Review – Good Girl by Lauren Layne @_LaurenLayne @readloveswept

Good Girl by Lauren Layne
Series: Love Unexpectedly #2
Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept
Publication Date: May 17, 2016
Date Read: April 16, 2016
Source: NetGalley
★★★★☆

Lauren Layne brings all the unpredictable heat of her USA Today bestseller Blurred Lines to
an all-new cast of characters! Country music’s favorite good girl is
hiding away from the world—only to find herself bunking with a guy who
makes her want to be a little bad.

Jenny Dawson moved
to Nashville to write music, not get famous. But when her latest record
goes double platinum, Jenny’s suddenly one of the town’s biggest
stars—and the center of a tabloid scandal connecting her with a pop star
she’s barely even met. With paparazzi tracking her every move, Jenny
flees to a remote mansion in Louisiana to write her next album. The only
hiccup is the unexpected presence of a brooding young caretaker named
Noah, whose foul mouth and snap judgments lead to constant bickering—and
serious heat.

Noah really should tell Jenny that he’s Preston
Noah Maxwell Walcott, the owner of the estate where the feisty country
singer has made her spoiled self at home. But the charade gives Noah a
much-needed break from his own troubles, and before long, their verbal
sparring is indistinguishable from foreplay. But as sizzling nights give
way to quiet pillow talk, Noah begins to realize that Jenny’s almost as
complicated as he is. To fit into each other’s lives, they’ll need the
courage to face their problems together—before the outside world catches
up to them.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | BAM! 

I liked this story quite a bit.  This one definitely had some wonderful moments and I really liked Jennie and Noah.   This book had a wonderful balance of the things that I love in a contemporary romance.  There was a thread of humor throughout the story and the banter between the couple was great.  The chemistry between the pair and the overall romance was well done.   This was such a fun read.

Jenny Dawson is a country music star.  She finds her pictures on the cover of every tabloid out there.  When the story being told becomes a bit more vicious, she decides to leave Hollywood and go Louisiana to work on her next album and get away from it all.  She makes plans to go to the home that she went for a music retreat when she was younger despite the fact that it has fallen in disrepair.

Noah owns the home that Jenny has rented out to work on her album.  He is working to get it in a somewhat decent condition before Jenny’s arrival.  When she shows up early and assumes that he is the caretaker, he doesn’t correct her but instead assumes that role.  Noah stays in the caretaker’s cottage during the length of Jenny’s stay working on the house while Jenny works on her music.

I loved these characters!  I was worried that Jenny would turn out to be a diva but she was so down to earth.  She really wasn’t bothered by the condition of the house or much at all.  She really had a tough skin regarding what the media said about her and was able to focus on real relationships.  Noah was more of a mystery for me.  He was really learning about himself during the course of the book and learning to live the life he wants instead of what was expected of him.  The dogs in this story played a really important role and I loved both Dolly and Ranger.

I liked Jenny and Noah as a couple.  I thought that they were perfect for each other even if they didn’t seem to realize it for a long time.  The chemistry between them was great.  There were a few moments that I thought Noah was a bit mean by throwing the things the media was saying about Jenny in her face.  I really wish that she would have stood up for herself a little more with him.  By the end of the story, I was really excited to see them work everything out.

I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance.  This book is listed as the second book in a series but it can be read as a stand alone.  I have read both books in the series and seriously don’t even remember how they might be connected.  Lauren Layne is one of my favorite contemporary romance authors and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I received an advance reader edition of this book from Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept via NetGalley for the purpose of providing an honest review.

About the Author

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, and currently lives in the Seattle-area. 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!

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook