For Better or Worse

The Wedding Belles #2

by Lauren Layne

Will a budding wedding planner and her bad boy neighbor stop banging heads and start hearing wedding bells in the sexy second novel in USA TODAY bestselling author Lauren Layne’s irresistible new series that marries Sex and the City with The Wedding Planner?When small-town girl Heather Fowler finally gets promoted from assistant to actual wedding planner, she’s determined to make it as one of Manhattan’s elite Wedding Belles. Unfortunately, her first client demands an opulent black-tie affair at the Plaza…in five months’ time. Heather’s days quickly become a flurry of cake tastings, dress-fittings, RSVP cards, and bridal tantrums. But what she’s really losing sleep over is the live music blaring from her playboy neighbor’s apartment all night. Five years ago, Josh Tanner was an up-and-comer on Wall Street, complete with the penthouse and the migraines. But a grim cancer diagnosis made him realize there is more to life than the corner office. If only he could convince his pretty, workaholic neighbor to let loose, too. As Heather lets down her guard, Josh is surprised when he starts falling for the sweet, vulnerable woman hiding beneath those power suits. Soon, it’s Heather’s turn to convince Josh to take the biggest risk of love.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult, Friends To Lovers, Enemies To Lovers

369 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2016

About the author

Lauren Layne is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Hot Asset, Hard Sell, and Huge Deal in her 21 Wall Street series, as well as her Central Park Pact series. Her books have sold more than a million copies in nine languages. Lauren’s work has been featured in Publishers Weekly, Glamour, the Wall Street Journal, and Inside Edition. She is based in New York City.

Reviews

[Patty ~ Wrapped Up In Reading Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

*****4.5 STARS*****
{ARC Generously Provided by Author}


They were enjoying each other, which is all he’d wanted from the very beginning. And now that he had what he wanted, it was somehow not enough? What the fuck was that about?






The Wedding Belles series is quickly becoming one of my top faves by Lauren Layne. I really had my doubts when I read the first novella but after having read books one and two, this is becoming a solid HIT for me!!! Another enemies-to-lovers story, For Better Or Worse had an engaging storyline, an endearing Heroine, and a Hero who will be melting the panties off of many a reader!!



Heather Fowler is the current Assistant Wedding Planner of The Belles, but she is being groomed for a promotion to full-fledged Wedding Planner. She’s been assigned to plan the wedding of Page Six socialite, Danica Robinson, and if she can pull off the diva’s dream wedding, Heather’s promotion will be in the bag. Heather has her dream job within her grasp and also just moved into a cute NYC apartment, but she runs into a little snag along the way – she has one very noisy next door neighbor who likes to practice his very LOUD rock music late in the evenings.



Heather and Josh’s first meeting is not all hearts and flowers. She practically bites Josh’s head off but he can’t help but find the snippy blonde all kinds of sexy!! Heather also can’t deny that her new neighbor has the face and body of a god!! The two soon become good friends but the more time they spend together, they find it harder to deny the growing attraction between them. Neither of them has ever been in love, well that’s to say that they both have avoided love for very different reasons. They decide to take their relationship to the physical level but with the understanding that there are ”no strings attached” but as time passes it becomes clear that serious feelings are starting to develop on both sides. Unfortunately, Josh believes he’s not a good candidate for a long-term relationship with Heather, and she has her issues that stem from her mother’s bad experiences with men.




Will these two get their acts together and recognize what they have is a love that most people think only exist in fairy tales? Or will they go through life destined to be alone??



FOR BETTER OR WORSE is currently available. Be sure to check this one out!!!




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[Alba and Her Secrets..♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 'Banana bread' Stars!
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.


I cannot say it enough times: Lauren Layne is amazing. If you haven't read any of her books, I will seriously stalk you until you do! lol I previously said this series would be an awesome addition to LL's work and now, more than ever, I can say I was right. This is Lauren in her Stiletto style, this is Lauren at her best Sex in the City/Wedding Planner style.

For Better or Worse is the second installment in Layne's Wedding Belles series and now we are introduced to Heather Fowler (a woman who has work hard to make her dreams come true, she finally gets the promotion she has wanted since forever when she meets her music-loud sexy neighbor) and Josh Tanner (a man decided to change and enjoy his single life after getting past a cancer diagnosis but everything changes when he meets the woman in 4C).

Live the life you want, not the one you have.

"You're a pig," she muttered.
"Hurtful, 4C. Very hurtful."
"Yeah, you seem like a real softie underneath all those muscles," [...]
"Notice those, did you?"
"Hard not to, what with the too-small shirts and all. Do you shop in the children's section?"

Lauren Layne continues surprising me. I was really looking forward to this new series because I thought this would be as good as her Stiletto books and I wasn't mistaken. I adore LL's writing style: she makes everything flow perfectly, giving us all kinds of scenes (from sad to hilarious) and she creates the most amazing characters. I fell in love with Josh and Heather from the first chapter, this is how good this woman is!

It was becoming increasingly clear that his intriguing new neighbor might be exactly what he needed to make him feel alive.

I can definitely say For Better or Worse is my new favorite book in the Wedding Belles series. To me, it was even better than the first two (the introducing novella and the first book). I love the plot, the characters and the love story so freaking much. The main couple has outstanding chemistry from the first to the last page: they start a sex-only relationship but we all know how that normally ends. Obviously, Lauren is great at sexual tension filled scenes and when these two have sex.. well, it was super-sexy and hot!

"You're so beautiful," he whispered against her neck. "And I've wanted this so damn long."
Heather pulled his mouth to hers. "Then let's not wait any longer."

However, the aspect that I enjoyed the most about this novel was how Lauren inserted the topic of a character/s dealing with the scary illness that is cancer. Josh is decided to live his life at the fullest but instead he becomes a reserved man who is afraid to start a loving relationship. I love how Heather reacts to it and wants to be Josh' support. Of course, Josh does quite accept it but I really really adored how he behaves at the end!

"You might not love me yet, 4A, but you will," [...] "You will."

Also, I really am liking the friendship between the three heroines (Brooke, Heather and Alexis) and how Lauren gives us fantastic moments between them. I loved having some scenes with Brooke and Seth and how LL teases us with Alexis and Logan's story: I seriously am crazy excited about it! I cannot wait to read how reticent Alexis will fall in love! Lauren made me fall for her fabulous characters, all over again. And, can I say how happy I am that we got an epilogue in this book? YAY!

"I need you, Heather. I need you, I want you, I love you for always. For all the todays and all the tomorrows."

Therefore, my rating for For Better or Worse is 5 STARS because I am happy to say Lauren Layne did it again for me. She is a writing genius who writes outstanding love stories with characters that steal your heart. Josh and Heather are not an exception: they grow together and it's beautiful to read. They give us happy, sad, hilarious and many many more exciting scenes. I cannot wait for the next book! I cannot recommend this woman's books enough ;)

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[Astrid - The Bookish Sweet Tooth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prettier Review @ Vanilla & Spice Books




When I requested this book to review I was a little bit nervous since the first full novel in the series wasn't a complete winner for me. Lauren Layne is generally a go-to author for me when I need a low-angst read and To Have and To Hold really didn't do it for me. So I grabbed this and dug in. The rest is history. Ladies and...well, ladies, we have a new favorite.

Heather is an assistant wedding planer who we met in the previous installments of this series. She strives to become a full-on wedding planer. The wedding her boss and friend Alexis is giving her to prove herself is high profile and everything she ever dreamed of. When she moves into her new posh New York City address her first run-in with her unruly next-door neighbor is everything but pleasant. When he kisses her to shut her up she is outraged. And a tiny little bit tempted.

Josh used to be a hedge fund manager. He embraced his job despite it being stressful, after all it also came with a lot of money. A grave diagnosis makes him reconsider his life and the changes he makes are supposed to make him happy. Josh loves music, he is good with instruments - starting a band has been giving him exactly what he wanted, right? But something is missing...

No amount of money could help you out when fate picked you as one of her victims, as she'd done to Josh.

When his new neighbor knocks on his door late at night, demanding for him to stop the noise he is amused by the firecracker standing in front of him. After his illness Josh doesn't do relationships - living in the moment is kind of a relationship-killer. How can he burden somebody with the prospect of losing him? But damn if Heather doesn't tempt him to get into her pants. What he isn't prepared for though is that Heather will give him a run for his money. Their friendship soon turns into one with benefits.

