Late last year, I read An Ex for Christmas by Lauren, and I shouted from the rooftops how much I LOVED this book! I vowed to go back through her catalogue and read everything she'd ever put out, her writing style was calling to me that much! Well, that didn't happen, as life got in the way. Long story short, it's now May, and I am finally getting around to reading my second Lauren novel, and I loved it! This time, I really vow to get into her back catalogue.
I have a weakness. When I read my books, I love to read heroines that appear strong on the outside, but on the inside, are vulnerable and need to rely on the Hero for help. So many times, I read a description that sound promising, only to have the heroine whiny, needy, or just plain too kick-ass that she doesn't need her Hero. When I read, this plays a huge factor in my enjoyment of a book. Lauren has nailed this balance with her Lara! Lara is everything I love to see in a female character. She's loyal, her moral compass is pointing in the right direction, and she's outwardly fierce and determined to make a difference in the world. These are many things I strive to be in my own life, so maybe that's why I loved this character so much! So close to obtaining her dream job, but not willing to compromise her morals to get there.
Ian projects for the world to see, a playboy of Wall Street. But what he doesn't let just anyone see, is that he actually feels very deeply, and loves to give back to the community in ways he feels deeply about. His compassion is apparent once you get past the playboy charms, and he will melt your heart! Ian isn't your typical knight in shining armor, but he definitely gets the job done. ;)
When Ian and Lara first meet, the sparks fly. No, I'm not talking about romance, love and forever after sparks. These are more the sparks of friction. They then find themselves on opposite sides of the board room, and the friction just mounts. This makes that moment when the two finally come together all that more sweet!
The storyline was really well written, and I loved that not only was I following a romantic storyline, there was a whole whodunit theme throughout the book. Everyone was a suspect at some point, and I loved the drama of finally finding out who it was!
I definitely loved this book, and cannot wait to read more from Lauren!

Great! I loved it, just like I do all of her books. This is a wonderful start to a new series. I can't wait for the rest of them to get their happy endings. I

5 ‘Guilty of loving Ian’ Stars!
ARC provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I always know where to go when I need a good dose of light romance. Lauren Layne is one of my favorite authors ever so you can imagine my excitement when she announced a new series full of hot suits was coming our way. And the woman surely knows how to start a series with a bang because Hot Asset was a swoonfest. Get ready for Ian and Lara because they will blow your mind!

So, Hot Asset is the first in the 21 Wall Street series and it introduces three hot suits who work in Wall Street and the women who will change their lives forever. First, it’s Ian Bradley’s turn, a hotshot investment broker who is suspected of insider trading. Enter Lara McKenzie, a smart SEC investigator who is decided to make her career in the FBI thanks to this case. But not everything is as easy as it seems, especially with the unexpected chemistry between these two. Will love with or will business win?

I’ve never been anything but 100 percent professional on a case, but I’m dangerously close to letting personal motivations creep in on this one. Not just because it could be my ticket into the FBI, but because I honestly can’t say that my opinions on Ian Bradley are solely work-related.

I love a romance that grips me from the very beginning. I fell in love with Ian Bradley instantly: I love his story and how he has become the man he is nowadays. Yes, he also is a bit of a womanizer but Lara is not having it and she will be the one to change his game forever. And talking about Lara, whan an amazing, smart and strong heroine! A woman who wants more of her career and fights for it. And a woman who is incapable of not falling in love with swoony Ian. Of course, it’s impossible not to love this wonderful couple!

It feels like I’ve waited forever for someone to want me the way he does. And I’ve definitely waited forever for someone to make me feel the way he does.

Why do I love them, you say? The banter, the intelligent conversations, the sexual tension, the emotions and the chemistry. That’s why. Hot Asset has everything I love in a Lauren Layne story, especially when it comes to a great new group of characters. The connection between Lara and Ian made me melt all over the place and I am dying to know more about Matt, Sabrina, Kennedy and Kate. Gah, I love a book with this type of characters and a story that leaves me this happy at the end!

I only know what I want her to be—mine.

Therefore, my rating for Hot Asset is 5 STARS because it was the perfect start to the 21 Wall Street series. I already love this group of characters and I swooned so hard with Ian and Lana’s beautiful love story. I loved how the book is developed and I can’t wait to read the other two novels in the series. Highly recommend reading this one, especially if you are a LL fan or you love light contemporary romances!

Hot Asset will capture your attention from the very first page. The writing is phenomenal and flows beautifully throughout.

Ian Bradley wasn’t always the cocky self-made millionaire. He had a hard life but was determined to reach his dreams. Lara McKenzie was born with determination and dreams. She knows what she wants in life and that’s to follow in her parent’s footsteps. She is paying her dues to reach her ultimate goal, but she needs one break through case to get her there. The supporting characters are introduced and set up nicely for the rest of the series. We are teased with their lives and left yearning for what is next.

Hot Asset is about a forbidden romance that is ultimately inevitable. There are a few twists and turns and moments that left me wondering how the resolution will come. Leave it to Lauren Layne to take us on a ride on Wall Street that leaves you wanting so much more.

When it comes to office romances where the sexual tension between adversaries threatens to ignite your book, nobody does it better than Lauren Layne. I loved Layne's Oxford series and I was stupidly excited when I first came across the new 21 Wall Street series. The office hunks are back!

I friggin' loved Hot Asset. Lauren Layne + office romance + enemies-to-lovers = one hell of a good time! I don't even know where to start. Watching Ian stumble off his womanizing pedestal was fabulous. At first I didn't like his reaction towards Lara when he reduces her to a sex object. I hated that he originally thought he could sweet talk her into giving him information. Once he realizes that Lara is a woman that won't give into his advances, Ian starts to see her for the strong woman that she is. I may have gotten weak in the knees meeting Ian for the first time, but it was when he started to see the true Lara that I started to fall for him. Lara, on the other hand, had me in her corner from the get-go. She's quiet and a bit mousy, but don't let that fool you. Lara is bad-ass and determined to succeed in her dreams of being a FBI agent. She won't let people railroad her and I loved that about her.

I devoured Hot Asset and loved every damn page. There's something about Lauren's writing style that sucks me in from the very first chapter. The sparring and verbal foreplay between her characters is always so much fun to watch. The sexual tension and chemistry between Lara and Ian sparks almost instantly. Yum-tastic! Loved it.

Ian Bradley ( Ok seriously that name is familiar) works hard for the money, he got to be successful through sheer perseverance and hard work. He and his two friends are successful investment bankers at Wolfe. Ian caught the eye of SEC and that's bad new this lady is tenacious, she's also the one who intrigues Ian most.

It built up from the start the tension between them. They have opposing goals and that is the kicker, lose lose situation even Ian escapes the SEC, Lara gets a bad reputation and since this was her route to go to bigger places well sucks.

Ian is a charmer who needs to win Lara over his determination will surely help break that. Maybe he can make her see beyond black and white ways. This forbidden attraction is quite smoking as it goes, it started with those sparks now they are trying to keep away cause of the investigation. Good thing Ian can do the long game.

I enjoyed how Lauren Layne made stocks interesting and appealing this was a fast read for me. The secondary characters were terrific snd added spice to the story, excited for their books. Great start to a new series!

Lauren Layne did not disappoint in introducing us to a whole new world filled with Wall Street (hot) guys in suits. I loved reading Ian and Lara's story and was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't a big climatic "breakup". I also ADORED all the Grease references and lyrics thrown in because I was obsessed with that movie as a kid. The interactions between Matt+Sabrina and Kennedy+Kate just makes you anticipate their stories! I can't wait to read more of this series!

Steamy!!! I am normally not a big reader of romance novels, but I really enjoyed this one. Great character development and of course great sex scenes ;)

My favorite books to read are ones that make me laugh and make me swoon, with a storyline and characters that command my complete attention from start to finish. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that my favorite genre to read is the romantic comedy and one of my favorite rom-com authors is Lauren Layne. Since I discovered her book, Walk of Shame, I became an instant fan, devouring every book of hers I could get my hand on, which leads me to her newest release, Hot Asset, the first book in her 21 Wall Street Series. Four words: hot guys in suits. What’s not to love about that?

