REVIEW: Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne

In Emergency Contact by Lauren Layne & Anthony LeDonne, There was a time when Tom would have smiled the whole while he talked or thought about Katherine. Since their divorce four years ago, not so much. When he gets a call that she’s been in an accident and he’s listed as her emergency contact, Tom is at first confused–and then resigned that he’s going to have to hurry dealing with Katherine so he can make it home for Christmas Eve. But when one thing after another threatens to alter his carefully planned timeline, Tom holds steady, telling himself that even if he has to take his ex-wife from NYC to Chicago, he’ll still get there in time to go through with his proposal to his girlfriend Lolo. Although by the time he makes it home, Tom’s not sure his life is still heading in the same direction as it was at the start of the trip.

“Apparently, I’m still listed as your emergency contact.”
I’m about to ask if the oversight was her way of torturing me, but I can tell by the too fast flutter of her eyelashes and lack of snarky rejoinder that this revelation catches her off guard.

One minute Katherine was in a cab headed to her apartment for a cozy night in and the next, she was waking up in the hospital with the worst headache ever. And with her ex-husband Tom hovering nearby. Finding out she has a concussion and a huge gash on her back from a car accident was bad enough, but now Katherine is going to have to rely on Tom to monitor her for the next couple of days. Definitely not ideal. At least he’s a very capable guy who, even though they barely get along, is willing to help. As they try to find a way out of the city, with the weather, misunderstandings, and outright bad luck thwarting them at every turn, Katherine begins to remember why she considered Tom her best friend. But with so many hurt feelings between them, is there any way they could possibly call a truce, let alone find their way back together again?

‘I missed my chance with Tom. I’ve always known that. But until yesterday, I didn’t realize how much I wanted a do-over. A second chance.’

A fast-paced holiday themed second chance romance that blended the Grinch with Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, EMERGENCY CONTACT kept me smiling with its fun banter and heartfelt sentimental moments.

‘I’m faced with the awful, unavoidable truth: I’m taking my ex-wife home for Christmas.’

EMERGENCY CONTACT was a quick read by real life wife and husband duo Lauren Layne and Anthony LeDonne who piled on the holiday cheer as they navigated a divorced couple’s complicated predicament. With the comical conversations Katherine and Tom had on their snowy trek to Chicago–and the years of bad blood between them–it made for tons of sparks as well as some reconciling. I think had this not been a second chance romance, the pace would probably seem a bit too quick. But with Tom and Katherine’s rich history together, it made sense how things played out.

I got such a kick out of Katherine being the “Grinch” in the story. Typically, it’s the hero who’s the Christmas curmudgeon. In this case, there were definitely reasons for Katherine’s dislike of the season–ones that tied back to her childhood and her college years that will pretty much break your heart. But just like in the classic film, our Grinch (eventually) warmed up to the holiday. And Katherine even found her way back into the arms of a found family who missed her like crazy.

Now Tom, he was Katherine’s opposite in almost every respect. From his tightly organized life to his love of the holidays, it made the experience of traveling with his ex-wife a series of compromises and missteps that ranged from cringe-worthy to outright hilarious. But no one can argue that Tom had a heart of gold. He proved it the most by taking time out of his important trip home to make sure Katherine was okay after her concussion. And without giving too much away, I can say that yes, there was a bit of a love triangle as Tom was in a relationship but there was no cheating–just a lot of soul searching and doing what was right for each person involved.

QOTD: What is your favorite holiday movie?

Book Info:

Publication: Published: October 24th, 2023 | Blackstone Publishing |

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Layne–and her real life husband and high school sweetheart, Anthony LeDonne–comes a new holiday romcom that is sure to warm even the coldest heart.

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.

A delightful meet-cute between The Proposal and Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, Emergency Contact is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Sally Thorne.