One of my favorite romantic comedies is You’ve Got Mail with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The movie has everything I want: big city vibes but with cozy neighborhood feels, book stores, and letters. It was an obviously choice for me to request To Sir, With Love by Lauren Layne when I found that it was pitched as Love Is Blind meets YGM. I hit the request button before reading the entire synopsis. Thank you, thank you, thank you to Gallery Books for granting my request.
I was so happy to be approved for this novel.
Gracie is an optimist and a romantic and finds beauty in the hustle and bustle of NYC but she has been unlucky in love. She has been chatting with Sir, who she met on a blind dating app, but through a weird turn of events he’s actually NOT looking to meet anyone on this MysteryMate dating app. However, while he’s not looking for love, they still find themselves drawn to each other and keep up conversation.
Sebastian is the business man who owns the lease to Gracie’s building and is insistent on buying out the remainder of her lease so that he can build a high rise. He’s originally invested in retaining her property for himself, but as they get to know each other and have more personal interactions he becomes more and more intrigued by the owner than by just the building. But can he catch her interest while she’s lovesick over Sir?
My concerns about this novel is that it was pitched for fans of You’ve Got Mail, and as much as I love that movie/story, I didn’t want to read a carbon copy. This book felt a little too close for comfort in this first half. Additionally, I didn’t love that most of the letters between Lady and Sir were instigated by Lady. It made her seem slightly desperate, and having some addressed by him first would have made the flirtation more even. That being said, I really enjoyed it and was happy to fall into this love story.
I think this would have been a 3.5 star book but the end really had me engaged so I rounded up. If you’re looking for a NYC romance do yourselves a favor and get your hands on To Sir, With Love. It’s published on June 29th, 2021!
