED IT. And the fact that her BFF Mark was not, made it even better. I don't think this book could have been any better. I loved it. I didn't want it to end. Mark was amazing. Kelly was haliarious and I really enjoyed the set up of the book. I wanted to get Mark's POV sooo badly, but I was so happy with the way the book ended.

Full review will appear on Reader's Edyn on 11/09/17 at http://bit.ly/2h7bIaV

Kelly Byrne is crazy superstitious. Unwilling to make decisions for herself, the single school teacher makes her decisions by shaking the Magic 8 Ball. It hasn’t failed her, so why stop using it now? She checks horoscopes and is absolutely in love with the Christmas season. But this year she sends her parents on an Alaskan cruise so she’s going to be spending the season alone. Sure, she’ll have her best friend, Mark – but he is usually the unwilling participant; not to mention super busy with his restaurant. When a stranger tells Kelly that she has already met her forever guy, a plan quickly hatches to track down her ex-boyfriends. Mark is in no way approving of her plan, but keeps getting sucked in to her hair-brained schemes. And unexpectedly, she begins to think of Mark as more than a best-friend. Terrified of screwing up her friendship, she is hesitant to entertain the thoughts. When one thing leads to another, she knows it is only fleeting. Mark is never in a relationship long, so this has to be temporary. But what does a girl do when her forever guy starts to look like her best friend instead of a former boyfriend?

Mark Blakely is the freaking perfect guy. He’s been Kelly’s best friend since school and he’s watched the wrong guys come and go over and over, like a broken record – but he’s biding his time. He doesn’t want to ruin their friendship either, but he knows they’ll have their chance eventually. He just has to time things right. Kelly is single and so is he … again … so it’s time to fight for her and force her to see who has been there all along. She thinks he isn’t interested and that he is only wanting a fling, but she’s wrong. Her confounded scheme is wrong; that crazy lady who gave her the idea to track down her ex’s is wrong; her inability to see him as the one is wrong. He’s got to prove to her that he’s right … that he’s the only one there has even been. But first, he’s got to figure out how to make her superstitions work in his favor and he’s got a plan- but so does she. And Christmas is the perfect time to pull this miracle off.

I have to admit, when I read this blurb, I was expecting something different than the spectacular characters I encountered. My mind had come up with an expectation of the plot, but Ms. Layne crafted something completely different and gloriously beautiful. Best friends to lovers can go both ways, but this worked terrifically. Mark’s seriousness and Kelly’s quirky superstition blended wonderfully. Both of them complete opposites in many ways only made them that much better for one another – complimenting each other instead of highlighting their deficiencies. Kelly is a bit of a Christmas nut, and paired with her belief in the trusty Magic 8 Ball and horoscopes, she’s a bit much to take. But something about her whimsical behaviors makes her more adorable than crazy and Mark knows exactly how to handle her. Not to mention he’s a great cook with a successful restaurant – I mean if I had a list, that would be a major qualifying point for a perfect guy.

I can’t even think of a complaint with this book other than the lack of depth with the supporting characters. The secondary characters were mostly surface, but they helped bring in a bit of depth that kept the story from containing solely the main characters. As support, the secondary characters served their purpose. While a couple of the Ex’s weren’t too terrible, others were gross and chauvinistic – to the point where I wondered why Kelly even bothered. If one of them had been Mr. Right --- I shudder to think it. I mean Kelly and Mark are stubborn and it takes a bit for them to have a “real” conversation. But also, I think they were afraid to explore this new side to their relationship because the fear of loss if something went wrong was stronger than wanting to take the risk initially. For Mark and Kelly, being best friends before lovers was a terrific thing for them. While they still experienced second thoughts and doubts about taking their relationship up a notch, deep down they had a connection that many relationships lack. Their characters were endearing and their story alluring. You couldn’t help but root for them. Ultimately, I am glad I went with my initial instinct and reviewed this book. Despite the holiday theme, I feel like you could read this book at ay time of year and still find it enjoyable. And for those of you who adore Love Actually and watch it several times over the season without fail (myself included), you will appreciate the references within this story. I might even go so far as to calling this a favorite read for the season that I will bring out each year in the spirit of getting the holiday feel-good rolling. You can bet I will be reading more from Ms. Layne in the future.