The woman was annoying, yes, but she was also...interesting. And despite all those badass walls she tried to put up, he'd bet his guitar that there was a sweetheart hiding benath all the curls and sass.

Heather is such a wonderful heroine. She started out rather bitchy, but who can blame her when she runs on little sleep, a lot of caffeine and tons of work. Soon she finds herself charmed by her new neighbor and they become friends. There is always a sexual tension between these two but the friendship aspect is just as present and I loved how they started building on that. Heather is hardworking, sweet yet feisty and independent.

Josh is the "OMG"-kind. He is cheeky, has a fantastic sense of humor and although he is a manwhore the good man in him shines through throughout the story. His seemingly careless attitude belies his demons which are only waiting to make an appearance. He is always there for Heather, helps her out when she needs him.

"Damned if I don't like you a little bit, 4C, especially when you're all pissy and shit."

This story has a bucket load of witty LL-signature banter and hilarious quips and comebacks. I was mostly in public when I read this story so a lot of people heard me laughing about the things that come out of Josh's mouth. There is a lot of reference to banana bread and it never got old. The chemistry between our two main characters is steamy and to me they are a pair made in heaven. Big love.

"Morning, 4C. Aren't you pretty in the morning. And by pretty I mean your hair is enormous."

Lauren Layne taps into a serious topic yet it never outweighs the lightheartedness of the story. This book was everything from charming to enthralling, sexy, hot and sweet and this time around I was left completely satisfied and I look forward to the things LL has in store for Alexis and Logan.

"Yup. You're a cancer survivor, but you're not being one of the cool ones who keeps on trucking, waving your "I beat it" flag and taking on the world. You're one of the scared ones who's letting it beat you. Not phyiscally, but mentally and emotionally. The leukemia is whipping your ass. "

[• Lisa • · Rating 5 out of 5]

FIVE '4C' AND BANANA BREAD STARS.

"you are a relationship kind of girl, and I’m not a relationship kind of guy."



Lauren Layne is undoubtably my number uno. Her books always manage to make me fall in complete 'book' love and I can't believe what I'm about to say but this book may have to take a top spot as one of my all time favourite Layne Layne novels. As a forever fan of the 'enemies to lovers' trope, 'for better or worse' was pressing all my five star buttons. It had plenty of swoon, the perfect amount of light angst and a hero that is worth writing home about. In addition you can expect a heroine to crush on, relatable friendships and a story line that had just the right amount of depth and added humour. What more can I say, readers? I'm well and truly hooked on Lauren Layne and her romantic creations.

What's it all about?
Take one quirky wedding planner, a playboy hero and a swoon worthy romance plot between neighbours and you've got yourself invited to a perfectly written Lauren Layne novel. Don't forget to expect heart warming history, copious amounts of champagne and an ending that will have you dreamily staring at your kindle. Lauren Layne started her new series off with a pop of a bottle and has continued to wow me with book two in this fabulous wedding planner themed series. I'm ready and eagerly waiting for more.



What did I love?
Both characters in this perfectly paced novel face their own journeys which I loved. I could appreciate that Layne had put a lot of thought and planning into her story telling. Both heroine and hero had to work through issues in order for them to find their happy balance with each other. I loved both characters equally, which doesn't come easy with most of my romance reading experience and I was cheering for them both from the side lines to wake up and smell the French roast coffee that they both love. 'For better or worse' had a tinge of sadness that definitely meant my heart strings were being pulled in all directions. The sincerity of this book spoke volumes, Layne did more than provide a fluffy escape, she packed her novel full of heart felt moments and spell binding romance and you may believe I'm being over the top with my praise but I'm a big believer in allowing a book to take you on a personal journey and these characters won over my heart. Overall Layne produced a fabulous romantic tale that had me gripped from beginning to end. I really could not have asked for more.



Final thoughts ...
Perfection between the pages, Lauren Layne definitely won me over with, dare I say one of my most favourite heroes to date. Full of sexual tension, heart felt moments and a honest to goodness fabulously paced love story. Fans of this author are going to eat up this sweet but flirty tale of finding love next door. Enjoy ... Kisses.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Banana Bread Stars

Heather Fowler is this close to getting everything she wants. As a child, she dreamed of living in NYC and becoming a successful wedding planner. As an assistant planner at the Wedding Belles, she’s one high profile wedding away from making her dream a reality. If only her inconsiderate neighbor would cut the late night band rehearsal so she could get some much needed sleep.

“You want to come in and talk about it?”
“Better idea. How about you go to bed like any normal person over the age of twenty-two,” she snapped.
“I thought you’d never ask,” he said, stepping aside and sweeping an arm inward as though to usher her inside.
Heather put a hand over her heart and made a dramatic gasping sound. “You mean . . . you mean, a big handsome hunk like you would actually bed little old me?”

A serious health scare set former workaholic Josh Tanner on the “live in the moment” path and he’s never looked back. He makes his own schedule as a musician and only sleeps with women that know the score. No relationships, no repeats. Aggravating his cute new neighbor gives him something to look forward to and before long, mutual attraction gives way to a neighbors with benefits kind of deal.

Going into this book, I wasn’t quite sure how much I was going to enjoy it. As much as I like most everything I've read from Lauren Layne, there have been a few that just haven’t worked for me. Ladies and Gents, I absolutely loved this one. Both individually and together, I thought Heather and Josh were fabulous, but they really shined as a couple. The banter and sense of friendship between the two made this story for me. Yes, Josh had his head up his ass for a good portion of the story but he never took the clichéd route I expected him to.

“You might not love me yet, 4A, but you will,” she whispered quietly before sitting up slightly to kiss his too-warm cheek. “You will.”

I have a confession to make: weddings aren’t my bag. I’ve never really gotten the hoopla surrounding them. I mean, my husband and I were seconds away from driving to Tahoe and eloping before our mothers talked us down from the ledge. I bring this up because despite the fact this book featured a bunch wedding planners talking shop, it in no way overwhelmed the story. I only had to sit through one discussion on pink distinction, and for that I’ll be forever grateful.



For Better or Worse more than met my expectations for a fun and enjoyable read. As much this worked for me, I CAN’T WAIT to get my hands on Alexis and Logan’s book .Still waters run deep and I have a feeling we’re in for quite a treat with Logan.

ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

[Pavlina Read more sleep less blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Such a lovely story, this series continues to surprise me in a good way! The first one was a nice beginning to this new series. But I simply adored this one!



Both characters were interesting, especially Heather! She was independent, feisty and lovely. Josh was sweet, happy and cute! Together they were an amazing combination!

Overall it was a light, funny and sweet story! I cannot wait for Alexis' book, I'm so intrigued!!

 

  

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 - "You might not love me yet, 4A, but you will..." Stars!

I just have to start with a big happy sigh writing this review. Even a few days on from finishing For Better or Worse just thinking about Heather and Josh’s story makes me smile.



Lauren Layne has such a strong talent when it comes to writing a series, and I have no doubt said this before, but her skill at weaving a story that focuses on a main couple, but then includes all previous and forthcoming characters any individual book is second to none.

"Scratching the itch is a better solution than trying to stifle it."

Friends /Frenemies with benefits when done well can produce absolutely brilliant results, and Lauren hit that balance perfectly between this pair. Their initial meeting and the following banter between them because of it set up the chemistry for them to then produce funny, sexy and emotive
results as the story progressed.

"The other night when you were so cranky, I thought for sure you must be a morning person… I see now that this irritable thing you have going on is more of a twenty-four/seven thing…"

When things developed in relation to feelings and what they each wanted from their no-strings arrangement you just felt for each of them in what they were going through because of the other one’s choices, and I just wanted to give both of them a big hug, and then bang their heads together!

"Despite all your sass, you are a relationship kind of girl, and I’m not a relationship kind of guy."

This is one of those books you pick up, and don’t put down until you have finished it. I loved Heather, such a feisty and independent character, but you also saw the vulnerability in her when it came to men and relationships as the connection between her and Josh deepened. Josh with his quick wit, constant innuendo, and happy-go-lucky personality had a few secrets and demons of his own to deal with, but the drama was played out around some really great secondary plots, and the rest of the Wedding Belles entourage.

