Huge Deal (21 Wall Street, #3)

by Lauren Layne

Even for a top-gun banker, temptation this hot is quite a gamble, in a sexy Wall Street romp from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne.

An alpha among the wolves of Wall Street, Kennedy Dawson rose to the top of the pack by striking the right contracts at the right times. But there’s one deal that’s been giving him a run for his money—a pact to never again let his assistant, Kate, get under his skin. She may be smart, gorgeous, and sharp as a whip, but she’s definitely off-limits.

Kate Henley isn’t a banker, but she knows a thing or two about risk management—specifically, about managing her attraction to her smolderingly sexy boss. She already fell once, and Kennedy showed no sign of paying a return on her investment. So when Kennedy’s brother starts pursuing her, Kate figures she has the best of both worlds. Jack is charming, rich, very attentive, and the spitting image of his older brother.

It’s also making Kennedy think twice. But to win Kate’s heart, he’ll have to broker the deal of a lifetime…and prove he’s worth the risk.

• ISBN10: 1542093341
• ISBN13: 9781542093347
• Publish Date: 23 April 2019 (first published 12 February 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Montlake Romance
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 268
• Language: English

Reviews

[stacey_is_sassy]

That ending…😍😍😍

I’m a romance reader JUST to get that kind of giddy feeling at the end of my reads as I just received. Lauren Layne, you really are a bit of a legend. I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows in this one and every part was so bloody good.

Sitting down, contemplating my review, I had to chuckle that English Royalty meets American Royalty. Kate, represents English royalty, while Kennedy, represents American royalty…or what I would consider American royalty. Which is a little funnier still because of our latest royal match up where America and England UNITES!! Harry and Megan are definitely a modern kind of royal marriage. So off topic but you know how I’m often dragged off topic when it comes to writing review and such…

Anyways…I absolutely LOVED Huge Deal. I’ve been waiting for Kennedy’s story and it was ALWAYS going to be Kate. Sure, he brought a few floozies to the scene (sorry, Claudia wasn't a floozy, but she wasn’t Kate either) but I knew they were just a substitute for what he really wanted.

I really did feel sorry for Claudia, but even though she was “nice” she was also pretty self-serving and a little too image conscious for my liking. The fact that Kate could be so tolerant considering her unrequited love…I mean “past” love for Kennedy, showed she was a better human than I ever could be. I know it’s her job to assist the guys, but really, serving as the girlfriends assistant as well…PUSHING IT!!!

I absolutely loved the slow-burn progression of this one. Normally I don’t but you kind of need it because of the type of people Kennedy and Kate are. They’re so organised, methodical and precise with their thoughts and actions. It was NEVER going to a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am, with these two.

Poor bloody Kennedy, he just hasn’t got it in him to rush his feelings. First off, he must assess, then there’s the testing phase, and finally, he must do everything in his power to be safe in his commitment to those feelings. I couldn’t help but chuckle with every new acknowledgement that his past steps were indicative of his burgeoning love. I knew he was in love with Kate from the first instalment of this series, he just needed to get with the times.

Poor bloody Kate, working everyday with the love of your life is hard work. There’s this little part that needs to impress with your unflappable and hardworking assistance. Then, the façade of indifference when feelings are hurt or overlooked. Finishing off with a hard shell of acceptance that you’re invisible and just always there for their needs. I’m not sure I could do it, to be honest. Kate, she’s a tough little cookie but I think she did herself an injustice by being too good at her job.

Every step took me closer to my happy place…when they finally accepted they were meant to be. There were times I was choked up with emotion but that just made their happy ever after even more perfect when we get there.

I loved seeing Ian and Lara, Matt and Sabrina, and now Kate and Kennedy happy. This has been an amazing series and each instalment has left me thoroughly satisfied. Lauren Layne is a remarkable storyteller and I have loved 21 Wall Street. She manages to mix intelligent characters, an interesting storyline, and enough heat to pack a punch. If you haven't tried a Lauren Layne, I highly suggest you…start at the very beginning…a very good place to start…

****Sorry, it's Saturday Night...Wine Night!! My thoughts are a little messy. Just know that I absolutely LOVED Huge Deal.****

[whisperingchapters]

Lauren Layne does it again! I'm going to be here in a corner crying happy tears 😭 This was perfect! RTC

[Lynn]

Highly anticipated, Huge Deal more than exceeded my expectations as I devoured it in one sitting.

Within a series, there's often a stand-out character who intrigues you more than the others. Cue, Kennedy Dawson. After meeting him previously in Hard Sell and Hot Asset, I knew his story would be something special, and it is.

With Ian and Matt, his friends and fellow work colleagues firmly seated in the 'in a relationship' status, Kennedy is feeling a little envious even though he has a 'nice' girlfriend called Claudia. All is well until he begins to be suspicious of the time his assistant Kate is spending time with Claudia. However, it isn't until his brother Jack turns up expectedly and asks Kate on a date causing a jealous reaction...the catalyst for him to finally admit who he wants to share his life with. Only, he made a pact with his friends to make Kate off limits…

Kate has given up any thoughts of getting any attention from Kennedy apart from acting as his assistant. After a long time, she's fallen out of love with him but still hasn't found 'the one' to move forward with. When Jack Dawson asks her out, she says yes, after all, he's good company, successful and looks like his older brother, only he isn't Kennedy...

'It's complicated' is an apt way to describe Kennedy and Kate and their journey to a happy ending is far from smooth. Kennedy has been totally clueless to the fact Kate loved him once. Kate never understood why Kennedy appeared to be indifferent around her in stark contrast to the warm, friendly relationship she shared with her other bosses. Both she and Kennedy are highly successful, intelligent people but when it comes to communicating matters of the heart, they are a pair of amateurs.

For me, this is in my top three favourite novels written by Ms Layne. It's is classic, with her trademark humorous banter and well thought out and written narrative. My favourite heroes are imperfect, and Kennedy falls into this category. He has an old-school charm which ventures often to clueless, astonishing for someone as accomplished and successful on Wall Street as he is. Kate is pragmatic about life, after finally falling out of love with her 'too blind to see' boss. She's not afraid to take a chance on someone else, however, the same bravado disappears when the opportunity she's dreamed about is there for her to finally take.

What stands out within this novel is the close-knit friendships of which Kennedy and Kate are part of. These close bonds shared between them all add a positive 'je ne sais quoi'. Typically, everyone can see what the protagonists can't and the amusing verbal exchanges shared between them all are perfection. I've enjoyed the previous novels in this series, but this one is head and shoulders above the rest.

[Rowena]

Yep. This is exactly what I wanted for these two. Loved!