Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing -- Loveswept for a copy of this book.

I love Lauren Layne, I really do. And while I don't love her any less after the final book in the Oxford series, I am going on the record to say that I like the Sex, Love and Stiletto series better. They are both set in the same world but the other one had something extra that I felt Oxford didn't. Can't tell you what that is and they are both worth reading. Anyway, this is about I Think I Love You so let's dish.

The final installment of the Oxford series focuses on Brit and Hunter. These two BFF work together and have a connection unlike any they have with other people. After Brit's latest date with a guy, she realizes (with the help of her friends) that guys treat her like a friend. She never feels special with them and it's always insta-friend zone. So she asks Hunter to teach her how to date/seduce men. And if you have ever read a romance novel, you know what comes next. I love the two of them together. They call each other on their BS, talk to the wee hours of the morning and have great sex. They were friends first. Which is great. I just think that I need to take break from the friends to lovers trope for a while. It annoyed me because it seemed to reinforce that men and women can't be friends in romance novels and dang it, I want that to happen more than it does without it developing in to something more or one of them being gay.

One thing that really annoyed me was the constant use of the character's last names. I'm a firm believer that when you mention the character's full name once, you're done. Unless they happen to be introducing themselves to someone, once and done. This felt like 80% of the time a secondary character came in, they were full named. And it got really annoying really quickly. But that's just my pet peeve. I'm weird.

I gave the book a solid 3 out of 5 stars. It's a good book. It's not one I will rave about but I didn't hate it, it was light and sexy and had good characters. Great vacation or Sunday afternoon read.

#netgalley #ithinkiloveyou ( )

Layne has the ability to make me believe in her characters' relationships, despite the relatively short length of her books. I know going into one of her novels that I'll get a satisfying story, full of sweet, sexy, and emotional moments. Even though I could see where the story was going from a mile away, that was okay. Hunter and Brit fit the friends-to-lovers bill perfectly, and they made me both smile and cry. ( )

Temptation is just a stepping stone for author Lauren Layne. She seduces with laughter, her wit is evident in her well written dialogue, yet at the heart of that humor lies impactively moving storytelling. I Think I Love You keeps it light and sexy with a playful friends to lovers romance. Brit and Hunter are continuously turning the tables on each other as what was simple becomes deeply complicated. Can their friendship survive them falling in love? Layne dazzles with this irresistible romance. ( )

I Think I Love You is the final book in the Oxford series, but it reads as a stand alone. I haven't read any of the previous books and didn't have any issue enjoying this one!

Hunter and Brit are best friends. They have been best friends for years. Brit turns to her BFF to get some dating advice. You can guess how this will end up, right. Overall, the story is predictable. Of course they realize they have feelings for each other. Of course Hunter freaks out about it-she's his friend, he is bad at relationships, blah blah blah. Now, I don't mean this as a negative. It was still enjoyable to watch these two fumble their way through their feelings. Plus, the supporting characters are great and add some fun. There were a few times I wanted to throat punch Hunter for being so dense, but overall I thought he and Brit were great characters.

I Think I Love You is a hit for readers who love the friends to lovers trope, great banter (Lauren Layne is the queen of banter), and the perfect balance between light/fun and endearing/romantic.

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: friends to lovers


• Triggers: none


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes with epilogue

authors like Lauren Blakely, Jana Aston, Kristen Proby, Melanie Harlow...then you will probably like I Think I Love You!

 


I Think I Love You





See full review on The Book Disciple ( )

When Brit gets dumped once again, she goes to Hunter, her boss and best friend for advice. The two work together at Oxford in Operations, the last two in a wide series of couples and friends who work with them at the webzine and its sister publication Stiletto. Hunter agrees, reluctantly, to help Brit overcome her dry spell and give her some pointers on how to attract the 'right' man.
I love a good friends-to-lovers story and I Think I Love You is one of the best of these in a contemporary romance. I haven't read the others in the series - this is the last book - and I'll definitely go back and grab them. This can be read as a stand-alone book though a lot of the other characters appear and I found it a little confusing at times as to who they all were.
The banter between Brit and Hunter is great, and they have obviously been good friends for a long time. Their confusion as they start to realize the attraction between them was very real and adds a lot of tension to the story. They're both just nice people who really deserve each other.
It's a very sweet story and a sexy read; the author does a nice job in portraying the sexual attraction. The reference to the Rembrandts' song was very apt as these are people you want as friends. I really enjoyed this book. ( )