He never felt so alive as when he was bickering with her, and these days being alive was everything.

I cannot wait for Alexis’ book, but I have to be honest and say I am also a little nervous for it as well, especially as her suitor in To Love and to Cherish, is of British persuasion. I really, really hope that the author or her publisher has had the manuscript checked to ensure that Logan’s anglicized language is actually correct, because as a Brit myself it has the potential to affect my reading enjoyment if such a small detail hasn’t been paid attention to. Through the reading of this book it already looks like that probably isn’t the case, because I can 100% confirm that Logan would not use Bullocks as an expletive, the phrase is; Bollocks always has been always will be. So I wait with baited breath for To Love and to Cherish, and hope that I am wrong.

"For all the today's and all the tomorrows."

ARC generously provided via Netgalley, and it was as it always is a pleasure to provide the above honest review.

[Geri Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

This is probably my favorite in the series so far. Granted this series hasn't really wowed me yet unlike her other series' in the past. Still, this was very enjoyable. I loved the banter between Heather and Josh. They started off as "enemies." Heather sees Josh as an overgrown frat boy who doesn't have any consideration for his neighbor by playing loud obnoxious music with his band while Heather was only trying to get some sleep. On the other hand, Josh sees Heather as an uptight and overworked lady who doesn't know how to have fun.

They are of course, both wrong and right in their assessment of one another. Heather may be a bit uptight but it's only because she has a goal of making it as a wedding planner and not just an "assistant" wedding planner in New York. She's living her dream since she was a little girl and her annoying neighbor isn't going to ruin that.

Josh for his part has been through hell and back. He quit his cushy Wall Street job and vowed to enjoy his life to the fullest. And that means pursuing his love for music, women and maybe annoying his pretty neighbor.

Although they started off as adversaries, Josh and Heather found themselves battling an intense attraction for each other. They're slowly realizing how wrong they are in their initial impression of each other. Despite that, Josh is adamant on keeping Heather at arm's length. You have to find out exactly what they are but if you've read the blurb, you might have some idea already.

It's also great to catch up with the Belles again. And we can clearly see how LL is setting up Alexis and Logan's story for the next book.

Like I said, I enjoyed this book and this series isn't bad. But oh man, there's just something so generic about them. And I'm not talking about storyline and tropes. A great author can use old tropes and make it her own and I'd enjoy it. But more and more, I find Ms. Layne's characters to be so basic.

So why this rating then, if I enjoyed it? I dunno. It's probably just me but I feel like I've read these characters before…or some variation of it. If you've been reading LL's books for as long as I have, you'll know what I mean. Her heroines are all white, thin and blonde, and proper. She'll throw in a couple of brunettes in there but aside from the hair color, there's really nothing that differentiates these heroines from her other heroines from her other series.

Still, I feel like For Better or Worse is better than the previous books in this series, which isn't saying much but hey, I've enjoyed myself and would continue to read this series.

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Wendy'sThoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Learning What Matters Stars
* * * *
Layne is on a roll, as this series keeps getting better and better. It has developed into a groove similar to her Sex Love & Stilettos series with the added hook of Weddings, Brides and those Wedding Belles who make it happen. There is heart, comradely and we learn about each of them.
This entry had a couple of interesting elements; we have Heather who is the wedding assistant working diligently to become a full fledged planner. She thought she was about to move up to the vacant planner position only to learn another established wedding/event planner was joining the company. It was a set back for Heather but after meeting her new team mate, she understood the reasoning.

Heather is a very special person. She was raised in a small town by a mother who was always in love. The men would change but the belief in the idea of love everlasting was the same. It was this continual focus of love that did 2 things.

First, it made Heather the youngest wedding planner in history...little drawings of what her mother's wedding should be matured into what flowers for the next one or what colors would be best for another to the point that by high school, all Heather wanted was NYC and being a professional Wedding Planner with the creme de la creme in the industry.

Now second, what is equally important to note with all of this self taught training was that none of these weddings would take place... or if they did the romance was short lived. Her mother was a caring mom and saw what Heather needed in life...never forcing a small town mindset on her. But the mother also needed Heather to understand living in a small town was just fine as her mother. The mother didn't need the "Big City"... her "small life" was big enough. This would hurt Heather, as she was very close to her mom and the woman refused to come to NYC to see with her own eyes how Heather was making her life like she dreamed.

We are there when Heather is managing the most important event in her career... a huge celebrity wedding and her boss has said that the outcome will weigh in on whether Heather moves up to full planner status. She needs to clear her head... make herself into what she wishes to be... not who she is now...and in her new Manhattan apartment, there is just one thing causing her trouble.

Her Neighbor!
He will not shut the Fu@k up and stop with the band music. Her bedroom is right against his and it is 2 in the morning and she needs her rest. She finally has had it and stomps out of her apartment and bangs on his door...with her Fist...Hard...Many times....

The door opens and there he is in all his magnificent glory, this man....This billboard come to life type of man...No top, low slung jeans...just skin for days, rippling as he hold the door jam looking at her with a smirk on those kissable lips....

OMFG...No, this isn't fair... why couldn't she have an old cranky neighbor like everyone else... No, she had to have a sex god ...Who plays Loud Rock Music in the middle of the night...Half Naked!

Words are said...she is back thinking of the sleep she needs...He is taking her in...in her cute little babydoll/cami thing...and is trying not to think of her legs wrapped around his waist...She turns and goes back to her place and just dies....he is that gorgeous... He closes his door and thinks of all the ways he loved her feistiness.

Josh Tanner is a man who is sort of lost. He is hiding from himself. He once knew exactly what his life was; working Wall Street, managing wealth, making his own wealth and on his way to having it all. Except in all that all of hot women, it restaurants and 18 hour days, he also got a diagnosis of Cancer. That will make you take a second look at your life... and it will also make those around you either part of your team in the fight... or have them run for the hills away so as not to be around...

Josh is a survivor and his family has made it through the ugly times with him. He just needs to see that where he is now is not what is only available for him....And his encounter with his cute, firecracker of a neighbor has woken the inner beast which has been hiding. The one that is not superficial... the one that will make the effort for a woman...the one that has been away for a very long time.

This story was full of so much heart. People who have been through the chaos and fear of Cancer know what it can do to families, loved ones...and the person themselves. The future is not thought of the same way as those who have not had it...We tend to think of ourselves as powerful and indestructible...and so do our parents. When these things happen to a person who is not elderly and lived a full, long life... It changes the perspective...and skews the way the survivor may think to live their recovered life. I think Layne did an excellent job in tackling this.

I loved Josh. He was fun, sexy, smart and understandable. Heather was a woman focused on being strong and fighting for what she thought she needed to be successful. I was able to feel her loneliness and insecurity. I was also rooting for her to take everything Josh was giving her and run with it. There was some angst to this tale but not for long and the outcome worked for me.

The Wedding Belles series is fun, insightful and has so much more to come. Sign me up, Reserve me a place at the table...I want a front row seat.

From This Day Forward (The Wedding Belles, #0.5)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

