October 17, 2016

BLOG TOUR REVIEW & EXCERPT: The Sexy One


Lauren Blakely does it again! Check out my review of THE SEXY ONE, and an excerpt from the book too. It's available now, so go get it!


The Sexy One, by Lauren Blakely
Publish Date:
October 17, 2016
Publisher: self-published
Format: ARC, provided by the author and Inkslinger PR
Genre: adult contemporary romance
To Buy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Rating: 5 STARS


(Synopsis) Let me count the ways why falling into forbidden love is not my wisest move...1. She works with me every single day.

Did I mention she's gorgeous, sweet, kind and smart?

2. She works in my home.
Playing with my five-year-old daughter. Teaching my little girl. Cooking for my princess. Which means...
3. She's the nanny.
And that makes her completely off-limits... But it doesn’t stop me from wanting her. All of her.

***


The other nannies in this city don't call him the Sexy One for nothing. My boss, the amazingly wonderful single father to the girl I take care of every day is ridiculously hot, like movie star levels with those arms, and those eyes, and that body. Not to mention, the way he dotes on his little girl melts me all over. But what really makes my knees weak are the times when his gaze lingers on me. In secret. When no one else is around.

The Sexy One was a fantastic read that was over too fast for me. I could've read about Abby and Simon for a week, but in the end, it only lasted a day. I couldn't take my eyes away from their story. 

Simon is an ovaries-exploding single dad who has been secretly lusting after his nanny for months. Abby is nanny to a sweet 5-year-old little girl, and has been secretly having sexy daydreams about her charge's dad for months. The whole employer/employee hook-up scenario isn't ideal for either of them, so they fight it as long as they can. But, it's like trying to stop up a geyser. Eventually... it explodes anyway. 

The best way to describe The Sexy One is... charming. This story put a huge grin on my face from start to finish. Abby and Simon have this undeniable connection that was evident from the first time we saw them together in Well Hung. (We actually met Simon in Mister O when he hired Harper for his daughter' birthday party.) They have this fun banter back and forth that softens them and makes them lovable. 

Abby is a language expert and teaches and translates as her second job. Simon is an investor looking into a high-profile restaurant. And an incredible, amazing, wonderful father. Abby needs the additional income as a nanny to make her bills. Simon needs someone he trusts to watch the most precious person on Earth to him. They can't really afford to screw this up once it starts. I give them an A+ for trying to stay away from one another. 

But, I get why they were hesitant. With a small child involved, things get infinitely more complicated. But this attraction was undeniable. And I loved that about them.

This woman has burrowed her way into my heart, simply by being herself. I don't honestly know if I can let her go.

Other things I loved about The Sexy One were the low drama and the high heat. I love that I got an easy read with no angst or major issues from either side. Finally, a couple that can communicate fairly well! And of course the steaminess is not to be ignored. It's something Lauren Blakely excels at. 

You don't have to have read any of Lauren Blakely's other recently published rom-com books to read The Sexy One. You just have to love romance, witty banter, and a sweet boss/employee relationship story that is bound to put you in a good mood.




“I want to talk to you about the other day.” He sounds so serious.

All of a sudden, the weight of my mistake crashes down. “Are you firing me?” I blurt out.


His jaw drops. “What?”


“I’m sorry,” I say, and the wild anxieties consume me once more. “I love this job, and I love working with Hayden, and I didn’t mean to jeopardize it by . . .”


By making out with you? By touching you? By murmuring your name when you kissed me senseless in the cab, and would you please just do it again?


He steps closer. My stomach makes like a skydiver.

“You did not jeopardize a thing. I’m not firing you. I promise.” His blue eyes are locked to mine. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable. And I hope I didn’t lose you, either. You’re so good at what you do, and I value your skills so much. You’re great with Hayden, and I don’t want to mess that up. I’m sorry for crossing the line.”

I shake my head. “It’s okay. I crossed it, too.”

He licks his lips. “And I really appreciated you inviting me out with your friends. I wanted to go, but I didn’t want to mess up your night. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”


A grin threatens to take over my face because my heart soars. I thought he was turning me down. Instead, he was thinking of me. “You wouldn’t have messed it up.”


“I wouldn’t have?”


“No.” I latch onto Harper’s advice. Talk to him. “I wanted you there.”


My breath comes fast, and the hairs on my arms stand on end. We’re so near to each other—our words, our voices, our bodies. Everything in me reaches for him.


“I’m glad,” he whispers.


“And you don’t make me uncomfortable. I promise.”


He doesn’t say anything in response. Just nods. I press my teeth into my lips. My back is against the sink, and he’s standing so close I can smell him. The faint scent of his soap intoxicates me. He must have gone to the gym after work and taken a shower, and oh God, now I’m imagining him naked in the shower, soaping up his strong body. I go up in flames.


“What happened in the cab was”—he pauses, as if he’s searching for the right word—“crazy.” But the way he says it in a voice full of longing doesn’t sound like crazy-bad. It sounds like . . .


“Crazy-good,” I supply.


He nods. “So good,” he whispers, and inches closer.


“It was so good,” I echo, my voice breathy, full of this potent need for him.


He stares at me, his eyes brimming with heat. I exhale, and my lips part slightly. He’s looking at my mouth now, and I’m burning all over.


We collide.


His hands are in my hair, and his lips crush mine. My fingers race up his shirt and around his neck. I pull him against me, his strong, hard body aligned with mine. His erection presses against my belly, and the realization that he’s already hard thrills me. Sparks fly through me as I register how hard he is, and my God, I want him. I want to feel him slide into me, I want to take him deep into my body. I want him to know what he does to me, too—that I’m as turned on as he is, and I can’t stop kissing him.


His big hands curl around my head, and I moan into his mouth. I love how much bigger he is than I am—taller, broader, stronger. He meets every primal desire I have to be taken. I want this man to consume me. I want to be under him, I want to be pinned by him—I want the full weight of him moving over me.


His lips are demanding, coaxing out more and more kisses from me. More murmurs, more sighs. As I arch into him, he groans, rough and husky.


Then, he breaks the kiss.


“This is bad,” he says firmly, his breath coming heavily. But then, he’s not so certain at all. “Is this bad?”


“Yes,” I answer quickly. “It’s bad. But it’s so good.”

Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1 million books. She is known for her sexy contemporary romance style that's full of heat, heart and humor. A devout fan of cake and canines, Lauren has plotted entire novels while walking her four-legged friends. She lives in California with her family. With eleven New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than sixty times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone romantic comedies like BIG ROCK, MISTER O and WELL HUNG, which were instant New York Times Bestsellers. In the fall she'll release THE SEXY ONE, a swoony contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter at laurenblakely.com/newsletter.

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