From page one, Hot Asset is a tantalizing, exhilarating, tension-filled page-turner, following the story of investment broker, Ian Bradley, and SEC agent, Lara McKenzie, who find themselves on opposite sides of an insider trading investigation. Ian, a hotshot, womanizing Wall Street legend proclaims his innocence while Lara, a rigid, by-the-rules agent with her sights set on the FBI, is determined to prove his guilt. Despite their instant chemistry and the sparks that fly between them, Ian and Lara bicker and butt heads every step of the way. They have a teasing, flirtatious, if somewhat antagonistic banter that’s akin to foreplay ratcheting up the sexual tension between them, driving themselves (and the reader) crazy, making you wish their slow-burning romance would maybe…perhaps…hurry up…just a little bit.

Part high-stakes investigation, part smoking hot romance, Hot Asset is a humorous, seductive, whip-smart enemies-to-lovers romance that’ll keep you on your toes right up until the very end. With complex, thoroughly fleshed out protagonists, a fast-paced, drama-filled narrative, and a romance that’ll have you alternating between blushing a swooning, Hot Asset is a must-read. Add in a supportive cast of tightknit friends that are fiercely, unfailingly loyal as well as intriguing, and I’m even more impatient to see what’s next with the 21 Wall Street Series.

*complimentary copy provided by publisher for an honest review

3.5 Stars!

Hot Asset is the first installment in the 21 Wall Street series.

Ian Bradley is hotshot Wall Street investor. Unfortunately for him, he is being investigated for insider trading.
And who might be the person investigating his case? That’d be our heroine - Lara McKenzie.

Lara takes her job very seriously and doesn’t plan on letting the charming Ian, get in her way of said job.
Ian and Lara have an instant attraction but due to their current situation, they can not act on it. Which leads to page after page of witty banter, sizzling tension and some pretty funny situations.

Though this book wasn’t necessarily unique in some of the elements, it was very entertaining to read. The side characters we also a great addition to the story.

If you enjoy a light romantic read with a twist on a redeemable playboy and independent heroine, I’d give this one a try.

Hot Asset by Lauren Layne is the first book in the 21 Wall Street Series. This is the story of Ian Bradley and Lara McKenzie.
Ian is a very successfully Wall Street investor who has it all it would seem.
Lara is becoming one of the Top White Collar investigators and is looking into if Ian is doing insider trading. There is a instant attraction between the two. But Lara has to do her investigation on him but her growing emotions are something else. Ian thought he had it all but his feelings for Lara are starting to show him there is more to his life he doesn't have.
Enjoyed reading their story.

Once again Lauren Layne is off to a great start with Hot Asset, the first book from her brand new series 21 Wall Street. I love Ms. Layne's writing style because it is polished, evenly paced and fresh. Secondly, the chemistry between the main characters is simmering and their developing feelings are tangible. Lastly, the combination of humor, longing and the New York City landscape is nicely executed. This book may be enjoyed as standalone.

Lara McKenzie is a SEC investigator with the dream of becoming an FBI agent in the very near future. In order to do so, she has to pay her dues by exposing a really big wrongdoing. Along with a letter of recommendation from her boss, her latest assignment has the potential to get her into Quantico. Ian Brady, a womanizer and one of the many darlings of Wall Street, is Lara's newest potential victim. Ian is smart, rich and good-looking, and someone is looking to put him behind bars for a very long time. Although Lara and Ian get off to a shaky start and should be enemies, they cannot stop their attraction to each other.

I enjoyed this slightly predictable office romance. The story is nicely presented, and the camaraderie between Ian and his best friends at the investment firm is complete with quick-witted ribbing and fun. Lara's principles and honesty are truly inspiring, especially since "fake news" is so common. Overall, this is a hot romance with an engaging plot and interesting characters. I am truly looking to the next book in the series.