To Have and to Hold (The Wedding Belles, #1)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

~~~~~ Before Reading ~~~~~
The Weddings are about to start....
and I am dressed and ready to go....
●•●•●•●•●•●•●
6/14/2016
Can you hear the ringing of Bells???
Well, get ready because our breakout star of this series is getting her own story.

Heather, the assistant, has been promoted to full fledged Wedding Planner with the Belles...
Now if she could only get her neighbor to lower the sex appeal and volume of his music so she could do her job...
Oh, neighbors have never been so perfect for each other....

For Better or Worse (Wedding Belles Book 2) August 30th 2016

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[Dali · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hate at first site, love ever after! Happy book birthday"

Absolutely swoon-tastic. Lauren Layne writes a fun, flirty and sexy romance novel I couldn’t put down.

Heather Fowler had a dream. To be a successful New York wedding planner and she’s one wedding away from achieving it. Does it matter that the bride is totally hands off but has set impossible to meet expectations? Of course not, because she’s dead set on having her dream job in her dream city and no one, not even her loud, arrogant, too good looking for her own good womanizing neighbor will slow her down. But will a promotion truly make her happy or is she really hoping to get the fairy tale happy ever after every little girl dreams of?

Josh Tanner had it all, a great job on Wall Street a gorgeous girlfriend and a movie like lifestyle, until he was diagnosed with leukemia. His girlfriend left him to go it alone and after he recovered, he no longer had the desire to keep the slick yet grueling job or lifestyle knowing that there was a lot more to life. Going against his own no relationships with the opposite sex rule, he seeks the too hard working Heather out and tries to convince her to have fun and relax once in a while. But will he drop his walls long enough to risk his heart?

Lauren Layne strikes again with her smart and sexy banter that kept me smiling, laughing, getting a bit weepy and blushing scarlet red from start to the oh-my-gosh so swoony finish. The story is fast pace and smooth flowing story with brilliantly fun characters. Heather is driven, smart and sassy with a tough as nails exterior and a sweet, vulnerable inside.

Even though he’s a cancer survivor, Josh came out a bit scathed and lost. Thinking that he should not subject anyone to the possible pain and suffering if the cancer ever came back, other than his family who never leave him, he’s determined to live his life alone hoping from one bed to another without actually living his life to the fullest.

He puts on witty and cocky front, there’s a lot of fear underneath, along with a huge dollop of sweetness. Heather wasn’t the only one who fell a bit for the man who loved his mother and family so much.

I loved how Josh and Heather fall into friendship and love. Their frenemy banter at the beginning was hysterical, their flirty banter after they got over the bickering was deliciously hot and while they were trying to figure out that they had fallen completely fell with them while Josh good-naturedly helped Heather plan his ex-girlfriend’s wedding so she could get her promotion. This is definitely one of my favorite Lauren Layne books and I like them all!

Having the entire Wedding Belles gang was a lot of fun. It completed the story and piqued my interest for what’s to come!

For better or Worse is book #2 in the The Wedding Belles series by Laruen Layne. It’s perfect continuation of a series that’s hailed as the marriage between Sex in the City and The Wedding Planner. It can be read as a standalone. Told from both points of view.

Author's Pinterest board -> https://es.pinterest.com/LLayneAuthor...
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *

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[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review



I absolutely adore Lauren Layne and her series The Wedding Belles. Lauren Layne has whipped up a fresh sexy and sweet modern romance that will have readers saying yes to the dress and I do.

If you have read the previous book, To Have and To Hold, readers were swept away with Brooke Baldwin and her romantic interest, Seth Tyler. And so this time, the spotlight is on Heather Fowler, Wedding Belles' assistant.

The Wedding Belles is New York’s elite planning service. They are the creme de la crème when it comes to planning a wedding. And so in this second installment aptly titled For Better or For Worse, Heather Fowler is given the opportunity of a lifetime to be in charge of Danica Robinson’s nuptials. If Heather can pull this wedding off, Alexis will promote Heather from assistant to wedding planner.

“And suddenly Heather knew exactly what word her subconscious had been trying to say: Want. This was a man she wanted. Rather desperately.”

The pressure is on Heather to knock out a wedding in less than three months and of course the bride is giving Heather full reigns. The bride unwillingly to help Heather is causing her added stress since the bride won’t budge on the location of the ceremony and reception. And on top of that, Heather’s next door neighbor is constantly blasting music in the early mornings.

When Heather goes to confront the unruly next door neighbor, Heather is in for a surprise when she is greeted by sexy abs. Well Mr. Sexy Abs was more than happy to flirt and tease Heather. And soon Heather and Josh began to form somewhat a friendship. As much as they annoy each other, they soon found themselves crossing that imaginary line from friends to sex buddies. But what happens when Heather wants more than just casual but a real relationship? Will Josh be able to give Heather a commitment or will he push her away? Also, will Heather be able to pull off the wedding of Danica Robinson or will she find herself failing?

For Better or For Worse was a sweet, charming sexy romance that perfectly weaved passion, friendship, family, second chances, banter and love into one intoxicating and entertaining read. Lauren Layne had her readers walking down the aisle with a big fat smile on their faces as she treated her readers to a romance that had heart, steam and the infamous banana bread. This book was aptly titled since Josh Tanner is afraid of falling in love and committing since he was a cancer survivor and is afraid that his illness will come back and so he doesn’t do relationships that is until Heather aka 4C comes banging into his life. And this book is a perfect reminder when love knocks, you must be willing to open it all the way and for Josh Tanner, love came knocking and bearing banana bread and a feisty blonde who stole his heart. This story may have been a modern version of The Wedding Planner but Lauren Layne has made this book stand out on its own with her gorgeous and heartfelt prose. She has layered this story with every facets of love, vulnerability, second chances, and of course steam. So if you are looking for a story where a man who didn’t believe in the future falls madly in love with a woman, who believes in the magic of forever then I highly recommend you to read For Better or For Worse.



Lauren Layne

[Lyndy Ann ♫ · Rating 5 out of 5]

*****5 Banana bread stars*****

For Better or Worse is the second book in The Wedding Belles series, this series has become my favourite by LL I absolutely adore these couples.

Heather Fowler is living her dream living in New York City working for the Wedding Belles as an assistant wedding planner a job she loves hoping for a promotion and she has finally moved into her dream apartment looking over Central Park the only problem is her neighbour 4A who loves band practise at midnight.

Josh Tanner battled cancer five years ago since then he is living a different life, he gave up his job on Wall Street, he now spends his days doing what he wants when he wants as his band mates have day jobs they can only practise at night which he soon discovers annoys his new neighbour 4C.

Heather and Josh are frienemies they bicker like teenagers getting under each over skin they are attracted to each other but nothing happens for a while they both play games trying to make the other one jealous they are both as bad as each other.

Heather has a new big celeb client who will not help plan her own wedding Heather discovers that Josh used to date said client and ropes him into helping her plan the wedding of the year.

On Thanksgiving as Heather will be on her own Josh takes her with him for his family meal, Heather has never had a big family get together. After this they finally give in to their attraction getting passionate by having lots of hot sex.

Heather has fallen for Josh but she knows that Josh is keeping something from her as he hates talking about his past and will not think about the future if she mentions anything like this he gets into a temper and storms off.

Something happens to Josh that makes him rethink his life choices and he finally admits his true feelings for Heather but can he win back his stubborn neighbour 4C.

I absolutely loved everything about this and I did not see the ending coming which was a wonderful surprise for me as I had a different idea in my mind, the epilogue was beautiful and of course I loved getting some more Seth and Brooke.

I cannot wait for To Love and To Cherish I NEED Alexis and Logan Harris, I am dying to get to know Logan better.

[[~Ami~]♥Sexy Dexy♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 star

It was okay. It had LL's trademark bantering which was good. Josh was charming and Heather was an okay heroine. The story was light, fluffy and predictable with a bit of cheese at the end.

ARC provided by NetGalley

[Francoise · Rating 5 out of 5]

With this second installment in her Wedding Belles series, Lauren Layne has delivered a beautiful story that packs an emotional punch. This story was in equal parts heartbreaking, sexy and uplifting, with two irresistible, relatable characters. The author has dealt with a darker subject matter with sensibility and realism.

Heather Fowles is almost living her dream life in Manhattan. She is close to a promotion from assistant to actual wedding planner and she has moved into an apartment on the Upper East Side. Unfortunately, her dream is marred by Josh Tanner, her wannabe musician neighbor and his night long recording practice. She doesn’t hesitate to express her opinion of him but she can’t resist his charming arrogance. As it happens, Josh is in a funk and Heather’s sassiness manages to shake him out of it. I loved their easy banter and the way Heather retaliates against Josh’s sarcastic remarks.

