4/5 stars

LaQuette's debut was great,
I loved that the characters were older than. & the writing really showed that.
I liked the smalltown elements to it.

I have attempted to read this book multiple times and in multiple formats, but I've realized it is just not for me! Unfortunately, I just am not pulled into the story. I would still be open to reading this author's other books.

Unfortunately, I had to DNF or not finish this book. The premise caught my attention, but overall this romance lacked the chemistry and writing to keep me engaged. I will say that Vanessa was the bright light in this story, as I did read the first fifty percent. She is a resilient woman, who had to overcome abusive and difficult situations to find herself again and rebuild, and that's something to root for. I have no problem with insta-attraction, but the romance in this book felt really flat for me and I did not care for the male lead, which makes it hard to connect in a romance book. I thought this would be a fun quick read, but the pacing dragged and while the cover is absolutely gorgeous I found the story within to be lacking. I would still consider reading additional works from this author in the future.

Synopsis:

Vanessa Jared, a 40-something divorcee, decided that the best way to pull herself out of their post-divorce slump was to form The Savvy, Sexy, Singles Club and start the "Do Me" portion of her and her friends' lives. On the two year anniversary, a sexy sheriff shows up on Vanessa's doorstep wanting her to help him keep his little sister from marrying her no-good ex. Vanessa is not down for this at all. She wants nothing to do with her ex...until she spots a photo of her ex's new fiancee wearing her grandmother's ring--which he clearly stole from her. What she does not expect is to fall in love along the way.

Review:

I loved following a FMC who is black and in her 40s along in this story. It's also such a unique storyline with a brother asking his sister's fiancee's ex to break down a relationship. That being said, I found it a bit far fetched in terms of storyline, but at the same time, enjoyed the chemistry between Vanessa and Michael as well as some of the real and hard issues that were touched upon throughout the book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Griffin for my eGalley!

Vanessa Jared's Got a Man by LaQuette is a book with a strong theme of empowerment that brings the spice. This one would make a great movie.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. All thoughts are my own.

Tried listening to this one and just couldn’t deal, so I picked up the ebook and I STILL couldn’t deal. This book has a main premise of divorce, which is important to note as to how a character acts based on their past, but I had a hard time relating because we got it, you’re divorced! But, she is older and so that’s a pretty large life changing event. Enter in the sheriff, along with instalove, and you have a book! Struggled with the instalove because I need chemistry, exploration, and getting to know one another before I can see the characters fall for one another and be immersed in the storyline. I do appreciate the opportunity to review, though! Thank you!

This book was very cute and an easy read, but the love story build up was a little slower than I like. I loved the humor and quick, smart dialogue of the characters and the representation both in the story and on the cover! Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy of this book for an honest review.

The vibes in this book were immaculate, let’s start with that! I can only imagine how difficult it is to write an interracial romance because of all the research and sensitivity it requires. This was a cute story and I look forward to reading more from this author. (Also, can we talk about the book cover?! Swoon!)

Definitely a Lifetime Movie type of book. I mean, seriously, a man goes and hunts down the ex wife of the man who is about to marry his sister because he is a bad dude and needs her to convince his sister...
Unbelievable! Like, seriously.
But I enjoyed reading it. Not too heavy.

I've never read one of LaQuette's books before and I do think this is a good introduction - she has a great cast of characters, Michael and Vanessa sound very hot, and it's steamy! Still, I was far more interested in everyone else *around* Michael and Vanessa than in their relationship. I'd like to read more about their friend group, but this book was just so so for me.

This is a story about a woman coming to terms with her divorce and her abusive ex-husband. Not so by change she meets the love her life who is wrapped around being the brother of his ex-husbands new girlfriend (victim).

This book was cute when it had to be and tough in the touch parts. I loved it.

When can I have part two so I get Cree or Janae’s stories??? This book was absolutely enjoyable. First a slow burn then to a hard, fast spicy romance! 🔥🧯Vanessa’s character was incredibly relatable for me, and her strength was absolutely inspiring. I was so curious around the 60% mark whether the reason Vanessa was in Monroe would become resolved and then BAM it resolved…great story telling, great characters, loves the diverse character cast.

I thought this was a cute book, and I really enjoyed how the main character was in her 40s and figuring life out. It felt very realistic. The chemistry wasn’t too believable for me. But overall, I did enjoy the story!

Great story with a spice factor that was perfect.

I loved the idea of a woman finding love after a messy divorce and being able to grow and move forward. Character growth for both of the main characters is what made this book so good.

This is probably the third book I’ve read this year where I’ve come for the romance but ended up staying for the friendships. This book was a breath of fresh air because it was a romance with more mature characters in their 40s. Not only that but we got to see a female MC prioritize her own healing before diving headfirst into a relationship. I loved any scene with Vanessa and her friends, Janae and Cree. I found myself smiling and laughing anytime the three of them had a scene together.

I wanted to love Michael and the romance so much more, but they both fell a bit flat for me. I would have personally loved to see more of Vanessa’s pass journey of rebuilding out of the rubble of her marriage from Karl especially since he was so emotionally abusive to her. Instead we mostly just got snippets from her reminiscing about the past.

I would definitely still recommend this even though not all the parts worked for me.

Sexy, sweet and oh so real, I loved every minute I spent reading Vanessa Jared’s Got a Man! Watch out, I just found a new author’s writing to fall in love with.

I received an ARC of this book, from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I wanted to love this book so badly, but sadly it was a miss for me. Vanessa Jared is the epitome of beautiful, strong, and independent. But she wasn't always like that. The book starts off by learning that Vanessa is recently divorced after twenty years of being in a verbally abusive marriage. After meeting two other divorcees in a divorce group meeting, they become family and thus create the Savvy, Sexy Singles Club. I honestly adored the friendship between the three women, and how they are always there for each other. Plus the Savvy, Sexy Singles Club was a big help for Vanessa after her divorce. Now lets talk about the love interest, Michael Park. Also beautiful lol, strong, independent, and Korean-American; which I loved the diversity in this book! Michael was an easy character to love, especially after learning more about the strong bond that he has with his younger sister Cindy. Okay, that was all the good stuff and I know the two star might not make sense but hear me out. The book was extremely repetitive, to the point that it was annoying me. I understand that Vanessa being verbally abused by her ex-husband was very traumatic and an important factor of the story, but there was no need for it to be reiterated throughout the book. I also felt that the writing was at times very cheesy and gave off hallmark vibes, which a lot of people are okay with, but it was not for me. Overall the book was fun, but sadly easily forgotten.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

A sexy, fun romance with a really enjoyable couple at its center. I particularly liked the dual POV as it gave great insight into both Vanessa and Michael as individuals and what they were thinking of the other throughout the story. It may have been a little too bodily descriptive for my taste but that’s how romance goes: you gotta find your niche in it. With a satisfying ending and solid character development, I’d recommend this one to any romance reader.


Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Okay, I really enjoyed this story. Small town, great friendships, and an opportunity to get your lick back plus some. I hope everyone reads this book now!!

If you are looking for a small town romance with Hallmark movie vibes look no further. LaQuette has the perfect book for you and that’s Vanessa’s Jared Got a Man.

Special thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin for allowing me to get an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Let’s all take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this cover. The illustrator captured Michael and Vanessa and the searing tension to a T! This cover enhanced my reading experience being that I could vividly picture the characters and their attraction.

I am so happy that mature main characters with heartier storylines are becoming more visible. Note there is a content warning for emotional abuse and it is palpable during one scene. Read with caution!

Vanessa is a divorcee who is finding her way back to herself when she is dragged back to a situation concerning her ex. Her choices are to save herself or save another woman from the hardship she experienced. In that she finds love with the other woman’s brother! Their connection was effortless and their romance was strong. Oddly enough, although I felt the story was just fine and ordinary, I felt like what the author wrote was exactly what the characters needed. As people in their forties there isn’t a need for drama or antics.

I believe the LaQuette is typically a harlequinn author and that influenced some of the word choices used that I found catered to an audience that wasn’t me. However she balanced it with good comedy and strong character that kept me in mind.

Overall I am happy to see this romance and may even pick up Adam’s story!