This was a great read. Gracie allows herself to put her wants and needs aside to keep her fathers dreams alive after his death. Gracie is struggling with keeping the store open and has difficulty sharing her feelings with her siblings. She has a pen pal of sorts Sir who she she shares her thoughts with and frustrations. At the same time Sebastian is trying to take over the store lease. She's conflicted with her attraction to both men.

*******************************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from Net Galley.***********************************

Lauren Layne has done it again! She has created another beautiful couple and beautiful story. From the beginning you can’t help but completely fall in love with this story. Lauren Layne does a wonderful job of making you fall in love with her characters. I absolute adored this book. From the second I started it, I didn’t put it down. I fell in love with Sir and Lady’s story. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This adorable story is derivative of “You’ve Got Mail,” as the author acknowledges in her Afterword. She stated that she wanted to bring that story into the 21st Century by updating the premise a bit: the two protagonists fall in love, sight unseen and anonymously, not via email but via a dating app (called “MysteryMate”), and by texting.

MysteryMate isn’t like other dating apps in that there are no photos, or even names. The app matches you with potential mates and you communicate under pseudonyms. Gracie Cooper, 33, under the name “Lady” got matched with “Sir,” and they seem to have a lot in common. As Gracie explains to her best friend: “We both live in Manhattan, we’re both highly suspicious of oatmeal, we both lost our dads to lung cancer four years ago, we both put mustard on our scrambled eggs…”

Gracie owns the champagne shop “Bubbles & More” opened by her late father, but it is struggling to survive in a world increasingly characterized by online sales. She has an offer to buy her out from her lease-holder, the disturbingly handsome Sebastian Andrews. But Gracie is resisting: it’s not about the numbers, she feels, it’s about family, her family, and her father’s dream. Gracie’s own dream was to be an artist, but then her father died and she has made his dream her own. And only resents and regrets it sometimes….

Gracie increasingly turns to “Sir” for advice and emotional support, all the while having additional encounters with Sebastian, whom she likes more and more in spite of her determination to hate him.

Of course we know how this will end, but the path to get there will keep you entertained and interested in spite of an overall arc of predictability.

Moreover, the story ends with an Epilogue that takes place one year later, and it is absolutely delightful.

Evaluation: As the author writes in the Afterward, this is a story about the folly of first impressions, about optimism, and about forgiveness and growth. But it’s also just a darn good romcom that's a lot of fun.

Although I've never actually fully watched You've Got Mail from start to finish (whenever it's showing on the TV, it's always already halfway through), the synopsis of this book had immediately captured my interest. It's also not wrong to say that I was very excited for this upon seeing the author as I've been recently bingeing Lauren Layne's addictive-in-nature books and was already on a high when I requested for an ARC. Imagine my surprise and delight when I saw that my request was approved!

As a romantic at heart like Gracie, there's nothing more beautiful than reading a romance where everything is cheesy and works out in favour of a Happily Ever After, and I'm really happy to say that To Sir, With Love delivers exactly that.

Just like Lauren Layne's other books, this one got me hooked from the prologue right until the end. I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from my Kindle as I devoured word after word. Right from the get go, we learn that Gracie (h) is already in contact with her Sir on an online dating app. Their messages to each other are humourous and left me yearning for more of their interactions. I also found Gracie's first meeting with Sebastian (H) equally funny and their banter in this was glorious to witness. Gracie and Sebastian are enemies during the day, and potential lovers at night. If you've read the author's previous books, it is proven that she writes witty banter well and that is something I thoroughly enjoy. If you're the kind of reader who gets on a high from seeing two characters who hate each other but are able to connect through an exchange of quips, this one is for you.

However, it wasn't only the romance that made me love this—the secondary characters were equally as charming. We have Caleb, Lily and Alec, Gracie's two siblings and brother-in-law; Keva, her neighbour; May, a funny and sweet old lady who works with Gracie; and Robyn and Josh, her employees. It was very uplifiting to see that Gracie has a strong group of people who are always ready to help and support her in any way they can. Just like witty banter, Lauren Layne also delivers this in her other books and has a track record of writing happy and healthy friendships. This, of course, was no exception. Even though these characters are just secondary, I was invested in their mini-lives especially Lily and Alec, who are happily married high school sweethearts. I was hoping we'd potentially get a book about them but their story had seemed perfectly wrapped up by the end of this book.

However, as adorable as the romance was, I also noticed that there was a bit of a cheesy instalove. Gracie starts developing an interest in Sebastian right from the moment she bumped into him on the street. Although this fits Gracie's description of being a hopeless romantic living in a fantasy world, it didn't quite help in the hate-to-love department. I found the romance moving a bit too quickly for my liking and would have loved to see a slightly slower development between Sebastian and Gracie from enemies to not-so enemies. Ergo, I would have appreciated if we had gotten more scenes of them warming up to each other as friends and then them slowly progressing toward something more.

In conclusion, albeit the instalove and attraction, I still enjoyed reading about Sebastian and Gracie. In dark times like this, a little bit of cheesy romance won't hurt anyone and if you're looking for something light and sure to put you in a whimsical mood after finishing, To Sir, with Love would be right up your alley.

Romance is just magical.

I could not put this book down once I started it! I loved the plot that you thought you knew the obvious romance but still kept you guessing in case you weren’t sure. Would recommend to all my friends! Best book of 2021 so far!

I'm a longtime fan of Lauren Layne's. I can always count on her books for a feel-good escape and some modern romance. However, I think I'm going to make the bold declaration that To Sir, With Love is officially my favorite one yet.

There's something exceedingly charming and timeless about the story. (I'm sure that's not a coincidence, given its inspiration.) It made me feel that rare combination of optimism and wistfulness that lingers long after the last pages. Admittedly, I'll pick up anything by Layne, but I'd love to see her write more books in this vein.

okay stop the pressed i freaking loved this book way to dang much!
i loved every to sir with love message in this book i think a few more personal detail ones would have made the TADAAAA even better.. but omg these two characters were EVERYTHING i needed.
this author omg she can write a love story and its pure joy!

This was an absolute delight!

Thank you so much for the ARC copy of this book. This sweet romantic comedy was uplifting and inspiring. I loved how the entire “you’ve got mail” concept was modernized into text messages through a dating app. Their interactions were funny, flirty and very romantic.

I loved both Gracie and Sebastian. Gracie was always so positive and had a great attitude about everything she did. I loved how protective and enthusiastic she was about her family’s legacy and how much effort she put into everything she did to make the flourish, even if it meant to give it up. Sebastan was thoughtful and understanding, and I loved that after all, he had the best intentions at heart. The connection and chemistry was obvious since the very beginning and I loved how all the events led to that beautiful ending.

The only thing that I could say was missing for me, was his point of view due to the type of story. Still, I think it was a beautiful book and I can’t wait to read more of this author.

This seemed really close to You've Got Mail, but I still really loved it. Lauren Layne is one of my favorite authors and this was one of the best of hers that I've read.

Gracie Cooper owns her late father’s business along with her siblings. She loves it but she is the only one out of her siblings that actually deals with it and she is getting tired of trying to keep it afloat. She holds resentment as well because of art dreams sailing further away as each year passes. Her biggest piece of happiness is a faceless man who she messages through a dating app. I really enjoyed this story. It is a modern day fairy tale with layered characters. The location was wonderful and easy to picture. I especially loved Bubbles & More. Gracie had many great qualities and she definitely deserves more from life than her situation at the start of the book but I was a little disappointed in some of her choices in men. She prided herself on having high standards yet she fell twice for men that were already in relationships and let them really affect her life. As you read along, you begin to understand her choices but I didn’t particularly enjoy that she treated her crush so poorly because of her jealousy when he really didn’t do anything and he was at that point in a relationship. The leading man was honestly perfect. I loved the dialogue between Gracie and him and despite being filtered through Gracie’s perspective. He was actually a really good person so does she realize it in the end? You will have to read to find out. Overall, a great story about going for what you want in life and in love with very real and lovable characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review!

I have enjoyed every single Lauren Layne book I have had the pleasure to read. Nevertheless, I came to this one with slight trepidation since it's a version of a beloved classic (You've Got Mail). Turns out that my worries were unfounded and "To Sir, with Love" may be my favorite Lauren Layne book to date. The basic story is the same, but it is a modern version with two delightfully romantic characters that are also somewhat old-fashioned in a charming way. The full cast of characters and their incredible dialogues are very much in Laynes style: charming, witty, layered. Even in the moments that paralleled the movie, it was in a way that made me smile, but never felt out of place in this author's world and with her characters. This was the book I needed right now, adorable, a joy to read and a delightful escape. I loved Gracie and Sebastian and will be rereading this one.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really sweet take on the Nora Ephron classic You've got Mail! It was certainly a more modern take on the story and all of the characters were charmingly sincere. The villan/hero character was convincing and it really seemed as if he was struggling to figure out what to do (and did not seem blatantly manipulative or catfishy, which is so often the pitfall of this trope). The chemistry was strong and the romantic moments were cute, I would definitely recommend giving this book a shot!

I absolutely loved this book, I knew the second I was done that this would be a definite re-read soon! To Sir, with Love was perfect; the characters were amazing, the plot was perfect and the slow burn was exactly the romance I crave. Plus there were some great laugh out loud moments that kept me highly entertained. I read it so quickly that I was a little mad at myself for not savoring it a little slower. This is a definite recommendation for those that love a fun, slow burn love story!

I have long been a fan of Lauren Layne so I was especially excited when I was able to read an ARC of her upcoming book, “To Sir, With Love” and my excitement was well placed because I loved this book. I’ve been grappling with what to say about it, but it just made me really happy - even during the really serious parts. I don’t think I’ve ever felt closer to a character than I did to Gracie. I really enjoyed her relationships with her friends, colleagues, May, and especially within the Cooper family. Obviously this is a romance and the love story is a huge (and very good!) part of the book, but my favorite parts were just being inside Gracie’s head as she figured out where her life was and where it needed to go. There were so many parts that made me literally laugh out loud (I can’t wait until this book comes out so I can share my favorite quotes!) and I was almost sad as I got closer to the end because I wanted to talk with Rachel and see what is going on in Keva’s dating life and see what Robyn was up to. I want to talk to Lily about her renovation and chat with Alec and I want Caleb to keep being Caleb. Lauren Layne creates the best worlds - combining real life with just enough fantasy - that it felt so good to be back and I can’t wait to reread this one when it comes out June 29!! If LL isn’t already a one-click author for you this one will convince you, preorder it now!

I normally read romantic suspense and paranormal mysteries but having read two previous books by this author I was hoping this one would be as good. Wow! With a nod to The Shop Around the Corner/You've Got Mail, this book had everything I would want in a book. I loved the characters, plot line, and just overall fun to read. Romantic comedy is not always easy to read, too much sex or underdeveloped characters, it is a fine balance. I would definitely recommend this book and others by this author. I plan to start reading more by this author. I received an e-book from NetGalley in return for an unbiased review.

Don’t hate me, but I’ve never liked ‘You’ve Got Mail’ (even though I LOVE Nora Ephron). I really never liked ‘The Shop Around the Corner’ either. Something about the story and the way the men behaved in them always kind of put me off.

So color me really surprised that I really enjoyed this take on the story! The characters of Sebastian Andrews and Gracie Cooper were funny and flawed and lovable. The supporting cast of characters, and the other storylines weaving throughout were thoughtful, and touching. I cried more than a few times, and read the book straight through.

A wonderful and feel good story that made me have all the feels!

Thanks to netgalley for providing me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

To Sir, With Love made me swoon.⁣
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This is described as a Love is Blind meets You Got Mail and it’s so perfect!⁣
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Gracie is the glue that holds her family and friends together. She is so charming and likable. ⁣
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Sebastian is broody, sexy, and swoon worthy. These two have amazing chemistry and their verbal sparring makes for great banter, in this enemies to lovers romcom. ⁣
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I love the back and forth conversations before each chapter between Gracie and Sir and I love the button pushing between Gracie and Sebastian. Who does she choose in her fairy tale?⁣
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
#bookstagram #books #bookcommunity #romance #romcom #tosirwithlove #netgalley⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this ARC for my honest review.

Now this was a cute fun book! I enjoyed everything about this one! The characters the story the plot. The writing!
While this book was full of the usual Lauren Layne charm and magic, I found myself wanting MORE- more time to see the chemistry build between the characters.
I was when I finished it.

3.5 stars

This book quickly drew me in. I thoroughly enjoyed the clever banter between Sir and Lady. The way they maintained the Sir and Lady personas was witty and fun.

One knows from the start, that as an homage to “You’ve Got Mail”, exactly where this rom-com will end up. And that detracted from the book for me. While I enjoyed it, it also felt too predictable.

I had a hard time connecting with the idea of the app that they met on — but I haven’t watched Love is Blind. So that may be part of the disconnect for me. I don’t quite fit the target audience.

I was somewhat put off by Gracie’s artistic style. It felt too gimmicky. I think I may just not have been able to paint the right picture of her artwork in my head. I’m stuck with a mental image of cutesy artwork that’s more of what would be found on greeting cards than in a gallery setting.

Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I haven’t read a romance novel in years. My books of choice in the past few years have been mysteries and thrillers. So, when I started this book I wasn’t expecting much. But I was pleasantly surprised. I found myself engaged in the story and relating to the main character. When her dad passes away Gracie decides to take over Bubbles, the family business, instead of pursuing her dreams of becoming an artist. She tries so hard to keep the business afloat for her dad but the business flounders. Enter Sebastian the “evil” businessman who wants to buy out her lease. Well I’m sure you can guess what happens. Although romance novels generally follow the same template I found this book cute and charming. It’s a cute and quick read for those times you just don’t want to think too much and just get caught up in romance.