This book was just so lovely I was hooked instantly. The characters have so much heart and depth, I was rooting for them from the very start as the enemies to lovers trope was pitched perfectly. Becky and Drew are worlds apart but that's why it works so beautifully, mixed with great friendships. I can't wait for the next books in this series. If you like a realistic, slow burn romance this is great.

3.5⭐
Genre ~ rom com
Series ~ Brits in Manhattan #1
Setting ~ New York City, London
Publication date ~ August 21, 2023
Page Count ~ 260 (25 chapters)
Audio length ~ 7 hours 34 minutes
Narrators ~ Jessica Preddy, Nathan Adams Stark
POV ~ dual~ish 1st
Featuring ~ lawyer, pastry chef, grump/sunshine, opposites attract, slow burn, friends to lovers, no steamage, triggers I have in a spoiler on my gr review

Drew & Becky's meet cute was cute. Shove that in your bagel and eat it!

He is a lawyer that is on the fast track to making partner and all he does is work work work, have one night stands and he doesn't do relationships.

She hightailed it outta London rather quickly and we don't learn why for quite a bit into the book. A sunshine character who is not looking for love but wants to see everything NYC has to offer, so Drew becomes her tour guide to all the popular sites. They develop a friendship and eventually feelings they can't deny.

The majority of the chapters are from Drew. We only get a few from Becky's past that slowly reveal why she had to run ~ (view spoiler on my gr). I really wish we had more of her present POV.

I was really mad at both him and her at one point. Although, her reasoning for keeping her secrets was fine to keep from most people, I did not like that she wasn't honest with Drew because he was really hurt by what he learned and I can totally see why. (view spoiler on my gr)

Overall, I enjoyed this one. That 3rd act bumped me down to 3.5, but the rest of the book was fun, so that's why I rounded up.

Book notes:
Originally published in 2017 as Balancing the Scales. I am unsure if any changes were made.

"The Law of Attraction" by Laura Carter is a delightful and fast paced romance that revolves around Drew Harrington, a high-powered Manhattan attorney with a reputation for being a heartbreaker, and Becky Fletcher, a warm-hearted British patisserie chef seeking solace in a new city. Drew's impending promotion hinges on showcasing his softer side, prompting an unexpected encounter with Becky at a bagel cart. The collision of their contrasting personalities sets the stage for a captivating story that combines humor and heartwarming moments. Carter crafts an engaging narrative, offering readers a quick yet thoroughly enjoyable read. The novel features laugh-out-loud instances and intriguing scenes that keep the pages turning. As Drew and Becky navigate their differences, readers are treated to a romance that's as entertaining as it is touching. "The Law of Attraction" is a must-read for those craving a charming love story that's bound to resonate with many.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

The Law of Attraction is Laura Carter’s opposites-attract romance set in New York City. It’s told in dual POV, with most chapters told from the male POV.

Drew Harrington is a 34-year-old hotshot attorney in Manhattan, working on being a named partner at his firm. He’s a legal shark that works long hours and thrives on routine. He admits to having sex as a means of releasing testosterone as an alternative to exercise and refers to the women he sleeps with as “lays”. He loves his family in Staten Island, but rarely sees them because of his ambition. Drew has a few friends that he's close to, and he values his secretary, Sarah.

One morning Drew meets a beautiful British blonde at his favorite before-court bagel stand but he is rude to her. Becky Fletcher is a patisserie chef who arrived in New York City nine months earlier. She is working at Drew’s close friend Edmond’s swanky restaurant, but she dreams of owning her own shop someday. She left behind a nightmarish past and is trying to start over in America, hoping to make new friends. She’s not interested in romance.

The Law of Attraction is an unusual romance because most of the chapters are told from Drew’s POV. This works well because Drew doesn’t seem like quite as much of a jerk when the reader hears his thoughts, versus just seeing his actions from others’ POV. Becky is more of a mystery character, and the reader doesn’t learn her backstory until nearly the end of the book.

