Lauren Layne did it again.
Books like this, Matt and Sabrina's story, are the reason that she's a favorite author.

You can't help but be drawn to the characters, too their connection, to the relationship that's developed.

There's a lot in this book. Groups of friends, enemies who are really friends who fall in love. A phony relationship between these friends for professional gain. And it's all blended so perfectly that you find yourself drawn into the world from page one. Ian and Lara (from Hot Asset) feel like old friends and spending time with them in this book feels like walking into the house of people you have known forever.

The strength of the story, however, is the characters. Their actions, their reactions, who they are and who they become.

To really enjoy a romance, you have to fall a little in love with the characters so you are invested. There's not an author writing who does a better job and giving readers this romance with the book they are reading. More than once during the book I found myself feeling the perfection of the story, of the emotion, of the way you get to know the characters not only from what they say, but also what they don't say.

The frenemies to lovers in this was wonderful. You can tell they are both scared, Matt and Sabrina both have parents who didn't set the best example growing up of what a relationship should be, so they are scared when they meet the person who is meant for them. Add in a calous phrase that is even more cutting than it should be, and the chance of a relationship is buried in hurt and banter that disguises what they both are too afraid to admit.

What a wonderful ride. This book is a slow burn, but the relationship building keeps it moving quickly and holds the reader's interest. The connection they have, their attraction and passion, is so perfect when you get to it that you won't want it any othet way. Ms. Layne is true to her characters the entire time, and it makes it so easy to be drawn to them and their story.

Nothing about this was a hard sell for me. I loved this book and I recommend it.

I like when an author can surprise me and LL definitely surprised me when it came to Matt and Sabrina. I’ll be honest, their love/hate relationship with benefits sounded like a drama ridden train wreck but I liked Hot Asset (book 1) and I really want to find out what the deal is between Kennedy and Ellie. I was looking at this read as a means to an end but I’m happy to say that I was pleasantly surprised with how this all unfolded. With each encounter, the MCs revealed a bit more of themselves and I ended up really like both Matt and Sabrina. The push and pull and that bit of angst thrown in was well done and kept me glued to the story.

This was way more entertaining than I thought it would be and I’m glad I gave it a chance. Not only did I continue the series, I didn’t miss out on any teasers of Kennedy and Ellie! Bonus points to the author for introducing Jared Lanham. He is another character I hope we get to see more of. Hot billionaire bachelor looking to find a companion to share his life with? Yes, please! His take on marriage and companionship was enough to reel me in.

Would I recommend? Yes, this series is turning out to be really good. For the safety gang this might be border line. I’d say it was safe with exceptions.

Received this book through NetGalley very happy I did. I read the first and liked it. In the middle of the first one it was a bit slow. I was hesitant to start this one. I'm so happy I picked it up anyway. Matt and Sabrina could be so intense. We all know that their hate relationship was based on them being scared. They knew all along that there was something special about the other person.Their sexual chemistry was off the charts. Their story was so relatable and real like.I'm loving this series and can't wait for the next.

PR genius, Sabrina, is tasked with saving the reputation of the man she hates the most; her booty call, Matt Cannon. Both Sabrina and Matt are terrified of the other because they both know that they could be the one to finally break down all of their walls. With simmering chemistry, the two are bound to break the "no touching" rule instituted when Sabrina agrees to help restore Matt's reputation as his pretend girlfriend. The banter between the two and their unexpected love affair was magic, and I will revisit their story again and again.

4 1/2 stars

If it weren’t for writers like Lauren Layne penning funny, intelligent romances with realistic character portrayals, I probably would have stopped reading romances months ago.

We met Sabrina Cross in Hot Asset (my review is here), the first entry in the 21 Wall Street series. She was depicted as a take-no-prisoners type of fixer and Ian’s best friend since they were kids. It was obvious from the get-go that she and Matt Cannon, a colleague and good friend of Ian’s, as well as the hero of Hard Sell, were something more than the casual enemies they appeared.

After a bachelor’s party weekend is observed and written up by a Wall Street Journal reporter, Matt’s reputation is in ruins. Clients leave, his bosses, The Sams, are threatening to dismiss him unless he can find a way to salvage his reputation and seem reliable and “tamed.” Enter Sabrina, charming fixer who seems to know everyone and whom everyone loves, well, except for Matt, of course.

