Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne is more than a good read. It's definitely one of the Best story I've read from the Author.

I really Loved the story and read it in one sitting.

TL;DR:
- 5 stars
- Content warnings: addiction, death of a parent
- My Fair Lady (/Pygmalion) gets a modern-day rewrite in this book set against an NYC backdrop.

Loved:
- I am quickly... very quickly... falling in love with Lauren Layne. Her prose is excellent, I love the world building, and when she writes a scene, she writes it. She doesn't dwell in the "how did that make each character feel" inner-monologueness of it all. She takes you directly to the next scene to keep going. I'm already crying! I enjoy keeping it moving.
- A lot of reviewers said they didn't like how mean Cain (LI) was to Violet (Lead) and that she should never have given him a chance. Y'all from where I was sitting they were very quick to judge and jibe at each other *equally* during the first few chapters. It set up a very satisfying turning point when they both realized they were actually just very attracted to each other. It also laid a path for a conflict that wasn't super high intensity - there were real insecurities from their original period of misjudgment of one another and they had to work through that to be together.
- Mentioned before - I cried at least 3 times. This is good, not bad. I need to cry for it to chart at least 4 stars.

Less into:
- It was a little comical (I have lots of notes on this) at times to read all of the ways Layne tries to make Violet downtrodden or pitiable - she is still a VERY rich and sort of snobby character - though her heart is good and she learns to stand up for herself more throughout. Let her just be rich and high society! We do not need to feel bad for her for us to enjoy the book. I will say I haven't read My Fair Lady (sorry) so if that's an intentional style choice my bad.

Pick up for lovely and rich modern retelling of a classic story. Steamy and sweet.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. I always love a grumpy millionaire who is really not so grumpy. I love any book set in New York Lauren layne is one of my favorite new authors

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed this one, if I am being honest. I have never read a book by this author but I would definitely read more if they came my way. :) I liked the character development, I liked the characters themselves, I liked the setting, and I liked the story line. Throw in the romance and the personal development and I was entertained and interested the whole way through.

Super cute book with a well done main character that you will fall in love with. Solid plot line and just overall engaging book.

Two people from two different worlds meet and try to navigate their two different worlds.
Violet fits perfectly into NYC society. She knows what to say, how to dress, how to act. When a friend of her grandmother’s, who has been a sort of surrogate grandmother to her for the last several years, asks for her help, she’s quick to say yes. Which lead to meeting Cain.. Cain is the woman’s grandson, who unlike Violet, doesn’t have any desire to fit in. He misses his New Orleans home and his life there, and doesn’t want to have to dress differently or act differently. But the financial prospect of leading the multimillion-dollar company is enticing, so he agrees to let Violet make him over. However, he’s not going to do so without a fight.
The idea of this is really cute and had potential but I found it boring and surface level.

Thanks to the publisher for sending this arc. This was a delightful grumpy, sunshine set in the glamorous world of New York City. I would recommend this to any fans of Lauren Layne’s previous work.

Violett is asked by her grandmother's friend who she has looked at as another grandmother to help her with her grandson who she has recently discovered in Louisiana and has now brought to New York. she would like Violet to take him around to the finer store and restaurants and really just prepare him so he will be able to look the part for she wants him to take over the family business. Of course, she agrees.
Cain of course butts head with Violet which adds to the story and as the story moves along you find he is more than what he appears, and that really is the story don't judge a book by its cover. The more they spend time together the more they begin to care for one another and yet there is always someone to throw a wrench into the party and Violet has one who does not want Cain to be part of the business. This turns out to be a better book than expected and had good characters.

I really enjoyed this story from beginning to end. Cain is broodish and his own man. Violet is the perfect debutante. When Violet is asked to help groom Cain confirm to NY CEO standards, by his grandmother, Violet never expected to be groomed in return.

Cain and Violet have attraction and chemistry but life is often complicated and we don't know what we want until it is right in front of us. I loved both Violet and Cain's parallel journeys of discovery and love

I love Layne's NYC books. This one is probably my favorite of all of them and will be a continued reread for me

This was an amazing story. The writing was so easy and I was sucked in from the moment I started. Manhattan is SO vivid in this story, taking us all around the city. I loved Violet and her relationship with Edith and Ashley. Alvin was so much fun. I liked the way her and Cain balanced each other out. I will for sure be reading more of her books!

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It had me turned pages without even realizing. It was so good!

From real-life makeover shows to romantic comedies, transformation tales are pretty common. We all like to see the average Jane (or even the average Joe) transformed into a supermodel. But author Lauren Layne’s Made in Manhattan puts a twist on the typical transformation plotline...

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com - and aired on Shelf Discovery

#bookreview Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher (Gallery Books) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

☺️ the good ☺️
- A spin-off of “Maid in Manhattan” in which the man is the scruffy one and the woman is trying to straighten him out - new clothes, new manners, new attitude, new hairstyle, etc. I had high expectations. It just took a long time to get anywhere with the story.
- I enjoyed Edith’s character. She’s a great fierce little old lady.

🤨 the bad 😒
- Violet is annoying and snobby for a majority of the book. I don’t even know why Cain likes her.
- Keith doesn’t feel fleshed out as a character. He’s just there for Violet to dump and then plead for her back.
- Coco was just a prop. We didn’t get much of a personality from the dog. She was just there to complete Violet’s ridiculous get up.
- That epilogue. 🙄

😍 the beautiful 😍
- Her friendship with Ashley. Ashley was more well rounded than her.
- Cain was a good character. I think he deserved better than Violet, though.

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
steam: 😑

#bookstagram

This was great read and I really enjoyed Violet and Cain's characters along with Cain's Grandmother.

What I loved about this book:

1. I'm here for all the witty banter and steamy romance and Layne never fails to deliver on those fronts.

2. This story was a reverse My Fair Lady story line and I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would.

3. The slow burn kept me engaged and I devoured page by page waiting for them to give into temptation. The opposites attract sexual chemistry was melting off the pages and kept me coming back for more.

I would definitely recommend this one!

This is an opposites attract romance between Manhattan socialite Violet and unpolished bayou nobody Cain. These flawed characters are likeable, the connection strong, the chemistry combustible, and the unique plot makes for an intriguing read. It is a slow burn love story with drama, angst, humor, steam, twists and turns, and engaging secondary characters to keep the reader interested. A page turner with a happy ending.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Valentine PR and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

I adore Lauren Layne, so I assumed I would enjoy this book, but it's become one of my favorites by this author. I admit I've never seen My Fair Lady, but I know the gist of it. I love the idea of a gender swapped makeover story, and the execution was honestly perfection.

The opposites attract dichotomy they have is endlessly entertaining, but also incredibly evocative. The way they play off each other is completely captivating. The chemistry is off the charts! I couldn't wait for them to be on the page together because I knew it would be fun, emotional, but also steamy.

I loved everything about this book. There isn't a single thing that I'd change. And the ending just made me want to cry happy tears. It was amazing.

I liked the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and the setting of New York, but I definitely wanted more of the couple in the end because it was a bit underwhelming

A 2.7 stars
I think it was alright, a sweet romance with the inherent theme of fighting what one is perceived to be by others standards. A book that was light and quite a bit on the could be better side.

The thing with such books is that I'm at a loss when I have to write the review, all that comes to mind is that it was good, okay and cute. It could have also been better in some places but it did have its own charm and that's what makes the book worth reading.

I really like this author and I was a bit disappointed in this book because there could be so much more to it. It was a short novel and the interactions between the perfect uptown girl and the grumpy hero was cool, the sarcasm and the changes that happened to the characters was great but my heart just wanted more clarity and is unsatisfied with the book.

So overall I would recommend this book if you want a light fast read but also not overly recommend it

My Fair Lady is one of my favorite musicals, so when I saw “Made in Manhattan” billed as a retelling I was skeptical that it could live up to the magic and romance of the original. I am so happy to report that I was dead wrong. Lauren Layne has delivered another showstopper that will have your heart yearning for a happy ending as she builds sizzling romance and a deep companionship between Cain and Violet.

Violet Townsend is a blank slate. Capable of reflecting back whatever a given social situation demands she’s never *too* anything. Not too loud, too opinionated, and too modern, too ambitious, she’s perfectly placid (and some might say perfectly boring).

When her beloved mentor, Edith, calls upon her to smooth the rough edges of her newly discovered adult grandson, Violet feels more than equal to the task. But the more she delves below the tough exterior, the more she questions the wisdom of her “mission” and the staid, matronly life she’s been building for herself.

Will Violet be able to convince Cain she has grown to love him as he is? Or will he be unable to look past her haughty first impression? A must read for fans of Christina Lauren, Talía Hibbert, and Helen Hoang, “Made In Manhattan” is one romance fans will be sure to treasure.