Overall I enjoyed The Law of Attraction but it really should contain some trigger warnings. The cartoonish cover and description make it seem as if the story is a rom-com. I wasn’t expecting Becky’s tragic past to be described in such detail. The next book in the series is Two to Tango, which is Brooks’ story.

I received an advance review copy (ARC) from NetGalley and Boldwood Books for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I really enjoyed this book! The characters were wonderful and I really liked the fact that most of the story is told from Drew’s POV (but the clips from Becky’s POV are great too). This is a great story of friends to lovers and major self discovery from both main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the chance to read this ARC.

This book was so good! It was short and by short I don't mean rushed, I mean it could have gone on another 100 pages for me! Drew is a hot shot attorney in Manhattan who is all career and trying to make partner. Becky is British and a chef looking for a new start for her life (which has not been easy). The meet cute was perfect! Drew is a man of no relationships other than his guys, his family and his trusty assistant (who is also amazing!!!). The way their story unfolds is yummy and addicting! I had received this as a Net Galley ARC and will be buying a copy for my bookshelves. There is a second book coming out soon and I will be chomping at the bit to read this. This is the first book in the Brits take Manhattan series. This is definitely a must read!

Overall a cute romance story for two who were not expecting or wanting a relationship at that time in their life. Lots of self discovery for both main characters. What you will find here:
- Not wanting a romantic relationship
- Friends to lovers
- Past Physical / verbal / emotional abuse
- Self Discovery
- Cake!!
I was surprised and uncomfortable with level of detail of Becky's past first romantic encounter as the age was under 19. I understand its a key part to Beck's past, I just think that level of detail was not needed to get the point across.
Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Who would have thought that a bagel queue
Would introduce these so different two?
A hot shot lawyer who lives in a cut throat world
And a British Patisserie Chef - how absurd!

However, the recipe proves to be oh so sweet
In fact, reading it is a real treat.
There's misunderstandings and secrets, too,
Will they thwart the romance between these two?

A fresh start in a new city is British Becky's dream
Running from her past, always positive it'll seem.
Drew Harrington, however, seems her antithesis in this
He's arrogant and focussed, to be a law partner he can't miss.

Can Becky help Drew to find his sweeter side
And so help him gain his dream promotion and more beside?
Can Drew help Becky by being a friend to her, too?
Neither are looking for romance so friendship'll have to do!

However, there are secrets and surprises for these two,
As love has a way of finding its own way through.
But what happened in the past isn't over and done
Will it come between them or just add to the romance and fun?

A great read that kept me smiling, most of the way through,
Though there are also some moving scenes when you wonder what they'll do.
How both characters grow is portrayed so very well
Making it a great read, as I hope you can now tell!

For my complementary copy of this book, I say thank you,
I enjoyed reading it and this is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Laura Carter and Boldwood Books for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

This was my second book by Laura Carter. I was also given another book by this author as an ARC coming out at a later date.

I was SO EXCITED for this one! My husband and I are on a Suits (Netflix) binge, and after reading the description of a hotshot Manhattan lawyer... bagel carts... and the grumpy/sunshine vibes I couldn't hit "request" fast enough!

Read if you love:
- Grumpy/Sunshine
- Opposites Attract
- Meet Cute (Bagel cart scene)
- Mental Health topics
- Closed Door Spice
- Friends to Lovers

This one gave the premise of a lighter rom-com. The cartoon cover, combines with the hilarious description led me to believe so. However, I will say that I was a little taken aback at how heavy this one wound up being.

I am not sure if it was solely because it was an ARC - but I didn't see a trigger warning anywhere.

Topics of:
- Pregnancy Loss (Highly triggered myself - deeply graphic scenes)
- Mental/Physical abuse
- Eating Disorder

I found myself in a not so great place after reading some of this content. Had I known ahead of time I would have steered clear of this one. I had troubles with the other book I read from this author as well. I will not be giving her a try again.

