Hiya! I hope your day is going great. It’s been a while since I’ve posted a review. So here are my thoughts on Made in Manhattan by Lauren Layne. Enjoy!
(Synopsis from GoodReads)
Violet Townsend has always been a people pleaser. Raised in the privileged world of Upper East Side Manhattan, she always says the right things, wears the right clothes, and never rocks the boat. Violet would do anything for the people closest to her, especially her beloved grandmother. So when she asks Violet to teach the newly-discovered grandson of her friend how to fit in with New York City’s elite, Violet immediately agrees. Her goal? To get Cain Stone ready to take his place as heir to his family company…but to say he’s not exactly an eager student is an understatement. Born and raised in rural Louisiana and now making his own way in New Orleans, Cain Stone is only playing along for the paycheck at the end. He has no use for the grandmother he didn’t know existed and no patience for the uppity Violet’s attempts to turn him into a suit-wearing, museum-attending gentleman.
But somewhere amidst antagonistic dinner parties and tortured tux fittings, Cain and Violet come to a begrudging understanding—and the uptight Violet realizes she’s not the only one doing the teaching. As she and Cain begin to find mutual respect for one another (and maybe even something more), Violet learns that blindly following society’s rules doesn’t lead to happiness…and that sometimes the best things in life come from the most unexpected places.
Made in Manhattan is the perfect read for die-hard city girls, and I loved every bit of it!
Now, I’m not going to lie. When I first picked up this book, I thought it’d be boring. Luckily, I was very surprised!
The main character Violet was kind and likable. Violet’s growth throughout the book was very refreshing to see! I loved how it was evident that she was learning from her mistakes, and recognizing things she needed to work on. One underlying message I loved is that it goes to show that developing as a person is possible without changing your physical appearance. The other main character Cain was interesting too. At first, I didn’t love his cold demeanour. But as the story progressed, my assumptions were quickly proven wrong. He was such an understanding person towards the end. It was definitely great to see his personality develop as well. Violet’s friends and family were also such great supporting characters!
Unfortunately, I didn’t always love the dialogue. Sometimes, Violet tried too hard to come up with a comeback or insult. It came off as cringy most times. Other interactions were genuinely funny though, which helped to balance out the cringe I felt.
On a great note, the writing really hooked me! It was elegant yet hilarious. Made in Manhattan is also very fast-paced, which I adored. Because of its pace, I finished the book in 24 hours! The author also provided awesome insight into New York and Manhattan. It really added to the city-vibe of the story.
I really enjoyed this fun and swoon-worthy read! It’s the perfect book to read when you just want to relax and not think too much. Overall, I highly recommend Made in Manhattan!
Age Rating: 16 and up
Trigger Warnings: Death of parents (off-page)
Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars, or 9/10
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Have you read this book? If so, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Have a wonderful day, and thank you for reading!
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