"There comes a time in every woman's life when the only thing that helps is a glass of champagne."

- Bette Davis

This book is a delightful homage to “The Shop Around the Corner,” and “You’ve Got Mail.” Gracie Cooper is the middle child and is running her late father’s Champagne store, Bubbles, in Manhattan. She gave up her dream of becoming an artist to continue her father’s legacy. The store is struggling and just barely getting by. Sebastian Andrews is her landlord and wants to break her lease to build a much more profitable property. This sets up a nice little rivalry between them. Both Gracie and Sebastian are on a dating app where you don’t get to see the other person or use your real name (he is Sir and she is Lady), you need to correspond to get to know each other before you decide to meet. I really enjoyed this book, and now I want to pop open a bottle of bubbly and rewatch “You’ve Got Mail.” I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

To Sir, With Love is an utterly adorable rom-com! I was hooked by the end of the first page. I fell in love with Gracie immediately. Gracie is working hard to save her family’s business while searching for her Prince Charming. She meets a man who she feels is the one on a dating app, but there’s a small problem, she hasn’t actually met him yet. As her feelings for Sir grow stronger she starts to see her rival Sebastian in a different light. Finding out who Sir really is was a little bit predictable but was still heartwarming nonetheless. The side characters were also enjoyable and I was glad to see that everything ended happy for everyone. This was the first book I’ve read by Lauren Layne and now I can’t wait to read more of her work.

Review will also be posted on blog (allinwitha.com) and instagram (@allinwitha) on May 28th.

Rating: 4/5
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction
Warnings: death of a parent (off page), mentions infertility (not main character)
Read if you liked: Tweet Cute or Love Lettering or You’ve Got Mail

Review: Gracie Cooper strives to keep the peace in her family (classic middle child), so when her father dies, she sets aside her art school dreams to take over his champagne store. The store’s profit margins are squeezed tight despite best efforts and to add to it, corporation headed by handsome Sebastian Andrews has proposed a buyout…multiple times but Gracie can’t bear to sell her father’s legacy.

Overwhelmed and not wanting to disappoint her friends or family, Gracie seeks support from someone she’s never met—the faceless “Sir”, with whom she connected on a blind dating app. Gracie finds herself slowly falling for Sir online, she has no idea she’s already met him in real life…and they really can’t stand each other.

This book was presented at Love is Blind meets You’ve Got Mail and I was sold! This book was warm, light and perfect for a Sunday evening. I loved the New York setting + talk of champagne, really it was swoony and the ending was perfect! Really, just go read this book…it was a Hallmark movie in book format.

Things I loved: I love a good side character and they were all fantastic. Gracie slowly evolving and finding her way. Cannoli the cat! The cooking class scene was my jam. Sebastian…do we have a new book boyfriend? Yes, I think we do.

Things I didn't care for: The family could have been a bit more supportive on first glance, but they rallied. I can’t tell how I feel about Gracie being very much into her fairytale…either it’s super cute or annoying. There was a lot of repeating of the fairytale (i.e. her perfect guy), which I could have down without. I’m a cynic, give me a break.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. To Sir, With Love will be released on June 29th, make sure to look out for it!

To Sir, with Love is a perfectly fine book. That's probably the best and the worst thing I can say about it. The You've Got Mail vibes add in a cozy dose of nostalgia with a modern twist, the champagne shop is a charming setting, but the plot felt repetitive and the fairy tale obsession is so not my thing, despite my love of happily-ever-afters. I guess I like my romance with more grit and less fairy dust.

No particular aspect was especially bad, but at the same time, nothing was groundbreaking. The ending is a foregone conclusion from just the synopsis of the book. Which is 99% true in the entire romance genre, but in this case, there was no room for guessing or surprises. This is my first Lauren Layne book and while I would definitely read more by her, I hope some of her other stories are less uber-feminine. Loving stilettos and pink aren't the only hallmarks of womanhood...

This romance felt like a classic rom-com movie in the best way! Atmospheric New York setting, small shop owner vs. big corporate overlord, You've Got Mail vibes brought into 2021--I was just so impressed start to finish. The letters between Lady and Sir were especially cute with the most clever banter. I love Lauren Layne's writing; her books always leave me smiling and swooning and ready for the next thing she writes!

This was such a cute story. I was smiling the whole time while reading this book. Really appreciated the fact that all characters are in their 30s, but a lot of them still didn't really know what to do with their lives. It was a relief to read a love story that's not an insta-love or insta-lust. Loved this enemies-to-love while being friends-to-love story at the same time.

SOOOO CUTE. What a fun rom-com. Not steamy at alllll and very light on the romance but overall super cute & a great, quick read. Loved the dialogue & cast of characters!!!

This was a lovely read and I really liked that it was an updated take on You’ve Got Mail.
I felt Gracie’s character was very relatable and throwing in the concept of her having a Disney perfect scenario in her head of how love is, is actually quite accurate.
Dating during this age is hard and I think this captures it well, but also proves that you can’t beat that instant connection and chemistry seeing someone face to face.
An easy read that is heartwarming.

I loved every minute of reading this book and was so very sorry to come to the end! Lauren Layne pays homage to the great Nora Ephron (and the predecessors Ephron herself paid homage to!) in this update of You've Got Mail. Gracie and Sebastian (such a sexy name) circle each other in a cut-throat game of real estate cat and mouse, while Lady and Sir find solace in each other's quiet and anonymous online companionship. You can practically feel the leaves falling from the trees as summer's glow turns to autumn pumpkin lattés and Lady and Sir battle the sense of disloyalty growing in each as Gracie and Sebastian segue from enemies, to friends, and then. . . .? I received the ARC in electronic format, but To Sir, with Love is a title I'll want to own in paper for my keeper shelf.

I wanted to hate this. I thought it would be easily boring and simple. I was so happy to be wrong. It never felt cliched or obvious, even though you knew what the eventual ending would be, you were never totally sure how they would get there. A fun, yet enthralling read!

In the days of dating apps, you never really know what you're going to get. Gracie isn't finding the right guy so she joins an app that isn't based on looks as a first impression. She meets the right guy who isn't even available! To top all that, her family champagne shop is being poached by an insensitive but insanely attractive developer. Will Gracie take on the corporate titans and find love online? It may be too good to be true.
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Okay this was the charming romcom I didn't know I needed. I read this in one night, I just couldn't put it down. Although I pretty much knew what I was getting just from reading the description, it was a delightful read. I also loved that it was on the shorter side and not bogged down with unnecessary details. I would definitely recommend. 

Thank you Lauren Layne, Gallery books and Netgalley for this delightful ARC!

The instant I read the description of this book, I knew I had to read it! And let me tell you - it does not disappoint!

To Sir, with Love is one of the best books I've read from Lauren Layne (and I've read a FEW). I loved this one so much! It's funny, charming, and realistic in so many ways! I highly recommend it.

This is a super fun book and a quick read. The characters are so enjoyable and like-able and the storyline was nostalgic. It was a modern day spin on ‘You’ve Got Mail’, which was a favorite of mine as a teenager. If you’re looking for something to take your mind off the day to day and need an easy read, this is it. This is my first book by this author and I’m looking forward to reading more.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for this ARC.

The book is inspired by You've Got Mail/Nora Ephron's works and the author has channeled that mood/feel perfectly. It is a great Summer read with likeable characters and modern fairy-tail undertones. The read is quick but also satisfying and I greatly enjoyed and appreciated how the author brought us something as good as the inspiration(s) but distinctly different/a modern take.

Story: Gracie never wanted to run her father's business when he died but of her three siblings, she was the one best suited for it. She is trying to make it a success but being a small business in Manhattan is hard enough at the best of times. Then her corporate landlord approaches her with an offer to buy out the business so he can release the space. Gracie hates the soulless corporate magnate for even suggesting it but Sebastian Andrews is persistent. At the same time, her Cinderella dreams are in shambles, she's now 30 and single, and all she has to show for her love life is a crush on a correspondent whom she has never met. Or so she thinks....

To Sir, With Love isn't necessarily realistic but it also isn't drearily earnest. What it is, however, is a lovely romantic read with characters you will really like. Gracie is dependable, hard working, and multi talented. Sebastian is honest, straightforward, and respectful of Gracie. Even while defending her family-owned business against what she feels is an attack by Sebastian's company, she is all heart when doing so.

This is one of the few romances where we can actually understand Sebastian's attraction to Gracie. There is a nice "love at first sight" meeting that is mutual on both their parts but then they learn of each other's identities. At the same time, they have been conversing with each other in a friendly manner via text for months, neither thinking of romance since both are under the impression the other has a girlfriend/boyfriend.

The texting is very sparse in the book and usually equates to a few sentences that underscore previous scenes in the chapters. If there was one aspect of the book left unexplored, it was how these two grew close in the text messages before they met. I would have loved to have seen more of that happen instead of having to take it on faith.

In all, I greatly enjoyed this read and recommend it to those who want a delightful Summer read with a feel-good message throughout. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

I read this whole book in about 3 hours. I adored it. What a fun romantic comedy in the vein of You’ve Got Mail. The banter between the Gracie and Sebastian is great, as it is between Lady and Sir. Even if it’s not overtly stated, we as the audience know exactly what’s happening, even when the characters don’t and for once that is not at all frustrating. It just makes the blooming love cuter and the characters more charming. I really loved this one! Definitely a trope we have seen before but done so well!

What a surprisingly delightful book! It’s not often that a rom com books sets itself apart but this one does! It’s got the lovers to hater banter I love, some family drama and a group of friends you’d like to call your own!

Gifted ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Lauren Layne created wonderful characters. I enjoy the witty banter between Gracie and Sebastian. Gracie inherited the champagne shop from her Dad after he died. She is busy running the shop when she gets a letter from her landlord who wants her to sell the shop. In some ways it reminded me of the movie You Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

This is a light, whimsical romantic comedy.

"You've Got Mail" updated for the 21st century. Instead corresponding by email, Gracie and Dear Sir correspond by a dating app while businessman Sebastian wants to the building her business is in. The story follows a similar plot line of "You've Got Mail." Must read for fans of the movie. Fun, quick rom-com that will brighten your day.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to leave an honest review. I have read most of Lauren Layne's books and absolutely love all of them! She has a great writing style and interjects a perfect amount of comedy, wit and romance. You will fall in love with the characters. This book is basically a "You've Got Mail" theme type romance but through a dating app.

Gracie runs her family's champagne shop in Manhattan which Sebastian is trying to buy out the lease on. Gracie is a huge believer in fairytales and finding the one meant for her so when they first meet she gets the gut feeling they're meant to be. How wrong she was when she finds out who Sebastian really is. At the same time she is dealing with keeping her shop afloat, Gracie is also on a dating app where you don't know what the person looks like but you message each other based on interests. Her is where she meets the man known as "Sir" who wasn't intentionally on the app but his friends made him a profile. Even when he tells "Lady" (aka Gracie) this, they still start messaging and connecting with each other.

When Gracie starts to connect with both men, she is extremely torn. One is a nameless, faceless man and the other the man who wants to take her family's legacy. At the same time, she has come to the realization that the shop may not last but she isn't sure if she wants it to as it was never her dream.

Follow Gracie as she navigates her dreams, love and coming into her own finally. You'll fall in love with her quirks and interactions with both men. And don't forget the support system she has from her siblings and friends that you meet throughout her journey.

Overall a definite recommend. It is a fun, fast read. Good clean romance.