Book Title: Love in the City
Author: Jen Morris
Series: Love In The City, Book 1
Rating: 5⭐
Release Date: October 7th, 2020
Synopsis: Alexis has just been dumped and in a drunken rage, has made all kinds of decisions about her life. Decisions that take her away from her New Zealand hometown and to New York City. Where she has to navigate this new life she’s thrust herself into without an anchor. But she finds her people and she finds a grump who sweeps her off her feet. But she went there to find herself, not find love. So what does Alexis do?
Review: Jen Morris’ debut is a love story that will warm your heart. But it is also a love letter to New York City. If you’ve followed Jen on Instagram, you know just how much she loves New York and has travelled there a few times because of said love. And this book captures all of that and wraps you up like a warm blanket. At the heart of it, Love In The City is about a young woman making a change in her life and going after something she wants. About following your dreams and taking control of your own life, falling in love, letting your imagination run wild and doing things that you’ve only ever really thought about doing. It’s a fantastic debut and has been jonesing for the next book already!
The book opens with absolute chaos. And it will make you laugh so hard, you should probably not be drinking or eating anything during this time. Alexis’ life has seen a drastic change and she’s made some even more drastic decisions in that time and good god, it’s just so entertaining. It’s also painful, because her parents are the least bit supportive. But Alexis’ monologue truly just makes for the most entertaining first few chapters. Not only has Alexis been dumped by a loser of a boyfriend, she quit her job, booked a one way ticket to New York and let the whole world hear about it through Facebook. So naturally everyone is concerned that she’s just having a moment, but she got drunk and she made decisions and Alexis has decided she’s sticking with them. Then she gets to New York and you’d think that all of her troubles would be behind her. Wrong! New York serves up a whole other series of problems that just make Alexis question everything.
“Because you’re optimistic. You have a way of seeing the world that makes me want to be more positive. But what you’re saying about love. There’s nothing crazy about believing in love.”
Alex is such a great character. There’s so much about her that reminds me of myself, which made reading her story that much more exciting. She’s got dreams of being a writer, she loves romance novels and she wants nothing more than to be surrounded by books. Her inner monologues are also so damn hilarious. I love that whenever she’s around Michael (we’ll get to him in a minute), her brain short circuits and all she can think about is pinning him to a wall and having her way with him. She’s feisty, curvy, funny, sarcastic and so damn witty. Alex is the kind of character we all wish we were in the real world.
“Because my twenties didn’t just teach me to take my writing seriously, they also taught me to stop believing in fairy tales. I know better than to go looking for happily ever after now, especially with someone so far out of my league.”
We also meet a whole host of characters through this book and they’re so wonderful. While they’re all supporting characters, their parts are so much bigger and so incredible. Every single one of them is important in the story. From Cat to Geoff to Mel to Agnes. But most of all, Michael and his son.
Right, so Michael. Lumbersexual, grump and a single father. He’s got the trifecta of awesomeness, let’s be honest. Their first meeting isn’t so great (they don’t even know each other’s names), their second meeting goes a little less great, but then Alex starts peeling away the layers that make Michael the way he is and good god, once those layers start coming off…brace yourself. Michael Hawkins is a writer and he’s a sexy, bearded man wrapped in temptation. Alex is very clearly drawn to Michael and her desires are so damn honest, you can’t help but laugh at how her brain works. I mean…she writes a romance novel inspired by her thoughts every time they cross paths. Well, it’s not a romance novel yet. But her imagination is one crazy place to be and we all want to be there.
“I want—I need you to give me everything. I want you to wreck me.”
The chemistry between Alex and Michael? If I was reading a physical book, the pages would be on fire. The slow burn is so delicious and filled with sexual tension that every time they’re alone together, you want them to just throw caution to the wind and take each other. Wouldn’t that just be grand? But they’ve made a deal and it’s all dependent on Alex’s job prospects, so Michael is being a gentleman. Or at least, he’s trying. While Alex is barely holding it together. But then all control is gone and I have just four words for you: cabin in the woods. Every kiss and every touch was just so hot. Good god. And the sex. *fans self* Alex and Michael have all the chemistry filled moments – they’re cute, they’re sugary sweet, they’re innocent and then they’re just so damn hot. The steam levels are kinda wild and I loved every minute of it.
You will feel so much when you’re reading Love In The City. Jen Morris has weaved a great story that combines the city of New York and new love, making you fall in love with both the city and the couple at the same time. It’s such a wonderful read, with such a great message.
Thanks to Jen Morris for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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