Complimentary copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

What a spectacular start to a new series! Hot Asset, book #1 in the 21 Wall Street series, has a little bit of everything for your reading enjoyment!

Ian, who came from foster care, has made a name and a fabulous life for himself. Handsome, smart and rich, with an excellent job and amazing friends, Ian has all he needs in life. Or at least he thought he was until a woman he’s trying to make a play for does the unthinkable...she passes on his advances!

Lara is damn good at her job and is working her way up thru the ranks in hopes to make it to the FBI like her parents when she is sent to Wolfe Industry to investigate Ian. This case could make or break her career but what Lara never expects is for her heart to possibly get in the way.

I truly enjoyed every moment of Hot Asset! I loved that Lara didn’t cave to Ian and yet their attraction to each other is insanely hot but they both know a relationship is not something in the cards for either one of them. I enjoyed the banter between Lara and Ian and when you throw in the secondary characters...outstanding! Hot Asset truly had everything I was looking for!

I absolutely LOVED this first book in a new series from Lauren Layne. It was the perfect mixture of sweet and swoon. I cannot wait to read Matt and Sabrina's story and I'm reallllllly hoping for more Kennedy and Kate!!! Love, love, love! :)

I’ve been anticipating the release of the 21 Wall Street series ever since Miss Layne announced it. This author never fails to write swoon-worthy professional heroes as well as take charge heroines- a combination that’s often lacking in contemporary romances, particularly when the hero is a high-powered businessman. In many ways, Hot Asset is just what I expected- strong characters with a good amount of depth, a clever story, a sweet romance, low angst, and plenty of interesting secondary characters that ensure I’ll be make for more.

I liked Lara and Ian quite a bit and really enjoyed the premise of the story. The dialogue was bright and propelled the storyline, including a good amount of banter showcasing the characters’ wit and personalities. Lara and Ian fit together naturally too, despite initially seeming so different, making their romance almost too easy in some ways. And I loved all the secondary characters introduced. Obviously, there is plenty of good things to say about Hot Asset. What was missing from this book was the palpable connection. While there certainly was chemistry between Ian and Lara, it wasn’t quite as compelling as other couples this author has written. They fit, but I didn’t feel the magnetic pull, and it kept me from getting swept away by the romance. I kept wanting that little bit more from the individuals and couple. That said, this author remains an auto-read for me because I love her smooth, polished writing style and consistent delivery of interesting characters, without a lot of undue angst. Hot Asset was a good start to Miss Layne’s newest series, and one I’ll recommend and look forward to reading more from in the future.

4.5 Wall Street Stars

This is my first Lauren Layne book, but it will not be my last! I am so excited about this series and the characters. They have such charm and they are so much fun!

This is the story of Ian Bradley and Lara McKenzie. Can I tell you a little something about Ian Bradley? Yes? Good. That man, oh that man, has my number. He's all suited up and he's all charm and charisma and power and confidence. He's alpha. He's in control.

Until something happens and he isn't in control. But even when he's playing someone else's game, he's still impressive, formidable, and intimidating. He's not a man you want to cross.

Ian has the coolest group of friends I've ever met. They're hilarious. They're supportive. They're everything to him. And watching him with Matt, Kennedy, Sabrina, and Kate? And then Lara? It's what I want my friendships to look like.

Lauren Layne has found herself a new reader. A loyal reader if the rest of her writing is like this. She writes chemistry and tension and lust with just the right amount of flirty fun. I'm ready for Matt and Kennedy!!

