Blog Tour ARC Review + Giveaway: Cuff Me by Lauren Layne
New York's Finest #3
by Lauren Layne
Vincent knows he's not the most charming of the Moretti brothers. He prefers brooding to flirting, reading to talking, and he sure as hell isn't about to give into his mother's insistence that he 'settle down with a nice girl.' Luckily, Vincent's gig as one of the NYPD's top homicide detectives keeps him busy. As does his long-time partner, Jill Henley–a tough-as-nails cop with the face of an angel and smart mouth that makes Vincent crazy in all the worst ways.
After six years of working the homicide beat with the tight-lipped Vincent Moretti, Jill figure she knows him better than anyone. Which is not at all. But when their most recent case points to a potential serial-killer situation, the higher-ups send them on a rare undercover mission to a place no NYPD officer dares go: the Upper Eastside.
Now the bureau's most antagonistic set of partners is posing as Mr. and Mrs. Brooks of Park Avenue. Spending 24/7 in the suspect's territory brings them closer and closer to their killer . . . and closer to each other. Soon Vincent and Jill are playing good cop/bad cop in and out of bed, and Jill's falling hard. But can she convince Vincent to give her a shot as partner in life, as well as at the bureau?
Amazon | B & N | Google Play | iTunes | Kobo
4.5 hilarious stars
Reading Cuff Me reminds me how much I miss the Morettis, the big boisterous and over-bearing Italian cop family. After completing this book, I can't decided whether I like Anthony or Vincent more because these two men with their brooding and stuck up persona are my favorites.
Vincent Moretti and Jill Henley are the NYPD homicide detectives and have been partners for six long years. We seen them since the beginning of the series and can't wait to find out what going on with them.
I've seen Vincent around previously, but never actually get to know him. I'm delighted that he also has this quiet, brooding and serious persona. Is hard to crack a smile from him and constantly with a perpetual scowling, very much like Anthony.
Jill is his opposite. This woman is a ray of sunshine, always positive, bubbly and has so much love to offer to the people around her. She basically got adopted into the Moretti family and have a great relationship with Elena and the other Moretti's women.
The story started off with Jill coming back from Florida after three months absence to visit her mother. Vincent is anticipating her return and to have their normal back, the last thing he expect is for her to come back with a big rock on her finger. Surprise much?
Poor Vincent was totally caught off guard and he's not sure what to feel about this big revelation. In his mind, Jill had always been his, I meanprofessionally. Now that Jill has a new man, Vincent find it hard to reconcile the fact that he might lose her one day. Honestly, I think he just want to keep her next to him until she turn into an old maid.
Anyway, I have a lot of respect for Vincent. Yes, he is not happy about the situation, but he didn't try to sabotage her relationship and genuinely wants her to be happy. At the same time we also saw some subtle changes in him. Whether he wants to win her over or make some sweeter memories between them, I'm not sure.
Is so obvious they both have unrequited feelings for each other, is something going for years but they have been hiding behind the friendly facade. It seems like Jill is waiting for a reaction from Vincent and he in turn waiting for Jill to change her mind. When they reached their breaking point, let just say there are words thrown, temper flare and passion ignite.
Theoretically this sounds like something very angsty. But because this is Lauren Layne we are talking about, she manage to make it feels funny to me. Whenever these two start arguing or having a cold war, I just can't stop snickering. Is simply delicious, all these sexual tension simmering.
If I have any complaints, it would be the minor frustration with their constant back and forth. It reminds me of watching Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan repeatedly having 'the moment', only to be interrupted by something and they are back to friends and then it got repeated in every season. Thank God Vincent and Jill only have one book. The below quote kinda sums it up.
"It seems like there's been a lot of times lately that you've wanted to say something, I feel like we keep going in circles of unfinished conversation."
Despite my minor qualm, I still adore this book and Vincent and Jill's relationship. I had such a fun time reading them and the Morettis never fail to entertain me with their shenanigans. I'm gonna miss them for few months while waiting for Elena or Marco's book.
There's something wrong with a man that grins like that at a crime scene."
Detective Vincent Moretti glanced up from where he'd been studying the gunshot wound of the vic and glared at the officer who'd been shadowing him for the past three months.
"I wasn't grinning."
Detective Tyler Dansen never paused in scribbling in the black notebook he carried everywhere. "You were definitely grinning."
Dansen glanced up. "Fine. Maybe not grinning. But I'm one hundred percent sure I saw you smile."
"How about you be one hundred percent sure about who shot this guy instead?" Vincent said irritably.
Dansen returned his attention to his damn notebook, but he didn't look particularly chagrined by Vin's reprimand.
Oh, what Vin wouldn't give to go back to those early days when all he'd had to do was look at Dansen, and the kid practically dropped into a deferential bow.
Three months of spending every workday in each other's company had the newly minted detective acting nearly as impudent as Vincent's actual partner.
Nearly being an important distinction, because Vincent didn't think they made 'em sassier, more stubborn, or more annoying than Detective Jill Henley.
And he would know. They'd been partners for six long years, and their pairing up as partners was proof of God's sense of humor.
Jill Henley was Vincent's opposite in every way.
Jill was chipper, charming, and smiley.
Vincent was... none of those things.
Especially not the last one. Although, if he was being really honest with himself, Dansen may have been right about Vincent cracking a smile earlier.
It's not that Vin was immune to death. There was absolutely nothing humorous about a man lying cold in his own blood and guts, dead from a gunshot wound to the stomach.
But after six years as a homicide DT for the NYPD, one learned to compartmentalize. To let the brain occasionally go somewhere else other than death even as you were staring straight at it.
It was the only way to survive. Otherwise it was nothing but puking and nightmares.
And speaking of puking...
Vincent stood and gave Detective Dansen a once-over.
"If you're gonna barf, do it outside," he said, just to needle the younger man.
Dansen threw his arms up in exasperation. "That was one time. One time! And I hear it happens to everyone on their first day."
"Didn't happen to me."
"That's because you're a machine," Dansen muttered under his breath.
Vincent didn't respond to this. It was nothing he hadn't heard before. Robot. Machine. Automaton.
He just didn't know what people expected him to do about it.
In the movies, there was always some reason for the semi-mechanical, unfeeling action hero.
Either a dead wife, an abusive past, or some other sort of jacked-up emotional history. But Vincent had always sort of figured he'd been born this way. Quiet. Reserved. Broody.
It's not that he didn't feel. Of course he did. He just didn't feel out loud. He wasn't sure that he really knew how to, and wasn't sure he wanted to learn.
Lauren Layne is the USA Today Bestselling author of more than a dozen contemporary romance novels.
Prior to becoming an author, Lauren worked in e-commerce and web-marketing. A year after moving from Seattle to NYC to pursue a writing career, she had a fabulous agent and multiple New York publishing deals.
Lauren currently lives in Manhattan with her husband and plus-sized Pomeranian. When not writing, you'll likely find her running (rarely), reading (sometimes), or at happy hour (often).
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest
Labels: Giveaway, Lauren Layne, Review