I'm a long time fan of Lauren Layne, and this book, like her others, did not disappoint. Gracie takes over her family business, a champagne store, after the death of her father when neither of her other siblings where willing to set up to the plate despite Gracie's desire to be an artist. Sebastian's family owns the lease on the store, and he wants to buy her out to build a new skyscrapper in it's place. It love on first sight for the two, but hate after first meeting. Gracie is a true believer in fairy tales and prince charming. Gracie believes she may have found him, Sir, on a dating app in which no pictures are posted and users get to know one another through chatting only. The interactions with both men have her falling in love with two men out the same time. Can Gracie save her business, find happiness and find true love? Read "To Sir, with Love," for a great rom com.

There is nothing like a Lauren Layne book to break you out of a book rut and uplift your mood. Her books are often among my most anticipated of the year and To Sir, with Love did not disappoint. I really loved it!

The premise of the story is a familiar one. Two people who meet and start off on the wrong foot with each other don’t realize that they’ve just met the person they’ve been anonymously corresponding with. In this case, they’ve been messaging as “Sir” and “Lady” on a photo free dating app when Sebastian comes into Gracie’s fledgling champagne shop offering to buy out the remainder of the lease. An offer she resents, letting that resentment transfer over to Sebastian.

Sebastian begins to win her over, though, and I loved watching it unfold. Their animosity towards each other pops up occasionally, but didn’t overshadow all the cute moments going on. I was definitely shipping Sebastian and Gracie and was anxiously waiting for them to figure things out. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed the chat excerpts between them that were interspersed throughout the story. There was some good banter that I always enjoy. I do have to say, though, that since it’s obvious to the reader that Sebastian and Sir are the same person, I got a little annoyed at Gracie for taking so long to figure it out. All of the times she’s debating about her feelings between Sir and Sebastian seemed a little fruitless to me. However, it eventually all comes to light in a very sweet scene, so it still worked for me.

Another thing I really liked about this story is that the romance falls more on the sweet side. Those that are familiar with Layne’s other books know that she often includes a couple of explicit love scenes, but there aren’t any here and it made me like the book even more.

In addition to to the romance, I loved the friendships and family dynamics. Gracie’s friend and neighbor, Keva, was funny and I wouldn’t mind seeing a book about her in the future. I also enjoyed Gracie’s siblings, Caleb and Lily, and I loved Lily’s husband, Alec. They were so supportive of Gracie and I liked seeing them grow closer.

If there is one thing that I didn’t really care for, though, it’s the title of the book. It’s also the title of a movie. At first I thought this was supposed to be based on the movie, but it isn’t at all. I understand how the title works for the book, but I maybe would have changed a word so there would be no confusion in trying to compare it to the movie.

Overall, I really loved To Sir, with Love. It was such a sweet story and I enjoyed every minute I was reading it. The characters were likable and the romance was shippable. I was feeling like I was in a book slump when I started this book and it pulled me out of it. Rom-Com fans will definitely want to add this to their TBR list for this summer!

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

Awwww this book is incredibly cuteeee! Soft, sweet, fairy tail-ish, enjoyable read with its lovely enemies to lovers theme !

Love is Blind blended with You got mail theme with bottles of delicious champagne bubbles, artsy heroine Gracie reminds you of Amy Adams’ character from Enchanted who is meeting his charming prince in suits a.k.a. dreamy Patrick Dempsey ( Sebastian gives us his McDreamy vibes from Grey’s Anatomy)

Gracie is in her 33, true romantic, flirting with her sir, a man she never sees his face but after several daily banters later with a dating application only connect people with words: she starts thinking she is about to fall for him!

But can you fall for a man you never see his face and without knowing anything his entire life style! Gracie believes her intuition will help her find the one! And deep in her guts she felt she found him at first sight when the first time she met Sebastian Andrews. But as she meets him again at her champagne store she’s inherited from her family, she realizes he was the man who wants to buy her business! The man who made her heart tingle for long time can be the same man she detested with her every fiber!

But Sebastian is stubborn enough to show her the store loses blood and she may go to bankruptcy in near future as she resumes losing business! And he also shows her there are other paths she can follow instead of her parents drew for her!

Gracie realizes there’s a sweet, sensitive part of Sebastian hid behind his robotic, business oriented, cool manners. As she spends more time with him, she feels like her heart will be torn in two pieces: one of them belongs to his secret sir and the other belongs to Sebastian!

Could she like both men at the same time? What if her feelings are unrequited! Because one of them is adamant to steal her business as the other one is determined to steal her heart!
It’s predictable, easy to read and enjoy with a huge pop corn bucket and nice bottle of Champagne! ( I know I’m not good enough pairing snacks with drinks! But I’m dedicated pop corn lover when I read good romcoms)

I adore Ms. Layne’s sweet Manhattan love stories which reminds me of how I missed NY and taking a long walk at Central Park, enjoying great food truck eats.

Overall: it’s another one seat, sweet, swoon, heartwarming romcom with lovely MCs deserved my four bubbling, artsy, dreamy, fairytale style !

I’m singing “If you wanted the sky I'd write across the sky in letters that would soar a thousand feet high, To Sir, With Love.” ( listening Lulu’s memorable song for the incredible movie with the same name of the book)

Special thanks to Netgalley and Gallery Books For Sharing this reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

A quick and fun read. While the plot of You've Got Mail and its predecessors is easily recognizable, this novel is a fresh take on the trope. Recommended for lovers of fairy tales and romantic comedies!

I'm always excited to find out Lauren Layne is releasing another book. She's a go-to author for me. I adore her writing style and the contemporary romances she creates. To Sir, With Love was a great addition to her catalog of books. It was another book set in what seems to be Layne's favorite city of New York, but it was different than many of her other books. It came across warmer and almost had a small town feel despite the big city setting. 

So...What did I love about this book? Bubbly & More, Gracie's family champagne store, was a unique venue. I loved how it fit in with Gracie's family and her possibly suiter dynamic. The characters were all so fun. I adored Gracie from the minute she came to life on the page. She made me laugh plenty of times. I liked her communications with Sir. Those were fun. Any time emails, letters, texts, etc are in a book it adds to the fun. Gracie's "enemy" Sebastian was a pleasant suit-type surprise as well. Add in Gracie's family and co-workers and there were so many great characters to add to the story. It was just a cute story that made me smile the entire time I read it -- which was basically in one setting. 

There was one weird thing about this book. I don't know exactly how to classify it. It was probably more women's fiction than romance, but it still felt like reading a romance. Or I guess it could be considered an incredibly slow, slow burn romance. It doesn't really matter when it comes down to it because however you want to classify it, it was a great read. I do have to admit I would have liked more time with the couple in this story. There was so much build up and so little time with them. That being said, I still loved every minute reading this book.

To Sir, With Love is a modern-day retelling of You've Got Mail if instead of exchanging emails they're on an anonymous dating app. I'M INTO IT.

I love everything Lauren Layne writes, but this story of a champagne shop owner falling for the businessman who is trying to close her business is just really great.

To Sir, with Love is a great opposites-attract, enemies to lovers book. I really enjoyed Gracie's story arc throughout the book and her interactions with her family and friends made her interesting and relatable.

The notes back and forth between Sir and Lady felt weird and overly formal to me instead of the light-hearted note I was expecting from them. Sebastian was interesting but not compelling and overall, I felt like my expectations for this book didn't totally come through. The plot felt rushed and clunky at times.

I’m a huge Lauren Layne fan. I’ve read most of her books and always enjoy them. This was not my favorite of hers, but I still enjoyed it!

Gracie, the protagonist in the story, has signed up for a dating app where you find matches based on personality, conversations, and character, rather than looks. You can’t see what your “Mystery Mate” looks like until you decide to meet in person. Gracie has found someone who is sweet, kind and a great conversationalist, however, he’s unavailable at the moment, so they stay friends.

Sebastian Andrews is looking to close down Bubbles and More, Gracie’s champagne business that was started by her dad. They do not hit it off at first and have a relationship filled with tension. But, as Gracie gets to know Sebastian, she learns that he may not be as bad as she first thought.

Both guys become available and now, she has a choice to make. Gracie has always wanted a fairy tale ending, but now she doesn’t know what to do.

I really enjoyed the plot of this story and the writing held my attention from start to finish. I liked all of characters, but didn’t feel connected to them as much as I usually do when reading. Still, a cute book with a fun plot!

Thank you Net Galley and Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

To sir with love
You know when you pick up a book and know it’s exactly what you needed at that moment? That was definitely To Sir, With Love. ✨

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review. Swipe for the synopsis.

This book was a lighthearted rom-com that had me smiling (okay maybe tearing up, but that could just be the day I was having). I really didn’t remember what this book was about when I picked it up and had to go back and read the synopsis, which truthfully sounded like exactly the book I needed. I really loved Gracie as a character. I liked that there was vulnerability in the characters, including the side characters.

This book releases June 29, 2021 and I hope you pick it up and read it ✨

Rating: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪 / 5

QOTD: Have you read a book recently that was exactly what you needed to read?

When I looked at the title of this book, I got a totally different picture in my mind of the music that would go with this story. I wasn't expecting Frank Sinatra, instead, I was reminded of Sidney Poitier.



When I got into the book, I found that Frank Sinatra was the author's chosen soundtrack. Gracie Cooper is running the family's champagne store after her father passed away and left the store to Gracie, her sister and her brother. Gracie even gave up her dreams of studying art to run the store. The owner of the property where the store sits wants to release Gracie's family from their lease and develop the property. Sebastian Andrews comes to the store to submit his latest offer and to be told to his face that his offer was unwelcome. In fact, she shredded it while he was still in the store.

Her business life isn't going all that well, but she is willing to pull out all of the stops to keep the store afloat. She schedules a video conference with her brother and sister to brainstorm some ideas to generate income.

Her personal life is circling the drain and going down fast, with the exception of a mystery man she met on a dating app. The premise of the app is that no names or pictures are exchanged until the mutual decision to meet. Gracie's man of her dreams is dark haired, dark eyed, with a dad-bod, but she has no idea what her mystery man looks like. The one thing about this mystery man is that she can bare her soul to him without judgment.


Lauren Layne has populated this book with characters who are real characters. Keva, the caterer/neighbor/friend; May, her father's extraordinarily flamboyant friend and employee of the store; Robyn, the dour sommelier for the store; Lily, Gracie's sister; Caleb, Gracie's brother; and, of course, Sebastian. The book is loaded with a lot of lighthearted laughs, but there are poignant moments that will bring tears to the reader's eyes. Four Strong Stars.
Gallery Books and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Gallery Pub and NetGalley for this gifted copy! All opinions are my own.

Just to be clear, I will read anything Lauren Layne writes. Her stories are so sweet, make you feel warm and fuzzy and that all will be right with the world. Absolute brain candy! They are typically closed door with little to no steam but I love them anyway! If you are a fan of You've Got Mail or other Nora Ephron rom coms, you need this one. It's a witty upscaled version of You've Got Mail and I was hooked from page 1! There's great chemistry between Sebastian and Gracie, fantastic female friendships, and sweet family/sibling dynamic - all in a quick read that you can finish in a day. I smiled, I cried and I really just need Lauren Layne to write another book soon!

Lauren Layne’s latest novel is a refreshed, updated version of You’ve Got Mail. Meet Gracie co-owner of a small Champaign/Sparkling wine boutique on the Upper West Side. She is a bubbly (no pun intended) early 30’s single woman, looking for her knight in shining armor - her true fairytale. Enter Sebastian - real estate mogul looking to buy Gracie out of her lease so his family can redevelop her building. Seb is swoon worthy and the two have a great Frenemies dialogue which will make you laugh out loud! Then, enter “Sir”, the also swoon worthy man Gracie (Lady) met on a new dating website where they don’t share pictures - just words.

What follows is a HEA tale of discovery, and love which will leave you very satisfied. Readers will be happy they shut out the world for a few hours to devour Lauren Layne’s newest novel.

If you are looking for a sweet, delightful, rom-com - look no further than - To Sir, with Love.

3.5 stars. This was a delightful brain candy book. An updated You've Got Mail with dating apps, its predictable and cheesy in the best ways. My favorite book of the author's so far!

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

Gracie Cooper took over her father's novelty champagne shop when he passed away...but the shop hasn't been doing too great, and her landlord, Sebastian Andrews, keeps attempting to buy out her lease (but she's just not ready to give in yet). I loved Gracie's can-do attitude, and Sebastian really was the perfect leading man once he opened up a little. Lauren Layne has written another great story! It truly is You've Got Mail, retold for the 21st century!

This story follows a woman, Gracie Cooper, who after her father passed away, takes over his novelty champagne shop in Manhattan. With the world changing, the store is not able to keep up financially the way it once had. Gracie is approached by her handsome yet arrogant landlord of sorts, Sebastian Andrews, who proposes a buyout. But Gracie can’t bear the thought of throwing her father’s dream away like she did her own.

Overwhelmed, she seeks the advice of her penpal of sorts, a faceless “Sir”, with whom she connected on a blind dating app where matches get to know each other solely by messaging each other before sending names or pictures.

Slowly, she finds herself falling for her “Sir”, but little does she know she has met him in real life. And she can’t stand him.

Oh my GOODNESS. This book was so cute!! Perfect summer read. If you like You’ve Got Mail and a good hate-to-love story definitely put this one on your to-read list for June! I just loved it. It’s definitely a slow burn, but I loved that about it. Just my cup of tea. It took me a while to get through, but I think it was because I didn’t want it to end. ...Also May might be my favorite side character ever. I love her.
Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

My review: I'm going to let you in on a secret. Lauren Layne has smashed it out of the park. This is her best yet! I read this in a day! This is romance at its finest. A retelling of You've Got Mail, Sebastian and Gracie are enemies. But, dang! They're chemistry is off the charts! I could not get enough of the two of them. I'm buying the hard copy of this when it comes out in June. That's how much I loved it!

I loved this story. I have a book hangover from it.
I slept maybe 5 hours and it was my 1st thought. Finish the book Mare, finish the book.

It had some wonderful UST dammit. And it was PG12 but I still really enjoyed it.

The UST was delish.
The storyline easy to follow, and the UST. Did I say that again.

Mare~Slitsread

Thank you Lauren Layne, Net Galley, and Gallery Books for sharing this with me in exchange for my honest review.

What a well written love story. If you’re looking for an adorable, quick, and You’ve Got Mail vibe read, this one’s for you!

Even though I knew exactly how this book goes/ends, I still couldn’t get enough. I quickly attached myself to all of the characters from the beginning. They were connected beautifully together, I loved them all! I needed an easy-to-follow read and I loved this one so so so much. Thank you Lauren Layne for an excellent one!

This book was so cute! Funny, witty and just a joy to read. It was unique but so relatable to this time of social media and online dating. As the reader, you figure out what is going on from the beginning and reading/watching the journey of the two main characters come together. At times I was tortured because all I wanted was for the characters to end up together and have a happily ever after. I finished this book in one day and couldn't put it down. I would definitely recommend this book to friends and family. Loved it!

This is the perfect book to binge on a warm day with a bottle (or two) of champagne!
To Sir, With Love was so well written! It was clean but full of swoon worthy moments. This was a modern take on You’ve Got Mail and it was so easy to fly through it. I loved the chemistry and banter between Gracie and Sebastian. The supporting characters were all very likable which is a huge plus in my book! I wish there was a little bit more in the epilogue of once the characters got together but overall it was such a fun and light hearted read!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Gallery books for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.