Good Girl
Lauren Layne     


Genre: New Adult Romance
Series: Love Unexpectedly
Book: 2

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.

Other books in the series:

Lauren Layne is one of my favorite authors. The first book I read of hers was After the Kiss. I was pretty much hooked from that point on. So of course when I saw her new adult romance, Good Girl, pop up on Netgalley, I didn’t waste one second clicking request.

Now Good Girl is the second book in her Love Unexpectedly series, but if you expect to see Parker and/or Ben from the first book, Blurred Lines, you’ll be disappointed. Actually, when I was reading it, I totally forget this book was part of a series. Luckily, that didn’t take away from a great book and a sexy romance.

Jenny Dawson is a famous country singer. And she’s so refreshingly honest and self-deprecating, you can’t help but love her. Her big problem at the beginning of the book? Her burrito baby.

It happens that way sometimes, at least in Hollywood, land of the flat bellies.

See, if your belly isn’t completely flat, if maybe you’ve put on a few pounds courtesy of a penchant for extra guacamole on your Chipotle burrito…

Bam. You’re at the grocery store buying tampons and M&M’s and you glance over, and there you are, all over the rag mags. Pregnant.

Honestly, Jenny is a gem; engaging, funny, pretty. She’s the kind of girl you’d want as a friend. But as down to earth as she is, when she’s falsely accused of having several affairs with married men, she knows it’s time to go into hiding until things blow over. She decides to seek anonymity from the paparazzi and write her next album at a mansion in Louisiana she fondly remembers from her childhood. A mansion that now belongs to our hero Noah Maxwell.

The second Noah sets eyes on Jenny, he knows she’s trouble with a capital T. He immediately pegs her as a beautiful (hot), spoiled, Hollywood diva. When she mistakes his best friend, Vaughn, as the owner of the house, he doesn’t correct her and introduces himself as the “caretaker”. From that point on, things are tense between them. Jenny isn’t stupid. She knows he doesn’t like her. The real problem, of course, is that Noah is far from immune to her despite the fact that he desperately wishes that was the case.

There’s nothing like proximity, sizzling sexual tension and a bit of mutual dislike to get the blood pumping. I love to see my hero and heroine fight the good fight but inevitably lose it (or succumb to it) in the end. And Noah does fight his feelings for Jenny, even as he gets to know her better. Even when he discovers she’s not spoiled, and she’s not the Homewrecker the rags have painted her. But he’s just getting out of a serious relationship and he’s not remotely ready to take up with Jenny. Or so he thinks.

Getting together isn’t easy for two people who live very different kind of lives— especially when one of them is particularly gun shy—and that’s what makes this such a great romance as readers get to watch Jenny and Noah navigate their romantic journey. Oh, and watch out for best friend shenanigans. I expect Noah’s best friends, Vaugh and Finn to be getting their own books—and I can’t wait! I’m thinking maybe one of them will hook up with Jenny’s best friend, Amber. I guess I’m going to have to wait and find out…

- Beverley