Having been a fan of you've got mail, I loved the premise of this book. It was pretty true to the story but I would have liked to know more about the hero. Being told only from the heroines point of view made him hard to root for. Even knowing Sir and the hero were the same, I found myself just wanting her to get with the human and stop chasing the mystery app man because that was a relationship that actually grew and developed. I felt like the text conversations really weren't that in depth to warrant falling in love.

3.5 stars. This book was so cute! A modern retelling of The Shop Around the Corner or You've Got Mail. I really enjoyed the banter and chemistry between Gracie and Sebastian as well as all the fun side characters. I appreciated that it wasn't just focusing on the romantic relationship but also on Gracie's growth, letting go of her family's shop and building the courage to go after her dream. I loved the community aspect of this story, how every one in Gracie's life banned together to try to save the shop.

How this story could have been improved:
- I wish it was more modern, it felt a little too similar to You've Got Mail, it needed more differentiation
- It needed a little bit of steam, there was so much chemistry but I felt like it constantly let go of that chemistry and moved to different parts of the story instead of sticking with it and exploring it more.

Overall, I enjoyed reading it and felt like I needed a glass of champagne every time I picked it up.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this book, much more than I thought I would. The characters were interesting, and the incorporation of a young business woman who sells niche champagne is not something you see often. And even though it hurt to close the shop because of her dad, she did what was best for herself, which I thought was an important aspect. The chapters were all relatively short, so I flew through the story. Both Gracie and Sebastian were likeable, interesting characters, and their enemies-to-lovers relationship was at turns sweet and hot!

I docked half a star because 1) the romance doesn't really happen until the last 5-10%, which was frustrating. Also, I feel that the revelation that Sebastian = Sir was a little anticlimactic since it's told to us readers in the synopsis. A little bit of suspense there would've been nice. But I think Layne still managed to create a bit of a tense atmosphere between the two lovers.

The storyline is intriguing - Gracie owns her family's champagne shop, Sebastian wants the shop to leave (his family is in the business of building high rises), and their chemistry is instant. Gracie also has a mystery man in her life, Sir that she met through a dating app - although they have not actually met. Gracie and Sebastian find themselves actually liking each other, even though circumstances say they could easily be enemies. However, Gracie has the other side of her life - the one in the fantasy of who she has built Sir up to be. Can she figure out which path her life needs to take?

I cannot even tell you how much I loved this book, although I'm going to try to express it. The story of Gracie and Sebastian captured me from page one and entertained me until the last page. The idea of pen pals in today's times has evolved from the days of letters, to emails, to now app communication. I always thought the idea of falling in love through the written word was one of the most epic and romantic ways for falling in love to happen. I feel like when reading this, as the read, you're in on this big, amazing, grand secret that the main characters aren't in on yet, and you just keep reading because you want to be in that ah-ha moment with them. As a fan of letters, romantic comedies, and love in general - I was delighted by this book and will be reading more Lauren Layne books soon. I will be recommending this book to all my friends who I know enjoy a good modern day romance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for a copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars

I feel like I haven't read a Lauren Layne book in so long, and I really missed her work a lot. I love every one of her books, and of course To Sir, with Love was no exception.

This story follows the sweet, dreamy, romantic Gracie Cooper, who has put aside her dream of becoming an artist to run the family business when her father died. She knows the store isn't doing well, but she is not ready to give up yet. That's where the flirty and handsome Sebastian Andrews and his buyout proposal comes in. From the moment they meet, Gracie falls under his spell. But when she realizes what he wants to do with her store, she treats him like an enemy and won't let him get to her. At the same time, she meets Sir through a dating app and slowly falls in love with him and his kind words without doubting for a moment that she has already met him several times before...

This book was a breath of fresh air, and I enjoyed its soft and happy vibes so much! Gracie and Sebastian's story put me in the best mood, and no one writes rom-com better than Lauren Layne. Gracie was a sweetheart! I immediately adored her and loved how we followed her personal journey to find out what she wanted in life. She had to give up her dreams to fulfill her father's, which was very brave of her, but I loved following her development and seeing her take control of her life and her dreams. Sebastian was also a great and lovable character, and even though he had no POV in the book, I really got attached to him. Together, Gracie and Sebastian had great chemistry, their banter was so funny, and you could tell from the beginning that they were attracted to each other. I would have liked more scenes of them as a couple though, and that's why I took half a star off my rating.

What I also really enjoyed about this book were the secondary characters and the friendship between them. I was so invested in Lily and Alec's story, as well as Keva and Grady's. They were all a great addition to the main couple's story, and I hope we see more of them in future books.

Overall, I had a great time reading To Sir, with Love, and it's a perfect read for the summer. The character development was very interesting, and Gracie and Sebastian were so cute together. I had so missed reading a Lauren Layne book!

This was a sweet, fun read. I appreciated that Gracie was an upbeat extroverted main character. Too many books have surly leading ladies and that trope is overdone. I do think this is a book that would have benefited greatly from alternating POVs rather than everything being told from Gracie's perspective, but I loved it and I would definitely read this one again as an audio.

To Sir, with Love by was a feel-good nod to Nora Ephron and You’ve Got Mail. I found myself smiling through the entire book and feeling the same kind of anticipation that Gracie must have been feeling while she waited for Sir's responses! ⁣
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I enjoyed Gracie and watching her fall in love but more than that I enjoyed watching her find herself. Though it took a push, I was happy to see her find what she really wanted to be doing. ⁣
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Sebastian made the perfect “villain” if a villain can also be a nice guy. Seeing things click together for him was fun, though I do wish we were able to get a little more into his head. ⁣
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Fans of Hallmark movies should not miss this one! Also, Hallmark channel, if you’re listening, this would make a super cute movie! Hint, hint 😉⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁣
🔥/5⁣
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Thank you to the author and Gallery Books for a gifted arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This one sounded so cute and I couldn’t resist that cover.

I liked Gracie and Sebastian. She’s all fairy tales and he’s all grounded and together they have a lot of potential. It’s quite the slowest of burns with their relationship and I could have done with more banter. Between family, co-workers, friends, and neighbors, there are a good amount of characters here, yet it still remains to be firmly Gracie’s story.

Plot wise, it was good. There are a few moving pieces here and while the romance is a big part of the story, to me it felt like the store and Gracie’s professional future were at the forefront. I’m not sure what it was that kept me from loving this story. I will say that going into the story and knowing that Sebastian was Sir might have taken some of the fun away. Also, I wanted more of them together at the end (even though the epilogue was perfect.)

Overall, it was a quick and enjoyable read, but sadly not one that will stick with me.

**Huge thanks to the publisher for providing the arc free of charge**

This one was a sweet story. A mix of Love Is Blind and You’ve Got Mail. I enjoyed seeing the story unfold - the relationship between Gracie and Sebastian, her online interactions with Sir, and her realizations about how she wants to live her life.

This is a cute and easy read. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a light romance.

Lauren Layne is my of my all time favorite authors. This book is everything I love about this author's writing. the story is so cute and it just grabs you from the start. i loved falling in love with the main character. You've Got Mail is my favorite movie, the similarities made me love this book even more. I will read anything and everything Lauren Layne writes because I know i will never be disappointed. Always a happily ever after.

Gracie is set to find her Prince rocker Charming. Her only issue? She’s attracted to a man she’s never met and who is attached to another lady. To make matters worse, Bubbly the champagne store her parents owned and is now hers, is failing. The guy that wants to take the lease? An attractive but irritable businessman. DEFINITELY not Gracie’s prince. But looks may be deceiving and one may have to look just a little deeper at email exchanges to find true love.

Fans of You’ve Got Mail and romantic comedy reads will adore this novel. Lauren Layne creates characters that you will want to root for days on end. The plot is well written, the words flew off the pages and the settings were realistic. This book will make you laugh, smile and shed a tear or two. To Sir, with Love is a winner in my book.

4.5, rounded up.
Can Meg Ryan read this to me please? Total You've Got Mail vibes: small shop owner. NYC in the fall. Secretly messaging a stranger on an online dating app.
It is wonderful!
Gracie Cooper has her head in the clouds and an obsession with fairy tale romances. She daydreams often of the perfect "meet-cute" with her very own prince charming and the life that'll follow. But for now, she's running the family champagne shop and putting off her own happily ever after. This book comes with a whole cast of incredible side characters that are kind, supportive, and just what Gracie needs. But will she be able to get out of her own daydreams in time to realize what's right in front of her?

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book! It might be the best book I've read this year. It was just delightful from beginning to end. I love the premise because I love the movie "You've Got Mail". The characters were relatable and felt authentic. The whole time reading, I just felt like it was a big fuzzy hug. It just made me happy. If I could change anything in the book, and really I wouldn't, but it would have been nice to get some points of views from the other characters. But really, it was perfect as it was written. I would have read 500 more pages if I'd had the chance! Seriously cannot wait to read more from this author.

I’ve read numerous books by Ms. Layne and enjoyed each one. While this plot has been used before, I enjoyed Gracie and Sebastian’s characters along with Gracie’s friends and co-workers.