Josh is a cancer survivor and with Heather, he has the feeling that his disease doesn’t define him. His family is very protective of him, Heather is just herself, sassy, sweet and resolute. Of course, it helps that she doesn't know anything about his past. She interferes in his life but it feels right. Their bickering and teasing make him feel alive.



They are both guarded, for different reasons, but they connect easily and treasure their newfound friendship. However, behind his easy charm and confidence, Josh hides his insecurities about the future. Even if he is attracted to Heather, he holds himself back from the possibility of a relationship with her. His mercurial attitude creates tension between them. He questions his carefree lifestyle, though and wants to find a new purpose. Living a half life is simply not enough, he wants more with Heather, even if it involves taking emotional risks and fulfilling her childhood dreams.

This book is another winner in the Wedding Belles series. I enjoyed every minute of it! Lauren Layne’s writer’s voice is always light, charming and funny. This story was also deeply emotional and that is an irresistible combination! I loved these generous, genuine characters and I didn’t want their story to end. The supporting characters were great, Josh's interactions with his mother were adorable. More than coworkers, the Wedding Belles are a group of close friends and I can’t wait for the next book in the series, Alexis and Logan's story. This book can be read as a standalone and is told in dual POV.

An advanced copy of this book was provided by the publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Bindi Boo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

ARC provided for an honest review

I absolutely adored this book! Although disappointed with the first one, i learnt never to doubt ones' favourite author. She nailed it with this one! This book was super sweet, mildly angsty and had tons of amazing happy feels. The banter and humour made it a quirky and lighter read despite the more morbid past the hero had. I did feel like the last part was a little rushed, but was happy the couple finally figured out their feelings.
Overall, a worth-your-time-read.

[Irene · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

SO much love For Better or Worse.
I seriously can't stop smiling, the characters captured my interest and heart from the first page and didn't let go until the end.

I loved watching the relationship between Heather and Josh develop from neighbors, to friends then to something more...
From the first meeting you know these two are going to entertain you with their story, and Ms Lauren Layne doesn't disappoint.



Their relationship was an emotional and heartfelt journey that will bring out all the feels, it had me angry one min, smiling & laughing the next, then frustrated, swooning and crying a min later. Seriously all the feels came out while reading this book.
Then add the ending & epilogue and I was in a very happy place and wanting to start the book all over again as I didn't want to let any of these characters go.

Overall, For Better or Worse is a well written, heartfelt romance that will entertain you and leave you with a heart full of love.

I'm really enjoying The Wedding Belles series, each book can be read as a standalone and I highly recommend them all!!

In closing, with all the sexual tension going on between Alexis and Logan, I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on To Love and to Cherish which comes out October 18th 2016.

Purchase Links ~
Amazon ~ https://www.amazon.com/Better-Worse-W...
B&N ~ http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/for-b...
Google Play ~ https://books.google.com.au/books/abo...
iTunes ~ https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/for-...
kobo ~ https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebo...

*A big thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.*

[Jen (jenslostinthepages) ♥Star-Crossed Book Blog♥ · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the first chapter alone, I knew for Better or Worse was going to be a favorite! I was giddy, smiley and I already had butterflies dancing around in my stomach. It was shocking how fast I fell for Josh, and I absolutely adored our heroine Heather. This was the type of book that I couldn't read fast enough, yet I wanted to savor it at the same time. And I'm so ecstatic to say this, because while I thought the novella in this series was just good, the first book was a huge flop for me. So I was crazy nervous picking up this book, especially since I usually love everything this author has written. Well, except the first two books in this series *hides face while cringing*. But now I can proudly say that I have another LL book to add to my favorites list!

Yep. It was official. The new neighbor had to die. - Heather

Soooo, that first chapter. I need someone to gush with me over it! Heather finally has the dream apartment, and she believes she's close to having her dream job. Which is being promoted from Assistant Wedding Planner to Wedding Planner. Yet there's one huge flaw. Her noisy neighbor next door who uses his apartment for band practice. While Heather was storming over there to tell Josh to quiet down in the middle of the night, since she has to work the next morning, I was cheering her along. But from the moment Josh opened that door, I was a goner.

Life was too short— way too short to sleep with only one person.
Did that make him an ass? Maybe. Did he care? Not particularly. - Josh

Josh Turner is one of those guys that is beyond sexy and mesmerizing. He quickly captures your attention and there's truly no getting out of his seduction. He is forward yet withholds parts of himself, he is confident yet at other times unsure of what to say, oh he just felt so real to me. And while Heather tries to stay indifferent to Josh and his player ways, he slowly starts to win her over. I loved all of his attempts, even if his end game was to get her to sleep with him haha. But over time, a friendship unfolded and it was all so natural and perfect.

Heather held her ground, and they were toe-to-toe, glare-to-glare.
She spread her arms to the side. “You happy? You get what you want?”
Josh shook his head. “Not even fucking close.”
His mouth slammed down on hers a half second before his hands closed greedily around her head as he took her in the hottest kiss of her life.

Their friendship was filled with banter, fighting (I LOVED their arguments, they were insanely sexy when they were fighting!), tenderness and a perfect amount of sexual tension that always left me begging for more. Every time they were together, I kept thinking now this is my favorite moment in the book! I even loved the nickname Josh used for Heather. How in the world did I get so giddy over a nickname?! Especially that one?! Yet I did, and I always found myself smiling.

He scooped up her mug and stood with a wink. “Damned if I don’t like you a little bit, 4C, especially when you’re all pissy and shit.”
Heather ignored this, pointedly looking out the window as she waited for him to return with more of the insane coffee.
But damned if she didn’t like him a little bit, too.

This time around I adored all of the Belles! They felt fleshed out, which was one of my struggles with the first book. And meeting Josh's mom, oh I'm a huge fan, I couldn't wait to see where she would pop up next ha. They all fit seamlessly within the pages. So as the story flowed, I continued to get pulled further and further into their lives. And by that last chapter, I found myself crying. Okay not just crying, I completely bawled my eyes out. This story was absolutely perfect to me! So if you had issues with the first book, like I did, I truly hope that you'll give this one a try! It's more than worth it!

*ARC kindly provided by Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

For more of my reviews, please visit:

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can Lauren Layne just write books forever and ever? I'm so madly in love with her books. I love that I can always rely on her books to leave me with all the warm and swoony feelings and a gigantic grin plastered on my face. I was keen to get to For Better or Worse after adoring To Have and To Hold. I didn't think it would be possible to love this one more than I did the first book, but this book made me so gaga.

We met Heather in the first book as one of the assistant wedding planners at The Wedding Belles. She aspires to become drop that assistant from her title with a promotion. I loved Heather so much. Passionate, devoted and hardworking, she's the kind of girl who pushes herself to the limits in order to achieve her dreams. Her story of how she worked her butt off to move to NYC to become a wedding planner was so inspiring and made me admire her a lot. She's a workaholic though and hasn't really had the chance to focus on her personal life too much. Enter Josh. Gahhh! I love love love Josh. This man just melted me and charmed the heck out of me with his flirty and playful attitude. He's Heather's neighbor with a particular fondness for playing music at ungodly hours. He used to work on Wall Street and was forced to quit as a result of an illness that nearly tore his family apart. Usually, I'm not for male love interests that go through women like I go through underwear, but Josh was always upfront about what his female companions were getting into. Josh's bond with his sister was especially one of my favorite parts of this series. His illness had caused them to drift apart, but in For Better or Worse they were trying to make amends to their relationship. His scenes with her were so heartwarming.

As individuals, these two were terrific, but as a couple? SO MUCH FUN. My words doesn't do justice to the delight I got out of watching these two interact and exchange quips. From the very beginning, it was non-stop banter between these two and I loved it! Together, they are funny, adorable and sexy, a combo that makes them very ship-worthy! The chemistry was hot and tangible and every make-out scene was so swoony! I love how they made fun of each other, but they were also always there for each other. There's one scene in particular when Josh comes to Heather's rescue when she has to host brunch for her friends that I adore so much. I highlighted the heck out of some of their scenes together and I know this is one book I'll be re-reading the romance passages over and over again. I was worried about how Heather would take it when she realizes what Josh's big secret is (his illness), but she takes it like a champ. Like most romance novels, this one had that mini-separation towards the end of the novel, but here, I actually loved it because of the subsequent groveling scenes from Josh. It was romantic, and made my heart flutter in joy! No doubt these two are my favorite Lauren Layne couple. It was fun to see the other Wedding Belle girls too and I'm so excited to get my hands on Alexis' story. If it's anything as the rest of the books in this series, I'm in for a treat.

