Lauren Blakely

Fine, she’s asking for a hell of a lot more than a dude to put together an IKEA TV stand, and those things are beyond Da Vinci Code-level cryptic. I’d like to see Robert Langdon decipher some IKEA assembly instructions. Good luck with that, Harvard symbologist.

Nicole is the perfect woman for this project. She has no interest in the part of me that causes pain—my heart, that damn organ I’ve locked up in a steel cage.

Nicole is a brave, bold, beautiful woman who’s unafraid to carve out a life on her own terms.

And the fifth reason—I’m a fine cook, especially when it comes to Italian, and that’s your favorite cuisine.”

I sold the ring recently, and thank God my ex-fiancé had a mildly decent salary

She’s an unstoppable force and like an older sister to me. A second older sister, since I have one already

Especially given what happened with Annie last year.” I shudder at the memory of my ex.

“She was a tough one to spot as a bad seed, I’ll give you that

I’ve lived in New York City my entire life. I grew up in Queens and commuted to Manhattan for college, attending

He’s the top editor at the magazine. “Hello, Mr. Galloway.”

it’s the costume that has me most intrigued. Because it says she has a brain that works well.

That’s what I find most attractive in a woman