I'm so bummed!

I wanted to give this series a second chance because I have really enjoyed Lauren Layne's books in the past. I didn't connect with the first one, but the blurb on this one thought perhaps it was a fluke and I should try again.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to connect with this story either. I found myself drifting away from it, finding excuses to not read it. I was bored, and skimming ahead to get to the good stuff. In the end, I put it down around 30% and I think I'll have to decide this series is not for me.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review!

Hysterical. Olive is just hysterical!!! Carter is caught up in the tornado that is Olive. It was such a fun storyline, the relatives were all fun, the plot was super sweet and the ending so very satisfying.

Of all the books I read over my holiday, Lauren Layne’s Yours to Keep was my favorite. In fact, it may well be my favorite romance of the year.

Shortstop Carter Ramsey (doesn’t that just sound like a superstar player’s name?!) has just had the worst news of his career. An injury during a game revealed a larger issue, one that could potentially affect his future as a ballplayer. He decides to return to his small upstate New York hometown to regroup and visit his family whom he’s only seen intermittently in the past 10 years.

Amusingly enough, Carter rents a house on the outskirts of town and is a neighbor to his old science lab partner, Olive Dunn. Now, Olive may just be my favorite heroine of any of Layne’s. She’s irreverent and confident. She’s a strong woman with a big voice, and now that high school is a decade past, she seems to be universally loved–and I can totally understand why. Her first post-high school encounter with Carter involves her being covered in green glitter. So much fun.

The banter between Carter and Olive is so funny that I spent quite a bit of the novel smiling or laughing, except when decisions needed to be made because we all know that Carter loves his career and won’t give it up and Olive loves her job and hometown.

This romance goes beyond charming and funny though. I really cared about Carter and Olive, which doesn’t happen that often. I seriously would have happily read hundreds of more pages about them, their friends, and family.

One of the highlights for me was Carter teaching Olive how to play softball. While trying to teach her how to throw, she actually breaks a window behind her. Heh. Funny stuff.

Yep, Yours to Keep is at the top of the romance pile for me this year, and probably in most years. It’s very nearly a perfect (in my opinion) romantic comedy novel.

If you’re looking for an intelligent, funny romance, this is it, especially if you’re like me and have a soft spot for baseball players and eccentric women.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a huge fan of Lauren Layne’s books, and consider a few of them all time favorites, so I am always excited to read another one of her books. Yours to Keep, although sweet and cute, with a lot of Layne’s trademarks, left a little bit to be desired for me. Although not necessarily bad, and in a lot of moments entertaining and fun, the book was a little bit underwhelming compared to the author’s other novels. As a fan of most of the books I’ve already read by her, this unfortunately did not make it as a favorite for me or hit the bar the other ones did.

It was still a good and entertaining novel, with a love of sweet moments and good characters, so I would still recommend, but it’s definitely not a favorite by far.

Yours to Keep by Lauren Layne is another one of her wonderful romances and the 2nd book in her Man of the Year series. We meet Carter Ramsey, our hero, who is a famous professional baseball player who is now sidelined from an injury and will miss the rest of the season. Prior to his injury, he knew that his face will be plastered on all magazines, as he was named The Man of the Year. Carter is a bit depressed about his injury, worrying he may never return to the game he loves. He decides to back to his home town, for a little privacy, and as his pregnant sister tells him that his high school sweetheart is also coming to town. When Carter arrives at his rented house, to his shock he learns that the girl next door is his old lab partner
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Olive Dunn, our heroine, has no qualms of pushing her way into people’s lives, and when she realizes that her temporary next-door neighbor is Carter, she immediately takes over everything that he needs to have done; a rented car, fix the house, make him help her co-chair their high school reunion, etc. The town loves Olive, as she is friends with everyone, and they love her flamboyant way helping others and telling them what to do. Carter is amused how Olive takes control of his life, as she is a whirlwind talking nonstop, that even I got a bit dizzy. But who cannot resist a friend like Olive?

While Carter awaits the arrival of his ex-high school sweetheart that he has not seen for 10 years, he and Olive become friends, as she has him helping her with everything, including fun outings, drinking with old friends. They remember the old days when they were lab partners, and now Olive is a science teacher at their school. Olive is not Carter’s type, but over time he begins to see her in a different light, and enjoys the fun flirty bantering between them. In a short time, Carter realizes he is having fun, enjoying his time with Olive, even if she can be a bit complicated or even over board a few times, but as time goes on, he knows he is falling for her; but he also knows she will never leave town as she loves her job, and he wants to go back to playing baseball. Is there a future for them?

What follows is a slow build romance between two unlikely people. Yours to Keep was a fun, enjoyable, fast paced story that was very well written by Lauren Layne. Olive was a fantastic heroine, and Carter was fun, sweet and hot. The chemistry between them escalated as we got closer to the last 1/3 of the story. If you enjoy pure sweet feel good romances, look no further this Man of the Year series, and a fantastic writer in Lauren Layne.

Yours to Keep is the second book in Lauren Layne's "Man of the Year" series and even if you haven't read the first book in the series, you can enjoy this one without issue.

Carter Ramsey is a major league baseball player that has recently broken his arm which will sideline him for a few months. Couple that with the fact that he's going to be named Citizen's Man of the Year and he isn't looking forward to the next period of time. Carter learns from his twin sister, Caitlyn, that his former high school girlfriend will be returning to their hometown of Haven for their 10th high school class reunion, so he decides to head home for a while.

Olive Dunn has grown up in Haven and is now the science teacher at the same high school she attended. Olive is independent, smart and liked by nearly everyone. She doesn't care what anyone else thinks and she often runs to the beat of her own drum. When Caitlyn needs help with planning their 10th high school class reunion she calls on Olive, who readily agrees.

When Carter ends up renting the house next door to Olive, the two former lab partners, spend time together working on reunion plans and discovering a friendship they hadn't shared a decade previous. The more time they spend together, the more inseparable they become and something else begins to bloom between them. Will Carter's career and need to travel spell the end to what he and Olive have started to create?

I loved how strong Olive was. That was one of the things that stood out about her. She was her own individual and she was comfortable, which is so awesome to see. I also liked Carter a lot because he wasn't like so many professional athletes, he was much more down to earth and he knew what was important to him in the end.

I look forward to the next book in this series!

**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Lately, more of Layne's stories lack the depth and angst I initially fell in love with her writing. Her Redemption series was where I 1st read her writing and I was hooked. This collection doesn't even fall into the Stiletto, Oxford, Wedding Belles -- posh NYC. This was more small town romance.

It was quick, predictable and fun, but I'm hoping for a Layne story that gives me the feels, because there are plenty of small town heartwarming stories from other authors that do it much better.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

After suffering a major injury, MLB star, Carter Ramsey, returns to his hometown to recuperate and contemplate his future. What he didn't anticipate was his former high school lab partner, Olive Dunn, barreling her way back into his life and into his heart.

I found this book so delightful. Both Carter and Olive charmed my pants off, and I had the best time with them.

Carter was the golden boy, who found major league success, but he was reaching an age where success wasn't everything and was looking for more. He found it difficult to make real connections with people, and felt like when they looked at him, all they saw was Carter the baseball player. They never seemed to want to know the man underneath the uniform. There were a few times in the book, when Carter was reflecting on this and it really broke my heart. I felt his loneliness, and to me, Olive was one of the best people to fill that empty space in his life.

Carter may have been the golden boy, but Olive enjoyed just as much status in their hometown. She was energetic and upbeat, and her rosy outlook was contagious. But for all the smiles and sunshine she left in her wake, Olive was very much on her own. She suffered through a string of failed relationships and didn't believe there was anyone out there who would want her in that way. Again, my heart broke.

I simply adored Carter and Olive together. They bantered like champs, and there was also a good deal of heat between them too. I found it easy to fall under their spell and thought they were pure magic together. It was so sweet watching them slowly realize what they saw in each other. Carter was especially precious, because a man that can say such adorable and tender things will always win my heart.

Not only were Carter and Olive fantastic, but I loved being in Haven. I am a sucker for a small town, and I found all the denizens quite marvelous as well. In the afterword, I found out that Haven was the setting of An Ex for Christmas, which is one of my favorite Lauren Layne books. Not only did I get to go back to Haven, but I got to catch up with Kelly and Mark. What a nice surprise!

I was already reveling in all the fun, banter, and sweetness of this story when I got to (drumroll please) THE EPILOGUE! You guys know how much this girl loves an epilogue, and Layne did not disappoint me. As the cherry on top, it was a jump ahead epilogue showing me the fabulous future for this couple. To quote a popular song, their "future's so bright, I gotta wear shades."

Overall, Yours to Keep was a hit for me. I smiled, laughed, swooned, and just felt happy as I read it. What more could I ask for?

Melt-your-Kindle hot and a great romantic story. Loved this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

A cute hometown romance about a pro baseball player trying to find himself again after a serious injury and his old high school friend who helps him see life fully while potentially falling in love at the same time.

I enjoyed this one but didn’t love it. While I liked the characters, Olive is my spirit character, it was hard for me to connect with this story. A quick short read that let me escape for the day.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

This was a fun lighthearted read. Carter a professional baseball player is injured and returns to his hometown high school reunion hoping to meet up with his ex girlfriend but instead reunites with his lab partner Olive. It moved a little slow for me and I took a while to warm up to the two of them as a couple but by the end I was rooting for the characters.

This ARC was on read now from Netgalley awhile back, and I was excited to snag it. I enjoyed the first book in the series, and was excited to continue. I went on a bit of a LL bender earlier this year, so I know her books always put a smile on my face. I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I have really enjoyed Lauren Layne’s other series (Sex Love and Stiletto and Oxford) where the characters build from one book to the next. The Man of the Year series is written as stand alones. There was no crossover from the first book. I was immediately sucked into the book and the characters, there was no slow ramp up for me on this one.

All that said, I loved this book and tore through it quickly. I just loved Olive. She ruled the town in her own kind, quirky, and commanding way. The small town setting was perfect. The forced proximity (as neighbors) and then growing friendship between Olive and Carter was fantastic. And the banter was great. I’m a sucker for the back and forth quippy banter. That’s my A+ love language. If you’re looking for something light and fun, this is the perfect romcom book for you. She might be one of my new favorite heroines up there with Violet from the Pucked series and any of the Knitting in the City Gals. I just love female characters that have everyone wrapped around their little finger, but because they’re honest and caring, all while still getting sh*t done and not being a pushover. The storyline isn’t anything new, and pretty typical of most romance books (not complaining- I love them, but we all know they’re pretty darn formulaic) but I’m giving it an extra ⭐️ because I just loved Olive that much.

PS- Carter is also a professional baseball player, so there’s some sports action for everyone as well. It comes out September 1st, so the perfect book to grab heading into fall with baseball season still hopefully in full swing (yep I fully acknowledge how corny that pun is, and I love it anyways)

Omg!! Lauren Layne is my go to author for romantic comedy. Her heroines are spitfires and her heroes are full of alpha swoons! Yours to Keep was absolutely delicious. Olive and Carter were adorable together and I for one am obsessed with this series! I can't wait for more! 4 stars! ~Ratula

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.

Another amazing book from Lauren Layne! She never fails to deliver stories with characters and romance that feel real. Pro baseball player Carter Ramsey goes back to his hometown to attend a high school reunion, ends up reconciling with his old lab partner. The characters have their own stuff to figure out and go through their own development, which I loved. The main characters spark up a friendship before a romance; it's both cute and swoony. This just checked all the marks for me with what I like in romance books, so this is now one of my favorites from the author. Highly recommend!

I love Olive's character. She knows when she's right and that it will help somebody so she just goes ahead and does it. She is absolutely hilarious. Carter on the other hand is very serious. Which is funny in its own way also unusual for a pro ball player.
Yours to Keep, is a great light hearted romance novel.

I laughed so hard with this book!

Oh my, this book has the perfect blend of snarky sass and heartfelt emotions. If I highlighted all the parts I laughed at I'd have to highlight the entire book. Even so, the humor doesn't overshadow the emotional connection between Olive and Carter.

Olive is almost annoyingly chipper and quirky, a woman who doesn't care if people think she's weird. She's confident in herself, except when it comes to feeling attractive to men. I loved the way her character was portrayed as strong, both physically and emotionally, and not to her detriment.

Nothing upends a carefully crafted celebrity lifestyle quite like coming home. Carter's injury gives him enough time off the field to humor his sister's request to attend their high school reunion, but he hadn't counted on being paired with his former lab partner who is now his next-door neighbor.

The best thing about Olive is that she's not the least bit impressed by Carter's fame or fortune. Seeing himself through her eyes actually allows Carter to see more of himself, to appreciate who he is beyond his baseball career. I absolutely adored the way these two played off each other while subconsciously building each other up.

This is a whirlwind romance - just barely more than a month in duration - and I cherished every bit of it. The grown-up problems are handled with grown-up solutions and these two really do bring out the best in each other. I highly recommend this rom-com for all romance readers. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.

This story really snuck up on me! I absolutely loved Olive and Carter. They’re friendship was so natural and easygoing as was the way they fell for each other. There was some drama, but overall this is a light hearted story that just makes you feel good. It’s the best in the aeries so far. I loved the check in on Kelly and Mark. Haven must be a super special to fall in love in.

I'm a huge Lauren Layne fan, I look forward to her books as they are published. This is the 2nd book in the Man of the Year series.
Carter Ramsey is a famous baseball player who is injured and goes back home to recover. Olive Dunn has known him since high school, but she doesn't really trust him. Now they are both adults, they become friends and maybe more.

I really like the characters and the story in this book and recommend it. 4 stars.

Thanks to Montlake Romance and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When picking up a Lauren Layne book, I have two requirements: short and entertaining

1. This book is 228 pages long, which is really short, but it felt like 2280 pages. I mean sure I closed my kindle after every second sentences so no wonder it felt like this book would never end, but that's not the point 😂. It shouldn't have felt that long.

2. It was not entertaining. It was rather very boring. Nothing about the story catched my attention. I wasn't invested in the characters nor their romances, even though some of Olive and Carter's banter was cute. Carter's whole life revolves around baseball and now that he is injured he has this midlife crisis I didn't care about and Olive is busy planing this high school reunion that I even cared less about.

So it didn't quite hit the brief for me.

I’ve read a lot of Lauren Layne’s books and really enjoyed all of them. This might be one of my favorites. Layne is a master at writing snappy, intelligent dialog that leads you to believe that a couple could be falling for each other. Too often authors just tell us that two people are attracted to each other without really showing us why. But the two main characters, high school biology teacher Olive and superstar baseball player Carter quickly develop a witty, yet affectionate relationship that is told through their conversations together.

Carter has come back to his hometown to recover from a bad injury. His twin sister ropes him into working with Olive to help plan their high school ten-year reunion. Yeah, it’s rather a dopey premise. What makes it different is the character of Olive. She’s a woman who knows who she is and has learned to embrace her own quirky character and tall stature. She prefers to be strong physically and psychologically than petite. She’s confident and funny and honest and a person I wish I could know in real life. No wonder that Carter falls for her, first in friendship and then deeper.

This book was a lot of fun from beginning to end.

I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book that I received from Netgalley; however, the opinions are my own and I did not receive any compensation for my review.