USA TODAY BESTSELLER • A game of seduction between two best friends goes deliciously wrong in an irresistible Oxford Novel that brims with wit and sexual tension. Library Journal hails Layne’s work as “exemplary contemporary romance.” Brit Robbins knows that dating in New York City is hard—she just hoped to have it mastered by age thirty. But after yet another promising suitor says they have no … after yet another promising suitor says they have no sparks, Brit decides it’s time to torch her dating game and try a new plan. And who better to coach Brit through the art of seduction than the guy who first gave her the “let’s be friends” card?
Hunter Cross has always figured there’s nothing his best friend Brit can do to surprise him. But Brit’s request is a surprise he doesn’t see coming—and one he’s definitely not prepared for. Hunter and Brit have always been careful to keep things perfectly platonic, but the fake dates and faux flirting are starting to feel like the real deal. And soon Hunter realizes he has taught Brit too well. Not only has she become an expert at seduction, the man becoming thoroughly seduced is him.
Praise for I Think I Love You
“This girl always makes me smile—another must-read by Lauren Layne.”—New York Times bestselling author Sawyer Bennett
“Poignant, sexy, and romantic . . . I Think I Love You will leave readers wanting more.”—Tracy Goodwin, internationally bestselling author of Ice Hot: A New York Nighthawks Novel
“I Think I Love You is a sweet, charming, sexy friends-to-lovers story and a fun return to the Oxford/Stiletto characters. I can always count on Lauren Layne for a five-star read!”—Jessica Lemmon, bestselling author of Rumor Has It
Lauren Layne’s New York Times bestselling Oxford Novel series can be read in any order:
IRRESISTIBLY YOURS
I WISH YOU WERE MINE
SOMEONE LIKE YOU
I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE
I THINK I LOVE YOU
Don’t miss any of Lauren Layne’s hot reads:
The Love Unexpectedly series: BLURRED LINES | GOOD GIRL | LOVE STORY | WALK OF SHAME | AN EX FOR CHRISTMAS
The Sex, Love & Stiletto series: AFTER THE KISS | LOVE THE ONE YOU’RE WITH | JUST ONE NIGHT | THE TROUBLE WITH LOVE
The Redemption series: ISN’T SHE LOVELY | BROKEN | CRUSHED
The I Do, I Don’t series: READY TO RUN | RUNAWAY GROOM
Includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
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I’m going to start this off by saying that this is the first book I’ve read in the Oxford and the Stiletto series. I was afraid that I would be lost on what was going in with it being the last book of a series, however, I was still able to follow the story and fall in love with all the characters. I’m definitely going to go back and start at the beginning so I can read about everyone’s stories.
I Think I Love You is all about Hudson and Britt. They are best friends turned lovers. Britt has a rough time with dating and is constantly “friend-zoned” by any guy she dates, so she asks her BFF Hudson to teach her the art of seduction. I am absolutely in love with the friendship and their chemistry. You get the feeling that they would do anything for each other.
It wasn’t just Hudson and Britt that stole the story but their friendships with everyone else at the Oxford and Stiletto offices (which is why I need to go back and read the others).
This was a beautiful friends to lovers romance story. I couldn’t put it down and was not ready for it to end. Despite not having read the other books in the series it was a perfect ending for everyone. It was beautifully written and I may have shed a tear or two at the end.
This is a book I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys the genre.
*I won this book off of Netgalley for my honest opinion*
This is the first time I have read a Lauren Layne book and it won’t be my last. She sucked me in right away with the characters and their chemistry. I loved the chemistry and history she had created with Hunter and Brit. I am big sucker for friends to more and this one definitely delivered. My heart ached at times and I couldn’t stop smiling at times. It was a wonderful read that I couldn’t put down!
I was sad to see this series end; however, this last installment of The Oxford series is wrapped up beautifully. Brit and Hunter’s relationship is unique. Best friends who will do anything for the other including show the other how to seduce men. Brit can’t seem to get it right and decides it’s her, something is wrong with her. It has to be her because men don’t see her as anything other than a pal. Hunter doesn’t mind helping his bestie out but when he starts to see her in a different light, it may be a little hard to show her how to become a seductress. She may give off pal vibes to men, but he doesn’t mind when he realizes he wants her attention to be on him.
Hunter’s family cracked me up but it’s the relationship this couple has already formed that made their story special. Friends to lovers, told in dual points of view, perfect for a vacation read. I really enjoyed that all the other couples make an appearance and we get to catch up with this family of friends.
love all her books
I like Lauren Layne’s light-hearted writing and she screwed up the Stiletto and Oxford series with I Think I Love You. Bringing the characters from the previous books to add an extra spice to the plot.
This time, it shows the story of the inseparable friends Brit and Hunter. She does not know the reason why she doesn’t get a boyfriend and up asking her friend to help her with the seduction games and interpret the masculine signs of interest.
He finds the idea absurd at first, but when he imagines the risks that his friend can take in launching herself into this male world, he ends up accepting to help her.
But as they get closer, they realize that the heart and body are getting too involved in classes and are beginning to face the dilemmas of wanting to get involved with each other and not being reciprocated.
In a fun and dynamic way, the couple will gradually discover how special they really are for each other.
I liked the way she managed to make me feel every moment of connection and tension between them, I was stuck reading happily and I love to feel a little nostalgia at the epilogue.
Can I give I Think I Love You more than five stars? I’m not kidding. I freaking LOVED this book. Hunter and Brit’s best friends with benefits to more relationship was perfection. The banter. The swoons. The chemistry. The feels. AND THAT EPILOGUE. I’m so sad to see the Stiletto and Oxford series come to an end but damn if this didn’t end it with a bang.
When Brit’s latest boyfriend dumps her with the “let’s just be friends” line she’s heard countless times, she decides to enlist the help of her best friend, Hunter, to teach her the art of seduction. And I was hooked. Like, from page one. I Think I Love You was a one-sitting kind of read for me because, I swear, I’d read half the book before I’d realized it. I literally could not put it down. This isn’t a new trope — and we all know how it’s going to end — but it’s how it got there that was special. And Hunter and Brit’s story was just that. This is one of those books that I totally cheesy grinned my way through. I pretty much dare you to read it without a smile on your face. Even the parts with feels had me smiling through my teary eyes. And yes, I’m an emotional reader so there were definitely some tears.
I loved both Brit and Hunter and I Think I Loved you checked all my bookish boxes. Friends to lovers, friends with benefits, office romance? Check. Amazing characters, tons of chemistry, banter that made me laugh out loud? Check. Swoony romance, super hot sexy times, feels for days? Check. I couldn’t ask for a better book. I could go on and on and on about how much I loved this book, but I’ll spare you. I’ll leave it at this — if you’ve not yet discovered the amazingness of Lauren’s writing, start with Stiletto and work your way to Oxford once you’ve finished. You won’t be sorry.
It’s hard to say goodbye to the Stiletto and Oxford gang, but the epilogue made it a bit easier. Plus, I can always reread, right? And believe me when I say I will. Everything Lauren writes is absolute gold and I Think I Love You is the latest in a long list of books I fell head over heels in love with.
FAVORITE QUOTES
“I’m not all brokenhearted or anything. I’m not even that upset; it’s just… You guys, this is the third time in a few months, and it’s always the same. It’s like I’m sprayed in man-repellant.”
“I don’t need to meet the One. I just want the potential. To make it past date three or four without getting the let’s be friends talk.”
“You said you trust me. Trust me on this. The key to being irresistible? Quit trying so damn hard to be everyone’s best friend. Just be you.”
This was what it meant to ache for a kiss. To want it so badly, a little piece of you would die if you didn’t feel his lips on yours, like she couldn’t survive if Hunter didn’t kiss her…
I’ve only read one other book in the Oxford series but reading the final book has me moving the rest of the series to the top of my TBR.
I love a good friends to lovers story and I feel like everyone has felt like Brit at one time or another. Why am I constantly getting friend-zoned? Why don’t I feel a spark with anyone even though I go on regular enough dates? Good for Brit that her male BFF can give her advice about how to be right? I loved everything about the lessons that Hunter and Brit had. This book had just the right amount of angst that kept me reading until I was bleary eyed and exhausted.
The ending made me want to read all about the Stiletto and Oxford crews as soon as possible! I’m sure once I’ve read the books before this one, I’ll be super sad that this is the end of the Oxford series.
*This is my voluntary review of an advanced reader copy*
Hunter Cross has a very relaxed and easy-going relationship with his best friend. Brit Robbins doesn’t seem to be recognized as the wonderful woman she is. You have to feel sorry for a woman who needs relationship help. But our author also makes the process funny. There are times where you could almost feel the tension that’s developing between these two.
Can friends make it to the next level? I have to say that watching Hunter squirm at times gave me a good chuckle. Brit did feel uncomfortable at times and that can be a little sad – especially when she seems so confident at work. A problem for women is that men don’t come with manuals so we need someone to help us figure out what is going to work and what isn’t until the final goal is reached.
If you’re a lover of office romances than you might enjoy this version. How about friends to lovers? This might fit the bill for you there. How about watching a relationship build from an idea? You’ll have that here. How about a book that can be serious one minute, funny the next, and even frustrating? Yes, you can consider that here especially since it goes all the way from beginning to end. How do you feel about a happy ending? You can definitely check that off the list. This book may be part of a series but it reads as a standalone but may be an incentive to see what the other books are about – especially when the author is nice enough to give you a list.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
4.5 stars- I Think I Love You is the fifth in the Oxford series which features a collection of standalones about the crew at Oxford magazine finding their happily-ever-after. Although fans of this and the Stiletto series will appreciate the multitude of cameos with previous couples, I Think I Love You can easily be read as a standalone.
I’m partial to friends to lovers romances and this title is the perfect example as to why. I loved how the author immediately established the easy comradery between Brit and Hunter- their connection was evident in their thoughts, actions, and especially their dialogued exchanges. This led to a story that brimmed with an undeniable chemistry which felt natural and easy in all the best ways that only comes with people who know each other for years. The general plot wasn’t anything new in the friends to lovers trope, but it never felt tired; rather, the way the romance unfolded was easy and engaging, making for a believable relationship and an entertaining read. I also really enjoyed the characters. I found both Hunter and Brit likable and approachable throughout the book. While they definitely fit with the Oxford cast, they were unique in their own right, ensuring this is a series that simply doesn’t get old or fall into overly predictable patterns. As always, Miss Layne’s writing is polished, but fresh and easy-to read. I found the plot, characters, and writing in I Think I Love You irresistible and blazed though this title. This title is an easy recommendation to any fan of friends to lovers romances.
*eARC received via Netgalley. The author and publisher had no influence over this review*
Friends to lovers? SIGN ME UP!
I love these kinds of stories and this is a fabulous one to add to my collection!
Hunter is fantastic! Not only is he sexy and charming, but he is a really good guy with a great heart. He’s funny, sweet, and sophisticated. And did I mention sexy? Because he’s got sex appeal in spades.
Brit is perfect in this story! She’s got her whole life worked out with the exception of one thing: her love life. She’s smart, beautiful, and successful, but she’s convinced herself there’s something wrong with her.
This story is so fun to read! Hunter and Brit have the perfect friendship and it was fun watching it change as the book went on. The chemistry between the two was off the charts, even if they didn’t always see it. This was a great book and I really enjoyed reading it. I love the men of Oxford!
I Think I Love You is a super cute and fun friends to lovers standalone. It will make you laugh and your heart soar with the chemistry between Brit and Hunter.
I know that there are a million friends to lovers books out there but for some reason it just never gets old for me. Especially when you have an author like Layne who creates her characters so wonderfully that you can’t help but fall in love with them all.
Brit has been living the life in New York City but she’s had a bad run with the dating scene and she’s searching for the one. When her latest guy dumps her, she makes it a mission to find out if the issue is her and she’s determined to see what’s going on. So naturally she asks her BFF Hunter to help her out.
Hunter doesn’t want to help Brit at all. He knows it will cross lines and quite frankly doesn’t think she needs to do this exercise but when he sees she’s going to do it with or without him, he gives in. Now the problem is that he’s figured out he wants her for himself.
I just loved the dynamic between these two. It’s fun and flirty. We also get more of the rest of the gang from the series and it’s always fun when they get together.
Overall I enjoyed I Think I Love You. If you want a sweet and fun friends to lovers romance then you don’t want to miss out on this baby!
Edit
Lauren Layne and her Oxford men are just hot, sexy and in some case clueless when it comes to women. The attraction between Hunter and Brit is sweet, thoughtful yet when it comes to what’s really between them is hot. I loved that Brit is a strong woman yet we see a side of her that just wants to be loved. Hunter has always been there and boy when he helps out he helps in a way he never knew was missing from his life. All in all this was another great story in this series cannot wait to see what comes next in the Oxford series.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Mary Jo –
Another friends-to-lovers romance and done quite well, I might add. Brit has been friends with Hunter for years, but they have never “gone there.” Brit is searching for Mr. Right and all Hunter seems to want is “Ms. Right Now.” Wanting up her A-game, Brit asks Hunter for help and he reluctantly agrees.
I enjoyed this story of seeing how friends move awkwardly to that place where it’s more than friends, but not quite boyfriend/girlfriend but not friends with benefits. Showing how Brit and Hunter navigated that awkward stage is something that Ms. Layne did beautifully and as a reader, I found the transition from friends to lovers written very well.
Lee’Anne –
This is a hilarious, cute, and well-written romance. Brit Robbins wants to land herself a man and she enlists the help of her best friend, Hunter. Hunter isn’t one to be surprised but when Brit requests he help her seduce a man, he’s definitely surprised. He sets out to help Brit in her mission… only once he begins showing her how to seduce other men, he realizes it’s not them he wants her using those powers on.
Best friends to lovers is one of my favorite types of stories and one that I think doesn’t get done enough. This author does a brilliant job – Brit and Hunter are hilarious together, both as friends and as a couple. Their banter back and forth had me in tears – Brit’s experiences with dating are priceless and Hunter having to deal with her, disaster after disaster, was both cute and endearing. This has been my favorite book in the Oxford series to date and I’m very excited to see where the author takes this series next!
Jordan –
When I read my first Lauren Layne book I was instantly in love and couldn’t wait to see what she was up to next. Now as it turned out, I think Layne has slowly earned her way up to the top of my favorite authors list. Layne has easily become one of those authors that I don’t even need to read the description because if the book was written by Layne I know I’ll have no trouble falling in love with the story and characters. Which is exactly what I found myself doing when I read I Think I Love You.
Now, I did things a little out of order because I read I Think I Love You first, which can be read as a standalone, but then I had to go back and start at the beginning of the Oxford series because I immediately wanted to know more about the rest of these incredible men. I think I would’ve enjoyed I Think I Love You much more if I had read the previous books in the Oxford series, but that’s not to say I wasn’t immediately drawn in and hooked to Brit and Hunter’s story.
I really loved how relatable Brit was because honestly, anyone who has tried the NYC dating scene can attest to the struggle and Brit’s character felt like every one of us trying and failing! Honestly, I Think I Love You was a perfectly romantic and charming friends-to-lovers story and Layne did a fantastic job as usual. Honestly, I have yet to read one book by Layne that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy.
If you’ve been enjoying the Oxford men as much as I have, then go ahead and “one-click” this book because Layne will win you over by the end of the first chapter! Now I must immediately find my way into Layne’s Stiletto series, to which Oxford is a spin-off of, because I am DYING to read Emma Sinclair and Alex Cassidy’s story! If you have already been enjoying the Oxford and Stiletto books, then check out the 21 Wall Street series by Lauren Layne next!
5 STARS for Lauren Layne’s I Think I Love You!
Ruthie –
This is the fifth book in the series – and I would definitely recommend that you read them all, and in order. Each one is a rich story in its own right but to get the in jokes, the flirtatious remarks, and the whole environment of Oxford magazine and Stiletto, really start with Irresistibly Yours, you will not regret it. Lauren Layne is an author that I can wholly rely on to deliver good stories full of humour, fabulous people, and deliciously romantic outcomes. I don’t even need to read the blurb to know I will enjoy them. And once again, this book reinforces my faith in her.
I love friends-to-lovers stories because it is a fact that many ignore: the person you click with as a best friend is often the very person that should be in your life all the time. And yet somehow, so many people just close off that romantic element, in the belief that it would ruin the friendship. So when Brit asks Hunter for lessons in seduction, little do either of them realise that they’re undoing the lock to much, much more than just friends.
Loyal readers with enjoy catching up with the rest of the gang and the crazy that somehow surrounds their happy lives – again reinforcing Brit’s feelings of needing a proper relationship. Well, with Hunter engaged as coach, we can just sit back and enjoy the ride as they navigate a complicated mating dance… with each other.
A much anticipated and very satisfying read, thank you.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of I Think I Love You (Oxford #5) by Lauren Layne to read and review.
Friends to lover can be tough to pull off sometimes – it’s hard to strike that balance between showing a couple that were friends, but then suddenly “woke up” to the attraction and frankly, sometimes I just don’t find the transition believable. Layne, however, did a great job of making me believe that Brit and Hunter were best friends and yet suddenly realized what was in front of them all along.
I think Brit struggled with a very relatable dating issue that a fair number of women face – why were men not seeing her as “forever” material? And Hunter knew that she was something special all along, but in the back of his mind, always felt that NYC was just a temporary stop before eventually heading back to his hometown to settle down, one day. Thus enters the fun plot device of the heroine asking the hero to “teach” her to be more attractive to the opposite sex. Queue the jealousy and sudden bloom of attraction. Call me corny, but when it’s pulled of well, as it is here, it’s pure romance gold. There was just enough drama and angst to keep things real and interesting without being “over the top”, which I can honestly appreciate in a summer read. The chemistry between Brit and Hunter was great.
I do seriously love this series and I’ll admit I’m a bit sad that it’s coming to an end. Being that this is an interconnected standalone, I’ll say that you’ll definitely get more out of it having read the previous books, but I don’t think it’s a hard and fast requirement. As always, I’ll be waiting with baited breath to see what Layne comes out with next – she’s one of my one-click authors!
I love a good friends to lovers story and this one is so cute! Brit enlists her friend Hunter to help her learn how to seduce a man and actually be able to get into a relationship with one, not just a couple of dates. Little did Hunter know that by helping her, he would be the one completely knocked off his axis, seduced and thoroughly entranced by his best friend.
Sweet story! Loved Hunter and Brit together in all ways.
I Think I Love You can be read as a stand alone but is the last book in the Oxford Series. I’ve jumped around thru the series and really had no issue following along.
Hunter and Brit are best friends who have never thought about stepping outside their comfort zone. When Brit has had enough of the endless dates that turn into nothing, she turns to Hunter, her best friend, to help her learn how to date and be sexy for men. Until…you guessed it…they start to have feelings for one another.
While the story was somewhat predictable, this was a really cute and fun couple to watch try to navigate their dating lives without letting each other know how they truly felt. Toss in a tiny bit of drama and overall, it was an enjoyable book!
I Think I Love You was a great friends to lovers story and the final book in the Oxford series!
You know what … this story was ridiculously fun! These two friends were fiery fun. They sparked, as friends, as more and then as much more. The gist of the story is Brit is lost in the romance department. She just really doesn’t understand why every single time she tries to date someone, she gets put in the friend box. So she talks her best friend Hunter for advice and pointers. And to do so, they have to actually pretend date. Hunter has no problem with this because he is absolutely sure nothing will develop from it … let the games begin LOL
This is one of the best friends to lovers stories I have read in a while. It was fun and easy and not overly dramatic. It was charming and sexy and full of heart. And best of all, we have our friends from Stilettos & Oxford popping in and out for a visit into the story. *sigh* that made me miss them all the much more! I hope this isn’t the end for these guys/gals. I know the author tells us it is and the Epilogue does kinda solidify that, but I will always hold out hope 🙂
*An ARC of, I Think I Love You, was provided by the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review, no compensation was given.*
One forever friend zoned girl
One serial dater
Two best friends
A group of crazy friends
What happens when you put all those together, a disaster in the making or the perfect HEA?
I Think I love You is an adorable friends to lovers romantic comedy that drew me in from the first page. Brit and Hunter have been best friends for six years, Brit can’t understand why she can’t seem to keep a guy interested past the third date. So she asks her BFF, Hunter, to teach her the art of seduction. Hunter reluctantly agrees to help her and that’s when all the fun begins. I really enjoyed the witty banner between these two characters, and how they navigated, each in their own way, their new found romance. This is the first book I have read in this series and this book definitely makes me want to read the entire series. I whole heartedly recommend this book.
What happens when you turn to your best friend for love advice….things can get a bit complicated especially since he is a man .
Brit and Hunter have always been friends having never crossed the romantic line. When Brit decides that she has had enough of the endless dates that lead to nothing but disappointment she decides that it time to ask for outside help. How to be sexy, start up a relationship and keep it thriving she wants Hunter to help. The lines become blurred and those strange feelings of more than friendship begin to spark! Great Story!!
~~Michele McMullen ~~
Friends to lovers…a topic well explored in many other romance novels but that didn’t deter from enjoyment of this story. Cute dialogs and very satisfying romance and happy ending overall.