Steal Me by Lauren Layne Pages: 384
Series: New York's Finest #2
Genres: Romantic Suspense
Also by this author: I Wish You Were Mine, Cuff Me, Hot Asset, I Think I Love You, Hard Sell , Passion on Park Avenue
Goodreads
IN HOT PURSUIT
Being a cop might be in Anthony Moretti's blood, but protecting and serving the city of New York has always been more than just the family business. If that means his love life stays locked up, well then that's just another sacrifice made in the line of duty. That is, until he sets eyes on the gorgeous new waitress at The Darby Diner and suddenly Anthony's morning coffee is leaving him a whole lot more hot and bothered than usual.
Though waitressing at The Darby isn't exactly Maggie Walker's dream job, it pays the bills and gives her time to work on her novel. Now if only she could stop fantasizing about gorgeous Anthony Moretti every time he sits down at her table, she'd really be in great shape. But when he needs her help identifying a criminal threatening The Darby—and Maggie recognizes her ex-husband—she fears her fresh start might be a pipe dream. Faster than a New York minute, Maggie and Anthony find themselves in one perilous pursuit that only gets hotter with each and every rule-breaking kiss.
Steal Me
Lauren Layne
Steal Me by Lauren Layne was a complete surprise for me! I haven’t read any of Lauren’s books before so I wasn’t sure what to expect! Anthony started as a douche canoe (actually, he was such a douche I called him a douche titanic!), but he did redeem himself. This book reminded me a bit of the Stephanie Plum books because of the crazy Italian family but I found the action and suspense better.
Maggie is dealing with the very real issue of alcohol and drug abuse by a loved one. It is very easy for people on the outside to say “Just stop giving them money!”. However, this is your father, brother, etc and its not that easy. I thought that Maggie’s struggle was SO real (as someone who has family members who struggle with addiction, I have been through just about everything Maggie talked about!). Her desire for someone, anyone, to love her is heartbreaking and honest.
Lauren Layne has become one of my automatic 1 click authors! Steal Me was one of those books I stayed up all night to read!
Book Details:
POV: 3rd
Tears: no
Trope: Police, Crazy Ex
Triggers: drug and alcohol abuse by secondary characters
Cliffhanger: No
HEA: View Spoiler »
[bctt tweet=”Steal Me was one of those books I stayed up all night to read!”]
Power Play by Tiffany Snow, The Vixen and the Vet by Katy Regnery, and the SEAL of protection series by Susan Stoker then you will probably like Steal Me!
Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of contemporary romance.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. In 2011, she and her husband moved from Seattle to New York City, where Lauren decided to pursue a full-time writing career. It took six months to get her first book deal (despite ardent assurances to her husband that it would only take three). Since then, Lauren’s gone on to publish ten books, including the bestselling Stiletto series, with several more on the way in 2015.
Lauren currently lives in Chicago with her husband and spoiled Pomeranian. When not writing, you’ll find her at happy hour, running at a doggedly slow pace, or trying to straighten her naturally curly hair.
[bctt tweet=”Lauren Layne has become one of my automatic 1 click authors!”]
Author Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
From Steal Me:
Maggie Walker had become their default waitress at the diner back when their old waitress Helen had retired a couple months ago. And while Anthony missed Helen and her too-strong floral perfume, he had to admit that Maggie was the better to look at.
She had a wholesome, girl-next-door look that appealed to him mightily. Brown hair that was always on the verge of slipping out of its ponytail, wide, compelling green eyes that made you want to unload all your darkest secrets.
Curvy. Hips that were exactly right;, breasts that were even better.
And then there was that smile. It managed to be both shy and friendly, which was handy because he was betting it was very hard for even the most impatient customers to get annoyed at her.
But Anth didn’t buy the doing-my-best routine, and seeing as she was dealing with an entire table of observant cops, he was betting the rest of his family wouldn’t buy it either.
Then Luc leaned forward and gave Maggie an easy grin. “Don’t even worry about it, Mags. Didn’t even notice I was running low!”
Luc’s girlfriend, Ava, smoothly reached up one hand and swatted him on the back of the head, the gesture so graceful, so practiced, that she never once sloshed her coffee. Anthony nearly smiled.
To say that Ava Sims was good for his little brother would be an understatement. The big brother in Anthony would be forever grateful that the gorgeous reporter had helped Luc vanquish his demons. But the big brother in Anth was also grateful that Ava helped keep his younger brother in line. Or at least tried to.
He rolled his eyes as Luc shot a guilty smile at his girlfriend, but even as he slid his mug towards the edge of the table so Maggie wouldn’t have to reach as far.
Then Anth watched in utter dismay as Vincent did the same.
Vincent. The guy who’d practically devoted his life to being perverse, was trying to make life easier for their inept waitress.
Un-fucking-believable.
Anthony was so busy trying to figure out what about the frazzled waitress turned his brothers into a bunch of softies that he didn’t think to move his own mug to be more convenient, and Maggie had to lean all the way in to top off his cup.
It was a feat that their old waitress could have handled readily, but Helen had retired months ago and for reasons that Luc didn’t understand, the rest of the Moretti family had embraced Maggie as Helen’s replacement.
Anthony didn’t realize that his mug had overflowed until scalding coffee dripped onto his thigh.
“Son of a—”
He caught himself before he could finish the expletive, grabbing a large handful of napkins from the silver dispenser and trying to soak up the puddle of coffee on his jeans before it burned his skin.
“Nice, Anth,” Elena said, tossing another bunch of napkins at him. Like this was his fault.
“Oh my God,” Maggie said, her voice horrified. “I’m so sorry, Officer…”
“It’s Captain,” he snapped, his eyes flicking up and meeting hers.
Silence descended over the table until Vincent muttered douchebag around a coughing fit.
But Anthony refused to feel chagrined. The woman had waited on the family every Sunday for weeks; one would think she could get his title right. To say nothing of mastering the art of pouring coffee.
Great review! Thank you for hosting!
Thanks! I really enjoyed the book and am looking forward to reading her other books!