Violet Townsend knows that she is a stereotype of a certain kind of Manhattan woman. She is well dressed, knowledgeable about fine dining and art, skilled in conversation, and polite to a fault. She is educated, insightful, and okay with living a safe life. Losing her parents when she was young, Violet went to live with her grandmother. And when she lost her grandmother during the year in college when she also got dumped by her long-term boyfriend, Violet decided to play it safe with her heart.
When Violet’s grandmother died, her best friend Edith Rhodes stepped in to be the family that Violet was missing. Violet even worked as her assistant, helping her out when she needs it. So it was Violet that Edith turned to when she needed a big fever.
Edith took over as CEO of Rhodes International when her husband had died, and now she’s ready to retire. She wants to keep the company in the family, but her only son Adam died from his partying lifestyle. But Edith recently found out that Adam fathered a child back when he was in college. And this is where Violet comes in. Edith is bringing her long-lost grandson to Manhattan, to see if he could be a suitable CEO to follow her. And she wants Violet to teach him the ways of the Upper East Side—get him the right clothes, teach him about the restaurants and museums, and smooth out any rough edges that would make him stand out as an outsider.
Violet is always quick to help Edith and she’s proud of how she fits in with New York society, so she’s willing to do her best to mold this man into someone who could fit in to their world. But when she meets the man herself, Cain Stone, she has some second thoughts. His look is a little rough, which Violet knows she can fix, but his attitude is incredibly resistant. It makes sense that Cain would resent the grandmother he never knew swooping into his life, flying him to New York, and than insisting on a makeover before making him CEO of an international corporation. He had to give up his entire life in Louisiana to be there. And while Violet understands that it must have been difficult for him to have his life upended like that, she reminds him that it comes with a great deal of wealth and prestige.
As Violet does her best to transform Cain into a Manhattan businessman, he can’t stop himself from pointing out that she seems quick to go along with whatever anyone wants from her. It’s something Violet has started noticing herself, that she spent so much time being polite that she hasn’t made the time for things that make her genuinely happy. She’s not even sure what that is anymore. But the time she spends with Cain and his unflappable self-assurance, and the barbs he sends her way, help her start to find her voice.
As the days go by, with shopping trips and real estate brokers and a day in Central Park, Violet finds her walls coming down. Cain, as it turns out, is smart, kind, astute, and extremely good looking. Their conversations turn from antagonistic to flirtatious, the chemistry between them building until Violet’s friends start to ask her about it. But they both need to figure out what they want for their futures before they can figure out if they could ever be together.
Made in Manhattan is Lauren Layne’s tribute to My Fair Lady, a twist on the classic story of two people from different classes finding a way to meet in the middle. This version of the story is smart, steamy, and lots of fun. I am a big fan of Layne’s novels set in New York’s upper crust—she has a way of bringing these characters to life while keeping them likeable, but her stories still have substance and her characters have sass.
I raced through Made in Manhattan, like a hot knife going through that magical garlic butter that Violet liked so much. I love the characters (Alvin especially), I thought the story was perfect, and I would recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance.
Egalleys for Made in Manhattan were provided by Gallery Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.