The good thing about Sabrina for Matt is that there is no chance she will fall in love with him when she plays his pretend girlfriend (and vice versa). Ha!

Both Matt and Sabrina are extremely likable characters, hard-working, successful, vulnerable, and realistic. And they sizzle as a couple.

Having just read a slew of mediocre romance novels, I cannot convey the pleasure of reading this one, except to say that if there hadn’t been other things requiring my attention, Hard Sell could easily have been read in one sitting. Everything about it works: the pacing, the characters, the dog (!), and the story (and others elements as well). Layne seemingly effortlessly takes the reader on a roller coaster of smiles and tears, all within a low-on-angst page-turning story proving that once again she is a must-read romance writer.

If you haven’t read any of Lauren Layne’s novels and enjoy intelligent good-humored romances, go now and read one! I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Matt Cameron is known as the wunderkind of Wolfe Investments. At 28 he's the youngest broker on wall street with an impeccable record. That is, until photos are published of Matt in Vegas enjoying himself a little too much. It doesn't matter that the photos were taken while Matt was at a bachelor party and that he wasn't partaking in anything illegal, the rumor mill has already started talking. Matt's bosses give him an ultimatum: cleanup you image ASAP by looking like a settled down man with a girlfriend, or he's fired.

In enters PR maven Sabrina Cross. While Sabrina and Matt have never gotten along particularly well, despite their chemistry being off the charts, she doesn't want to see him lose his job. When Matt comes to her with a proposition: Sabrina pose as his very serious girlfriend until his company's annual gala, she reluctantly agrees. But these two sometime lovers, longtime nemeses may begin to find the charade of their relationship has more truth to it.

I loved the frenemies-to-lovers scenario between Matt and Sabrina. It's very specifically "frenemies" and I like the distinction because it speaks to the fact that even though they have differing opinions about a lot of things and even though they tend to argue they are still friends as evidenced by Sabrina helping Matt with his situation. Even though she takes him on as an official client you can tell it's to put a barrier up between them to try to keep the emotional side of things in check since obviously there is chemistry between them.

Both Matt and sabrina have familial issues that has them convinced that love and marriage is unobtainable and has them their relationships at arm's length, but it's also one of the common threads that ties them together.

So far, Lauren Layne has done a wonderful job with this series. I loved that all the characters are such a tight knit group of friends. That the previous couple didn't just suddenly disappear now that their story is over, but continued to play an important part to the new front and center characters. I can't help but eagerly anticipate, hopefully, Kennedy and Kate's story next.

Lauren Layne has become one of my favorite authors ever since I read Walk of Shame, which to this day is one of my favorite books of all time. So when I saw she had a new series involving hot Wall Street guys I could not wait to read it! I mean, come on, guys in suits! I can't be the only one that pauses and swoons just a little when I see one walking down the street. Add in the fact that Hard Sell is an enemies-to-lovers romance and I was beyond excited.

Now, I'm going to just start off by saying that I didn't end up loving this as much as I thought I would. I'm honestly very surprised about my feelings towards this book because I started out really enjoying it. I don't know if it was because I wanted more angst between Matt and Sabrina since they have this "enemies-with-benefits" relationship in the beginning, or I didn't fully connect with either Matt or Sabrina but something was off for me with this book.

Despite these feelings, there is still a few things in this book that I really enjoyed. One of those being Sabrina Cross. Sabrina is an amazing heroine who has worked her ass off to get where she is today with her career, not letting her childhood define who she is as a person. She finds a formidable adversary in Matt Cannon and holds her own against him every time, not giving into any of his crap while also getting under his skin. I absolutely loved the banter between Matt and Sabrina; Lauren Layne's dialogue  as always was spot on to the point that I was giggling in public at some of the lines between these two. 

The physical connection between these two has been their from the start, hence the "enemies-with-benefits" relationship, but it is the development of their friendship into something more that was a key part of this book and one that happened so naturally. These two may be stubborn-as-hell especially towards each other but it is pretty damn obvious that they are made for each which was so sweet to witness when it finally ended up happening.

Even though, I ended up not enjoying this as much as I thought I would, this book still made my heart flutter. If you are looking for a hilarious yet sweet enemies-to-lovers/fake-relationship romance with a sassy heroine, then check out Hard Sell!