I’m going to start off by saying in the beginning of this book the MMC was a dick. The Author also uses single quotation marks instead of double when they’re talking which I found somewhat strange but this did not affect the way I rated. It made me believe them talking was just thoughts or quotes especially when the characters talk about actors and movies so this confused me. Anyway, the book almost entirely focus on the MMC POV, and the FMC POV was typically flashbacks of her past. It’s mainly focused on Drew which is a little strange, but all and all the book has a lot of potential. This book is probably for others but I just didn’t find it too fitting for me :).

This was my first book from this author, and I'm very excited to read the rest of the series. I thought it was great that most of the chapters were from the MMC's POV, which is not something that I come by often, but I'm very happy when I do - as I think it is a fun way to switch it up a bit. The book had me addicted from the start, and I could not put it down. The charcters were great, and it is a light but fun read. I definitely recommend this and would love to read more from this author.

This was a pretty decent read for me. It is told from Drew's perspective mainly and I found it to be very refreshing. Becky only has a few chapters in her POV. It did have an abrupt resolution but I did like the gradual buildup between these two characters!

so much potential!

usually books are only interesting in their last 50% but this one was the opposite. the tension was great, I was rooting for them UNTIL they broke the tension in the most anti climactic way possible. no valid explanation as to why now and there, felt totally uncalled for, early and random.

other thing that ended up bugging me is the male pov, I thought we'd get more insight and understanding on/about Becky but she almost felt like a side character because of Drew being the prime focus. Becky has 3 povs, maybe 4, out of 25 chapters, and 3 of them are flashbacks. we get so much backstory on Drew we meet his family we see him at work 24/7 and hear about his goals and fears constantly, while Becky just happens to pop up now and then. the series is literally called Brits and Manhattan yet the book was entirely about an American guy. and I get that this is the author's choice, to make the book entirely male pov, but it caused the reader to detach from Becky imo.

also, how absolutely CLUELESS does that man have to be to not guess how traumatic her past relationship was?? she dropped a thousand hints with her "I don't want anyone to control me" and "I wasn't allowed to go out" like DUDE how is it a surprise???

finally, I really didn't like the weight shaming he and his bros do on their buddy, which was not addressed and pointed out as problematic in any way : "When are you going to get your lazy ass into my gym?" > a comment made by bff 1 to bff 2 as their 2 other bffs listen and joke along. I didn't expect that after "nutrition" was included in the trigger warnings (Drew's own unhealthy obsession with food is also not addressed).

anyway that was a lot of words to say that there was a lot of potential and it fell short of it

("as my member bounces around my loose fitting lounge bottoms, semi-hard from whatever dream I was just enjoying." >>>> is the point of this sentence to disgust anyone of men for like ever??? I'm scarred and traumatized)

[posted on goodreads}

The Law of Attraction is a fabulous and different rom-com that I found myself really enjoying.

Ok, this is one of those books that bookworms will love or hate. I love it, but some readers might have a problem with its structure. Most of the story is told from the hero’s POV, creating a different reading experience. We are only in Becky’s head through a couple of flashback chapters. I loved the fact that Laura decided to do something different. Usually, the hero is the mysterious character in a romance book, and romance readers often try to guess what is happening in his head and what happened in his past. This time we have no idea who Becky really is. We get small glimpses of her past, but nothing big is revealed until the end. I loved how this created this different reading experience and enjoyed being in Drew’s head. I think some readers might not enjoy spending the entire book with Drew because he’s that typical bachelor guy, and his world reflects it. He is a guy’s guy. I didn’t mind it, but I think that is because I work and hang out with a lot of guys. So, I am used to their sense of humour, way of thinking and acting. But I realize that diving into that world can be jarring for some.

