Blurred Lines by Lauren Layne
Loveswept
Contemporary Romance / New Adult
Published August 25, 2015
Source: Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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Why I picked up this book:
I love Lauren Layne's books. I had to jump on this one when it came up on Netgalley!
Blurb:
In a novel that’s perfect for fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase, 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.
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.
My Thoughts:
So I decided to try something new. I vlogged my review of Blurred Lines. This was my first time vlogging, and I've already made a laundry list of things to fix for next time including making the video shorter (by having a clearer plan), giving myself more space to make cuts so they aren't so awkward, and using a better tool for converting into a proper media file. So... you know. Watch it at your own risk?
If you prefer the old-fashioned format, I've got a few quick paragraphs for you here:
If you like contemporary romance, you are going to want this book. Blurred Lines focuses on the relationship between best friends, Parker and Ben. They've been practically connected at the hip for years, except that there are no 'benefits' between these two, despite what everyone else seems to think!
Parker's been involved with Lance for the last five years, and when she's suddenly single... Well, as the blurb suggests, things change between Parker and Ben in some pretty significant ways.
I loved that there was no gloss on the relationship between Ben and Parker. They're roommates and best friends, and yes, they have lots of inside things that make their relationship work smoothly, but there's no pretending that they're perfect roommates. There's friction, but, like reasonable adults, these two have figured out which battles to pick and how to live together comfortably *despite* the bad habits that drive each other nuts.
There's something so authentic about this book, the story was believable. There's no flights of fancy or fairy tale twists. I cried, I laughed, and I cheered. There are so many great moments, and I never felt short-changed. There's no rushing through those important scenes, the pacing is spot on.
Bottom line:
Blurred Lines lived up to my expectations. Layne's definitely on my author auto-buy/request list, and I think if you like New Adult or contemporary romance books, you should definitely check her out!
5 stars
For fans of friends-to-lovers romance, honest romance, modern romance
But don't just take my word for it! I grabbed a few links to other blog reviews of Blurred Lines:
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