Mr. Mayfair

So before I review Mr. Mayfair, I’ll admit it, I am a Louise Bay fan girl. I got to meet her this summer at Book Bonanza and I was a blubbering messy. I connect with her writing in a way that I don’t with many other authors. This means that when I opened my Kindle last week and found an copy of her latest book, Mr. Mayfair, I dropped everything and read. And I have to say, I am so glad I read this book. It is by far the best of Louise’s recent works.

Mr. Mayfair follows the fake to real romance story line that has been the basis of so many romance stories. The difference in this story is the male lead, Beck, he is literally EVERYTHING. Beck is the kind of man “An eighty-five-year-old lesbian nun would be a little giddy around…” He says and does the things that every women wishes her man would say and do. His feelings for and actions towards Stella made my heart flip flop. Beck is “…the guy who makes the world safe for her” and who doesn’t want safety in their relationship? Clearly, so many of us, like Stella, have been “f-ing the wrong guy.” But Beck, Beck is a “…man who worried about my feelings…” and “the man who wanted better for me than I wanted for myself, who stood up for me and did things to make my day better.” DREAMY! Beck is the strongest, non-alpha lead I have read in a long time and he may be my new fake boyfriend. So my recommendation? If you need a new fake boyfriend read Mr. Mayfair, because there is no better fake boyfriend than Beck Wilde!

What do you do when your lying, cheating ex announces he’s getting married to your best friend? Oh, and your invited to the wedding. If you’re Stella you decide to take a very sexy, very wealthy fake date and pretend you’re in love. Now what do you do when you start falling for your fake date?

Fake relationships are my very favorite troupe and Mr. Mayfair was fantastic! I adored this couple! Stella was super sweet and trusting, but she was strong and brave too. Beck was the ultimate charming playboy which made watching him fall hard all the more satisfying. Excellent characters, a gorgeous Scottish destination wedding, and plenty of steamy chemistry make another five star read from Louise Bay!! I can’t wait to read the next in this series!!

4.5 Faking it Stars

Louise has utterly nailed this Fake. Relationship. Trope. I loved everything about Beck and Stella. From the beginning everything felt real and honest, nothing about them felt forced, Louise out did herself! Her words had me completely entranced with them, so much so that I did not want their story to end. This sweet, sexy read should not be missed.

“And I did like him. So far. Not that it mattered. Although, obviously he was attractive. An eighty-five-year-old lesbian nun would be giddy around Beck.”

The humor interlaced throughout this story was perfection. It kept a smile on my face for so long my cheeks started to hurt! Beck really saw Stella even from that first meeting, it was as if he could see straight into her soul. He treated her with such respect and honesty. And he always made sure to listen to what she had to say, he never disregarded her feelings or made her feel like less. Their relationship may be fake but he never treated her as if it were.

Beck is gorgeous and smart, with a stubborn streak a mile long. He is unapologetically determined especially when he has his sights set on something. Their banter back and forth was one of my absolute favorite things about this story.

“Her hands slide up the sides of my shirt and I held back a shiver. When had such a simple touch over my clothes ever had such a visceral effect on me? I wanted this woman. This woman.”

Beck and Stella’s slow burn was to die for. They just clicked right away and everything felt so natural. Their progression towards the inevitable fire that burned from the sparks they created was Melt. Your. Kindle. Hot! I about incinerated after reading it, I seriously needed to take a little breather to calm my racing heart.

Stella was dealing with a really crappy situation, her shithead of an ex seriously did some damage and it was hard to see her break down on multiple occasions because of what he put her through. But what I loved was that Beck instinctively knew what to say to make her feel better. He would talk her off the ledge and get her back on the right track.

“She pressed her hand to my chest and I relaxed instantly. Her warmth was like coming home—it was belonging. Wherever she was, I was meant to be. ”

I loved this story to my core. Louise created a wonderful story full of redemption and perseverance. I loved the characters dearly and I honestly can’t wait to see what she brings to us next.

A hot British hero with fun banter and sexy times? YES PLEASE! Louise knocked this book out of the park!! You’re going to fall in love with this story!

I loved it! Stella and Beck’s fake relationship story is beautiful. Stella is a lovely woman, caring, and strong! Her story is heartbreaking. Beck is handsome, caring, protective, and supportive. They are great together, they care for each other, and they share a sizzling chemistry. I loved every word of this story. Shane East and Saskia Maarleveld did an amazing reading of this story.

Louise Bay is back with another RomCom Gold sensation! Beck and Stella are fantastic and the chemistry between them is intense and quite sizzling. A chance encounter may be life- changing.
They are to be guests at Stella’s ex boyfriend and ex best friend’s wedding and will need to fake a relationship all to prove Stella is over her ex and for Beck to meet up with a guest at the wedding in order to secure something major for a business deal but will his attraction for Stella get in the way of his plans? Will Stella’s attraction for Beck get in the way of her plans of her fake relationship with Beck? What started out as mutally agreed upon between Beck and Stells as fake, takes a swift turn into the real and believable- with feelings and emotions. Their banter is fantastic, the feels between them charged, the chemistry is steamy and sweet, the chemistry is intense and the story is quite believable. Will they be able to see what’s right in front of their faces? Will they end up getting the happily ever after? Oh the story flows quite beautifully. The ending was fantastic.

My Rating: 4.5 stars ******

Be still my heart.

I don’t know how she does it but Louise keeps blowing my mind with her books. She makes the story feel like I am there in London. The main male character is my new book boyfriend.

The main female character, Stella London, gets a shock when her ex-boyfriend and friend are suddenly engaged and getting married. She finds out from another friend. Who would want to go to that wedding?? I know I wouldn’t want to be there. Stella wasn’t planning on it but that changes.

The main male character, Beck Wilde, who is a businessman trying to get to a wedding that someone important is going to. He needs to make this important contact to advance his business.

Can Beck find a way to coax Stella into taking him to the wedding? Can they help each other out? You will have to find out when you read the story!

So in love with this couple ! Louise has once again knocked this one out of the RomCom Park. Get ready for Stella and Beck . You are going to tag along as they become a fake couple to each get what they want. They are to be guests at Stella’s ex boyfriend and ex best friends wedding …yes for Real! Why even go to such a circus ? Well Stella has been walked on way to many times and Beck needs to connect with a guest at this shindig . The journey leading up to the wedding is priceless these two fall into a comfortable pattern that neither knew they needed and maybe have developed quite a friendship .
I fell for this couple right from the beginning . They are funny, sassy, real and so good together . The more time they spend together the more apparent it becomes how well they compliment one another. Beck seems to always know what Stella needs and wants while Stella always gives Beck what for and reals him in but gives the best advice and support !
Loved it !!!
~~Michele McMullen

Louise Bay is one of my go-to authors that I absolutely love reading!

Stella and Beck’s story really sucked me in from beginning to end. When both Stella and Beck had something to gain out of going to her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend’s wedding. It had to have been the most difficult thing she’s ever had to do but in the end she gained something much better than the crappy exes she had.

I’m telling you this book will definitely be worth your while and you’ll fall in love with Beck as much as everyone else who’s read this book has.

Overall Grade:
I’ve thought a lot about the reasons I love Louise Bay’s novels. I found her early in my romance reading journey and ate up her book list. I believed that it had to do with her characterizations. She offers your standard tropes with a tiny spin, but her characters are the cream of her books. After reading her newest book, Mr. Mayfair, I found the real reason I will always read her offerings: her reticent heroes.

I think this is her superpower. Yes, her heroines are strong, capable women, even with their troubles like we see with Stella London in this newest story. Yet, it’s the powerful albeit broken heroes that grab my heart, that make me cheer for their journey, that force me to hand my heart over to them by the end. Mr. Mayfair is no different; Beck Wilde is one of bests of Louise Bay’s heroes.

Stella London is a woman whose life has taken a turn: her long-time boyfriend has broken up with her and moved out of their flat, she is working at a job that doesn’t suit her passion, and she’s just received a wedding invitation to the wedding of her former boyfriend and best friend. And she’s feeling a bit shell-shocked. Beck Wilde is a real estate developer who needs a building, a building that represents his past. He has tried to make contact with the owner of the building, but has made no progress. After researching the seller’s life, Beck finds that the seller will be attending a wedding, and he decides to find an in-roads into the wedding. Enter Stella London. The wedding is her ex’s wedding. Beck offers her a deal that she cannot turn down because it offers her a change for her future, moving her closer to her passion of interior design while helping her heal her hurts. The only issue is they will need to act as a couple. Through the course of their journey, these two start to fall for each other, but their pasts inform their present so deeply that their future is threatened. Will Beck and Stella put their pasts truly behind them so they can find their happy ending, or will they succumb to living forever in the past?

There is so much lovely about Mr. Mayfair. I could discuss the overall message of this book: don’t let your past define your future. Both Stella and Beck carry the hurts that others have inflicted on them.. It causes them to doubt themselves and each other. In doing so, the story becomes angsty and introspective on the need to “just let go.” It’s a powerful message that connects with so many who read Bay’s books. But that isn’t what I loved best about Mr. Mayfair.

I could talk about Stella London. To be honest, she is one of the most powerful, women with a strong sense of integrity that I’ve read recently. She shows her power in her willingness to go to her ex’s wedding. I don’t know that I could under any circumstance. Yet, Bay crafts her to withstand. It’s partly her journey that builds the emotion of this romance. She offers so much of herself to her ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend that she misses losing her sense of self. When she finally “sees” them and their true natures, Stella’s power and strength grow exponentially. She’s a constructed reminder that personal boundaries are necessary. They don’t need to set up walls, instead they are intended to protect one’s passion and self-worth. For anyone who has felt like a doormat, Stella London is a profound role-model. But that wasn’t my favorite part of the book.

I could mention the sexual chemistry between Stella and Beck. These two are soulmates, but Bay does something interesting. She doesn’t rush them into “electric touches” or “waves of lust” running through themselves at a single touch. Instead, Bay constructs a friendship between the two. They are comfortable before they are $exual. This is important because their first experience together is ”scorch the page” hot. Beck is a master between the sheets, and he’s a giver. Their eventual coupling is better because Bay, like her hero Beck, builds to it through the guise of friendship and companionship. But that isn’t the best.

Instead, for me, Beck Wilde is the best part of this story because he is the reticent hero I noted above. Most of us love a heroic journey. It’s sometimes the best part of romance. Yes, the hero who is the best friend or who loves the heroine from the start of the story is lovely, BUT it can be a little staid and boring too. Beck Wilde isn’t this guy. To be honest, he’s self-centered. Even when he’s taking care of a woman in bed, he is still putting his agenda on the relationship. He’s incredibly driven, almost to a fault. Yes, he’s wildly successful, but he’s missing out on life, on finding completion. He has tunnel-vision that really acts like a blinder. All of this conspires to make him a bit inflexible. Yet, Stella London happens, and that reticent hero becomes the type of man that makes you melt. His change, his growing interest in Stella, and his journey beautifully underscore the need to heal. We all carry hurts with us perpetrated on us by others who don’t have our best interests. As his friend Dexter tells him, when this happens at birth, it changes you. Beck needed to evolve, to find the one person who would allow him to become better, and his evolution is my favorite part of this book. He represents everything I love about Louise Bay.

If you love the “fake relationship” trope, then Mr. Mayfair should be sitting on your Kindle,and you should make the time to read it. I read the book in one day because Beck and Stella’s story is a profound one. I needed to know that these broken people would find their completion in each other, and Louise Bay definitely doesn’t disappoint in giving them the best happily-ever-after.