Do you love romantic comedies? Do you love smart and headstrong heroines? Do you love charming heroes who will woo you from start to finish? Do you love to be hit by all kinds of romantic feels? If you answered yes to any of those questions, then you need to get to For Better or Worse ASAP. Trust me, this is the kind of book that will make your day so much better.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I sound like a broken record for every review I write for this series. I like wedding in a story, but I don't like reading about wedding planning and the circus that surround it. The reason I still read this series is because I love Lauren Layne. I'm not making it my mission to read this just to rant about how much I gonna dislike it.

What I like:
1. the overall story is cute. The hate/love thing with the hot neighbor is something really fun.
2. Josh is so charming and he even helps Heather with planning a wedding for his ex!
3. The banter is entertaining as always

What I don't like:
1. For the past 2 books, I feel like the heroine is just not up to notch. They seems like not giving enough to the relationship. Is all about the heroes doing the grand gesture. What did the women do? Heather didn't even bake that damn banana bread that Josh keep fussing about.

2. The blurb mentioned about Josh being a cancer survivor. I really like that idea, but it was disappointing that they didn't actually deal with that issue until towards the ending. I thought it was a waste of a good plot.

3. I skim everything about the wedding planning.

Am I reading the next book about ice queen Alexis with the British accountant? I definitely will.

[Lacey (laceybooklovers) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted at Booklovers For Life

4.5 STARS

I am falling more and more in love with Lauren Layne’s The Wedding Belles series with every new release! If you like wedding romances or sweet contemporary romance, this series – and honestly, this author – is a must read. The characters are adorable, the romance is swoony, and the wedding planning backdrop is perfect for a light-hearted, summery read!

Heather Fowler is living her life-long dream – to be a wedding planner living in NYC. Well, she’s almost living out the dream, since she’s currently only an assistant wedding planner. But her next wedding will make or break her career, since she’s given the opportunity of a lifetime to plan celebrity Danica Robinson’s wedding. But with the bride completely hands-off the wedding, the pressure and stress to get everything right and perfect starts to get to Heather… and it doesn’t help that her late nights become even more late thanks to a rowdy neighbor blasting music at inconsiderate times. She goes to confront the guy in 4A, but what she gets is something more, something better than she could have imagined.

Once again, it was this snotty, mouthy woman who’d managed to shake him out of his funk.
It was becoming increasingly clear that his intriguing new neighbor might be exactly what he needed to make him feel alive.

Josh Tanner is a cancer survivor who knows how short life can be and is living his life to the fullest… or is he? He threw away a job doing what he loved, and now he’s in a band making music and not having any worries. When the girl in 4C comes over to confront him about his late-night playing, he finds himself intrigued by her, and the more he gets to know her, the more he wants her – but only in bed, and not for a relationship. I’ll admit, I’m a little tired of heroes who are adamantly against having anything to do with love, but Josh is something else. He’s an adorable, frustrating, lovable man, with many layers to him that make him feel real and genuine. And he’s seriously the SWEETEST – with the things he says and does, how could Heather NOT fall for him!?

He was good.
He was the best.
He was everything.

I love when the MCs bring out the best in each other, and Heather and Josh do exactly that. Josh makes Heather realize there are other things to appreciate in life than a high-pressure job, and Heather makes Josh notice how he’s not exactly living the full life he expected to after surviving cancer. The two of them make the most adorable couple – I had a smile on my face practically the whole time I was reading their story! Their banter, their sweet moments, their inside joke with banana bread… all of it made for a fun, worthwhile read. For Better or Worse is a feel-good, slow romance with touches of meaningful moments that warmed my heart. I would definitely recommend this to those who loved the first book. And can I just say how freaking excited I am about the final book of the series!? I need To Love and to Cherish ASAP.

Thanks to the publisher for generously providing me an ARC to review.

Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.

Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1TFSaFO
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1TFS7d9

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[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Better or Worse by Lauren Layne is a 2016 Pocket Books publication. I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Lauren Layne can write romantic comedy like nobody’s business and I’ve enjoyed many of her novels, but this is the first book I’ve read in the Wedding Belle series.

I was a little concerned about the setup, knowing up front some very serious, and possibly sad, topics would be mingled in, however, the seriousness was handled with grace and aplomb, and the story ended up being absolutely adorable.

“Live the life you want, not the one you have”

That is Heather Fowler’s motto. Her goal has always been to live in New York City and to be a wedding planner. She’s making strides toward achieving those dreams, but she wants to step out of the assistant role and become the head planner. To make the impression she has already achieved an elite status she moves into a nice Manhattan apartment, just as she discovers she’s landed the job of a lifetime. It looks like all her hard work is about to pay off. But, there’s a hitch. The bride wants a wedding at the Plaza… in three months time! Can Heather pull it off?

If she weren’t under enough stress, Heather’s neighbor in unit 4A practices his music, which is very loud, while she is trying to sleep. Frustrated, she knocks on his door to ask him to tone it down a notch, and meets the most gorgeous man she’s ever seen, and the most infuriating.

Josh was a hot shot on wall street, but has let that fast paced, all work, no play, high stress occupation go for a while so he can focus on his music and his band. The previous tenant in unit 4C was an older lady who was deaf and didn’t mind him playing music at all hours, and she baked him banana bread. However, the new Miss 4C is just a little uptight, and Josh simply can’t resist the challenge of winning her over.

But, the joke may be on him as Heather begins work on winning 4A’s heart.


While the banter is light and laugh out loud funny all the way through, it’s obvious, some very heavy issues are weighing on Josh. His story is very emotional as he tries to come to terms with the struggles he’s faced over the past few years and where his life is headed now. He wants to live with gusto, knowing full well how short life can be, but something is missing from his life and deep down he knows what that something is, he just hasn’t admitted it to himself yet.

Heather’s backstory is not sad exactly, but it was not an easy road for her either. However, it’s made her the person she is today, but are her priorities on straight?

Josh won my heart almost immediately, with his larger than life personality and how he always got under Heather’s skin, thinking he was totally in charge of this little game, but was never as in control as he thought. I could almost read his mind sometimes, knowing he was in deep, deep denial, but understanding why he was holding back.

Naturally, Josh’s story is the one that commands the most attention and rings all the emotional bells. But, Heather pulls her fair share of the load too, as she learns to balance fun with work, learning what’s really important at the end of the day.

The epilogue sealed the deal for me and so I'm recommending this book to one and all. 4 stars

[Angie - Angie's Dreamy Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Josh and sweet Heather STOLE my heart! COMPLETELY. Omg. This book has EVERYTHING you want in a read. FULL REVIEW coming soon!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC Provided by the Publisher/Tasty Book Tours and NetGalley***

I am a fan of Lauren Layne. I have read everything she has written and she is a one-click author for me. So, when I got a hold of this book, I was excited...because it is Lauren Layne.

And then I read it....

In one freaking night...

Because I could NOT put it down...and there was no way I was going to sleep without knowing how it ended.

Heather is wonderful. She is smart, funny, driven, loyal and *this close* to having it all. All of her dreams, living in Manhattan, being a wedding planner, the perfect life. Maybe she is a little lonely, but that is ok...she has the rest of it.

Josh had it all. And gave it up. First, he was forced to let go...and then, when the choice was his again, he chose to stay away, to live a different life. But, those events in his life also made him believe that he was going to have to be alone; that it was not ok to bring someone else into his life, to share his secrets, his fears, and his pain.

Josh wants Heather. More than he even realizes at first. But how do you take someone who is finally getting all they wanted and give them the uncertain life that Josh feels is all he can offer? Answer, you realize that all of life is uncertain, that there are many things you are not able to control, that fate is fickle and that all you can do is hold on to what you have, to what is in front of you, and make it yours. For as long as you have it.

For Better or Worse is about love; it is about acceptance of who you are and of others, about letting them in, about letting them see you...the good, the bad, the scary, the parts of you that you don't share with everyone.

Layne hits all the right notes in this book, it couldn't be better. The pacing, the writing, the characters...all of them were as perfect as they could possibly have been...I went into this book expecting it to be good. I got perfection.

And banana bread. Just read the book.