Drew’s character has plenty of growth. I love that he didn’t have to give up his career goal to get his happy ending. Laura does an excellent job showing readers that finding that balance between work and personal life is key to a happy life. Something I completely agree with. I also adored Drew’s relationship with his family; it was great seeing this softer and more embarrassed side of him. It made him more human and relatable. I also loved Becky’s character. I enjoyed the fact that she was this mystery to me. I wanted to know more about this bubbly chef.

I love a good grumpy sunshine romance, and this book did a fabulous job incorporating that trope into the story. I adored the meet-cute between Drew and Becky. I loved that her actions bewitched Drew, and he couldn’t get her out of his head. Drew and Becky are wonderful together. The chemistry is there right from the between, and I ate up every cute and spicey moment between these two.

The Law of Attraction is a fun and unique rom-com.

Thank you, Rachel Random Resources and Boldwood Books, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

The story is told from Drew's point of view. As well as a few chapters about Becky.

It was a funny romance, easy to read. At the end, you will want to start baking.

I recommend this book.

This is a great poolside read. I always love books set in NYC. Fun to watch the main characters evolve and change. It’s a recommendation from me.

I found the storyline interesting, but the MC's point of view is hard to read. I hated him from the start and he didn't grow on me during the story.

Thank you so much to Boldwood Books and netgalley for providing me with an earc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 4.5 ⭐

It's been a couple of days since I finished this book and I've honestly not been able to stop thinking about it since. I adored it!

I went into this book expecting a sweet and chill rom com and it ended up being that and a lot deeper than I was prepared for. I do feel like some trigger warnings were necessary to know in advance.

Drew is such a sweetheart and I was not expecting it. From the synopsis you think he's just your typical player manw*ore but no. He's simply a man who had to work hard for everything he has and he's focused on his career. He deeply cares about his family and he'd do anything for them. He wants to be named partner at the law firm he works at and that's his only goal, he thinks a relationship would only distract him from that.

And then along comes Becky aka Blondie aka cupcake aka "I DON'T BAKE CUPCAKES". She's a British patisserie chef who ran away from London to escape her past (and someone who got what they deserved at the end of the book). Becky is most definitely not interested in a relationship either thanks to her past and she just wants to start over in New York and live her life. And figure out who she is.

But now... When they meet by accident at a bagel truck that's when everything starts. After a while Drew finds himself not being able to stop thinking about her and has to confront himself with the thought that maybe a relationship wouldn't be so bad. And Becky still has unfinished businesses in London...

Seeing them bicker and slowly getting to know each other was everything. I do wish Becky would've just been able to talk to him more. To open up. That's my reservation about this book. I feel like Drew was giving his everything from day 1, even when he was oblivious to his feelings, but she was just keeping herself closed off.
Either way their open conversation at the end to resolve the issue was 🤌.

And I loved all the other characters as well. Especially Brooks and I'm so happy the second book is about him, I cannot wait to read it because he made me so curious!!

If you think you want to read this book please bear in mind these trigger warnings:
- pregnancy loss
- mention of mental and physical ab*se
- ed (mention of having to hit the gym after eating a piece of cake)

I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun, light and quick read. It did take me slightly off guard with the darker twist towards the end. I really liked Drew and Becky as characters and the will they/won’t they romance kept me guessing until the last minute.

🌺 Opposites Attract
🌺 Closed door romance
🌺 Friends to lovers

I enjoyed this book. The pace is fast, the characters are entertaining. The MC acts as an asshole in the first few chapters but he eventually grows on you and become a rounded character. The push and pull of the romance is portrayed well, though the MC develops feelings pretty quicky (insta-love?) The bagel cart scene has my heart 😤💖

I loved how the story is mostly from the Male's perspective which is unique for most rom-coms. We do get a few chapters of FMC and her past. The FMC's past and trauma is far more nuanced for a rom-com that I would have expected (TW: abuse, miscarriage, & grooming)

The humour was very good and I enjoyed FMC'S sarcasm. Overall, I found this an absorbing and fast read in spite of some darker moments, it's a light, and entertaining novel.

Thank you @netgalley @lauracarterauthor for the ARC <3