Lauren Blakely

Sabrina and Tyler’s story was the perfect mix of swoon, spice, and heart. After fleeing her wedding, Sabrina ends up as Tyler’s live-in nanny, and their slow-burn chemistry is impossible to ignore. Their "no strings attached" arrangement quickly turns into something deeper, especially as Sabrina bonds with Tyler’s sweet kids. I adored how thoughtful and supportive Tyler was. Sabrina’s journey from feeling unworthy to finding love and belonging was so touching. The flirty banter, show more steamy moments, and found family vibes made this such a heartwarming read. If you love single-dad/nanny tropes with emotional depth and humor, this book is a must-read. show less

This is a charming, festive romance that blends fake dating, brother’s best friend, and grumpy/sunshine tropes into a cozy holiday treat. Isla, a Christmas-loving matchmaker, ends up as the "holidate" for Rowan, her brother’s grumpy, single-dad hockey-star best friend. Their pretend dates, Christmas tree farms, cocoa contests, and snowy small-town magic quickly feel anything but fake, especially once Rowan’s sweet daughter gets involved. I loved the warm holiday atmosphere, the witty show more banter, and the swoony moments that melted Rowan’s icy exterior. It’s heartwarming, playful, and just spicy enough to keep things exciting. A comforting, feel-good read that delivers the magic of the season and a romance worth rooting for. Perfect for holiday romance lovers. show less

So many perfect things in a Lauren Blakely book, where to start? The perfect feeling of recognition. After you’ve read a couple of her books, you see familiar people, places and things. People appear in one context or another, friends cross over between stories, businesses, radio programs, sports teams, towns, vacation spots, you’ve met them, seen them, been there. Then there are the perfect narrators. There are a lot of great narrators out there and Blakely gets them all, and pairs them show more perfectly. Listening to Erin Mallon and JF Harding as Ripley and Banks is perfect; the only thing better would be a duet performance. Oh, wait!! It is a duet performance. You only have to listen to a couple of words and you’re hooked and it just gets better and better. Their chemistry, the tone, the emotion, and don’t forget the sarcasm and the snark that will keep you laughing. As will the ridiculous situations they get themselves into.

Banks and Ripley’s first meeting is sweet and romantic. He rescues her from a boorish guy in a hotel bar, there is a little snuggling and then she invites him to come upstairs in a few minutes for a drink. This feels good. Feeling good is something Ripley has needed for a long time. And Banks seems all in. So when the expected knock comes on her door she flings it open with enthusiasm. Except it’s not Banks. It’s a hotel employee. What happens is a pretty funny moment for us to read, not so funny for her to experience. He changed his mind already? And he was so repulsed by the idea of spending time with her that he couldn’t even come up and tell her, or call? Instead, he sends a letter? This is something she’s not going to get over easily.

Especially when Ghost Guy turns out to the be bodyguard assigned to temporarily keep her safe while her twin sister Haven is filming a movie on the family lavender farm. The anger, humiliation and hurt come rushing back. When she unclenches her fists enough to allow him to explain, she has to admit that his reason made some sense. But his execution? Nope, not getting a pass on that.

It still feels right, though. Very right. But Ripley and Banks are quite a pair. After losing their parents as teenagers Ripley made herself the self-appointed caregiver for her sister, her grandmother and just about everyone else she knows. In her eyes it’s her job to fix things, make them better for everyone she knows. Doesn’t leave much room for a life of her own and she’s still smarting from a bad breakup. Banks blames himself for not preventing the pain and hurt his mother and sister suffered, caused by his lying, cheating father. He would be bodyguard-to-the-world if he could and has vowed to never put himself in a relationship because he could be hurt like that. That chemistry, though? Boiling hot, steaming, undeniable and unavoidable. Narrators Mallon and Harding don’t just make those sweet, swoony scenes believable and fun; you should probably keep your earbuds in when listening to the spicy stuff unless you want your neighbors to have as much fun as you are. Blakely sure can write it and Mallon and Harding sure can perform it!

It Seemed Like A Good Idea was a delightful treat. Banks and Ripley’s sparring with stars in their eyes, their growing connection but fear that it can’t/won’t work because she can’t ever leave the lavender farm and his security firm is based in LA – so far away. It’s all about family, friends, fighting falling but not wanting to, with an adorable dog, welcoming town and some intrigue and danger tossed in. It’s impossible to have a favorite Lauren Blakely book because they all interconnect, take you places you’ve been before, introduce you to new people you want to see again and again, and just make you feel so good – and so short of breath at some scenes – that you never want to stop reading and listening. Perfect author, perfect narrators, perfect book. I received advance reading and listening copies of It Seemed Like a Good Idea. Did I love it? Yes!! Should you read it? Most definitely!! I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less

Merry Little Kissmas is so good that I could write a review as long as the book itself and still not be finished telling you about all the “good parts.” Or I could go the other way and just say, “Read and listen to this book right now!” Either way, if you’re only going to read one holiday story this year, Merry Little Kissmas should be it. Actually, you need to read two, because you don’t want to miss My Favorite Holidate either.

If you’ve read anything at all by author Lauren show more Blakely, you already know how entertaining and exciting and enthralling her stories are, how as soon as you finish you want to grab another of her books and start reading, or maybe just start this one over again. You also know how fantastic goes to perfect when you can listen to the audiobook and read along. And perfect goes to whatever is a level up when it’s a full cast. Not only do you feel like you’re part of a big family reunion after you’ve read a few of Lauren’s books and seen your favorite characters reappear, with a full cast telling you the story it’s like a party and a reunion with all your favorite narrators, too.

With her lilting, chirpy, birdlike voice, Vanessa Edwin becomes Isla, the strong woman with the shaky insides, who believes in forever love for others and works her fanny off to make the perfect matches, but who has a little sliver of doubt in her heart that there is someone out there for her. And Rowan – he doesn’t believe in anything except his daughter, his family and his team. Love is a trick and there’s no such thing as forever. Connor Crais perfectly portrays just how grumpy and resigned Rowan is, how he despises everything. So how is Blakely going to work her usual magic when this is what she has to start with?

Rowan has a little mishap with a candy cane and a punch bowl early on. You know nobody is better than Lauren Blakely at writing phrases and describing situations that will make YOU spit a candy cane into the punchbowl. For example, it is absolutely hilarious to watch Rowan go through so many stages of this matchmaking experience: smug, certain he’s in charge, going to outsmart not only Isla but his own feelings. Then surprised, confused, chagrined and very, very worried. And, yes, it’s hilarious. But it’s also heart-breaking. Rowan was crushed, shattered, not only his heart broken but his little girl’s heart was broken as well. Isla was deceived, lied to, humiliated, made to feel unimportant and disposable. She doubts herself far too often.

Rowan’s teammates from the Sea Dogs hockey team give him the gift of matchmaking for the Christmas Gala with Isla, mostly because they are tired of babysitting his cranky butt each year. He wants no part of it and tries to sabotage it. But Isla’s competitive streak is as wide as his, so it’s game on. And – even though Best Friend’s Sister is a big no-no – Rowan has had a crush on Isla for a long time. Once she sees there is more to him than World’s Grumpiest Man and Certified Christmas Hater that crush might go both ways now. There are lessons in dating, practice dating, fake dating . . . and then sliding into something that might be scarily real. The story is twice as much fun once they’re in Evergreen Falls, and that’s saying something. Participating in the annual Evergreen Falls Christmas competition, unwittingly staking their claims when a romantic prospect pops up for the other, spending time as a practice/fake/faux family with Mia, Rowan’s 9-year old daughter and Wanda the Wonder Dog are so much fun and so tender and heartwarming – and heartbreaking enough to make your tears flow at times.

Merry Little Kissmas has everything. Overflowing with joy and love, tender moments with two people with broken hearts and sad memories, a delightful child (expertly narrated by the way, still sounds like a child but without that often grating high pitched sound), laugh-out-loud ridiculousness, some breathtaking, incredibly sexy steamy moments like only Blakely can write, and love, love, love. Thanks to the author for providing advanced reading and listening copies for my holiday pleasure. I kept my eyes glued to the page and my earbuds stuffed in my ears because I just could not stop enjoying this totally satisfying story. I voluntarily leave this review; all opinions are my own. show less