Kindle version provided by Random House/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne is an interesting story set around Christmas time. We find Kelly Byrne going home for Christmas having sent her parents on a cruise ( a present from her) and convincing them that she would be fine celebrating Christmas on her own. She's not really going to be alone, she has Mark Blakely her best friend and his family to celebrate the season. As she's leaving the city to go home for the holidays, she runs into an old woman who tells she will find her true love if she just looks at someone she already knows. Now the fun begins as she thinks the person is one of here ex lovers and makes plans to contact before Christmas so she can have love for Christmas day. Arriving home she tells her best friend what has happened and what she plans to do not realizing that it's really her best friend she should be looking at and the best laid plans often go astray (with a little help). Still clueless Kelly continues on with her plan until her BFF, terribly hurt, hits back with the truth. The story is light hearted and is an easy read. I enjoyed the interaction of the two best friends and the interesting fixation that Kelly has that drives Mark crazy and the fact that they share a dog named Rigby.

An Ex for Christmas was my first Christmas novel this year and I LOVED it!!!!

Do you like hallmark Christmas movies? If yes, this book is for you!!

Do you like friends to lovers trope? You are at the right spot.

Not only does Lauren Layne bring her trademark wit, she also wrote two amazing characters that started out as best friends but became eventually so much more.

Best Friends

Do you believe that platonic friendships between men and women are possible?

I wonder if platonic friendships are not in fact built on sexual attraction or at least repressed attraction on one or more sides of the equation.

In the case of Kelly and Mark, it looked on the outside as if they had it all figured out. They had been best friends for years, ever since they were seniors in high school. Nowadays they shared a backyard as well as a dog. It sounded like they had it all perfectly thought through until Kelly decided that finding the ONE right before Christmas was the thing to do.

Dating hilarity ensued….

There is often a reason why former relationships end. But after Kelly was told that she already met her ONE she decided to go on a mission to find the one that got away. LOL. Of course that never works out the way it’s planned. With each date Kelly went on, Mark got a little more annoyed and aggravated and Kelly on the other hand got a little more frustrated and anxious that Christmas was coming up and she still hadn’t found the ONE.

The ONE

Mark would have been my ONE too.

He was a chef, not much of a talker, hot as hell, but unfortunately was friend-zoned from the very beginning. I truly felt for him. He was a dream guy. He indulged all of Kelly’s craziness, was there whenever she needed him, and he knew her inside and out. And most of all he loved her.

But it wouldn’t have been a Christmas hallmark kind of novel without some sort of conflict. The physic gave Kelly an idea and Kelly ran with it. With or without Mark’s support. All he could do was watch and hope for his chance to finally come.

The End

An Ex for Christmas was exactly what I hoped for. It was light hearted, featuring a wonderfully charismatic couple, with lots of sparkling and fun dialogues and a plot that was entertaining until the very end.

Two festive thumps up!!

Love the storyline and the flow of the book. Couldn't put it down . Looking for ward to reading more from this author.

When a psychic tells superstitious Kelly Byrne that her true love is someone she's already met, Kelly is determined to figure out who it is before Christmas. Going home for the holidays provides Kelly with the perfect opportunity to connect with her old loves, much to her best friend, Mark's disapproval.

Mark has waited for Kelly for ten years through one terrible relationship after another, but time has never been on their side when it comes to him telling her how he feels. This Christmas season, as Kelly is searching for "the one", Mark is determined to either tell Kelly how he feels or to move on. Will they both be able to get their act together before Christmas morning.

An Ex for Christmas was pretty much the perfect holiday read. It did a great job of encompassing the magical feeling of the holidays as well as making sure to add in all the trimmings of the holiday season essentials (buying a tree, decorating, snow, etc) - hearkening back to the classics such as A Christmas Carol and newer classics like Love, Actually - without feeling too overwhelming or jam-packed.

For the most part, I loved Kelly's quirky dedication to the superstitious, but I did feel like, towards the end especially, she relied on it too much. I'm sure some could argue that she used it as a comfort mechanism as it was something she could rely upon without having to give over her heart completely but I really was just ready for her to step outside of what she believed and started to see other possibilities.