It’s so much fun to read about characters where at least one of them strongly dislikes the other. I enjoyed the MysteryMate app messages between ‘Sir’ and ‘Lady’ and how they progressed to telling each other details they haven’t shared with others. I like the idea of getting to know someone through messages before sharing names, photos or meeting in person.

Grace took on running the wine store when her father passed away and gave up her dreams of a career in art. She’s always wanted a family and home and feels that life is passing her by. She still manages to paint a bit which adds an interesting aspect to the store and later in the story.

Sebastian is more than what you initially see in him and I enjoyed learning more about his life, how he ended up in his career. When the two were together, the banter and chemistry was off the charts.

Grace felt torn between liking Sir and, at times, really enjoying Sebastian’s beautiful eyes. How could she pick between two seemingly great choices?

It was a predictable, sweet story but I would have liked a bit more to the story and their romantic relationship. The ending and epilogue seemed rushed and just not much development. This had a somewhat ‘cheesy’ aspect and almost a Cinderella meeting her Prince fairytale but was a cute, quick read. I have loved all of Ms. Layne’s stories and this seems to be more of a ‘Lauren Layne-light’ type of writing, so I was a little let down after anticipating her new work.

Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work.

Gracie Cooper has always had dreams. Dreams of being an artist, dreams of the perfect man and family. But since her father's death, she's been running the family's flailing champagne shop, painting for fun on the side, and hasn't been on a date in too long to remember. She's too kind to say she's a tad resentful of her brother and sister who get to pursue their dreams without worry of what's to become of their family's legacy. But Gracie's not entirely alone. She has Sir.

Gracie met Sir through a dating app months ago and they've been conversing regularly ever since. The problem: They have never met, and he has a girlfriend. Regardless, Gracie lights up whenever they trade back-and-forths.

Then, Gracie literally runs into Sebastian Andrews and she feels that undeniable zing. That lasts until she finds out he's the person behind the company that wants to shut down her business to buy the building.

To Sir, With Love has been one of my favorite Lauren Layne books so far. With obvious hints of <i>You've Got Mail</i>, the story of these two people on seemingly opposite sides and a mysterious dream man on the other just checked all the boxes for me. I would have happily read 100 more pages of this book, once it started I didn't want it to end.

If anything I kind of wish the mystery of Sir was able to be maintained a little better, anyone who reads the official synopsis of the book, and generally anyone who has any knowledge of You've Got Mail will know immediately what's happening. In that regard I was very aware of tells and just in general kind of had my guard up, so to speak, at every interaction just waiting for the piece that would tip the scales.

I think it would have been excellent had we gotten Sebastian's point of view. Not necessarily an alternating point of view from that of Gracie's but every few chapters maybe.

But truly this is Gracie's story. And it's about so much more than the romance. It's about Gracie finally living life for herself and getting past the fears of taking those steps to pursue her dreams even though nothing is guaranteed. About honoring legacy and family, but also knowing that it's ok to move outside of that legacy.

Of course I love the kind of push and pull between Sebastian and Gracie. Those early moments when they are obviously attracted to each other, but they still get on each other's nerves makes for some charged chemistry between them. As things unfold I loved how they kind of evolve into each other's
"person".

Overall, if your looking for a light and enjoyable read you can do no better than To Sir, With Love. Lauren Layne has never let me down.

To Sir, with Love is a modern day You've Got Mail, if you loved that movie (and who didn't?) you will love To Sir, with Love.

Gracie is on a new dating app, where you meet and converse with people, no pictures (or real names) allowed. She has developed feelings for "Sir" through the app, however he has a girlfriend, so they're just friends. They converse quite a bit and I loved reading their messages to each other.

Gracie is the co-owner and person in charge of a Champagne store. She took over after her father passed away, and is really struggling to make it work (both financially and personally). It's through this that she meets Sebastian, who wants to buy out her lease so they can put up a giant building in it's place. Gracie is hell bent on not letting that happen.

Despite Sebastian's aggressiveness in business he has a good heart and even though he wants to buy her lease out, he also wants to make sure that Gracie, and her employees, are well taken care of.

Eventually Gracie starts to develop feelings for Sebastian and is very conflicted, because of Sir. This leads to a lot of feelings and self discovery for herself and Sebastian. We all know where this story is going, but the journey was incredible and well worth the read.

A delightful treat as always.

Lauren Layne’s books never disappoint and her latest modern “You Got Mail” love story falls under another feel-good time.

This novel is warm, inviting, and fun. The characters are relaxed and realistic, yet there’s a whimsy about them too. The entire novel is a love story to New York City, which I love because it creates such a rich and vibrant background to a lovely romance.

Solid novel!

