I'm still new to the world of Lauren Layne, but everything I've read thus far I've thoroughly enjoyed, so when she announced that she was doing a new series I knew that I'd be keeping an eye out *cough* stalking *cough* for it and I wasn't disappointed. To Have and To Hold was a cute, sweet and sexy book that hooked me from the start and made difficult for me to put down. 
 I loved Seth. Yes, he's a control freak and has a difficult time letting go of anything. Yes, he has an extremely bad case of diarrhea of the mouth when he's upset and tends to spew hurtful things, even when he knows better. And, yes, he does come across as emotionally stunted in certain situations but I still adored the hell out of him. Even with all of that baggage there is a vulnerability to him that, when it comes out, shows just how huge his heart is, he just doesn't know what to do about it, at least not in a fully rational way. I loved that on the outside he appears perfect, but on the inside he was something of a mess. 
 And then there is Brooke, I know that is something of an ominous way to start, but I actually really liked Brooke. I loved that she didn't totally break after what happened with her ex. She may have fled to the other end of the country to escape the fallout, but she didn't break, nor did she become a cynic where love and romance were concerned, she just dialed it down a bit from the full blown fairy tale ending to something a little more realistic. My issue with her is based on some of her reactions, or lack thereof at times, which I know is crazy considering how Seth was, but her's just tended to have me doing the heavy sigh thing and wanting to shake her. What saved her for me was that when she finally calmed down, she did acknowledge that her reaction was over the top. 
 Seth and Brooke's relationship was rocky, but it worked for me. There were times when their baiting of each other had me wondering just how they'd work things out, but considering the baggage they were both dealing with, it made sense. But when they let down their guards you could see how well matched they were for each other and that they could have something incredible if they tried. The one issue I have is that after their big blowout, which I found that I sided with Seth on even though I agree that sometimes knowing things can cause more of a headache than not, I wanted more as they worked their way back to each other. I hate to say that things felt rushed, but that's the only word that my brain keeps using. They both had a lot of issues to work through and I just wished we'd experienced more of it than we did. But I am happy that they did get their HEA. 
 To Have and To Hold was a fun read and what I've come to expect and enjoy from a Lauren Layne book. I really liked the supporting cast of characters, a couple drove me a little batshit crazy, but they were fun and interesting and while I'm looking forward to Heather's book, it's really Alexis's that I really want because I am totally looking forward to seeing just what it takes to get the Ice Queen to melt. 
 ~ ARC received from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~