This isn't Lauren Layne's best book but it is still really good! I like the "moving to the big city" trope and this one didn't disappoint.

Violet Townsend had been acting as Edith Rhodes' right hand since leaving college. Edith had taken her under her wing after the death of her grandmother. When Edith said she needed to see her, Violet dropped everything because she knew it had to be serious.

When she arrived at Edith's Park Ave penthouse she was shocked to meet her grandson. A grandson that Edith had discovered when going through her son's belongings after his death a month ago. A grandson that she hadn't let Violet know about.

And the reason for her presence? Dress him, introduce him and teach him the rules of society.

I loved this book! It is very well written and the characters are totally relatable. Violet has spent her life living by the rules of society and transforming herself according to the needs of others. It was safe. But, meeting Edith's uncouth, foul-mouth...gorgeous grandson made her rethink being safe.

Violet and Cain are instantly antagonist towards each other, but the chemistry is smoking hot. I totally love Cain! This is a gorgeous confident man who feels abandoned and despite their initial feelings towards each other things get smoking hot fast.

This is the first opportunity I've had to read Lauren Layne, but I am excited to read more of her books in the future!

Lauren Layne is one of those authors who I know I can pick up a book when I need a guaranteed 5 star read. Made in Manhattan was certainly no exception to this. I loved this modern take on My Fair Lady and devoured it cover to cover in no time. My biggest regret is always reading her books too fast and knowing I will have to wait for a new one!

I really enjoyed this contemporary romance with an opposites attract trope from Lauren Layne. This is an easy read that has lots of lovable characters, cute banter, great settings and, of course, steamy romance. I think all rom com lovers will enjoy this book, definitely on my recommendation list.

I can always count on Lauren Layne to give me an excellent romance. This one is no exception! I loved the opposites attract and grumpy/sunshine dynamic this book gave us. The romance was cute and the banter was so fun to read! I cannot wait for Lauren’s next book!!

Made in Manhattan is the perfect example of a book with the potential to become a movie. Lauren Layne has a great talent to craft love stories that, while filled with tropes, are truly engaging and fun to read. I found this slow-burn romance to be such a great pick-me-up type of book, and I truly enjoyed the story.

The plot of the book is somewhat predictable, as I find most books in this genre to be. The story focuses on Violet's efforts to change Cain from the rural, broody, typical southern boy into a posh and uppity businessman to take over the role of CEO in Edith's company.  Edith did not know Cain even existed until her son passed away and she found some paperwork that revealed his existence. Cain is not thrilled to be taken from his life in New Orleans to fulfill Edith's lifelong dream to pass the company to her own blood, but he plays along to find out what the job entails... and the hefty wealthy lifestyle that comes with it doesn't hurt either. Violent then becomes the person in charge to teach Cain what he needs to do to be voted as the new CEO when Edith retires.

As is expected, most of the story focuses on Violet's efforts to change Cain. They are totally opposites but their chemistry is undeniable from the beginning. While Violent knows that teaching Cain how to become the perfect CEO is a challenge, she doesn't expect him to be as difficult as he is. And Cain, on the other hand, doesn't expect to like Violet as much as he does after their first day together. While they are constantly arguing and there's clear animosity between them, they have great banter going on that makes up for the rude exchanges they have at the beginning. And the setting of the city is also perfect as it provides the perfect circumstances for both Violet and Cain to spend time together while understanding each other's backgrounds.

In most books where the female main character is doing the makeover, they tend to be uptight and pretentious. In this book, Violent is a caring, selfless, and truly sweet person who loves fiercely and cares about people genuinely. I loved Violet's character from the beginning. Even with her expensive pearls and socialite status, she comes up as a highly likable and truly genuine person. And as she lets her guard down, I liked her even more. Her character is so well written, and I found her to be refreshing in so many ways. I loved when she stands up for herself and the way her character goes from following all the rules to letting herself act freely.

Cain, at first, comes up as a jerk. He makes fun of Violet, or Duchess as he calls her, and makes things more difficult than need to be. He is in constant argumentative mode, so there is animosity between him and Violent for the first part of the book. It's not until he lets his own guard down that his softer side appears. He truly is as caring and genuine as Violent, and once he shows her this side, he becomes a teddy bear. I love his arch and found him such a likable person once he lets his guard down. And after they travel together to his hometown in New Orleans, he reveals his other side as a hardworking and caring man who truly loves the people in his life.

Overall, this story was heartwarming and lovely, and I truly enjoyed it. I loved the characters and their storylines, and I enjoyed the ending of the book as well. Hoping that this sweet story will become a Hallmark movie eventually.

Was not my cup of tea, Violet got on my nerves and I felt like she thought Cain was below her... she was above everyone around her. Did not finish.

So incredibly grateful to be part of this release blitz after reading this gender swapped My Fair Lady. Made in Manhattan by @laurenlaynebooks is available TODAY!

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Central Park Pact comes a reverse My Fair Lady for the modern era about a pampered and privileged Manhattan socialite who must teach an unpolished and denim-loving nobody from the Louisiana Bayou how to fit in with the upper crust of New York City.

An Upper East Side New York socialite attempts to makeover a gruff, denim-loving man from Louisiana into a polished suit-wearing New Yorker, only to fall in love with him in the process.

This was a cute & sweet quick read. I loved Violet & Cain. They were a fun couple to watch grow from enemies to more than enemies. I would definitely recommend this one!

Thank you to @laurenlaynebooks, @valentine_pr_, & @gallerybooks for the opportunity to read this ARC. Go download or pick up from your local store!

In my second retelling of the week, I read Made in Manhattan. This one is a gender flipped, modern version of My Fair Lady.

Violet is the perfect Park Avenue Princess who adores her adopted grandmother. When Edith asks Violet for help to polish her recently long lost grandson, Cain, to help groom him. As Edith’s only heir, she wants Cain to take over the family business, but he’s a rough and tumble southern boy who likes jeans and wears his hair long. He doesn’t fit into the upper crust of the Upper East Side. Violet has her work cut out for her because… Cain doesn’t want to change.

They obviously butt heads over very small things such as when he takes her to the diner and she is appalled by a greasy spoon breakfast. But he can’t imagine why his jeans matter so much in the board room? Some of this was a little clunky in my opinion. As someone who lived on the UES for over 10 years, I know first hand that not everyone is like this. Violet is a stereotype of the characters from Gossip Girl. I thought their chemistry was lacking, but it was entertaining and I loved all the NYC references. The ending also didn’t quite work for me.

Thank you so much to @gallerybooks, @netgalley and the author for my gifted ebook. Made In Manhattan is out now!

Not my favorite; it didn't feel like there was much new here. Cain never really won me over, and Violet was kind of boring. Cain's "Dutchess" nickname for Violet was mean and kind of icky, especially when turned into an endearment. I would have liked to see more between Violet and Edith. I enjoyed To Sir, With Love a lot more. I do like this author’s writing style in general, though, and will read more by her in the future.

I think perhaps I might not have been in the right mood for this one? I typically always enjoy Layne’s storytelling but for whatever reason, I’ve been wanting more from her books. More depth, more swoon, more character development. This story was light and entertaining, but I just wanted more from it!

4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Made in Manhattan is definitely a cute read that I enjoyed from the beginning till the end. I knew Lauren Layne was able to serve another great book because this story really won my heart. I seriously adore Violet and Cain and all the moments they spent together are just my favourite! Overall, it was good read, and if you're looking for something fun and light, then I highly recommend you to give this book a chance.

This is a frothy and fun rom-com in the vein of the best New York-set rom-coms of the 90s and early 2000s. Layne is incredibly efficient in bringing these characters together in a satisfying way in this modern, gender-bent retelling of Pygmallion.

MADE IN MANHATTAN - Lauren Layne

Cute - 4 stars

Plot - 4 stars - When Edith discovers she has a heretofore unknown grandson, she is ecstatic and plans to leave him her billion-dollar company. But he's rough around the edges and won't be accepted by NYC society, so she asks Violet to work with him in sort of an Eliza Doolittle way.

Writing - 4 stars - Layne is always a winner for me. She captures the attention right away and creates characters that are appealing and provide interest and excitement.

Characters - 4 stars - This is where the story shone for me. Cain is definitely rude and crude, often in order to shock those around him, but he's also got a solid core of responsibility. He's sexy and handsome, with secrets that keep him interesting. Violet, on the other hand, had hidden depths beneath her seemingly open-book personality. She has become complacent in her life and is waking up as she deals with Cain's strong personality.

Title - 4 stars - Cain will, hopefully, become a more polished version of himself while staying in Manhattan and learning about the business.

Cover - 4 stars - The bright pink color attracts the eye, and the cartoony cityscape is cute and attractive.

Overall - 4 stars - As expected, this book was a very enjoyable read. Layne is able to create attractive characters with lots of personality and interesting interactions.

I pretty much knew what the storyline would be going into this book but I still enjoyed it. I liked the setting and the characters still managed to make the storyline seems fresh.

This was a fun retelling that had a modern twist that I’m sure most women will love. Cain is easily a likeable character and Layne does a great job at slowly making Violet likeable and peeling away at each characters layers. It was witty and a fun read

This one just wasn’t for me.

Made in Manhattan is a slow burn gender swapped My Fair Lady retelling with forced proximity vibes.

It’s a well-written book, but I would have appreciated more insight into Cain’s POV and a deeper dive into Violet’s reasons for being the perfect Manhattan princess.

The book skimmed the surface of both characters’ emotional states, which, while making for a quick read, left me wanting more.

Violet enjoys a privileged Manhattan life under her mentor, Edith, who has become a stand-in grandmother since the death of her parents and grandmother. As Edith is set to retire from the mega-company she has created, she decides to bring in her long lost grandson, Cain, to take over. Cain's upbringing and life have been very different from the upper-crust requirements of New York society, so Edith tasks Violet with transforming Cain into a distinguished and sophisticated CEO who will be accepted by the socially elite.

Cute but predictable cozy romance. The characters were stereotypical, and I was sometimes frustrated with Violet for not having a little more backbone. Cain was a little arrogant and pouty with his commitment phobia. Still, a sweet, light read and one that would be worth grabbing to pass the time on a long car or plane ride.

This one fell a little flat for me. Sunshine meets grump vibes, sprinkled with the rich girl who is approachable and a downright obnoxious blue collar man. I feel like a lot of the books I have been reading lately have a man that treats women like absolute crap and yet gets the girl. It makes me want to throat punch the guy, and shake sense into these women. STOP LETTING THESE SORRY EXCUSES OF MEN TREAT YOU LIKE TRASH! STOP!

Cain's storyline felt unbelievable a points - like how he completely changes the way he speaks. Other then his looks - not much more is attractive about him.

It is a modern retelling of My Fair Lady, adapted for Manhattan which may speak to some readers.

📌 Pub Date: January 18, 2021

I was given an ARC of this story to read; but thoughts and opinions are all my own. Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books for the chance to read this book!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read the book in exchange for a review.

This book is amazing. A total easy read and also one of the best rom-coms books I’ve ever read. It's actually a perfect read for Valentine’s Day.