From New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely, comes THE ONLY ONE, a sexy new standalone novella in her One Love Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights!
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Blurb

From the New York Times bestselling author of THE SEXY ONE comes a romance about fate and second chances.

Let’s say there was this guy. And he gave you the most mind-blowing night of sex in your life. And you never saw him again.
Until ten years later.
Now, it turns out he’s the ONLY ONE in all of Manhattan whose restaurant is available the night of my charity’s gala.
The trouble is, he doesn’t recognize me.
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This woman I’m working with is so damn alluring. The first time I set eyes on her, I’m captivated and I can’t get her out of my mind. Even if it’s risky to tango with someone I’m working with, she’s a risk I’m willing to take.
The trouble is, she won’t give me the time of day.
But I’m determined to change that.

THE ONLY ONE is a standalone novella following characters first introduced in THE SEXY ONE (Gabriel) and WELL HUNG (Penny). 

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BOOK TRAILER

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Review

4.5 “Shortcake” stars!

I love second chance romances and I love Lauren Blakely. Put those together and you get The Only One and it was perfect in every way. Mixed with heart, humor, and steam, this fantastic novella left me with a smile and a happy heart.

Ten years ago when Penny was twenty-one, she met a handsome man in Barcelona who rocked her world. They planned to reconnect a week later when both were scheduled to be in New York City at the same time, but when Penny goes to meet Gabriel, she waits by the Lincoln Center Fountains only to find that fate was not on her side.

My three-day love affair under the starry Spanish sky with the man who whispered sweet nothings in my ear while he played my body like a virtuoso pianist isn’t getting a second act.

Hurt and devastated, she vowed to move on and let him go. She removed his reminders from her life and tries to forget about him.

Fast forward to present time, it’s been ten years since Penny saw Gabriel. She lives in Manhattan and runs an animal rescue called Little Friends. She is in desperate need of finding a caterer for the upcoming picnic for her organization, so with  the short list of available restaurants in hand, she heads to her appointments.

The last restaurant with an opening is called Gabriel’s.
I startle as I read the name and, unexpectedly, my breath catches.
That name
…Even now, years after my valiant attempt to erase that man from my history, his name alone does something to me.

Though he doesn’t appear to recognize her, Penny is wholly affected by Gabriel’s presence the moment she walks through the door to his restaurant. She doesn’t know how to manage the situation and he doesn’t know how to come to terms with the fact that this woman could possibly be the same one from his past.

I blink, momentarily transported to another place. I swear an image of Penelope slips over Penny, and the two seem one and the same. It’s as if I’m in two lives at once—this one here with her, and a past life with a girl I was falling in love with in hardly any time at all.

As they spend time with each other, the heated glances become more frequent and the sexual tension increases. Penny and Gabriel’s chemistry is electric and they cannot keep their hands off each other. Will they find that second chances really are the sweetest?

I loved The Only One.  It was equal parts fun, sweet, and steamy, and had a fantastic complete storyline even though it is a novella. I enjoyed the setup of the story and how the memories were filtered throughout and I loved that we get to watch Penny and Gabriel fall twice.

The characters were wonderful and I am glad it was written in duel POVs. Penny was refreshing and Gabriel was delicious. I loved getting inside their heads and understanding what they were feeling while coming to terms with what went wrong in the past.

Penny was so sweet. I loved her confidence and how hard she worked towards her dreams. She recognized what she wanted out of life and what type of man she wanted to be with and I was so happy that it was Gabriel. Gabriel was sweet, charming, and oh so sexy. The things that came out of his mouth made me swoon and I loved everything about him. He had a tender heart and was fully invested in Penny when he realized who she was.

Something happened to cause Gabriel to miss the rendezvous point with Penny and the story slowly reveals what happened in the best possible way. Every word I read that touched on the missed opportunity had me more and more eager for the answer. When the whole truth came to light, it was refreshing that there was no over the top drama. I loved that they were mature about the situation and trusted each other, giving in completely, and that they realized and understood that all relationships have ups and downs.

He curls his hand around mine and kisses me deeply. It tastes like the past, like the present, and like all our tomorrows.

Overall, The Only One is a sweet little gem and it was the perfect story to hold us over until Full Package releases.

*ARC generously provided by the author and Inkslinger PR in exchange for an honest review*

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Excerpt

The last restaurant with an opening is called Gabriel’s.

 I startle as I read the name and, unexpectedly, my breath catches.

 That name.

 I freeze, one hand on the mascara wand, the other holding my phone. Even now, years after my valiant attempt to erase that man from my history, his name alone does something to me.

 I’ve dated since him. I’ve had a few serious boyfriends. But there’s still just something about that man. Maybe that’s the curse of experiencing the best sex of your life at age twenty-one. At the time, I figured that sex with Gabriel was so great because I didn’t know better. Now, I’ve learned that sleeping with him was mind-blowing because…sleeping with him was mind- blowing.

 Those three nights in Spain were magical, passionate, and beyond sensual. I’ve tried to implement Gabriel amnesia, but he still lingers in the corners of my mind. Letting go of the mascara tube, I take a breath and tell myself a name is just a name. It’s a mere coincidence that this eatery on my list shares the same name.

 Except…my Gabriel was a cook. A struggling line cook in a small bistro in Barcelona that summer, planning to move to Manhattan for a job here.

 I drop my forehead into my hand as a fresh wave of foolishness crashes over me. What if he’s been here all these years? What if he came to New York and simply didn’t want to see me? What if we’ve been sharing the same island for the last decade? What if he was married when we were together? What if he went home to his wife, his girlfriend, his lover?

 I forced myself to stop playing this what if game ten years ago when he didn’t show for our rendezvous. I booted him from my brain and refused to linger on him, and especially on all the possible reasons why he left me alone.

 Now, he’s all I can think about. I need to know if this Gabriel is my Gabriel.

 When I google the restaurant, I let out an audible groan.

 I blink.

 Blink again.

 Try to still my shaking fingers.

 He’s here. He’s in Manhattan. After a decade, I’m going to come face-to-face with the man who stole my heart and my body.

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More books by Lauren Blakely

 

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About the Author

Since self-publishing her debut romance novel CAUGHT UP IN US over three years ago, Lauren Blakely has sold more than 1.5 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 thirteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than seventy times. Her bestselling series include Sinful Nights, Seductive Nights, No Regrets, Caught Up in Love, and Fighting Fire as well as standalone hit romances like BIG ROCK, MISTER O, WELL HUNG, and THE SEXY ONE which were all instant New York Times Bestsellers. In January she’ll release FULL PACKAGE, a standalone romantic comedy.

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