Review: I Wish You Were Mine by Lauren Layne

Title: I Wish You Were Mine | Series: Oxford #2 | Author: Lauren Layne | Publisher: Loveswept | Publication date: February 2nd, 2016 | Num. Pages: 284 | Genre: Contemporary Romance

★★★★

4 stars - A humourous installment in a great series with a lovely second chance  type romance

Synopsis

Perfect for fans of Alice Clayton and Emma Chase, Lauren Layne’s Oxford series heats up in this story of forbidden desire as a brooding jock hoping for a comeback falls for a woman who’s strictly off-limits.

A year ago, Jackson Burke was married to the love of his life and playing quarterback for the Texas Redhawks. Now he’s retired, courtesy of the car accident that ruined his career—and single, after a nasty scandal torpedoed his marriage. Just as he’s starting to get used to his new life as a health and fitness columnist for Oxford magazine, his unpredictable ex shows up on his doorstep in Manhattan. Jackson should be thrilled. But he can’t stop thinking about the one person who’s always been there for him, the one girl he could never have: her younger sister.

Mollie Carrington can’t say no to Madison. After all, her older sister practically raised her. So when Madison begs for help in winning her ex-husband back, Mollie’s just glad she got over her own crush on Jackson ages ago—or so she thought. Because as Mollie reconnects with Jackson, she quickly forgets all her reasons to stay loyal to her sister. Tempted by Jackson’s mellow drawl and cowboy good looks, Mollie is sick and tired of coming in second place. But she can’t win if she doesn’t play the game.

Review

I can say with great happiness that it is good to be back with the Oxford men, I've had I Wish You Were Mine for a few months but I've been holding back because I wanted to blitz through this and the third book that's out later this year but alas - plans change. 

It took me all of about 2 and a half hours to read this book and man what a book. 

It starts off in the past - which is clearly signposted - with Mollie Carrington at a party and realising that she has fallen in love with Jackson Burke - no big right? - wrong! The party she's at? It's the wedding of Jackson Burke to Madison Carrington, Mollie’s older sister.

All kinds of warning bells started firing there. 

Skip to present day and Jackson Burke - once star quarterback of the Superbowl and current fitness editor of Oxford magazine - is sitting in his office feeling totally sorry for himself.  This is a recurring theme throughout the book until about 60% or so but, contrary to what you may or may not be thinking, it doesn't get old. 

Bit of back story: Jackson Burke was the star quarterback for a Superbowl team, married to Madison Carrington, until he was in a car accident which cut his football career short which was shortly followed by his marriage. 

Now as much as I like Jackson as a character and Mollie as a character; together they're almost explosive. 

My biggest issue with this book was Madison Burke - the woman is foul. She made up rumours, forced her younger sister to present divorce papers to Jackson while he was still recovering from the accident and is an all around selfish cow. I don't generally hate characters but Madison was a high contender for top spot. Suffice it to say that she doesn't make me like her at all throughout the book as all she does is manipulate and care about herself.

Regardless of this character I really enjoyed the book and the way it was written. I really like how Lauren Layne writes and her characters are amazing; the Oxford boys and the Stiletto girls are among the top characters for me. 

I really liked Mollie and her scientific mind and all her quirks. I think Mollie and Jackson go together well and the dynamic between them is great; the storyline was not unique but it was given a unique twist to it with the characters and their respective partners and the all around humour throughout the book.

I can't wait until the next one but to tide me over I've got To Have and To Hold by Lauren Layne and I was incredibly lucky to receive an ARC of For Better or Worse by Lauren Layne. Reviews for those will be up as soon as I've read them.