Best Laid Plans (Lucky in Love) Paperback – February 25, 2019

Blakely is the absolute QUEEN of contemporary-cool! She knows exactly how to brew a modern day romance (usually off-the-charts fuego) with some of the best humour.It all blends seamlessly to deliver can’t-put-down reads. This series starter is no different. And I now intend to go snort the next instalment like a rabid coke addict!

I’m an unrepentant, loud-and-proud Lauren Blakely fan. Immersed in any of her books is a happy place for me. She’s a slam dunk for me because she consistently gives me what I’m hoping for when I reach for a romantic comedy or a contemporary romance. Just when I think she can’t top her last book, she comes out with the next one, and it steals my heart in a whole different way. Lauren Blakely always gives me what I want to read, and she does it with a writing style that is an addictive and creative blend of warmth, wit and romance. The kinds of stories that make me smile and swoon and that leave me happy when I’m done.The friends-to-lovers trope is a top favorite of mine, near and dear to my heart, and Blakely put a fun spin on it here with a good-girl who wants to be naughty and her fireman best friend who she enlists to help her learn how. Arden and Gabe had a solid foundation of friendship to build on, and it was the comfort of this relationship that gave Arden the guts to approach Gabe with her plan. She had no idea that Gabe was harboring more than just friendly feelings for her, and in approaching him with her request, she gave him the opening he’d been hoping for. These two knew each other well, and their comfortable and easy-going relationship made for some witty, finish-each-other’s-sentences, back-and-forth bantering. Gabe’s Greek God good looks and charming personality didn’t escape Arden’s notice, but she had him pegged all wrong with some of the assumptions she’d made about him, and I enjoyed the heck out of him dispelling them.Blakely has a fantastic sense of humor that she uses liberally in her storytelling, and it was plentiful in this book. I pretty much perma-grinned my way through most of this story largely because of Arden’s utterly pragmatic approach to her proposal. The things she want to try and learn, and the specific ways she proposed that they tackle them, really showed the reader exactly why she needed these lusty lessons in first place. Sweet and oh-so-sexually-naïve Arden just never factored romance—or even attraction—into this scenario because she was totally oblivious to the possibility that sexy, ladies-man Gabe could be interested in her.One of the things I love most about Blakely’s novels is how richly she develops her heroes and the special insight into her male leads she gives her readers. Gabe’s inner dialogue was five-alarm-fire hot during his titillating torture sessions with Arden, and it was there that readers got a glimpse at his vulnerable side, too, when his thoughts moved to the what he really wanted with her. He also had an endearing side, something he showed repeatedly not only with Arden, but also in his relationships with his family and in his natural calling to help others. While Blakely doesn’t hesitate to put obstacles in her characters’ paths to happily-ever-after, she doesn’t draw it out with painful or angst-fueled plot devices to do it. Her stories have the right amount of conflict—just enough to keep things interesting—before she brings her characters to the other side of it together. Honestly, one of the reasons I read is to escape real-life, real-world drama, so I find Lauren’s approach in that aspect of her plots a much needed and very refreshing change of pace.Flirty, fiery and a whole lot of fun, Best Laid Plans was a feel-good story about what happens when friendship is set on fire. Arden and Gabe’s love story was full of heart, humor and heat, and I simply didn’t want to put it down. Five smooches from me for Lauren Blakely’s Best Laid Plans!

Lord, I want a Gabe in my life too!!!!I love Lauren Blakely so much that I just order her books as soon as I find out about them!! I've never been disappointed! Best Laid Plans is no exception, this book was such a joy to read!!!This story introduces us to Arden and Gabe. Arden owns her own book store and has a unique talent of matching the perfect wine with each book she sells. It's actually amazing to read how she does it. Gabe is a firefighter who was once a professional baseball player. An injury ended that career, so he decided to go after his second choice, fireman.Now, the story starts with Arden setting up the perfect picnic for her boyfriend, Dave, in the park. Unfortunately, the picnic turns into him dumping her because she's too "vanilla" for him. She's the nice girl who's so sweet, and vanilla, in his words. After Dave leaves, Arden has a melt down and throws picnic foods all over the park. A piece of cheese ends up slapping Gabe square in the middle of his chest while he's jogging on the park trail. This starts their wonderful friendship.Now, for the entire time that Gabe has lived in town, he has been attracted to Arden. But she was in a relationship so he left her alone. Now, this friendship seems like the perfect vehicle for him to get to know her and make his move into dating her. Things are going great and they're getting closer, so he decides he's going to ask her out on a date during one of their bowling outings. That plan gets crushed when Arden comes up with her plan to ask Gabe to help her learn how to be naughty. She wants to "act" out naughty fantasies with Gabe, but with their clothes on!! Kind of like actors do in movies. Well, this doesn't actually fall into Gabe's plans but he figures he can use these lessons to get closer to her and let her know how he feels. This is where the fun begins!!!!I LOVED this book!! I absolutely LOVED Gabe and how he treated Arden, his parents, his pops, and his friends!! He is just a great guy! Trustworthy, kind, loving, and someone you want in your life. Arden is the perfect heroin! She's a good person, kind, loves life, knows what she wants, and speaks her mind. They are PERFECT together!!! It just takes them a little longer to see it then all their friends around them!!Speaking of which, the secondary characters are awesome!!! Loved Arden's friends Perri and Vanessa!! They were the perfect friends to balance each other. We also get to revisit Finley from Unzipped! Love revisiting dear characters from other books! Gabe's friends are great too. He works with Shaw and later, Derek. LOVED his pops and their visits were amazing to read. His parents were wonderful as well. The Bawdy Women's book club was such a refreshing group of 60 something women!! I'd love to be in their book club!!This book was amazing and fun to read! Everything you'd want from a rom-com! I highly recommend it to everyone!!Can't wait for Perri and Derek's story!!!!

Expert writing skills at their best. Loaded with innuendo and humor, pure fun and a joyful humanity. The tension is a delight throughout the story arc. I never give five stars, but I'd give 4.5 to this tale if Amazon allowed it. Skillfully written and edited.HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Gabe and Arden become best friends by accident. Gabe realised pretty quickly that he was in love with her but she was too scared to take a chance until she knew deep down inside that he was her one and only. Such a fun, romantic and beautiful story. Looking forward to reading the next in this story series.

I loved this book from the first page to the last page I was hooked the chemistry between Gabe and Arden is off the chart, love the banter between them both how they first met is hilarious but will have you swooning and rooting for them both, best friends to lover can it really happen read it to find out.

Really enjoyed reading this story loved the characters can't wait to read the next book which I'm sure will be fantastic.

Another great story from Lauren

Always a page turner...