Thursday, March 31, 2016

Review: Cuff Me by Lauren Layne


About CUFF ME
Vincent Moretti is one of the NYPD's top homicide detectives-and one of the most eligible bachelors in town. His family, however, thinks he should date his longtime partner, Jill-a sassy, sexy, smart-mouthed blonde who drives him absolutely crazy.

Behind the quiet authority, tough-guy demeanor, and dark aviator glasses lies a man with a big soul-and a hard body that can soften any girl's heart. After years as his coworker, Jill Henley has given up hope that anything could happen between her and Vin. Besides, loving him would break all the rules. But seeing Jill with someone else triggers feelings in Vincent he never knew he had. Now he'll have to stop playing good cop/bad cop-and find a way to convince her to be his partner for life. . .


Excerpt

One never really realized how much New York City got under your skin until you left it for a while.
It was like one minute New York was your adopted home—a little bit intense, a lot scary.
And the next, you were holding your breath as your plane landed, your entire body on edge with the anticipation of being home again.
Jill Henley smiled as the plane touched down, her eyes closing just for a moment at the realization that she’d be sleeping in her own bed tonight. Going back to her job tomorrow. Eating at her favorite gyros place tomorrow.
But none of that—not the city, nor her pillow-top bed, nor the really freaking amazing gyros—were as important as who awaited her.
The Morettis.
Jill loved her mother desperately—it was the reason she’d spent the past three months in Florida taking care of her.
But the Moretti family had become every bit as much family to Jill as her own mom.
She couldn’t wait to see them again.
All of them.
Okay, so maybe there was one Moretti in particular whom she was especially excited to see.
Not that the excitement was mutual.
As she walked through JFK toward baggage claim, she couldn’t figure out for the life of her why she was even the tiniest bit disappointed about the fact that Vincent Moretti wouldn’t be the one picking her up from the airport.
She hadn’t even asked him. He might have said yes. Maybe. But it would have been done with a grunt and a grumble, and probably a lecture about how his workload was double because his partner had “up and ditched him.”
Besides, it made more sense for Elena to pick her up anyway.
Not only was Elena her best friend, but Elena was an attorney at a fancy-pants law firm, with access to a company car that was a hell of a lot nicer than Vin’s car and didn’t smell like old coffee.
Plus, Jill had news.
Big news.
The biggest.
The kind of news that female friends squealed over in the appropriate, gushing manner.
So why was she so nervous?





Review
Cuff Me was a fabulous story between two partners, one who is reserved and one who well isn't. 

Jill has had feelings for her partner and best friends brother for years, but she can't see it going anywhere, she's lost alll hope that anything could or would happen between them, so when she finds herself away for a few months and meets another man, Jill decides to go forward with her life. But Jill also comes to find that she doesn't love her new guy fully and maybe she shouldn't continue that relationship, especially when it seems Vincent has finally noticed her. 

Vincent isn't one to talk about his feelings, he's not one to be out there spouting feelings or taking plunges. Its takenhim a long time to come to terms with his feelings, but just before he can say anything, he's knocked sideways by the revelationthat Jill has found someone else.  It hits him hard, because he never thought he'd lose her, and now that is a possibility. But Vincent wants to try, he wants to put himself out there for once and admit to his feelings. 

I think one of my favorite parts of this story was the fact that Vincent was the shy quiet one, it was refreshing to see a hero who wasn't in your face Alpha male.  Yes, he had some alphaness in him, nad he knew how to take control when needed, but Vincent was also deep and tender.  

I love the family component as well, the fact that Jill was practically part of the Moretti family and had already won over everyone of them to the point they were rooting for her and Vincent, even before there was a her and Vincent really showed the closeness of the family. The way they loved and understood each other was a beautiful thing.  

Cuff Me was HOT, filled with steamy moments, but also sweet, filled with contemplations and moments of sheer bliss.  Vincent and Jill's relationship blossomed as each page turned and it was fun to watch as they stumbled around each other, afraid for what the other wanted, and afraid that they would also end it.  This story was full of humor too.  

Cuff Me took two fairly opposite people and showed how they were the perfect match. We got to see a tough man peel back his layers and expose his gentle heart, and try to change himself so he could be worthy of the woman he wanted. We also saw a woman try to understand the man she loved, who saw how he struggled to be something more for her. It was a beautiful thing to watch as these two fit the pieces together to grow stronger as a couple.  It wasn't easy for Vincent or Jill because they had to change their mindsets and accept that the other had limits and expectations that they needed to discuss and compromise on.  






About Lauren Layne
A long-time romance reader, Lauren Layne thinks the only thing better than reading about happy endings is writing them. She now pursues a full-time career in Happily Ever After, a job she's naturally suited for after marrying her high school sweetheart. A bit of a nomad, Lauren's lived everywhere from Orange County to Manhattan. Her hobbies include coffee by day, wine by night, and lots of writing in between. She's also a total website nerd and insists you check out LaurenLayne.com!

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