DGR Fave Review: Someone Like You by @_LaurenLayne

SOMEONE LIKE YOU
Series: Oxford #3
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Author: Lauren Layne
Release Date: December 6, 2016

Lauren Layne’s bestselling Oxford Series continues with the poignant, heartwarming story of New York’s most eligible bachelor, Lincoln Mathis, a man who’s living a lie—until his dream woman takes away the pain.

Lincoln Mathis doesn’t hide his reputation as Manhattan’s ultimate playboy. In fact, he cultivates it. But behind every flirtatious smile, each provocative quip, there’s a secret that Lincoln’s hiding from even his closest friends—a tragedy from his past that holds his heart quietly captive. Lincoln knows what he wants: someone like Daisy Sinclair, the sassy, off-limits bridesmaid he can’t take his eyes off at his best friend’s wedding. He also knows that she’s everything he can never have.

After a devastating divorce, Daisy doesn’t need anyone to warn her off the charming best man at her sister’s wedding. One look at the breathtakingly hot Lincoln Mathis and she knows that he’s exactly the type of man she should avoid. But when Daisy stumbles upon Lincoln’s secret, she realizes there’s more to the charming playboy than meets the eye. And suddenly Daisy and Lincoln find their lives helplessly entwined in a journey that will either heal their damaged souls . . . or destroy them forever.

AMAZON | iBOOKS

If I did it, Wallflower, if I felt that way again, it would be about someone like you.”

If you’re anything like me, then you’ve been both eagerly anticipating and dreading Lincoln’s book. Anticipating it because you love those irreverent playboys, and dreading because you’re afraid that you’ve been building up your expectations in anticipation. Lincoln’s story was the one I’ve been waiting for since Irresistibly Yours. It’s been a long, painful wait. But after finishing this book in one sitting, I can tell you that it was every single minute, hour, day, and month of the wait. It didn’t meet my expectation. Heck no! It blew them away. Lincoln Mathis took everything I had thought I knew about him and took me on a rollercoaster of emotion. I laughed, I cried, I freaking swooned! I adored everything about this story. EVERYTHING.

And tell me, Daisy Sinclair,” he said, “why is it that you’ve been dubbed off-limits?”
She batten her eyelashes, looking every bit the Southern belle she sounded like. “Isn’t it obvious? Divorced, damaged, and ever so fragile. You? Why is it that you’re to be avoided?”
He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice.“Consummate playboy, intriguingly unattainable, with just a dash of dangerous secrets.”

If there’s one thing I can tell you is to go into this book ABSOLUTELY BLIND. You don’t want to know the smallest detail. Trust me on this. You’ll appreciate the emotional punch that much more. What I can tell you is that you’re expecting for this to be the typical playboy meets the right girl and changes his way sort of story, you couldn’t be more wrong.

Lincoln couldn’t explain how he knew it, but he and Daisy Sinclair got each other. Their respective walls had been acknowledged, a silent agreement passed that neither would try to scale the other’s.

Daisy is Emma’s (from THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE) twin sister. Coming off of a bitter divorce has left her a little cracked, but not broken. This was a woman with so much internal strength and it just took her a bit to get it all backed. Daisy was such a powerhouse of a heroine…in a perfectly understated way. She was exactly what Lincoln needed. She was patient, kind, understanding and never pushed beyond what she knew the boundaries were. She has her own past demons that she’s trying to recover from, and it just made her that much more endearing.

As for Lincoln? Man oh man, I never thought it’d be possible for me to love him even more than I already did. Still waters certainly run deep with this man and he’s so much more that what first meets the eye.

We’re all a little cracked, honey.”
“You ever wonder?”
“Wonder what?”
“What will fill your cracks? How to get better.”
“All the damn time.”

What you see is not at all what you get with him and soon the pieces begin to click together towards the heartrending secret that he keeps. My heart went through a ringer with him. It’s impossible not to fall for him, not to feel his pain, not to want to soothe and heal him. In between the easy friendship that Lincoln and Daisy instantly develop, there was such a deep emotion interspersed with a hidden craving. God. GOD but I loved these two together.

…I have nothing to give back, Daisy. Oh, I’d give you pleasure. We’d give each other that. But I’d take absolutely everything- I’d fucking consume you. You’d want something in return, and I’d have nothing. I’m hollow inside, and you deserve so much more.”

Someone Like You was an incredibly powerful, poignant and emotional romance. It was a story of second chances and healing. It was a stunning story of finding your strength again and moving on. It’s a story of courage and love. It was absolute perfection and reminded me all over again why I first fell in love with Lauren Layne’s writing. The woman can make you feel, laugh, and love all in 228 wonderful pages. If you’ve enjoyed the rest of the Stiletto and Oxford series and you’ve been anticipating Lincoln’s story as much as I have, this is a must read. But have a box of tissues ready, because you won’t come out of it unscathed. Be ready to shed some tears and swoon over the perfect imperfection that is Lincoln Mathis.

THE OXFORD SERIES

IRRESISTIBLY YOURS | I WISH YOU WERE MINE | SOMONE LIKE YOU

PRE-ORDER- Releasing June 13, 2017
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE