From #1 NYT Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes a hot new standalone second chance romance…
THE HOT ONE!
Want a slow burn, sexy-as-sin second chance romance filled with wit, humor and so much heart? Dive in, and get ready to swoon and fan yourself from the heat!
“The Hot One is love, laugh-out-loud humor, and lust all wrapped up in the perfect package…PURE PLEASURE!!!” ~ Bookalicious Babes Blog
“Lauren Blakely is the QUEEN of sweet, fun, and steamy reads… Her books are utterly addictive.” ~ Angie’s Dreamy Reads
A sexy new standalone romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Lauren Blakely…
Ever notice that sometimes a guy will do something really stupid, like let the love of his life slip through his fingers?
Yeah. I'm that guy. But the instant I run into her again I’ve got one goal and one goal only—a second chance. The plan? Go big or go home.
Fine, at first glance, stripping naked at my ex-girlfriend's place of work might not seem like the brightest way to win her heart again. But trust me on this count—she always liked me best without any clothes on. And sometimes you've got to play to your strengths when you're fighting an uphill battle. As a lawyer, I know how to fight, and I'm prepared to fight hard for her. Because sometimes you need a second chance at first love.
He's the one who got away . . .
The nerve of Tyler Nichols to reappear like that at my job, showing off his rock-hard body that drove me wild far too many nights. That man with his knowing grin and mischievous eyes is nothing but a cocky jerk to saunter back into my life. Except, what if he's not . . .? I've tried like hell to forget him, but maybe I'm cursed to remember the guy I fell madly in love with eight years ago. Lord knows I’m not over him, so what's the harm in giving him a week to prove he's changed in the ways that matter?
After all, how do you resist the hot one . . .?
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A Review by Wendy
4.5 Owning Up to Mistakes Stars
* * * *1/2
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Spoiler Free
Think experiencing a “Sex and the City” circle of friends who are interconnected and cross paths. Blakely has done this without using a heavy hand and every new book flows with the touch of other characters from past books to give us the anchor of knowing this group.
In the past string of books, we have had a taste of Tyler... at pick up basketball games and other events...He has been that guy who supported his friends and also gave a feel of knowing his mistake with women...Now we get the full deal.
Tyler is a very successful Entertainment attorney... he has never feared going all in and playing the risks... in fact, he has relished it. The key to his success, though, is all of the prep and knowledge he has acquired before going full throttle... and only his partners and friends know this side of him. He has been known to enjoy a woman or two....but nothing every measured up to the feelings he had with his college sweetheart... and he has thought of her more than he will admit. He was a driven in college...wanting to prove himself to his mentor and family. Nothing was going to cause him to miss his destiny...
Delaney was Tyler's partner in college... they had a bond which was more than sexy times... they had a deep connection of laughter, smarts, confrontation and understanding. They had it all....everything which would make a future... both equals... both respecting each other...both on track to be attorneys and have a life together.
And then not...
Tyler cut Delaney off...
No real explanation as to why except he wouldn't be able to juggle her and his need for success in law school...
That action cut Delaney to the quick...But Delaney being Delaney...she rose up, dusted herself off and became the woman she was today...
Smart, capable, strong in her owning a successful Spa and supported by her gal posse.
She just cannot seem to have any success in the bedroom...
Well, she does....but only with her BOB...
And only when she thinks of her past and Tyler...
Which is not what she wants at all....
Which brings us to their fated crossing of paths in Central Park. Tyler is there with his niece. He adores her and will practically do anything she requests...They saw a juggler and in Tyler fashion, when asked if he could do what the Juggler was doing, Tyler told his niece... Sure with my eyes closed...
As Tyler is juggling the 5 balls in the air, with his eyes closed... Delaney is jogging past with her gals...He opens his eyes to see the vision of his dreams, dropping all of the balls...
A Hey is all that can come out of his mouth and Delaney slays him with a comment about how well that juggling is going for him as she runs past...
She cannot believe she is seeing him...and he has a little girl who looks to be his...
When she talks with her posse, they are split in how to assess Tyler...One is in love right now so she is open to second chances... it worked for her...The other is dead set against re do's with ex's...They are Ex's for a reason.
This one shared moment between Tyler and Delaney, who have a history, is life changing for the both of them...And it is Tyler who wants to see if the feelings he is having now and all this time are real. He talks with his guys... and they tell him to be careful and not do anything crazy... knowing that is his go to plays... in business and personal.
But Tyler will be Tyler and he starts a journey to see what can happen between his past love and him.
And We Benefit Big Time.
This is a very special Second Chance Love Story... because I think anyone could relate to it. Things can happen in a moment... when young adults are trying to figure out who they want to be...They can make judgement errors and think it is the only way to achieve what they are so focused on...
What was so impressive in this tale was the undercurrent of what real life is... that we become who we are from the life experiences we have had...and sometimes it is the hurdles we face and overcome which have made us into the people we were supposed to be all along...That we learned our life lessons... became stronger and more sure of ourselves, so that when a Second Chance came along... the people who both were now..were the ones that belonged to together.
Now that is a terrific lesson... and it is there front and center...and I loved how both of these two came to it...But I would be hiding the best part of this tale if I didn't share with you....
How F@CKING HOT this was....And as Hot as this was... IT WAS SMART TOO!
The way Tyler approached this... and, yes did the brash....but also did the SWEET...It is the combination of the Naughty, Dirty Talking, the mix of paying attention to what Delaney says, who she was in the past and seeing the woman she is now... all of it together made every sexy encounter all the better.
And Delaney brought her own sexy times to Tyler ...and equal in mischief and swag...She was wanting him as much as he wanted her...She was strong, though, in making sure it was not because she was a conquest... that they were both looking for the same thing.
The best was how Blakely gave us a real look at compromise and understanding one another...Both of them needed to see it didn't have to be all or nothing.
This book worked with all of the past characters we knew, doling out advice and guidance to our main characters...We also go a taste of another one who will probably have her own book coming...
As you can tell... this was a huge winner for me. It wasn't overly angsty... it focused on giving someone important to you in the past another chance...yet it didn't make the gal an easy conquest...For me they had such a strong foundation from the past...I could understand the draw and I was with our gal every step of the way.
More of these Contemporary Books are coming ... and Ms. Blakely, I will be mainlining them as soon as you get them out.
A gifted copy was provided by author/publisher for an honest review.
“Tyler Nichols. Oh. My. God. The title is definitely apropos. This man is over the top HOT in oh so many ways. The Hot One is a read-in-one-sitting kind of story.” ~ Naughty Girls and Their Books
Add it to Goodreads here!
Excerpt
Technically, I didn't drop my drawers the first time I saw her again.
Just my balls.
The ones in my hands. Juggling balls.
Here’s how it went down. Picture a Sunday morning in Central Park. A
perfect summer day. The grass was green, the breeze was warm, and I’d just
spent the last few hours getting acquainted with turtles and frogs at the
children’s zoo because I’m an awesome uncle. And Carly’s one cool
seven-year-old.
The kid loves all creatures, but especially the ones that jump and crawl,
so I took her to the enchanted forest part of the zoo. When we finished, she
tugged on my shirt sleeve, batted her hazel eyes, and asked ever so sweetly for
an ice cream cone.
Like I stood a chance at resisting her. C’mon. She’s my cousin’s
kid, and clearly she gets her charm from our side of the family.
With her hand in mine, we strolled across the grass near the running
path, hunting for the nearest ice cream dealer.
And then Carly did that thing little kids do.
She shrieked for what seemed like absolutely no reason. Next, she pointed
to an impossibly tall dude wearing a beret while juggling two Rubik’s Cubes,
two orange balls, and a small green beanbag.
“He can do five, Uncle Tyler!” Carly shouted, her eyes going wide.
“Five isn’t too shabby,” I said with a shrug.
She turned to me with a questioning stare. “I’ve never seen you do
five.”
“That’s because I haven’t shown you all my tricks yet.”
“Can you really juggle five balls?”
I scoffed. “Please, I can do that with my eyes closed.”
I didn’t put myself through law school juggling for nothing.
Just kidding.
You can’t put yourself through law school juggling anything but insane
class schedules and lack of sleep.
Carly arched an eyebrow. So did the juggler, as he kept up the cascade of
his quintet. Show-off.
“I want to see. Show me,” Carly urged.
Yeah, Carly’s a chip off the old block. She’s all about challenging me,
and I’m all about rising to the challenge.
The stick-thin guy with the beret raised his chin. “Have at it, man.”
With clockwork precision, he let the balls fall out of orbit and into his
palm. Next, the Rubik’s Cubes. Then the beanbag. He stepped closer, handed me
the objects, and flashed a crooked, put-your-money-where-your-mouth-is grin.
Game on.
Packs of runners jogged along, cyclists wheeled over the black asphalt,
and rollerbladers whizzed by on the concrete. With my feet parked hip’s width
apart, I stood at the edge of the grass getting a feel for the items, weighing
them, and then one, two, three, four, five, I whisked each one up into the air
in a high oval arc. Round and round, in a perfect five-ball cascade.
Carly clapped, then demanded more. “Yes, now close your eyes!”
I groaned. What was I thinking? Juggling with eyes closed is fucking
hard. But I could pull it off for a couple seconds. My special skill. I obliged
my niece’s request, pulling off a few quick blind ovals. Five seconds later,
after I’d shown off that particular party trick, I opened my eyes.
And I saw a vision from my past.
A blond beauty, with long legs, a lovely round ass, and a high ponytail
swishing back and forth across her shoulders. She ran along the path in tiny
orange let-me-peel-them-off-with-my-teeth-pretty-please running shorts. And
that face. Dear Lord, the stunning face of an angel. High cheekbones. Deep
brown eyes that saw me like no one ever had. Those red lips, shaped like a bow.
Fuck me, the things she could do with those lips. The things I taught her to do
with that sinful mouth.
Delaney sure as hell knew how to use it, and I don’t just mean in the
bedroom. We used to talk about anything and everything when we were together in
college. Days with her. Nights with her. Best time of my life. That woman was
full of spark. Full of fire. So damn passionate. And look at her now.
Jesus Christ.
It had to be illegal to be
that smoking hot.
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About Lauren Blakely:A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than seventy-five times, and she's sold more than 1.5 million books. In February she'll release THE HOT ONE, a standalone contemporary romance. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter! laurenblakely.com/newsletter
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