EARLY REVIEW: Sexy

Sexy, by JA Huss
Publish Date: September 9, 2015
Publisher: self-published
Format: e-ARC, provided by the author
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon * Barnes & Noble
 
Rating: 4.5 STARS

(From Goodreads) Imagine the man of your dreams.

The blue eyes. The unruly blonde hair. The perfect abs. How strong his muscular thighs feel as you dig your fingernails into the denim of his jeans.

Now imagine looking up to meet his gaze as he guides you towards his belt. Offers you a new life, a new destiny, a whole new world as he teaches you how to make him moan. Coaches you in the art of being sexy.

Would you say no? Could you say no?

Fletcher Novak is that perfect man and he just made Tiffy Preston the offer of a lifetime. And all she has to do is... everything he tells her.

What is your definition of "Sexy?" Is it lace underwear and a hot pair of heels? Is it something that can be taught, or is sexy something that you either are or aren't? Fletcher Novak, lead Mountain Man stripper, self-made matchmaker extraordinaire and keeper of many secrets, knows exactly what is sexy, and he's about to take on his toughest client yet. His boss. 

Tiffy Preston is heir to the hotel at which Fletcher works and lives. She only wants to catch the eye of one man - her stuffed shirt co-worker Cole. Except, a boring life of failed relationships have taught her that sexy, she is not. Although Fletcher's business rubs her the wrong way, she's willing to strike a bargain with him. A deal with the hot devil, if you will. In exchange for Fletcher keeping his job, Tiffy gets sexy lessons. 

It's interesting to me that, right off the bat, Tiffy and Fletcher are approaching her problem from completely different places. I mean, really - this project was doomed to fail, and you can see that a mile away. Tiffy has this ideal life in her mind, and that includes marrying a man much like her dad. Cole is that man. And, for Tiffy, it doesn't matter that Cole has absolutely no interest in her whatsoever. She seems convinced that there's a way to win him over, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to figure that out. 

Fletch, on the other hand, knows that Cole is not going to come to heel. But, Tiffy is so different from his usual clients, in that her spirit and determination call to him. She's already sexy - she just doesn't know it. She doesn't feel it. Fletch knows her problem is a lack of confidence and self-assurance, and that, if he can get her to recognize the awesome that is already inside her, she will also realize that Cole is a tool and that she can do better. 

"When I look twice at a girl, it's not their body I'm looking at. Lots of people have nice bodies. Lots of girls have pretty faces. When I take a second look, it's because she has confidence."

It is also interesting to note that, although Fletcher knows he's hot, he could stand to take some of his sexy lessons himself. He has made some mistakes over the years. He has some issues with his family. He has a few problematic ex-one-night-stands that just won't go away. Fletcher likes that Tiffy - a woman with so much going for her - sits up and takes notice when he talks. And, yet, I don't think he thinks he's worthy of a real relationship with her. So, he keeps his secrets - MANY of them - and continues trying to help her win over a guy that he knows for sure is not worthy of her. 

Thank goodness for the dual POV, because I think this book would've been lacking without Fletcher's views on everything going on around him. It was awesome watching his feelings about Tiffy change from his greatest challenge to his greatest love. Fletcher is a complex guy, although he doesn't initially seem like it. He's so smart, and he's always working an angle. And yes - this man is sexy. With a capital S. 

"People like you just want to stick me in a box. Put a label on me. Make me into something I'm not. But the truth it, I'm not what you think. You have no idea who I am."

For her part, Tiffy isn't stupid, and yet, HOLY CRAP IS THIS GIRL STUPID. Makes perfect sense, right? Tiffy knows Fletcher is telling half-truths and is keeping secrets. She also knows that he makes her feel special and beautiful and... sexy... like no other man ever has. She knows he's smart and driven and sensitive. And, she knows that the things he does to her body are yesyesYESrightthereOHMYGOODNESS. And yet, she continually forces herself to stay the course that she thinks is correct, which means Cole is in and Fletcher is out. GAH - I wanted to strangle her so many times over. So. Many. Times.

He is sexy, that's for sure. But. he's a liar too. I just know it.

Sexy is one part Hitch and one part Magic Mike. It's a story about realizing that "sexy" is completely subjective, and that your definition of it is allowed to change along with you. It's about learning to trust your instincts, and just let go and feel. And, it's also a story about hot strippers. Really, I just don't know how you can go wrong here.