Lauren Layne is back with an homage to You’ve Got Mail

I’m a sucker for any version of You’ve Got Mail/Shop Around the Corner and To Sir, With Love is an excellent update. Gracie and Sebastian find themselves at odds in business but inexplicably drawn to each other personally but also find themselves each drawn to someone else in their life.

I loved Gracie’s fairytale beliefs and optimism and Sebastian’s secret soft spot. Their meet cute was rom-com perfection and the letters between Sir and Lady added a depth to their characters and the story. I really appreciated that Sebastian didn’t attempt to discredit or disparage Sir, one element of the movie that I’ve never liked, but rather wanted Gracie to love all sides of him equally.

My one dislike was that that aside from the messages everything is from Gracie’s POV and I would have loved to get a bigger peek into Sebastian’s thoughts.

This one will for sure be reread, possibly as often as I rewatch the movies.

I received a complimentary review copy of book but all opinions are my own.

You’ve more than likely seen or heard of the Meg Ryan/Tom Hanks film You’ve Got Mail, which was a modern day adaptation of the 1940 film Sop Around the Corner, which was based on a Hungarian play, Parfumerie. It’s not a new idea, but it’s such a good one that people keep remaking it to fit with the times and this is no exception.
I really enjoyed this book. I am a sucker for enemies to lovers and I love the original storyline, so knew it was right up my alley. The idea to modernize it even further than instant messaging to use an app was great.
It’s a very sweet book and a quick read. It’s high on chemistry and low on steam. I kinda wanted there to be more of an enemies aspect in an enemies to lovers book, but I think this works well. I mean, could you really hate Tom Hanks in You’ve Got Mail? No, because he really isn’t a bad guy. Sebastian is the same. It’s business and it’s smart and logical. Plus, I really enjoyed the swoony moments almost more than the bantery ones. I loved how everything came together in the end. I closed the book feeling happy and wanting to watch all the rom-coms.

If you’re in the mood for something sweet and light to start you’re summer, this is the read for you. 4 1/2 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Gallery Books, and Valentine PR for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As I sit down to write my review, it’s been roughly an hour since I finished this book, and y’all I still have a stupid grin on my face 😀 To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne is a delight from start to finish. As a girl who grew up on Nora Ephron and books, I can say with 100% confidence that anyone who enjoys romantic comedies and over-the-top fluffy romance will enjoy this one. Following the story of Gracie Cooper as she navigates dating in her thirties while also trying to keep her dad’s business afloat, To Sir, With Love is a guaranteed happily ever after with fully fleshed out characters and a romance to root for.

Gracie is a fun, quirky main character. A middle child, she has always been the peace maker of her family. Giving up her own dream of becoming an artist, Gracie took over her parent’s champagne store after her father’s death. While she doesn’t regret the decision to keep her family’s store open, she isn’t exactly happy with the hand life dealt her. She lives in her daydreams, dreaming of life as a full time artist with a musician husband who rocks a dad bod (no I’m not joking, she really fantasizes about the dad bod). She believes in fairy tale endings and desperately searches for her own prince charming, and she believes she may have found him.

“Sir” is a man that Gracie met through an online dating app where there are no pictures allowed and no names shared. He is honest with her upfront, telling her that a friend signed him up for the app as a joke and that he is in a relationship. However the two strike up a friendship of sorts, sending notes back and forth through the app. Without the pressure of dating, it is easy for the two to get to know one another. The banter and back and forth is great! Each chapter starts with “Sir” and “Lady’s,” who is Gracie, correspondence, and I could see how Gracie thought she found her prince.

Then enters Sebastian Andrews 🙂 Gracie’s first encounter with Sebastian made me giggle, perfect little meet-cute. Then the tide turns. Sebastian, it turns out, is the landlord of her store and has been trying to buy out her lease so that his company can turn the building into something else. He’s the guy we should hate. Gracie even wants to hate him, but finds she can’t. It probably has something to do with his Tiffany blue eyes. Anyways, Sebastian is the complete opposite of Gracie. He’s quiet, comes off as gruff at times, and can be standoffish in his suit and tie. Yet his persistence and quiet support quickly endeared him to me.

Overall I absolutely love To Sir, With Love. Gracie, Sir, and Sebastian are wonderful characters on their own, but Layne created an entire cast of characters that I could write an entire review on by themselves. Lily, Alec, Caleb, May, Keva, and Robyn are wonderful side characters, fully fleshed out and important to the story. I want Lily as an older sister and Caleb as my younger brother please 🙂 This was my first time reading Lauren Layne, and I can promise it won’t be my last. I’m already scoping out her backlist to see what I want to read next. If you are a fan of romantic comedies or looking for a fluffy romantic read, I highly recommend you add To Sir, With Love to your short list.