This novella completely swept me off my feet. LJ Shen flipped her usual dynamic on its head, giving me a hero who is not a jerk, but is pure devotion wrapped in a doctor coat, and a heroine who’s all heart, humor, and hard‑won resilience. Layla and Grant’s story was tender, sexy, fun, and hit every one of my favorite romance buttons.
It starts with a pink dress in a Valentine’s day wedding, Layla objecting to the marriage based on her past trauma from the groom, and a wild chase out of the hotel. Then meeting up with Grant, her friends with benefits of almost a decade. From that wild, pink‑drenched wedding objection to the soft, steady unraveling of Layla’s trauma, the book balances chaos and healing so beautifully. Grant is the kind of hero who makes you believe in safe love — patient, protective, quietly pining for almost a decade — and Layla’s journey toward trusting him (and herself). It was so lovely to read their story! Their chemistry was off the charts, the surprise pregnancy just what Grant needed to get his chance with Layla.
I loved seeing old friends Maddie and Chase (The Devil Wears Black) as an established couple, with one little boy and another one in the way. Maddy continues to be the best bestie, and Chase continues to be the jerk we all love and who loves his wife madly. It was perfection!
Even as a novella, it felt complete, rich, and emotionally full. I turned the last page grinning like an idiot, wishing only that Jessica had gotten the karmic smackdown she deserved. Otherwise, this was everything I adore about LJ Shen: messy beginnings, deep wounds, big feelings, subtle humor, and a couple who earns their joy. I loved it.
Purchase links
eBook: https://amzn.to/4qVjeqT
Audio (narrated by Erin Mallon and Christian Fox, in dual-narration style): https://amzn.to/3NUy8Pt
**Please note there is no paperback due to its length.
About the author
L.J. Shen is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Washington Post, and #1 Amazon bestselling author of contemporary, new adult, and young adult romance. Her books have been sold in twenty different countries, and she hopes to visit all of them.
She lives in Florida with her husband, three rowdy sons, and rowdier pets and enjoys good wine, bad reality TV shows, and reading to her heart’s content.
Connect with her on her website at www.authorljshen.com or on Instagram (@authorljshen), or join her Facebook group at http://goo.gl/QZJ0NC.
Sign up for her newsletter at https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb, and text SHEN to 313131 to get new release alerts (United States only).