Matt and Sabrina, oh my days yes! I am so glad I got the chance to read this book because I was already so curious about their past and their history.

Matt’s reputation is in danger and therefore he needs Sabrina’s help to straighten him up. However for Matt, it is his chance to get Sabrina back in his life in the best way possible in his eyes. I love the thrill of the chase when it comes to these two. It’s a good feeling and the way these two fit each other makes me smile.

In the end the angst, the drama, the pain it took was definitely worth the time for these to get their happy.

4 stars

Hard Sell puts the second of our wall street whizz kids, Matt, in the spotlight; and not a very flattering one at that.

Following a wild Vegas weekend of partying for his cousin’s bachelor party, Matt finds his job on the line thanks to a less-than-flattering newspaper article. In any business perception is the heart of a good/bad reputation, so when the proverbial shizz hits the fan and clients start dropping like flies, Matt needs a fast image makeover. Unfortunately for Matt the best person for the job also hates him.

Sabrina and Matt have had frenemies with benefits thing going on since they met. the chemistry and attraction have never been a problem; however, Matt’s ability to put his foot in his mouth is another matter. Following their first hook-up, Matt’s lack of tact touched on a raw nerve for Sabrina creating a lasting animosity between the pair. However, Sabrina is the best in the PR world and also best friends with Ian (Hot Asset) who also happens to be BF’s with Matt. As such Matt and Sabrina inevitably cross paths a lot in their friendship groups; to make life easier on their friends, Sabrina agrees to help Matt appear as a dependable boyfriend. Hoping it will ease the tension between them, in more ways than one.

Both Sabrina and Matt are anti-relationship due to their upbringing; although from very different perspectives. I loved Sabrina’s emotional growth throughout Hard Sell, the way in which she accepted her emotions and made herself vulnerable was awe inspiring. Even her mindset regarding failure/rejection as lessons to learn and grow from added a layer of positivity to the occasions negative situation.

Luckily, for both Sabrina and Matt, they have a wonderful circle of friends who aren’t afraid to interfere when they deem it necessary. Providing Matt with the intervention required in order to have the much-needed epiphany about his feelings even if they do scare him, lol.

I am so excited to see what happens when Kennedy is brought to his knees in, Huge Deal!!!!

Was there ever a doubt that this would send you in to a romantic frenzy with one very hot, very sexy, very wealthy, hard working "boy wonder". Matt may have allowed too much of his "boy wonder" antics lose just a bit too much. Wolfe Investments now want him to grow and have his outside life match the hard working life. He needs to settle down. In comes Sabrina.

Matt and Sabrina bring on the intensity. The heat and spice of a relationship that for all intense and purposes is real to the public eye. Behind closed doors there was to be nothing real about it. That say would be the definition of a fake relationship. Watching the two of them dance around who will succumb first was entertaining. Matt and Sabrina back and forth was the clincher. These two together was passionate, intense, and at times funny. The connection between them was what made the a couple for me. It grew as they grew to learn more about the other.

Lauren Layne had not let me down with a read that could be picked up and enjoyed just for the story contained within. Fake relationship or taming of the wolf whichever you want to see on these pages you will most certainly find them. The characters are complementary of each other. The secondary characters allow for you to see a little more and feel an additional level of connection.

#21WallStreet #WolfesofWallStreet #TamingtheWolf #fakerelationship

Hard Sell is the perfect classic romance - all the drama and the feels. There’s an intriguing push and pull between the characters that adds to the tension of the story. And man is there tension! Sabrina and Matt have a sticky history, one that’s painful to relive at first but have to in order to move on. Their history is also the reason they constantly find their back to each other, especially when Matt needs her help. We see their love-hate relationship in Hot Asset, the first in this series. It sets the stage so well for Hard Sell - more of a frenemies to lovers romance! I was so excited to finally find out what happened to Sabrina and Matt, as well as how they turn out. And I was not let down! Rather, I was blown away with Sabrina’s devastating yet strong character, and Matt’s good nature mixed with playful and sexy attitude. Definitely 5 stars!

The second book in the new series, finds us back at the Wolf’s of Wall Street. This time with the youngest broker Matt Cannon who on a trip to Las Vegas had some pictures taken of him and then printed on the Wall Street Journal by Monday morning. Showing up less than bright eyed and cherry and more like still hung over and wrinkled, needing a shower, change of clothes and definitely brushing of the teeth, he has been summoned to the top floor by the Sam’s the owners of the company. Sam and Samantha Wolfe, who proceed with the fun tales of going through said phots and articles in the paper especially with a not so dressed female in his lap also. Thinking that it is over and he can fix it, but no it gets better he has already lost serval clients which means that the firm has lost clients he is given the task to fix this or wait for it he will be fired. This is a complete shock for boy wonder who graduated from high school at 16, college at 22, and then became one of the youngest brokers. Now at 28 he is looking at failure. Spending the rest of the day fixing the mess he created he tries to come up with a way to fix his problem when he arrives at Sabrina Cross door. We meet her in the first book but in this story you really get the behind the scenes of her and what makes her tick. She does agree to help him and though Matt’s character throughout story I really did not care for he never had to build any relationships so he does not understand the words he says or the meaning behind them, until there out of his mouth. The story works and for the most part maybe a rushed ending, maybe I did like it though. This was a good story with the same characters and you do find out about the first book.

Sabrina & Matt.
I am in love with this series and all of the great characters that it follows. Matt and Sabrina have a close knit circle of friends that they run together in. They have danced around their attraction to one another for years. Matt is the youngest and most successful broker at his firm which also means that he is constantly trying to prove himself. Sabrina is a social fixer and very good at her job.
When a bachelor party in Vegas goes a bit wild and compromising pictures arise in the media of Matt he realizes that he needs Sabrina's help. He deicides he needs to choose a woman that can play his fake fiancé that would never fall for him ….Sabrina .He is sure that no matter what happens she would never fall in love with him for heavens sake she doesn't even like him.
Sabrina is up for the biggest challenge and fix of her personal and professional life !
Loved the amazing sexual tension and chemistry with this couple . They had funny and sexy banter and where a joy to read !
~~Michele McMullen ~~

When will Lauren Layne write a bad book? I've been anticipating Matt and Sabrina's story for the longest. There was always this sexual tension there between the two but we were never fully aware of the issues between the two. Layne does a FANTASTIC job with the characters and their relationship in Hard Sell. I was immediately drawn into the characters. Both Matt and Sabrina have their own issues with the other relationships in their lives. They never had the best examples growing up. The connection between the two is sizzling. I could not stop reading the book and was so disappointed when it ended.

I thought this book was pretty funny and sweet. In some ways, it was a typical enemies to lovers story, but the history of their relationship and their vulnerabilities were an interesting twist that kept it from being stale. I thought Matt and Sabrina were really funny and had a lot of chemistry together. I always find the whole fake girlfriend plot to be a bit much, but i can let it go when the rest of the book can overcome that hurdle and be real and interesting.

Hard Sell by Lauren Layne was second novel in the 21 Wall Street series and personally I liked it so much better than the first one. Now, don't get me wrong here, Hot Asset was a good novel, but the chemistry between Matt and Sabrina is amazing. It's one of those enemy-to-lovers type-novels, except Matt and Sabrina were never really enemies, it's more of a "frenemy" type situation.

Sabrina is a strong and independent woman who we met briefly in the first novel as Ian's long time friend, but she's so much more than that. She is the best "fixer" in New York. She has made a name for herself just by knowing the right people and having an excellent judge of character.

Matt is a "boy wonder" when it comes to his job. However, his partying ways may have finally gotten the best of him. When Matt needs Sabrina's help to fix his reputation and save his job, the pretend girlfriend story develops. Begrudgingly, Sabrina accepts the proposition on one condition - no more hookups.

The slow burn between these too is hot! Even the banter between the two of them is as sexy as it is funny. It's clear that the feelings between the two characters is not recent, but have been lingering under the surface for years and years, but they were never given the chance to explore them because of an argument between the two many years ago.

I must say that I didn't want this novel to end, however the final chapter before the epilogue was perfect. It had me grinning so wide and I can not wait for the next novel that will be about Kennedy and Kate.

Highly recommend! 5/5 stars.

4 - 4.5 stars!!

This is the second book in the Wall street series and my first book by the author!!
This is a complete stand alone, And i really enjoyed this book that i cant wait to read the first book in the series!!!
This is an enemies to Lovers romance.. Not the usual typical one, but thoroughly enjoyable one..
Matt and Sabrina actually share a very unique relation.. Enemies with Benefits!!!
An incident in their past had made them bitter towards each other.. They make each other crazy but their attraction towards each other is off the charts!!!
Matt and Sabrina try to avoid each other... However, when Matt lands himself in a situation and ends up in a mess with his employment, he seeks help from Sabrina who is amazing with PR skills..
Matt needs a girl friend for a while to get his reputation intact in his firm Wall Street.. And Sabrina is the only one he trusts with that job!!
Both Matt and Sabrina are not much of believers in relationships and that is the reason they get into this pretending agreement.. However, once they get into the act, they realize they dont hate each other, but actually have more things in common including their past that made them hate relationships n love!!
Eventually they do fall for each other unknowingly and the whole way they realize and get their HEA was awesome!!!
I loved the writing and the flow of the story was so enjoyable that i couldnt stop until i finished it!!!
I cant wait for the next book about Kennedy and Kate!!!

I love the Wall Street guys, Ian, Matt, and Kennedy. We meet everyone in Ian’s story in Hot Asset. Hard Sell is Matt’s story. He’s a cynical workaholic who gets himself in trouble at a bachelor party. His bosses want him to clean up his playboy reputation or loose his job. Ian and Kennedy come up with a plan for Matt to fake a relationship with their mutual friend Sabrina. She’s a fixer of all problems and just as cynical as Matt. And her and Matt have history together, not the sweet kind, either. So she’s perfect for this ruse because no feelings will ever emerge between the two. Now you know what happens of course. But seeing how it plays out for these two is such a treat. It’s funny and sexy and towards the end frustrating. During the whole “relationship,” all the friends give their two cents. Love their roles in this story, too they were all perfect additions. The ending was perfect for Matt and Sabrina. And I hope we get to see a HEA for Kennedy and Kate. I wouldn’t mind a story about Jarod, too.

Matt is a Wall Street wiz kid and he has just been caught in a precarious situation at a bachelor party by a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. He needs to fix his reputation fast, before his clients start jumping ship and there is no better way to do that then to seem like he is in a committed relationship.

Sabrina is the best fixer in town. If you have a problem she knows how to make it go away. She has known Matt for a few years, they even seem to end up in bed together from time to time. It’s not friends with benefits by any means. Matt gets under her skin and it is more like enemies with benefits. This makes her perfect for the role of fake girlfriend.
“And you think that’s me? Your mortal enemy?”
“I want you because you’re my mortal enemy, Sabrina.”
“Why?” His eyes lock on mine. “Because of all the women in my life, you’re the one I can count on to never fall in love with me.”

It is so simple or at least it should be there should be no way that anything becomes of this. But spending time together not fighting is making each see the other in a new light and they just might be more perfect for each other than either knew.
Hell, to be completely honest, I don’t know that he was ever my worst enemy, so much as my biggest threat. The person who I sensed, even from the very beginning, could destroy me. What I didn’t see until recently was how the person with the power to destroy you can also be the one to lift you up.

This a cute enemies to lovers tale and I liked getting into the history of both individuals to see why they have avoided each other until now. Matt’s reluctance for a relationship because of his childhood and current family situation completely made sense.

This is exactly the kind of story I expect for Lauren Layne and she is still my go to for contemporary romance since I know it will be a great blend of cute and funny.

I’m still waiting for Kennedy and Kate to figure out their situation, hopefully that book is next.

This series continues to be super entertaining. We met both Matt and Sabrina in the first book, but this time around Matt needs Sabrina's expertise to repair his damaged reputation. This frienemies-to-lovers story was jammed packed with delicious sexual tension, witty sparring words, and chemistry that lit the book on fire.

Both characters have emotional layered pasts that have them both refusing to fall in love. Too bad they're perfect for each other and this hatred is just a cover for feelings that won't be explored.

Matt and Sabrina continued to amaze me throughout the story with their understanding of each other but their reluctance to explore a real relationship together. But the HEA at the end is well worth the wait. Always entertaining, the Wall Street series keeps getting better, and I can't wait for Kennedy and Kate's story.