Book Review Wednesday: Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne

When I read my first Lauren Layne novel years ago, I was immediately hooked and she soon became one of my favorite authors. However, I'm the first to admit when one of my favorite authors misses the mark and lately, Lauren Layne has not been doing it for me.

However, I never give up and was immediately drawn in when I saw that she was releasing a new book, this time co-written with her husband, Anthony. I really love co-written books so I knew this one would be good, and I was right!

Emergency Contact was released in October 2023 and was classified as a holiday book, though from the cover you could not tell... which I liked. I did read it during December and Christmas was definitely a big aspect of the story, but I don't think I'd feel weird reading this during another season.

This short and sweet novel had everything you could want from a rom-com and I swear, I think it would make the cutest movie. Everything jumped off the page and I could see the scenes playing out in my head more than any other book I've read recently. 

It was cute, heartfelt, quirky, and will pull you out of any reading slump you might find yourself in.

Publisher's Summary

Katherine, an ambitious NYC attorney, gets diagnosed with a concussion and must be monitored for 48 hours to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Unfortunately, she forgot to update her emergency contact so the person they call is her ex-husband, Tom. 

Unable to be left alone, Katherine reluctantly agrees to travel to Chicago with Tom for the holidays. But thanks to a blizzard, what should have been a quick plane ride turns into an antagonistic overnight misadventure that stirs up old feelings even as Tom prepares to propose to his girlfriend on Christmas Eve.

My Thoughts 

Emergency Contact was such a laugh out loud funny book that kept me on my toes and really took you along for a ride. It wasn't what I was expecting but it was truly so much more. Think about out outlandish the plot is... a divorced couple who cannot stand each other is forced together because the ex-wife got hurt and forgot to change her emergency contact number. 

It is screwball comedy at it's finest and I'd love to see it on the big screen.

The writing was really strong in this novel and between Kat and Tom, we really see why and how their relationship started and fizzled out. I love getting both sides and having the voices of the characters be polar opposite, and knowing that it was written by two different people. You can really understand a character more when there is such a distinct difference between the other POV which might be why I felt that Kat and Tom's voices jumped off the page.

Of course throughout the book you are constantly rooting for them to get back together because you can obviously feel the tension brewing between them. It's a haters to lovers story mixed with a second chance romance and honestly, I love nothing more.

There are times though, when you absolutely hate them together; they can get really mean, bitter and snippy with each other, though it doesn't feel like deserved behavior.  You can see why they got divorced but their feelings of love have morphed into anger, and anger is better than no feelings at all.

Throughout the story, you're constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop and it does. There is a push and pull that is so obvious and when you think things can't get worse, they do. Tom and Kat's days keep getting worse, the timeline of getting back to his family is getting shorter, and you have to wonder what is actually going to happen between these two.

The ending was nearly perfect; it kept me on my toes, was super heartfelt but everything felt like it was where it was supposed to be. 

If you're looking for a feel good, but real, funny and insane story, Emergency Contact might be perfect for you. 

xoxo
B