I received an ARC from Bold Strokes Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I think most fans of Brayden will appreciate this. A lot of what she’s known for is here such as the witty banter and the quirky side characters. And while I didn’t dislike this, I also didn’t love it. I think I was more disappointed than anything and that’s on me. I went into this thinking it would be heavier and angstier since Peyton is an ex-con who is trying to reacclimate to life outside of prison. It does have its moments but it mainly just a light and sweet romance.

The third act breakup also irritated me. I know Brayden loves them but I could see this one coming from a mile away. I was really hoping she’d go another way but alas, she did not.

So, while I didn’t love this, I think it may work if you’re looking for a sweet romance that features a lingerie shop and some steamy card writing.

The plot sounds to be something very extra and the book actually lived up to my expectations. I really enjoyed it.

This book was not for me. I appreciate the publishers and netgalley giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

Forgettable but cute. I don't remember much about the plot but the conversation surrounding life after jail were honest and thoughtful.

Unfortunately this one didn’t seem to be for me. I got 19% in and it just didn’t grab me at all. Thanks nonetheless for the ARC.

This was a unique premise and I really enjoyed the characters! I was happy to see a redemption arc, and felt like thee character growth fit seamlessly into the plot points.

4*

I love a good redemption story, especially when it ties together with a friends turn to lovers scenario. I loved how Melissa Brayden portrayed Payton and Juliette in this story. They both weren't perfect, had their own struggles and flaws and with that, they were both perfectly relatable. The way the author paints a picture really puts you in the lingerie and stationery stores and helps you create the perfect mental image. What I also loved is that this was finally a book in which both partners were actually good at communicating their needs, rather than 1 person chasing the other and the relationship turning a bit toxic. All in all, this story to me felt like a very realistic and very current story and I shed some happy tears towards the ending. Very well done and I highly recommend it!

I really wanted to get to this one, as it seemed interesting. This was requested when I first found out about NetGalley and I had requested so many ARCs that I could not get to all of them before they were archived. If I can find this somewhere for a reasonable price, I will try to get it!

I have tried for the last couple of months to read and review Lucky in Lace and honestly I could not tell you a single thing about this story. The story just feels forgettable and not engaging. The characters were not memorable and didn’t seem like they had any chemistry. And then second I put this story down It’s like I would forget everything about it. Even now I’m struggling to recall details.

Generally I love a queer romance but this one didn’t hit for me

Sapphic, forced proximity, friends to lovers. Everything I love in a romance book.

What I liked: redemption arc, true friendship before lovers, easy light read

What I didn't like: the romantic chemistry between the two MC's could have been better

I felt Peyton was a great character and I loved how we found out so much about her character as the story progressed, we got to see how she became the person we were reading about. However this left Juliette feeling a little one dimensional. I did enjoy that they seemed to have genuine friendship that developed into romance. I also continually confused the side characters Cherry and Candy who only have interactions with one MC each and I think we could have benefited from one of them having a name not starting with C.

Overall a quick easy romance.

Melissa Brayden's books always in shine in their portayal of flawed relatable women finding each other and falling in love. This is another one that doesn't dispoint. Great characters and wonderful romance. Highly recommend for lesfic fans.

I was really hoping I'd like this more but I really didn't connect with either main character unfortunately. As a business owner, I was intrigued by both protagonists businesses but not so much with the romance that unfolded between them.

Hopefully the next Brayden novel better suits my tastes.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Bold Strokes Books for a copy of this novel. ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Well I'm a life long Melissa Brayden fan by this point, so I'm always going to recommend her books. I thought this one was lovely, and liked all the characters (especially the side characters, Delores and Candy).

I thought this book in particular could have done without some of the "break up" dramatics because shocker...both characters were actually good at communicating! I also thought that at some points towards the end, the characters started sounding like each other. They started off very much different (introvert vs extrovert) but Juliette went way more out of her shell by the end so even internally she started sounding more like Peyton that I'd get a little confused.

Epilogue was great, so by the time the book ended, I didn't feel cheated at all.

Good one off!

This book felt like it could use just that little bit of something extra, the characters, though well written, just fell a little flat to me and I feel like there should have been just that extra something special to push the book over the edge. I felt the characters lacked emotional depth, which in turn made the story lack the same depth. It wasn't bad, and I can definitely understand why there are followers of Brayden's work, but I just felt like maybe I've been spoiled with some really deep characters lately where these two FMCs fall flat.

Who doesn’t love a cute, queer, opposites attract rom-com? I truly believe we need more queer romcoms like this in our lives! It’s just a fun and enjoyable read without too much anxiety or stress. I truly recommend this! Try it out when you want to fall in love with love.

Low stakes romance with just the right amount of angst and character growth. It was the perfect read to start off my Spring Book Bonanza.

This book also addressed the post incarceration problems many woman face with a judicious amount reality and hopefulness. I appreciated Brayden's inclusion of this topic and didn't just gloss over it.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing an eARC for a honest review.

a tight-laced stationary shop owner + an ex-con lingerie enthusiast getting together may sound like a recipe for disaster, but opposites sure do attract in this rom-com!

This book was adorable! I love the opposites attract trope. Juliette, an introvert who loves organization and following the rules, and Peyton, a reformed con embracing life and all the people in it, couldn’t be more different, but their chemistry was apparent right off the bat. I loved how they made each other better people and how well they communicated. The third act conflict always gives me anxiety but the leading ladies handled it so well and I was relieved that it was resolved quickly. Overall a super cute read! Also gave me a new appreciation for spicy stationary.

Thank you NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for this arc, it was lovely!

Peyton has had a rough life and just got out of prison for robbery. With nowhere to turn she is finally hired in a lingerie shop and soon opens a shop of her own in her hometown. This is a very emotional book where Peyton is trying to start over but she can't let herself do so. She meets Julitte, who has a store next to her and they become friends who are very different. The plot revolves around how differences does not stand in the way of love and how each woman helps each other find themselves. I recommend this book for all romance readers.

Lucky in Lace was a super fun and easy to read romance novel.

The story is told through a dual POV of our two main characters. Juliette Jennings, an introverted and innocent stationary store owner, who's trying to save her dream store from going out of business and Peyton Lane, an ex-convict, who opens Cotton Candy, a sweet and sexy lingerie store in her hometown to try start fresh and repair her relationship with her brother.

This is my first read of the authors works but I had heard she has written many others, and that was immediately obvious from the high quality of the writing. I really enjoyed the way each scene was described and the development of the characters over the course of the novel. The story itself was engaging, fast paced and mostly character driven with plenty of fun romance tropes thrown in the mix.

Overall, Lucky in Lace was such a fun read and I'll definitely be looking into the authors previous and future novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for providing me with a copy of this eARC.