The Hot One by Lauren Blakely
Read by Andi Arndt and Zachary Webber
Standalone (Loosely connected). Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy.
I’m not sure Lauren Blakely can write a book that isn’t amazing if she tried. In the last year, Lauren has shot to the top of my auto-buy list. She writes the perfect romance novel for me every time. They are upbeat, positive, funny, romantic and oh-so-sexy. Lauren Blakey’s heroines are all smart, capable women I want to be friends with, and the men…(fans self)…they respect women and treat them like equals, except in bed when they are all hot and alpha, and they can all dirty talk my panties off any day. And there is always true romance, and there is never angst just for angst sake. Her books are the definition of romance to me.
Sebastian York has been the narrator of all the books thus far, but Lauren shook things up this time by using Zachary Webber for The Hot One. She used Andi Arndt though, and to me, I would have loved a new female voice to go with the new male voice. She is not my favorite for romcoms as she always has a bit of a sad tone to her voice, though I love her for more serious erotic and dramatic books. The narration never took away from the book for me, but in this case, I’m not sure that it made it better either.
The Hot One by Lauren Blakely is another fantastic addition to the family of books she began last year with her male POV books, Big Rock. The Hot One is a closer relative to The Sexy One and The Only One because they have both male and female POV, are more romantic than funny, and Simon from the Sexy One is one of Tyler’s best friends. Don’t worry though, every single one of these books stands alone perfectly, they are mildly related by friends or relatives and they all take place in New York City.
Tyler is the cocky New York entertainment lawyer we’ve barely met in some previous stories. Delaney bumps into him in the park 8 years after he shattered her heart. In college they had an amazing romance, they were both studying law and debate and were worthy adversaries as well as best friends and lovers. They had an amazing relationship, until Tyler just ended it cold turkey. 8 years later, she is still angry at him, yet he still stars in every one of her dirty fantasies.
“And in the mornings, I pretend I didn’t get off to Tyler Fucking Nichols. That man. That cocky jerk who broke my heart.”
One look at Delaney, and Tyler knows he messed up big time. He wants her back.
“I’m the asshole who broke her heart. Now, I hope to hell I’m the man she lets back in. And make no mistake, I want her heart badly. How to win it is the big question.”
And he’s going to do whatever it takes to get her. Including getting naked where she works.
“I undress for her. Because sometimes you’ve got to give it your all. Show a woman you’re willing to bare your heart for her. And, let’s be honest, your body.”
I loved how the couple fell into such an easy comfortable relationship. I wouldn’t have minded her fighting a little more, but I loved how you never, ever doubt his feelings.
“He taps his chest with both hands. “Let me introduce you to me. I’m the guy who wants you back. Badly.”
As always with Lauren Blakely books, there is no shortage of sexy times, and they are never too over the top, nor do they overwhelm the story. Yet they are MOLTEN. And of course, the dirty talking was the star of the show.
“This is where I want to be. Buried the fuck inside my woman. You’re mine, Delaney. You need to know that.”
Let me tell you, BJ scenes don’t always do it for me, but after the one in this book…let’s just say Mr. Ana thanks you Lauren.
“Then get down on your knees like a good girl so I can fuck your mouth like a bad one.”
Likes:
- Tyler was so sure of what he wanted. You never doubted his feelings.
- Holy blowjob scene!
- Hot dirty talker.
- I smiled the whole time.
- Tyler can charm your pants off (please!)
- Romance!
- How they were new and comfortable at the same time.
- A change of pace for the male narrator.
- No false drama just for drama.
- Visits with previous characters, but you don’t have to remember them or even have read them — you won’t feel like you missed something. (I cant’t keep track of how everyone is connected at all).
- The epilogues.
Dislikes:
- It may have been the mood I was in while listening, but I didn’t feel as connected as usual. I noticed my mind wandered more than usual and found myself forgetting what I just heard.
- I would have liked a different female narrator with the different male.
- Tyler & Trevor are too similar names, I kept getting confused.
- Wasn’t a fan of “My Sexy Angel” nickname, it just seemed awkward and wordy. (And I LOVE nicknames).
The Down & Dirty:
Rating: 4.25 Stars, 4.5 Heat, 4.5 narration
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.
Purchase The Hot One by Lauren Blakely
While they each easily stand alone, I like reading in order since each couple turns up in the next books. Also, I am putting The Sexy One and The Hot One in there where it belongs chronologically because they are all part of the same group of friends in New York City, but The Sexy One & The Hot One are dual POV while the rest are male POV.
The next book is available for pre-order only on iBooks.
Joy Stick – May 1, 2017 (iBooks)
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