At first glance, stripping naked at my ex-girlfriend’s place of work might not seem like the brightest way to win her back. 

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. I’m prepared to fight for her…and to fight hard. I might have let her slip through my fingers the last time, but no way will that happen twice.

***

But how do you resist the hot one…



But now he realizes that eight years has not dimmed his attraction or feelings for the fiery beauty. But she's not ready to let him back in so easily. She is determined to resist his charms. He begins working his magic and trying to tear down her defenses. But it will require some bold moves on his part to get her to agree to even go out with him. But never fear, Tyler is definitely smart, creative, and willing to go-big-or-go-home.

She protects herself with armor, a sense of caution, and barbs. She's been hurt by him and is not looking to give him a chance to repeat it, but I loved their flirty banter and humor. They have hot sexual tension and chemistry, history, and a connection. They're playful and fun, but still have a lot of baggage.

He finally begins to wear her down enough to earn some time with her. He's a man on a mission to prove his sincerity, overcome his mistakes, and win her heart again. But he'll have to convince her that people can change and that he is worthy of her trust if there is any chance of moving forward and letting go of the past. She has never really fully healed. They are coming back together as different people and will have to determine if they even still are a good match.
Tyler is used to being daring, pushy, and relentless in business. She is more guarded and cautious.

Will his big gestures earn him a chance or send her running scared?

Tyler Nichols...I adored him. He is funny, thoughtful, and caring. But he is also charming, dirty-talking, and just plain hot! He's made mistakes in the past, but he owns up to them. Delaney is sassy, sweet, nurturing, and vibrant. I enjoyed their personalities and connections with their friends. I laughed at Tyler's conversations with his cousin, Clay (yeah, that Clay Nichols), and his friends, Simon and Oliver. And Tyler playing "Uncle" to Clay's daughter, Carly, just made me smile. Her group of girlfriends, Penny and Nicole, are tight and devoted. I enjoy hanging out with old friends and meeting some new ones. They all created a background of fun, support, and camaraderie.

This was a fun, sweet, sexy, second-chance love story with a slower build towards intimacy and vulnerability. I was glad that with a title like "The Hot One" that is was not just about sexcapades.  I absolutely loved this couple. Their past was layered with secrets, misconceptions, half truths, and hurt. Their present offered not only an opportunity for answers, but also a chance of starting over. They both had some things to learn about themselves and the other, allowing them to grow personally and together. And it built at a realistic level due to their history and issues. I was pulled right in and totally fell for these characters and their story told in dual points of view.

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review. 

When a surprise glimpse of the one that got away from him catches Tyler off guard at the park, he is determined to right his wrong and win her back. But will his crazy schemes to get her back be too much and push her further away? He must prove his intentions this time around to win back her trust and her love.

Delaney hasn't forgotten her college boyfriend, but she sure has tried. He broke her heart and left her questioning so much. Now that he's back, she isn't willing to jump right back where they were. She doesn't trust that he'll toss her aside yet again and this time it would hurt even worse.

I love Tyler. He is impetuous, impulsive, and methodical all at the same time. His one regret is the one he let get away. Or pushed away. He isn’t shy about letting his feelings known this time around, he just has to figure out how to get Delaney to believe him. He owns his mistakes and is determined to not make the same ones again.

She has a great group of friends surrounding her. I loved both the support they offered, the advice, and the distraction of girls nights and shoe shopping. Tyler is related to Clay Nichols, so the cameos are longtime favorite characters.

They have instant chemistry again, but what makes this even better is the pace they set. Delaney is serious about making sure he isn't going to hurt her again and puts the brakes on the physical side of things in order to get to know each other again. After all, eight years is a lot of time to change. Even though she remembers him as the hot one, she is determined to make sure there is trust between them before things go too far. 

This is a sexy, sweet second chance romance. The pacing is slower than the title would suggest, with attention to the relationship and intimacy between them before the physical relationship picks back up again. Each of these standalones by Lauren pulls me in and keeps me locked into the story from start to finish. Her heroes are hot, flawed, and swoony. Her heroines are smart, confident, and not afraid to fight for what they want. 

I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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. 

Lauren Blakely
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter |