4 stars

In her debut romantic comedy, LaQuette delivers a sexy and emotionally charged small town romance between a wealthy divorcee recovering from an emotionally abusive spouse and an overly protective sheriff determined to keep his sister from marrying the wrong man.

What I really appreciated about this novel is how well-developed the characters were in terms of dealing with the various conflicts as they came. One of my biggest pet peeves in romance novels is when the author doesn't connect why a character makes a certain choice to the character itself and that is not a problem in this book at all. Everything felt incredibly true to who these people were and it was immensely refreshing. In addition, this book more than delivered on the spice and did not shy away from portraying older characters with sexual desire.

This book does suffer a bit from what I call the Hallmark effect, in a which woman gets stuck in a small town due to her car breaking down and conveniently has no other option but to stay there and fall in love. That trope is just a bit tired for me and it is compounded in this book by the fact that the event for which she needs to stay is delayed until about the 75% mark of the book. It would have loved for the major conflict to have been given a little more time to breathe, but I still immensely enjoyed getting to go on Vanessa's journey to find lasting and healthy love.

Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for a fair and honest review!

This book was 🔥 There were so many things that I enjoyed about this debut novel by LaQuette. First, the representation was refreshing, not just from a cultural perspective but the age of the characters, as well. So many novels in this genre have the same cookie cutter, 20 something characters and storylines, it was a welcome change for me and added so much interest to the story. I also loved the main characters, Vanessa and Michael, and really found myself rooting for them. Their past experiences and the struggles that brought them together were deep and relatable. Finally, my nerdy self loved that Vanessa is an accountant 🤓 There aren't too many romantic leads that are accountants and I am here for it.

Vanessa Jared's Got a Man is a spicy, heartfelt romance and a fantastic debut novel. Many thanks to OrangeSky Audio for the advance copy.

I really loved this when I read it for the first time a couple of months ago. Now that I have listened to it I love it even more

I am hoping that this is going to be a series and not a stand-alone. Denise Wallace adds so much to an already awesome story.

she can do all the different voices and add the personality of every character. I listen to it immediately and couldn't stop because although I knew what was going to happen I was again invested

A wonderful romance which I hope is going to be a series

It seems I can always appreciate a cute little love story and this was just that. I also really love a strong male character and Michael being a police officer definitely fits the bill. There was some subtle humor that I also really liked about this book too. A sister walking in on a brother getting busy is always good for a mortifying laugh.

🌀Synopsis
Vanessa is still in the depths of processing her divorce when a stranger shows up on her doorstep begging her to help him out end her ex’s new relationship.

Michael’s sister Cindy is engaged to Vanessa’s ex Karl. Michael has done research and does not approve of Karl. After giving up his dreams and coming back home to take care of Cindy after the death of their parents, he’s not about to let her throw away her life on this relationship. He recruits Vanessa to help implore Cindy to see what a weasel Karl is and she agrees in exchange for him getting her grandmother’s ring back from Cindy.

Things go wrong as soon as Vanessa gets to town. First, she’s stuck in a storm and the inn cancels her reservation. Michael let’s her stay with him as just a friend…to start. When Cindy is delayed in Boston Vanessa calls it quits and tries to head home but her designer car is on the fritz and the part will take a week to get. Moving back in with Michael the two come to an agreement to have some fun with each other while she’s stuck there.

When Vanessa goes back home she realizes just how lonely her big mansion is and decides immediately that she’s finally ready to move on.

There a lot to like about this book. One hot couple with two great characters, multiple cultures represented, two great friendship groups the for me stole the show, some rebuilding after getting out of an abusive relationship, etc. I love how Laquette doesn’t hold back when talking the issues in this. Especially when it comes to abuse.

It a really great read funny, sexy, and emotional. Been in a book slump but I bet I apprecate this one more if I ever get to reread it. Right now giving this 4 stars.

Thanks Netgalley, St. Martins Press, and OrangeSky Audio for this book and audiobook.

Quick Summary: Waiting to Exhale 7.0

My Review: Out of the gate, I confess that I thought Vanessa Jared's Got a Man by LaQuette was BOMB! This story made me want to say, "Shoop, shoop, shoop..." (Exhale from Whitney Houston, Waiting to Exhale). Brava!

What I Loved:
- I loved the multicultural romance.
- I loved The Savvy, Sexy Singles Club.
- I loved the growth that Vanessa demonstrated when it came to speaking up for herself.
- I loved that Vanessa didn't need a man to save her. She saved herself.
- I loved how Michael and Vanessa both went after what they wanted.
- I loved the relationship that Michael had with his friends.
- I loved how the ex got what he deserved.
- I loved how Michael was a man of integrity.
- I loved the cliffhanger ending that teased about another possible romance to come.

My Final Say: This story was so good that I did the following after finishing it.

1) I went to Spotify and downloaded the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack.
2) I wondered why this wasn't in current talks for a Netflix movie.
3) I went searching to find out if this would, indeed, be a series.
4) I looked into other works by LaQuette.

*This romance will appeal to anyone who's looking for a new way to Exhale.

Rating: 5/5
Recommend: Yes
Rating: A
Re-read: Yes
Keeper: Yes
Favorites Shelf: Yes
Level: M

Sincere appreciation is extended to the author, to the publisher, and to NetGalley, who provided access to a digital ARC of this incredible story in exchange for an honest review. The words I have shared are my own and have not been influenced in any way by any of the aforementioned.

* A Goodreads review has been posted.

𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑺 𝑰𝑺 𝑰𝑻. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒔. 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑬𝑽𝑬𝑹.

👌👌👌👌👌

Vanessa Jared's Got a Man is an amazing and sexy debut romantic comedy by LaQuette. The story follows Vanessa, a woman who is getting her groove back and getting a second chance at love. After being granted a divorce from her abusive and philandering ex-husband, she gets a visit from Michael, the sheriff of a small town in Pennsylvania. Michael is concerned about his sister Cindy, who is engaged to Vanessa's abusive and manipulative ex-husband. Vanessa agrees to go to the town and talk some sense into her sister.

The characters in this book are wonderfully written and very relatable. Vanessa is strong and independent, but also vulnerable and longing for love. Michael is protective of his family and friends, but he's also sweet and caring. The supporting cast is just as well developed as the main characters, and I found myself quickly falling in love with them all. I love that this is a romance where the conflict isn’t based on a lack of communication. It’s extremely sexy how Vanessa and Micheal are open and vulnerable with each other. I also love the good healthy friendships portrayed on this book. Adam is an A-List friend.

The romance in this book is sweet and sexy (like sexaaaaaaaaaay sexy), and I loved the way that LaQuette wrote their relationship. The spicy scenes are hot (and I mean HOT) without being gratuitous, and they added an extra layer of intensity to the already well-developed relationship.

I love that it deals with important topics like diversity, older protagonists, marriage and divorce, and female friendships. It's great to see books that represent all different aspects of life, and this one is definitely a winner. The characters are well developed and the story is compelling.

I wish it had been a bit longer, I was borderline disappointed it ended so fast. I listened to it on audio and the narrator is steller. I hope there is a sequel because I loved Vanessa.

Overall, Vanessa Jared's Got a Man is an amazing debut novel that I absolutely loved. LaQuette has a real gift for writing believable and relatable characters.

Thank you OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for providing me with this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you OrangeSky Audio and Netgalley for this audio. I am reall glad I have got this opportunity.

I felt with this character so much. If you ever experienced any cheating, betray and low self confidence ... blaming your self for bad relationship.. I did all as well and I was so glad to see a second chance in life for Vanessa. She was strong and determinated. And what a man she found.. I felt in love with them and cried and smile and everything with them

“Because, silly man. I deserve you.”
“Vanessa opened her arms wide, bringing them in for one of their joint hugs. “Aww, the two of you are so sweet. What would I do without you?” “Me,” Michael mumbled. “You’d do me.””

I’m not ashamed to admit the cover was my primary reason for adding this book, and then I read the premise, which was so unique and interesting. The book definitely delivered on the sexiness the cover promised, but I feel just the slightest bit let down by the plot. I won’t say I’m disappointed by the focus on the romance, but I would’ve preferred 20 more pages that dealt more with the chaos that I felt the synopsis implied.

Nevertheless, Vanessa’s healing journey was a lot of internal push and pull, which I feel is quite accurate when it comes to recovering from mental wounds. Michael’s final arc felt a little rushed but he was lovably sexy throughout regardless.

I also felt that bit of something missing; something to get me to really see and feel these characters, which I wasn’t able to do no matter how hard I tried. But that might just be me. I had a good time despite whatever I felt was lacking.

(Thank you to NetGalley and OrangeSky Audio for an ARC (audio) in exchange for an honest review.)