❤️❤️❤️❤️ out of 5
Who else likes men in suits?? I definitely do and this book delivered 3 HOT men in suits. I not only enjoyed the MCs in this book but also so keen for the next 2 books in this series as the pairings were set up here and I NEED to know their stories too 😂.
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This story revolves around our heroine, who works for the SEC, and is investigating our hero for insider trading. Our hero is HOT, charming, womanising and a financial guru. The hero has never been interested in more than one night with a woman before yet the more time he spends with the heroine, the more he wants to get to know her. Of course nothing can happen while she is investigating him, but that doesn’t stop either of them from lusting.
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For a more corporate style romance this was different for me- I’ve read romances with the hero on Wall Street but never with the heroine actively investigating them before so I really enjoyed this read for something different. I kinda have this secret love for heroes that come off as arrogant but below the surface have depth of character and this book definitely provided that. The heroine is completely by the book (which I totally relate to) so when the two MCs clash its amazing!

4 Ease and Love Stars
* * * * Spoiler Free - It's Live!!!
There is nothing more fun then a sexy confident man bantering with a woman who oozes strength, a bit of skepticism of said banter from the sexy man and then have the man have the rug pulled out from under him with a twist regarding the woman he is bantering with...

Layne Layne is a master of those types of set ups and in her new book, Hot Asset (21 Wall Street, #1), she has hit the ground running. This is a story centered on finance, insider trading , SEC investigators and what is the truth. We are given very strong main characters and from the start I was all in.

Layne takes us through a "forbidden and complex" romance between Ian Bradley, the Wall Street hotshot and Lara McKenzie, an ambitious white-collar crime SEC investigator. Each are the best in their field. Each must cooperate in order to prove their case... Ian to show he did nothing wrong and Lara to find the evidence of insider trading a tipster has said happen.

But what happens in the process of this investigation is these two people start to see each for who they really are... not the per-conceived assumptions they believed...

Ian is hot, confident and a bit arrogant- hey, he has been dealing with all the Wolfs of Wall Street from a surprisingly young age. He realized he needed to work harder and smarter than the rest...and the women were willing to play with the one and done way of the times. Yes, he could be considered a player... but he was always respectful and kind.

What others have no clue about is the deep feelings he has of doing the right thing for his clients and others. He never came from an easy background... he wasn't one of the Elite Brotherhood.... nope, more rebel....But always ethical and believing in doing the legal actions.

Lisa is known as the most truthful and determined SEC investigator. No matter whatever her reports say, they are clear and backed by evidence impossible to refute. Time and time again, she has found the goods on illegal activities or she has said clearly, nothing has happen. Her word is respected by all parties.

This is woman who has been wanting all her life to be an FBI agent like her parents and this one case has been presented as her step up by her boss. Lara is just as ethical as Ian and wants all of the necessary information from the informer... but her boss told her to just "get the guy".

I was hooked from the start with these people. Each had back stories which gave us understanding of who they were before they met... and we were able to see their growth.

The chemistry worked and the chances they took were integral to the story. Each saw through their own assumptions of who they thought the other was...it allowed them to grow together and be stronger.

One of the highlights of this new series was the introduction to Ian's Bros... the 2 other rebels in the firm. Both have shown their own personalities and possible love interests... so Bring It On Layne... I will be ready.

If you enjoy romances like Julie James’ FBI series (beginning with Something About You) I think you will really enjoy Hot Asset by Lauren Layne. This is a fast-paced romance with two commanding leads.



Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) agent Lara McKenzie has been handed the case of a lifetime–or at least, the case that may finally get her a job at the FBI working with white collar crimes. It’s her dream job after being raised by two FBI agent parents herself and she will do whatever she can to finally make it come true. In this case, it means proving that Ian Bradley, confident Wall Street trader, is guilty of insider trading.

It should be an open and shut case but there are some elements of the case that are niggling at Lara’s mind. She is a methodical and practiced agent, used to closing cases and proving the wrongdoing but with Ian, well that’s easier said than done. Her attraction to him is a big no-no first of all. Second of all, well, things just aren’t adding up. Why won’t her boss share the person who made the claim about insider trading against Ian? The more Lara investigates, the more she realizes she has to put her stereotypes of Ian aside and look at the case, and him, with the facts she has in front of her. And something isn’t adding up.

Ian knows he is innocent. At first, he doesn’t think the case will go anywhere, but the more Lara investigates, the more Ian is starting to realize he has an even bigger problem: he really, really likes Lara. Ian is definitely a stereotypical love ’em and leave ’em Wall Street guy but when it comes to Lara, he cannot get her out of his mind. But do these two have any chance at making their feelings come to life?

Hot Asset jumps with chemistry from the opening pages. Lara wants to write Ian off. Ian wants to jump Lara’s bones and be done with it. They both soon realize that the connection between them will not be that easy to sever. What really drew me into this story was when Lara and Ian started to put their misconceptions aside and get to know each other. Their romance is incredibly engaging and visceral. You feel that “will they won’t they” tug from the very beginning but it turns into something more special as the investigation looms heavier in their minds. Lara, who is used to putting all the clues together to get her right answer, can’t fit these pieces together and she definitely can’t figure out how to deal with her feelings. Lara is ambitious and wants to be part of the FBI. She doesn’t have much time for dating and well, Ian is a bit too intense for her.

Ian didn’t think he would ever be drawn to a woman like Lara: intelligent, hard-working, a bit reticent and starchy, but somehow can handle all his foibles like a pro. He knows he is innocent and he just wants to see the conclusion of this investigation because maybe, they can try dating and see where things go. I liked Ian’s brash personality but he definitely has a softer more vulnerable side which sneaks out in some of his conversations with Lara, and his foster parent, Dave. Makes for a fully fleshed character.

Hot Asset is available now. This is an exciting and satisfying romance. Lauren Layne continues to push all my buttons in the right way!

Wall Street is getting its day on the romance market in Layne’s first book to a new series.

This book was a bit shorter in length then what I typically expect from a Layne romance, but that may be due to the tropes and the challenge of pulling off this story without the hero being unlikeable.

We have rich, attractive, Wall Street investment broker Ian Bradley facing off with an SEC investigator Lara McKenzie. Ian’s the guy who always gets the woman and doesn’t do relationships. Then there’s Lara who’s been so focused on her career she doesn’t do anything but eat, sleep, and work her butt off towards that dream goal of getting into the FBI. It’s a match made for conflict, tension, and so it appears… dual first person POV. Not my favorite point of view, but I’ve enjoyed it before.

What works, Layne’s natural talent for telling about life in the big city. The crisp details, every setting easily transports me. The entire cast is set up seamlessly, including the couples for the remaining two books. The characters and their troubled, yet fabulous lives. We’ve all got skeletons and monsters lurking in corners, but in the meantime, they’re rich and able to spend money out the wazoo. I tend to enjoy escaping into that reality knowing full well I’ll never live it. The conflict, tension built from an informal SEC investigation and an all-consuming attraction, on Ian’s side of things, to the one woman he can’t lay a finger on.

Which leads me to my concerns…

Bradley’s main conflict through the entire story is his attraction to Lara. It’s not only the highlight, but the entire thing. While there is a little subplot of finding out who’s trying to frame him for insider trading, it plays backseat fiddle to him fighting lust and desire for a woman he can’t have. A woman he realizes is dedicated to the fundamentals of truth and justice. Plus, Lara’s no one-night stand woman. She’s they type who wants something real, which is exactly what Ian doesn’t want. The cat and mouse is all right, but carrying most of the story becomes a bit of an issue.

My other problem is that every time Ian says he’s not going to force her to act on her feelings, doesn’t want her to act without knowing he’s innocent, but then dangles his want over her head it reads a bit toxic to me. Additionally, he attempts to break the ground rules she puts in place to keep them both safe in the professional capacity. Not exactly heroic, and something I find myself turned off by more and more. Thankfully, Layne resolves this issue as best she can with the characters and the subject matter, I can’t go into more detail without the dreaded spoilers. In the end, I didn’t love this book as much as I wish I did.

The resolution and some of the turns and twists were things I didn’t expect and others were. The final grand gesture turned out to be nice, sweet, and fitting for the modern, chic world Layne is creating. I can only hope the next book in the series puts Layne back in that sweet, auto-read spot for me.

~ Landra