Love Story
A New Adult Romance
🔥 Steamy
When Lucy’s family gives her the keys to the family station wagon to start her new life in San Francisco, she’s thrilled until she learns of her traveling companion: the childhood sweetheart who broke her heart.
Love Story
Lucy & Reece
🔥 Steamy
Trope: Roadtrip Romance, Second-Chance, Childhood Sweethearts
“As many readers know, I am a sucker for second-chance romances, but enemies-to-lovers doesn’t always work for me. This combination of the two absolutely did and I think will satisfy any readers looking for a quick escape and a satisfying ending.”—All About Romance
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USA TODAY Bestseller
When Lucy Hawkins receives a job offer in San Francisco, she can’t wait to spread her wings and leave her small Virginia hometown behind. Her close-knit family supports her as best they can, by handing over the keys to a station wagon that’s seen better days. The catch? The cross-country trip comes with a traveling companion: her older brother’s best friend, aka the guy who took Lucy’s virginity hours before breaking her heart.
After spending the past four years and every last dime caring for his sick father, Reece Sullivan will do just about anything to break free of the painful memories—even if it means a two-week road trip with the one girl who’s ever made it past his carefully guarded exterior. But after long days of bickering in the car turn into steamy nights in secluded motel rooms, Reece learns that, when it comes to Lucy, their story is far from over. And this time, they just might have a shot at a happy ending.
about the story
if you're wondering...
Is this book for me?
This is New Adult! The characters are barely out of college and act much younger than my other books.
This is written in first person with dual POV.
I've always wanted to write a roadtrip romance, and it did not disappoint. Add in a little Napa at the end? This was a joy to write.
But this is not one of my most popular books! So if you find yourself scratching your head over the popular books maybe this one's for you!
🔥 This book is very steamy with explicit sex scenes.
These two have a lot of pain, and a lot of that comes out in the first part of the book. So this one's a touch more angsty than some of my others.
I TRY TO BE AS UPFRONT AS POSSIBLE ABOUT EACH OF MY BOOKS. EVERYONE HAS UNIQUE PREFERENCES!
reviews & praise
USA TODAY Bestseller
“As many readers know, I am a sucker for second-chance romances, but enemies-to-lovers doesn’t always work for me. This combination of the two absolutely did and I think will satisfy any readers looking for a quick escape and a satisfying ending.”—All About Romance
“[I’ve] always admired [Lauren Layne’s] style of writing. This one is beautifully written and well executed.”—TDC Book Reviews
“I would recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance. This is a quick and incredibly satisfying story that was a lot of fun to read.”—Carole’s Random Life in Books
“I love [Layne’s] writing style and her characters always make me laugh and feel real. Love Story is another great standalone book in her Love Unexpectedly series!”—Read-Love-Blog
“ Love Story is on the younger, lighter side of contemporary romance, and it is perfect if you need a little shot of sexy without a lot of angst.”—Janet Reads!
“I thoroughly enjoyed Lucy and Reece’s journey—literally and figuratively. If any two people were meant to be together, these two are.”—Smitten by Books
“WARNING: This book will cause unexpected outbursts of laughter and massive amounts of swooning. Prepare your family and friends—you’re about to become obsessed with Reece and Lucy!” —Cassie Mae, author of Pillowtalk
“Love Story is a road trip gone wrong in all the right ways. I fell in love with Lucy and Reece during their journey, and Lauren Layne had me feeling all the right things throughout. Great read!” —A.M. Madden, USA Today bestselling author of Dark Corners
“A trip where the journey becomes the destination. Another smash hit!” — New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Melanie Moreland
“Road trip romance! Two star-crossed lovers trapped in a car with sparks flying all over the place. Love Story is another fantastic read by Lauren Layne. What a treat! From the sexy banter to the sweet, heart-tugging moments, Lauren steams up the pages with characters that you fall in love with.” —Jamie K. Schmidt, USA Today bestselling author of the Club Inferno Series
“Definitely a must-read! Looking forward to the next book in the series.”—The Romance Reviews (five stars)
“Love Story is far more than the relationship between Reece and Lucy; it is also the journey of the individual characters into a place in their lives where they are able to trust themselves in order to open themselves up to a fulfilling relationship.” —Book Angel Booktopia
“As with all of [Lauren] Layne’s books, no matter what series I’m reading, she creates a romance with heart.” —Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews
“Love Story was an enjoyable, quick read that I easily devoured. . . . If you adore road trips and hate-to-love stories, then there’s a good chance you’ll likeLove Story too!” —Star-Crossed Book Blog
“Love Story was emotive, engaging, angsty, humorous, and little steamy.”—Books and Bindings
“As much fun as I had devouring the book, I was sad when it ended. Just did not want to say goodbye to Lucy and Reece. Yet another phenomenal book, Lauren!”—Crystal Blogs Books
“I highly recommend picking this one up. It brought a huge smile to my face the entire time I was reading.”—Jack of All Trades, Master of None Book Reviews
Excerpt
I start to roll my eyes and turn toward the window, but he snags one long finger under my chin, pulling my face around to his.
“Deny it.” he says, his voice low. “Deny that the outfit wasn’t for me. That you’re having a hard time remembering your boyfriend’s name when I’m around.”
“That’s crap,” I snap. “I haven’t thought about you like that in years. I hate you.”
He smiles as his finger strokes along my jawline. “Yeah. Yeah you do. But you want me.”
