Three reasons to read will hopefully become something of a regular thing around here - I want to write more about the stories that inspire me to write my own. Let’s share the love, yeah?
I was introduced to Lauren Layne’s books through a romance blog that no longer exists several years before I started writing. And then I proceeded to binge my way through her backlist while I waited for each of her new releases. She’s an auto-buy author for me (and even got me to read reality-show inspired romance, which is something I thought I would never-ever do). Here are my three reasons to read her books:
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Her characters always feel real. Georgie from WALK OF SHAME might be the exact opposite of what I usually like in heroines: she doesn’t have a “real” job, she’s a trust fund baby who likes to party all night - and yet, she became one of my all-time favorite romance heroines. I have read that book at least four times now and my stomach still clenches every time I see her hurt. Her heroes are also swoony, even if some of them are typical alpha guys I sometimes dislike. But Layne layers so much real emotion behind their macho façades that I’m totally rooting for them by the end of the book (I live-tweeted reading one of her latest releases for my two critique partners in our group chat and they rode the entire roller-coaster with me). -
She does the best NYC books. Layne lives in New York City - a fact she advertises a lot on her excellent Instagram account - and she gives a sense of reality to her stories by including little details that just make the narrative pop. But then she also has a small-town romance that’s fantastic. So, you know, she can apparently write a great story no matter where it’s set.
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She’s a cool person online. Her entire brand is so on-point for what she writes it’s crazy. Her newsletter is filled with snippets from her current works-in-progress and sometimes make-up tips, her website (which she constantly updates because she’s cool like that) is neat and helpful both to her readers and newbie romance writers, and her Instagram account is the right combination of glamorous and goofy. Just go check them out.
If you’re new to Layne’s World (ha), where should you start?
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If you want a sparkly NYC standalone, read WALK OF SHAME. It’s my favorite.
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If you like weddings, read TO HAVE AND TO HOLD. This was the first Layne book I read!
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If you like new adult, go for BLURRED LINES, a friends-to-lovers story.
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And if you want office romance, IRRESISTIBLY YOURS is a great choice!
Then you can go on and munch through her entire backlist like I did.
And Lauren, if you’re reading this by some weird chance, thank you for writing amazing stories. I promise I’m a normal fan, not a crazy stalker. It’s just that I want good stories given the love that they deserve.
