June 4, 2018
In Layne’s middling fifth Oxford contemporary (after I Knew You Were Trouble), a woman who has almost everything turns to her boss for an education in love. Brit Robbins, an executive at the men’s magazine Oxford, is ready for love, but love doesn’t seem to be ready for her. After being dumped for the fourth time in as many months for want of romantic “spark,” Brit wants a crash course in seduction to nab Mr. Right, and she knows just whom to ask. Hunter Cross is Brit’s best friend, her boss, and the most successful playboy she knows—in other words, the perfect person to teach Brit what men want. Her plan goes awry when their increasingly intimate lessons awaken feelings that neither is ready to face. Layne’s reliance on overused tropes, sometimes trite dialogue, and easily surmounted plot obstacles prevent this simple romance from reaching its full potential, but contemporary romance fans looking for a quick, straightforward story will find it acceptable. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency.