Review: Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne
Note: An advance reader copy (ARC) was provided by Gallery Books.
My last read from Lauren Layne was in the middle of last year, but prior to that, it had been about two or so years since. While To Sir, with Love was good enough read, it didn't have the same impact as her previous books had on me. I chalked it up to being a one-off, so when the opportunity to read her newest standalone romance came along, I knew I couldn't say no and had my fingers crossed for a story I could fall in love with. Welp, Made in Manhattan may have promised a reverse My Fair Lady story, but it quite sadly left me wanting.
When a lost heir is discovered, Violet Townsend is called upon to help said heir fit into society--more specifically, high society. Cain Stone, after all, is more comfortable in the world he grew up in back in the Louisiana Bayou. He stands out like a sore thumb in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Unlike Violet, who was born and bred among the upper crust of New York, Cain prefers life in New Orleans. These two are as incompatible as oil and water, but miracles do happen, even in the posh neighborhood of Upper Manhattan.
George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion is one of my favorite plays, and Alan Jay Lerner's musical adaptation is one of my most loved musicals; so maybe Lauren Layne's modernized (and reversed) take on the story had huge footsteps to follow. The thing is, I didn't feel the chemistry between Cain and Violet for most of the story, and liking them as individuals took just as long. As much as I can appreciate Layne's obvious love for New York, I didn't love Made in Manhattan as much as I'd hoped I would, and that makes me sad. Three stars.
Release Date: 18 January 2022
Date Read: 18 January 2022
Learn more about Lauren Layne.
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