[A Klue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having enjoyed Book 1, To Have and to Hold, this reviewer was thrilled to receive a NetGalley ARC for the next book in this series, For Better or Worse, in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. Unfortunately, I am conflicted on how to rate it. I think separating fact vs my personal opinion may be the best approach in writing a fair, insightful review.

To be more specific, my main character rules of conduct may not be yours, folks, and I don’t want to convince someone not to read a book they normally would. So I’ll warn you now, I kind of feel like the one night stand that wakes up in a strange bed/place with my eyes darting back and forth across the room wondering if I should stay or go. Meaning, stay with my head held high and give a thorough, detailed review or go the other route, tiptoe out the door, taking my personal views with me and only leaving a brief note saying, “It’s likely me, not you, hope you enjoy this one.”

FACT: Josh Tanner has been through a lot, folks. He’s a cancer survivor who has decided to be Mr. Happy Go Lucky, and I mean that literally and figuratively. He’s walked away from his successful, but stressful job in Wall Street’s world of finance and spends each day and most nights convincing himself he is living his dream, playing in a band and getting lucky with the ladies. Unfortunately, it takes the entire book until he realizes he’s missing the whole point of living, that special connection with a true soulmate. After his pretty much already fizzled out relationship ended when his girlfriend couldn’t handle even the idea of his illness, he’s left rather jaded and also doesn’t think it would be fair to bring heartache to another woman should his cancer return.

Heather Fowler is close to achieving her childhood goal of becoming a New York wedding planner. From being raised by a single mom in a modest trailer in Michigan to the bright lights of The Big Apple, this girl is on fire with determination to not wind up like her mother, who is a hopeless romantic but always unlucky in love. With no father figure and a childhood spent hearing her mom dreamily say, “I think he’s the one” for each and every guy she dated, Heather isn’t so sure about this thing called love. She hasn’t completely given up on the notion, but she’s fairly certainly she won’t find her Prince Charming any time soon.

Heather and Josh pretty much dance around each other until a little past midway, but truly aren’t a committed real couple until the very end.

OPINION: As usual, this author’s writing flows and keeps you completely engaged. If you don’t mind an obvious player, flippant at times, womanizing hero who flirts a lot with other women, Josh may be your next book boyfriend. He unashamedly brings random women to his apartment with one purpose in mind. If you’re uncertain what I mean, let me use his own words to clarify, “Life’s too short to sleep with just one person.” The next morning he ushers them out the door and doesn’t seem to care whether their feelings are hurt or not. He claims they knew the deal before he even brought them home.

Heather seems determined not to be another notch in his bedpost, until she is at about 60% into it. What started as angry confrontations about him playing his music too loud to flirty, sarcastic banter, some of it revolving around discussing by name his random women she sees leaving his apartment, Heather gives in to temptation but tries to distance her heart, especially since Josh is a completely closed book. He not only pretty much refuses to discuss anything revealing about himself, but becomes very angry with her if she even tries to learn more about him. Mainly because he doesn’t want her to know about his leukemia/bone marrow transplant, because he doesn’t want her pity or become overly worried about his health.

What’s the passion meter for this one? Well, at 30% she kisses Trevor, the hero’s friend, just to make Josh jealous. Considering what he said to her that impulsively made her do it, I was actually glad she did. It sure shut him the heck up. At 34%, we finally have lift off with their first real passionate kiss. More time passes and she catches him flirting with a girl in the doorway of his apartment, but they are not alone. His band has been rehearsing. So between Josh flirting with other women in her presence, and Heather putting up with it and occasionally flirting with Trevor, I started to wonder about both of these characters, folks.

With a “who would even think to do that?”moment, Heather ends up asking Josh to help her coordinate his now famous ex-girlfriend’s wedding. His motivation? To give him more time to convince Heather to sleep with him. If that’s not a double bizarre twist on this romantic plot, I don’t know what is, folks.

At 53%, he still wants to sleep with her, but uncertain if he wants her for himself. He won’t speak up because of Trevor’s possible interest in her. But like I said earlier, at 60%, they do the deed and the next morning nonchalantly discuss how he normally dismisses his one night stands. They continue their fling until a predictable health scare shakes things up and causes them to finally commit to one another.

For some readers, consenting adults acting in this manner will not be a deterrent in reading this book. For this avid true romantic, it is always a shot straight to the heart when the main couple are with others after meeting, especially after being attracted to each other. It’s just how I roll. It’s completely up to you to decide if it bothers you. My goal here was not to condemn the characters, but give a heads up to others who feel as I do. Though I understood Josh’s reluctance to love, due to his health concerns, my view of him and, therefore the rating of this book took a hit, because his treatment of women seemed callous.

Overall, I would rate this a 4 star for the writing but a 3 star due to my character discontent. I am extremely looking forward to the next book, To Love and to Cherish, as it will feature a strong, leading lady, Alexis, and Logan, the hunky British side partner of her business, who’s not so secretly always had a thing for her. She seems to be the only person blind to the inevitability of their relationship. Unfortunately, I highly suspect it will take OW drama to open her eyes and her heart to what she’s been missing.

Title: For Better or Worse, Series: The Wedding Belles , Author: Lauren Layne, Pages: 368 , stand-alone but part of a series, HEA, some VERY steamy scenes that do not hijack the storyline, hero is a cancer survivor, neighbors to lovers, reluctant to commit/love hero, hero continues random hookup after meeting/being attracted to heroine, heroine kisses hero’s BFF to make him jealous,

Book .5 - From This Day Forward, Pages: 110, 6/6/16 (Leah & Jason)

Book 1 - To Have and to Hold, Pages: 384, 7/26/16 (Seth & Brooke)
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Book 2 - For Better or Worse, Pages: 368, 8/30/16 (Heather & Josh)

Book 3 - To Love and to Cherish, 10/18/16 (Alexis & Logan)

(This review is based on ARC generously provided via NetGalley in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No monetary compensation was paid to the reviewer. There is also no affiliation between the reviewer and author/publisher.)

[Whispering Chapters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know what magic Lauren Layne possesses to write alluring, engaging, fun-filled stories. She always succeeds at delivering a masterpiece and always leaves me amazed. I enjoyed To Have and To Hold so much that I thought the first book would be the best one of the series. Ha! Cue moment of laughter for my incredulous nature. This sequel threw the ball out of the park, if that's even possible. Usually sequels tend to be over-shadowed by the other books in the series, but this?! No no no, my friends.  For Better or Worse has to be the best one yet! I don't know how the third book will top this one, but let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Heather is a very passionate and dedicated woman. She thrives to be a wedding planner and not be an assistant anymore. She's given the wedding of the year and she wants to give it her all so she can finally have that title she desires. I think we can all learn a lot from Heather. She went from having nothing to packing her bags and moving to New York to follow her dreams. Her only flaw—that's not really a flaw since we've all been through it—is wanting to prove to her mom, her boss, anyone, that she can be successful. I say it's a flaw because she felt like she needed to keep going up and up. She would never take breaks for herself to enjoy life. Her devotion to her job was so much that she didn't have a social life.

Josh used to have a job at Wall Street, but he resigned due to an illness. He started focusing on his music and "living life", but he's not really living it. He's also a little bit of a man-whore, but it's not fully shown in the story. When it it is, he tells the women that it's only sex and that's it. When Heather can't go to sleep because Josh is her neighbor and is playing music so late at night, she decides to give him a piece of her mind. The bickering and flirty banter is immediately thrown into the story and I was loving it! Once Josh got a taste of Heather, he couldn't get enough.

I was shipping Heather and Josh so hard! Their antics had me laughing, giggling and grinning all the time. Their chemistry is off-the-charts, yet they are also so very adorable and cute together. The talks they would have about banana bread (double meaning) had me in a laughing fit. Heather and Josh go so well together and complement each other a lot. As I mentioned before, Josh had an illness, and I was so scared for Heather to find out. I didn't want this to be a reason they would split. Heather, once again, shows the level of maturity she has and handles it incredibly. I was so happy she did because it showed just how much this couple is meant to be together.

Don't get me started on the ending! That was THE most beautiful thing ever! There's an airport scene that you guys need to read. You will adore it so much! I wanted more and more of it. I re-read that scene quite a few times because it was wonderful!

For Better or Worse is a rom-com that will charm you and give you all the feels!

I received an eARC from the publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

[Jacob Proffitt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked Heather or I couldn't have gotten through this because Josh doesn't deserve her, not in a million years. And I thought I knew how it would go down because his motivations were clear from the start. And yes, they were my pet hobby-horse in being negative*. So I was braced. Or thought I was.

And then it happened. The inevitable heartbreak, I mean. And it was way worse than I had even expected because that moron added yet another of my pet peeves to salten an already too-salty brew. For the morbidly curious he adds the "doing it for her own good" relationship killer to the already stupid "I don't want pain" idiocy.

So this was riding a low three stars on the very excellent strength of Heather with her determination and moxy and willingness to chase her dream, even when it lead her to compete for the top-spot in wedding planning in New York, of all places. So she has ambition and capability and drive and I loved seeing her gain that final bit of confidence by gaining full planner status at the Belles.

And then Josh joshed up the place with his joshy joshes and it dropped to two stars. And would have stayed there except that Layne pulled off a cathartic ending despite all the josh and even pulled a laugh or two (out loud!) in the final pages. So I'm rounding back up to three stars. And I don't regret reading it despite all the stupid joshing.

A note about Steamy: There are two and a half explicit sex scenes (the first is a double-header), so the middle of my steam tolerance. I'd have liked them more if there were less Josh in them, but I'm not sure how even Layne could pull that off...

* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.

[AC Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!

This is book 2 of the Wedding Belles series and so far I like this one the best. The plot is especially yummy.
Heather Fowler is living the dream and on her way to become the newest Belle. There is only one problem, her terrible neighbor, Josh Tanner, is keeping her up all night with his band. It’s a neighbor war that turns into friendship and maybe something more.

“We said we wouldn’t---“
“Fall in love. I know. But I broke the rules and now you have to decide what you’re going to do about it.”

Ok, I am totally smitten with the plot. I love the hate to love theme and it was done right. It had just the right about of angst. The buildup was perfect and when they finally get together…I was all butterflies. Josh was so funny and sweet and I like how Heather and Josh pushed each other. The best was watching them become friends and then lovers.

I really identified with Heather. She had the right amount of everything. She was a dreamer, a hard worker, and disciplined, but she also knew when to take a chance and she puts herself out there for Josh. And then there is Josh. I was pretty smitten with him. Who doesn’t love a hot musician who’s also
smart as hell? I completely understand his reservations with relationships and I think he has a very serious situation. It’s a serious topic that is done tactfully. It gives this book more depth. My only comment is that the book ended a bit suddenly and I felt their ending was great, but also extremely fast.
Overall, though, I enjoyed this book. It’s a great fast read for a Saturday afternoon. Happy reading!

[Lover of Romance · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance Summary
Budding Wedding Planner, Heather Fowler, has just gotten a promotion and she has a chance to become a full fledged wedding planner, with a new client who has money, class and prestige and she could make a name for herself. Her days are long and busy, but right when she needs some sleep, her noisy neighbor is keeping her up at night with his band. So she decides that she has had enough. But her bad boy neighbor, isn't going to just cave into her demands. He fights fire with fire....making her pancakes in the early morning. Josh wants to show his workaholic neighbor, how to relax and get into his bed. The last thing that Heather needs is to involve herself into a fling with a man that has countless women at his disposal. Heather realizes that she can show Josh a thing or two about life and about fighting for what is real and for love...
Plot and Story Line
For Better Or Worse, is the second book in the latest series by Layne and it was my second shot at this author and I have no regrets. For quite some time, so many were telling me so many wonderful things about her writing, and I finally decided to pick this one up when I was offered the ARC. I was really intrigued when I read a excerpt of one of their first meetings. I was purely fascinated by this story. For one, the heroine is a wedding planner which is what I am wanting to have as a career personally. So I just had a blast seeing what this heroine goes through in this story here. Now these two characters were simply outrageous, fun and witty and I loved every moment they were together.

“Tell me you did not just call your red-haired one-night stand Ginger.”

“That was her name.”

“A ginger named Ginger?” Heather asked skeptically.

“Don’t know if it was her real name,” Josh said with a shrug. “Didn’t ask.”

“You’re a pig,” she muttered.

“Hurtful, 4C. Very hurtful.”

“Yeah, you seem like a real softie underneath all those muscles,” she muttered…

“Noticed those, did you?”

Heather raked her gaze over him. “Hard not to, what with the too-small shirts and all. Do you shop in the children’s section?”

Josh, on the surface seems like your typical bad boy but he is anything but. He has gone through some rough patches, and won't have anything serious with anyone. Our heroine, wants love and isn't afraid of going after it even if the man she chooses is highly stubborn but she wants to bring him to his knees. I love how feisty these two get, and that Heather doesn't just give into the "fling" right away, just because Josh is gorgeous. This story just gave me all the feels and I just wanted more.  The romance was so well done, and there were so many moments I was just smiling because I was loving it so much. It was sweet and fun and heartwarming.
The Cover
Such a classy cover and I love the simplicity of it
Overall View
For Better or Worse is a love story that is carefree, real and packed with emotion any reader can relate with!!! TRULY FANTASTIC!!
Click On Cover For Buy Link
[foogallery id="23348"]

 

[maggieandteddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book in The Wedding Belles series.(I'm not counting the prequel novella, "From This Day Forward"- which I really liked).
Heather is an assistant wedding planner in the last book and hoping to be promoted in this book. I was waiting to find out if Heather had any hard feelings toward Brooke who was hired in with seniority over Heather. No she doesn't. It's explained early on in this book. And of course Heather and the others are pretty good friends.
Heather is living in NYC- Manhattan!! Yes, that is goal #1 - check.... Becoming a wedding planner- #2 goal........................ She's pretty serious and goal oriented. She works the weekends when most her age are out partying.. And playing loud music.......
She has an apartment next to a hunky noisy neighbor-Josh.
Josh plays in a pick up rock band with some friends. Heather confronts Josh about keeping the music down. Josh kids with her about being a grouch. They continue to tease each other and "argue". It's pretty cute. Quite the dance around each other. Josh's friends recognize their flirting. Heather's coworker/friends recognize their flirting.
Josh had quit his high finance job- for reasons that he won't discuss. Josh and Heather start to get along a lot better and become closer. But-- they still just call each other friends.
Josh has been a relationship-phobe. Yeah one of those. Heather is a romantic but (tries to) understands Josh's attachment-free lifestyle. Josh and Heather are really great together.
I love their banter. Not going too far. Their love scenes are very hot. I think they're a little less steamy than book 1.
There's a slow burn. Neither admits their feelings-for a while. Their romance is gradual but without talking about any commitment or love.
Heather is working on her first big celebrity wedding. This is her chance for recognition and her long awaited promotion.
There's a big snafu in the celebrity wedding. Never trust a wealthy celebrity.
Around this time, Josh turns into a lug head. That's how I can describe him. He pushes Heather away right when they were close to admitting their true feelings.
I do love the grovel. Almost perfect. The ending was really good. The epilogue was still in present day. 4.25 stars ARC from NetGalley.
Alexis' book is next. There were several teases about Alexis and Logan throughout book 2. I do have to read what happens next. I've been waiting! Logan needs to fire up Alexis' passion.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent characters. Awesome story. Great build. Lots of humor. Great mix of emotion. A nice amount of hotness. A little drama. This story checked every box that I could hope for in an fantastic read. :-)

I absolutely adored Heather and Josh. I loved Heather, so sweet and determined. She was just so feisty and I loved her attitude and awesome comebacks. Josh was so great too. Guarded but so sexy and playful. Their first meeting was priceless! Right from the start I was so pulled in and was just excited to read their story. They're animosity is fan-freaking-tastic. Flirty, funny, and challenging. I loved Josh and Heather’s building chemistry. I loved it all! It's a true romance building from friendship. Every single thing just had me smiling and rooting for them. I love that the author pulled me in, making me feel everything they were going through. There is such a vulnerability to Josh and Heather’s characters that made them so real and endearing.

While there are lots of entertaining parts throughout, this story is also laced with emotion and it really pulled on my heart strings. I loved Josh and got him and where he was coming from but just wanted to shake him and give him a hug all at once because he was being all manly-noble at times. I liked the hints throughout the story about his past and how everything development.

There are so many little details to this story that come together that make it perfection. I loved Josh's mom. The relationship the Belles have. How we got more of Logan, making me excited for his and Alexis’s story next. I loved Heather's back story and her determination to make it on her own. I loved the story of her working on a wedding and how that worked into her relationship with josh. Every thing together just made for this excellent build so by the end I was laughing, crying, and smiling! It was just wonderful.

Loved the writing. So many details pulling me in. Really likable and interesting characters. Excellent pace and build. I was just so entertained while reading. Seriously excellent read! I absolutely loved every single second of this. Heather and Josh's story was really perfect to me. 5 stars all the way!

Complimentary copy received for honest review.