Blurred Lines (Love Unexpectedly #1) by Lauren Layne Series: Love Unexpectedly #1
Published by Loveswept on August 25th 2015
Pages: 239
Format: ARC
Genres: New Adult, Romance
Amazon
In a novel that's perfect for fans of Abbi Glines and Jessica Sorensen, USA Today bestselling author Lauren Layne delivers a sexy take on the timeless question: Can a guy and a girl really be “just friends”?
When Parker Blanton meets Ben Olsen during her freshman year of college, the connection is immediate—and platonic. Six years later, they're still best friends, sharing an apartment in Portland's trendy Northwest District as they happily settle into adult life. But when Parker's boyfriend dumps her out of the blue, she starts to wonder about Ben's no-strings-attached approach to dating. The trouble is, even with Ben as her wingman, Parker can't seem to get the hang of casual sex—until she tries it with him.
The arrangement works perfectly . . . at first. The sex is mind-blowing, and their friendship remains as solid as ever, without any of the usual messy romantic entanglements. But when Parker's ex decides he wants her back, Ben is shocked by a fierce stab of possessiveness. And when Ben starts seeing a girl from work, Parker finds herself plagued by unfamiliar jealousy. With their friendship on the rocks for the first time, Parker and Ben face an alarming truth: Maybe they can't go back. And maybe, deep down, they never want to.
Take note: this is how you write a good friends-to-lovers story. While this trope has its appeal, more often than not I can anticipate there will be a healthy dose of the following that will piss me off: immature characters; manufactured drama; lack of communication. Blurred Lines successfully manages to avoid those pitfalls.
The book blurb does a great job of describing the plot so there’s no need for me to summarize it. Is the story a little predictable? Well, it being a friends-to-lovers story, yes, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying so many aspects. The banter between Parker and Ben is fun, and their chemistry is both playful and sexy. I liked how Parker has reasons to cross over the friendship line and gives it some thought before approaching Ben with her suggestion. It’s not a drunken one-night hookup or a lightning bolt all-of-a-sudden-I-think-you’re-so-sexy-when-for-six-years-I’ve-only-thought-of-you-as-my-sibling type of deal. Probably the thing I liked most about the book, however, is the large amount of open communication. Ben is one of the few 24-year-old males who, for the most part, tells the hard truth and leaves himself emotionally vulnerable when a lie or evasion would be much easier. So refreshing!
This is the first book I’ve read by Lauren Layne. Her writing is excellent and I will definitely be reading more of her work.
Blurred Lines is a simply delightful treat from beginning to end.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.**
About Lauren Layne
Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.
Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).
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