It was really obvious that Mark was in love with Kelly so I'm a little skeptical about how she couldn't have figured it out sooner within their ten year friendship, but I did feel like Lauren Layne showed the layers of their friendship very well. Within the relatively short read, the foundation for Mark and Kelly's relationship was solidly built.

Besides a very few minor qualms, An Ex for Christmas hit all the right spots for me. It was a light, and often hilarious read. When I wasn't outright laughing I could be found reading with a huge grin on my face. I think this is the perfect read going into the holiday season. Just the type to cuddle up on a cold night with a blanket and something hot to drink.

The fatalistic Kelly and her equally pragmatic BFF, Mark, will regale readers with their story of fate, ex-lovers, mistletoe and happy ever afters. Who knew the magic 8 ball could potentially run your love life?

In An Ex for Christmas, Lauren Layne gives us a great pair of BFFs in the persons of Kelly and Mark. Since high school they have been thick as thieves, close as any siblings and accepting of each others quirks. But Kelly takes the cake when she clearly has gone batty trying to find the love of her life in the next two weeks of the Christmas holiday since that crazy lady on the subway told her so. Mark has always been there for her, supportive, attractive and definitely if she was thinking of him in a romantic way, out of her reach. But when he vehemently says no to her latest scheme, she feels surprised. Until she realizes, that what was right in front of her could be the one she was looking for all along.

I enjoyed reading An Ex for Christmas and I definitely hated Kelly for the duration it took for her to realize what she was doing wrong. Don't get me wrong, this is a heartfelt romance, great in every way and drives home the element of not trusting a magic 8 ball to dictate your love life. And Kelly's action played it beautifully. She seemed callous and not at all cognizant of Mark's feelings but then you start getting the idea that she has been suppressing it for the longest time because she doesn't want to lose him. An Ex for Christmas is a page turner because HEAs are a definite must for a holiday romance!

While this isn't the sexiest story Lauren Layne has ever put out there, it is definitely one of the sweetest and funniest in my opinion. Kelly is the biggest goofball ever and I love that she always has to consult her Magic 8 Ball. It's just one of those quirks that really stands out and I love that Layne included it in this holiday novel. I also loved Mark. He's the peanut butter to her jelly and you can just see how well the mesh even though they are opposites. This book had my heart hoping that Kelly would just open her eyes and see how much Mark cares for her. Overall, super sweet and just a really feel-good novel.

An Ex for Christmas by Lauren Layne ... (Love Unexpectedly) ... A wonderful story of best friends to lovers... Kelly and Mark have be best friends for 10 years... Their houses in their hometown share backyards and they also share a fur baby Rigby... She believes in fate him not so much...this story has all the feels ...so many laughs and a few tears... It should be a Hallmark Christmas movie...I am so glad that I got to preview this on NetGalley...I really enjoyed this book.

This was a sweet and funny romance. I enjoyed every part of this book and I couldn’t get enough of all the funny parts that made it even better. It was a good weekend read. If you want a good ole Christmas book with two people who have a fantastic connection, this is the book for you! Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to review this awesome book!

Kelly and Mark have been best friends for years and even share a fur baby, but they have never crossed that line. Kelly’s a big believer in the Magic 8 ball and unofficial psychic predictions much to Mark’s disgust. When Kelly is told she has already met her true love, she starts trying to locate her former boyfriends instead of looking closer to home. Mark has let Kelly explore her options but he’s ready to take their relationship to the next level. I loved this book, and really enjoyed the characters. They kept me laughing and wanting them to work things out at every turn.

I am a big fan of the authors. This is a stand alone book and her contribution to a Christmas in NY romance. I really loved it and I especially loved the heroine Kelly and her bestie Mark. It is a fantastic holiday romance, 2nd chance at love story and a best friends turning to lovers storyline.

While I LOVED this book there are some things I want to caution you about. One is that it is written in Kelly's view point only. Mark gets one chapter near the end where we hear from him, but thats his only voice in the story. 2nd there are LOTS and LOTS of exes and not just on Kelly's side but also Mark's and a sorta love triangle.

The story was super cute, and Kelly is this adorable, perky woman. She goes home for the holidays but before she can a woman she believes can see the future tells her that she has already met her one true love.

And that starts her holiday quest of figuring out which ex is her true love. Meanwhile she asks her bestie, Mark to help. The story was very sweet, very light reading with a lot of cute people as we go along with Kelly as she reconnects with her former lovers.

3.5 Stars
I'm a fan of both the Oxford and Stilettos series by this author, so I was looking forward to reading this book. So maybe my expectations were too high, because while overall this was fun and cute, I didn't love it. I mean, of course we the readers know where the story is going, but Kelly seemed so willfully blind that I wanted to shake her! And then the stumbling block at the end felt forced and unexpected. Now don't get me wrong, I didn't dislike this book. If I hadn't read any of the authors previous work I probably would have rated it higher, but my hopes were high. This is a quick, light holiday romance, perfect for the Christmas season.

I did a lot of reading catch-up recently while traveling, and this light, seasonal romance went down smoothly.

When eight-ball-consulting Kelly is told by a psychic she encounters in a subway that she will meet the man of her dreams by Christmas, and further, she already knows him, Kelly rushes to her country home to make up a list of her exes and revisit each one.

Naturally, her best friend, Mark, who lives next door (and is so handsome we know right where this is going) is skeptical to the max. But he goes along with her plan, because they are besties. And is there to pat her back (I almost said pat her on the head, though that would imply too much condescension on his part, which isn't the case. If anything, she deserves it, because she is so willfully clueless for so long) when the exes turn out to be very wrong for an entertaining variety of reasons.

We get to know their little town, as everyone ramps up for the Christmas parade. Kelly loves what can only be called the film version of Christmas--not quite commercial, but the sentimental, bright, and colorful aspects, and constantly plays a stream of the most godawful holiday muzak that I had to consciously shut out of my head lest it ear worm me.

This all seems a setup for a superficial heroine, but Layne writes a sympathetic, real Kelly, who has a great deal of love to offer, and who learns from her mistakes. Kelly tries genuinely to be friends with Mark's girlfriends, and one of the strongest threads in the book is the way Kelly and Mark's ex work toward understanding, and even friendship.

There isn't quite as much as Layne's snappy conversations as featured in others of her books, but watching these two come together, step by step, is rewarding for the romance reader who wants to believe that these two characters are a true match for life. Kelly and Mark totally fit that bill.

The only quibble I have is that I would have loved to see Mark's skepticism knocked for a loop with respect to the psychic, who is otherwise pretty much a Plot Motivator. I'd hoped for her to be tied in more, but really, that's a pretty tiny flaw. Overall, it was thoroughly enjoyable if not one of her brighter books.

An amazingly cute, fun and sexy romance about a girl looking for love in the wrong places when the right guy has been there all along.

Spirited, superstitious and a bit wacky Kelly Byrne believes in fate, fortune and psychics. Having been told that she’s met her true love and that she’d be with him by Christmas, she goes on the hunt. Going through her ex-boyfriends list wouldn’t be such a shore if only her heart would cooperate instead of insisting on spending time with her best friend who would never be “the one,” right?

For the past decade, Mark Blakely has loved Kelly from behind their best friend barrier because the timing between them has never been right. He’s lent his shoulder when guys break her heart, he cooks dinner for her, stays with her while she decorates her tree and even half adopted her dog, Rigby. But her ex for Christmas list is just nonsense. Can he convince her that he’s what she’s looking for?

Mark and Kelly’s relationship was absolutely addicting. I just loved the banter between them. It was fun and felt natural in a way that only a true friends can establish. It was infectiously amusing from start to finish. They were there for each other through thick and thin. Ok, it was mostly Mark grumpily but with a ton of affection helping Kelly out, but you no matter what, you felt their bond was as solid as cookies and milk.

It took a while for Kelly to clue into the incredible chemistry between them and a bit more for her to grasp that the depth of their relationship could be so much better is she only gave it a chance, because understandably their friendship was very important to her.

Mark’s love for Kelly was incredibly endearing. Even when he suffered through watching Christmas chick flicks and helped her with her ex list, he always put her happiness first. There’s a special place in my heart for book boyfriends like him.

It took a while for these two to get their act together and there were times when I wanted to throttle Kelly’s Magic 8 ball right along with her, but I was very pleased and incredibly happy with their happily ever after.

Lauren Lane became a fixture in my bookshelf long ago because she never fails to deliver a wonderful story with a great balance between sweet affection, contagious playfulness and appealing romance that has me happily flipping pages.

An Ex for Christmas is a super cute standalone contemporary Christmas romance by Lauren Layne. It is told from the heroine’s point of view and has a happy ending.

This was such a fun book from Ms. Layne and a little like a Hallmark Christmas movie but sexier! The premise is one that we’ve all read many times but there is a fresh and fun feel to the story.

As Kelly is leaving New York where she works during the week for her hometown in upstate NY where she stays each weekend (she has a unique roommate schedule in NY), she meets a woman who tells her she has met her true love. Kelly starts to think of all of her ex’s, and makes plans to reconnect with each to see if there is a spark. Her ‘Magic 8-ball’ addiction is hilarious to help her make decisions.

Kelly and Mark have been best friends for about 10 years and they have both been in relationships with others but are as close as any friends could be. In fact, their previous relationships have suffered at times and their partners were envious and threatened because of their closeness.

As Kelly sees each ex, the results and dialog are hilarious and she is quickly able to mark each person off her list.

She is a chatty person and tells Mark everything and you can tell, just like with many men, that he doesn’t want to hear a lot of what she says. Some crackling hot chemistry starts to emerge between Kelly and Mark but Kelly can only worry about their friendship. She also believes the woman told her that her true love was an ex, so that seems to rule Mark out. Mark is hiding something and I thought it probably interest in Kelly but there’s a secret he hasn’t shared yet.

Kelly considers herself average looking and slightly overweight which irritates Mark when she mentions it. Mark is very handsome and successful as a chef and restaurant owner. It’s funny how Kelly thinks she will cook something but has less than successful results. Mark always knows to be prepared with a meal and he tries out new recipes on Kelly for his restaurant.

As with all of Ms. Layne’s stories, they are entertaining and have great dialogue. This was a sweet story with a little angst but knowing there will be a HEA.

I want to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. I’m a fan of Ms. Layne’s!

For Lauren Layne emotion is a central character. Her tales are stories of courage, instances of heartache and in the case of An Ex for Christmas, comedy in all it's shining glory. Second chances don't come along often but for Mark and Kelly, could the first time end of being the last? Psychics, exes and a best friend are the start of something new. The road to happily ever after is paved with angst, pain and of course an abundance of rain, but in the case of these BFF's can the holiday spirit and a sprig of mistletoe, spice up those cold winter nights? Laughter and romance go hand and hand. Light and airy delight!

3.25-3.5 STARS

When it comes to sappy Christmas stories, I’m a total enthusiast. Thus, as a devoted Lauren Layne fan, I was extremely excited to delve between the pages of her latest novel, “An Ex for Christmas.” Needless to say, I wanted so very much to fall in love with this author’s holiday romance. Sadly, Kelly and Mark’s story fell a bit short of my desired expectations.

- Meet Kelly Byrne… a highly superstitious woman who allows a Magic 8 ball to direct every decision in her life.

- Enter Mark Blakely… Kelly’s pragmatic best friend who barely tolerates her quirky, steadfast obsession.

When a psychic tells Kelly that she has already met her one true love, she ramps up her obsession to a whole new level. Convinced that she’ll unite with “the one” by Christmas, Kelly sets out on a quest to track down all of her ex’s” in a matter of days. Unfortunately for Kelly, she’s completely oblivious to the obvious.

While Mark is everything you could ask for in a book boyfriend (and more), Kelly, in contrast, bordered on annoying. No joke… Kelly’s incessant stubbornness made me want to smack some sense into her on numerous occasions! Still, I found the playful dynamic between Kelly & Mark, sweetly endearing. And while I liked the overall premise, the execution of this story was just not up to this author’s usual standards. So, while I found “An Ex for Christmas” to be a mostly enjoyable read, I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed.