Blog Tour/Sale Blitz - THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE
THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE
Sex, Love & Stiletto's #4
Lauren Layne
Loveswept
As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love & Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get over an old flame: falling for him all over again.
As Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte, North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart. Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.
After giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right? But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her more.
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Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren's gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.
Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren's gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.
Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.
EXCERPT 2
Emma and Alex's story is a long and twisted one. Five years ago, she was a debutante marrying the man of her dreams. He was an injured ex-soccer player who broke her heart with a deal he made with her dad. The wedding never happened.
Now, Emma Sinclair and Alex Cassidy work in the same building for the same parent company. That's just awkward and not at the same time. Neither one of them wants to admit it bothers them. Still, it does.
Emma thinks he wanted her twin sister and not her. She cannot let him back in for fear she will get hurt again. The attraction is still there. The handsome man still makes her insides quiver.
Alex wants just for once for Emma to hear what he has to say - and to believe him. He never wanted anyone but her and the fact that they are both still single is telling. For a short time, he becomes her boss and tells her she must write about her ex-boyfriends for an issue in the magazine. Secretly, he wants information she is unwilling to share with him.
They share mutual friends, and those friends are getting married. It twists the knife a bit for both Emma and Alex. Their friends want them to get back together and are giving out not so subtle hints about it. Emma, as a writer for Stiletto magazine, she often talks about break-ups and heartache. She is what most would call an expert.
This is the 4th installment in Lauren Layne's Sex, Love, & Stiletto Series it tells the tale for Emma and Alex that we almost did not get. Only the fan response brought it to light. I loved this story and like all the others in this series it is an easy, sexy read. The characters are fun and the other characters from the series appear in this book and have plenty to say!
The elevator doors had just started to close when a male hand stuck between them, activating their sensors so that the doors reopened.
Great. Really freaking fantastic.
A lesser woman would have groaned in dismay at the sight of the man in front of her.
Emma merely straightened her shoulders, ignoring Julie’s softly uttered “Oh, dear.”
It was him.
The man was gorgeous in the sort of way that made women stop and stare. The tall and lean athlete’s body was as impeccably dressed as ever in a trim, perfectly tailored black suit. No sign of a tie today, although there often was one.
His dark hair was perfectly styled, the clean-shaven face showing off a strong jaw and symmetrical lips.
And the eyes . . . green today, although they often could burn blue.
But Emma didn’t have to look at the man to know all of this.
She knew it all from her memories. Bad memories.
He didn’t falter at the sight of Emma and her low-cut cocktail dress and ugly wet bun.
In fact, he didn’t look at her at all.
Nothing—not surprise, not even acknowledgment—fluttered across his features at her presence.
The man was in control.
Always.
Julie shifted to the corner of the elevator to make room for him, and he nodded briefly at her before turning so that he and Emma were standing shoulder to shoulder.
The doors closed, and Emma lifted her eyes to the little screen that indicated the floor number.
He mimicked her posture, his eyes also focused on the spot where the L became 1, then 2 as they ascended.
“Emma,” he said politely, not looking at her.
“Cassidy.”
“You’re looking well.”
“And you,” she said, her tone smooth. Monotone.
“You didn’t get dressed up on my account, I hope.” His voice never lost its casual politeness.
She didn’t so much as glance at him. “Oh, do you not like it? I’ve been so hoping a fancy dress is all it would take for you to ask for my number.”
The elevator stopped on the seventh floor, and Emma and Cassidy stepped to the side so the man in the back corner could exit. In sync, they moved immediately back into their previous positions as the door closed.
They still had not looked at each other.
“You know, it’s a little bright for my taste,” he mused, as though they’d never been interrupted. “I like more subdued colors on a woman. Say . . . white. I always like to see a woman in a white dress. Do you own one?”
Julie cleared her throat, although Emma couldn’t tell if it was a warning or a laugh.
The elevator stopped at 12. Emma’s stop. Finally.
“Excuse me,” she murmured to Cassidy as she stepped off, her voice sugary sweet.
Julie followed her.
And much to Emma’s dismay, so did Cassidy.
“Wrong floor, Cassidy,” Julie said sweetly, with a pretty smile for the wretched man.
Traitor.
“Not today it’s not,” he replied.
“Ah,” Julie said. “Got a meeting with Camille?”
“I do.”
Camille Bishop was the editor in chief of Stiletto magazine, and Julie and Emma’s boss. Since Cassidy was the editor in chief of Oxford magazine, Stiletto’s brother publication, it wasn’t strange that he occasionally stopped by the twelfth floor.
Didn’t mean Emma had to like it.
“See you ladies around,” Cassidy said with a smile for Julie. Emma barely warranted a glance. “Oh, and Emma, just a friendly reminder that winter’s right around the corner. Careful you don’t catch a cold with that wet head.”
He moved away before Emma had a chance to respond. Or give him the finger. Not that she would have bothered.
Emma and Alex's story is a long and twisted one. Five years ago, she was a debutante marrying the man of her dreams. He was an injured ex-soccer player who broke her heart with a deal he made with her dad. The wedding never happened.
Now, Emma Sinclair and Alex Cassidy work in the same building for the same parent company. That's just awkward and not at the same time. Neither one of them wants to admit it bothers them. Still, it does.
Emma thinks he wanted her twin sister and not her. She cannot let him back in for fear she will get hurt again. The attraction is still there. The handsome man still makes her insides quiver.
Alex wants just for once for Emma to hear what he has to say - and to believe him. He never wanted anyone but her and the fact that they are both still single is telling. For a short time, he becomes her boss and tells her she must write about her ex-boyfriends for an issue in the magazine. Secretly, he wants information she is unwilling to share with him.
They share mutual friends, and those friends are getting married. It twists the knife a bit for both Emma and Alex. Their friends want them to get back together and are giving out not so subtle hints about it. Emma, as a writer for Stiletto magazine, she often talks about break-ups and heartache. She is what most would call an expert.
This is the 4th installment in Lauren Layne's Sex, Love, & Stiletto Series it tells the tale for Emma and Alex that we almost did not get. Only the fan response brought it to light. I loved this story and like all the others in this series it is an easy, sexy read. The characters are fun and the other characters from the series appear in this book and have plenty to say!
Start the Stiletto Series from the Beginning
AFTER THE KISS
LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITH
JUST ONE NIGHT
Stiletto Spin Off:
IRRESISTIBLY YOURS
OXFORD Series #1
Coming October 6th
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