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!

 

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Paperback | Audible

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Synopsis

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 . . .?

 

ADD TO GOODREADS

 

 

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Review

3.5 short, sweet and sexy second-chance stars

I love Lauren Blakely’s books. You are always guaranteed a fun, sexy, romantic read, and that’s exactly what she delivered with this book. Add in a second-chance-romance, and I was totally hooked.

Tyler and Delaney fell in love in college. They were best friends, they challenged and supported each other, and they were crazy, wildly passionate for each other. They had grand plans for a future together until Tyler ended it all, completely out of the blue. In the eight years since then they have never forgotten about each other, but it takes an unexpected meeting in the park one day to spark all kinds of reminiscing, prompting Tyler to make amends for his mistake and maybe, win back the girl that he never moved on from.

“I’ve had plenty of meaningless dates and pointless conversations. This woman was never pointless. She was everything.”

I really liked Tyler. Now a hot-shot entertainment lawyer, he is cocky and gorgeous, and known for his tendency to dive on into a situation head-first, and that’s exactly what he does with Delaney. With messages, phone calls, gifts and even a striptease in her place of work (hot damn!), he makes his play, and his teasing, flirty nature is so much fun!

“What is really driving me crazy now is one thing.”
“Is it the sheer amount of naked skin in front of you?” he asks gesturing to his body. “I don’t like robes, sweetheart. You know that.”

Delaney’s heart was shattered when Tyler left her. She picked herself up and created a wonderful life for herself – taking a completely different path than the one she envisaged with him – but she has never forgotten her first love. She is understandably hostile when he suddenly inserts himself into her life, but their chemistry is still sizzling, and she can’t resist him for too long.

With some people, chemistry never fades. Perhaps for some, it intensifies.

This is a gorgeous story of two people reconnecting. Full of great banter, flirting, teasing, and some fantastic sexual tension, I loved watching Tyler and Delaney rediscover each other.

He taps his chest with both hands. “Let me introduce you to me. I’m the guy who wants you back. Badly.”

Tyler is so open with Delaney, he totally owns his mistake in the past, but he makes it clear that he wants her back, and I love how he put himself out there for her. And though they are wildly attracted to each other, there is no sudden diving back into bed, and I love that Blakely took the time to develop the friendship between them first, allowing them to recapture the easiness of their past.

“I want to take you home, strip these clothes off your beautiful body, and have my way with you,”
…
“I want that. You know I want that.”
“Me, too.” My voice is rough with need.
“But I was really enjoying our awkward first date banter, too,” she says with a twitch of her lips, that makes me grin as well.
“We were rocking the I-have-no-clue-what-to-say chitchat, weren’t we?”
“Like nobody’s business.”

But never fear, there is sexy time, and it is freaking hot! Passionate and intense with a lots of emotion and a whole heap of dirty talk. Hot dayum! (Not a spoiler, but have a fan handy before reading this one…)

Their desire for each other is never in doubt, but for them to have any kind of future, Tyler will need to convince Delaney that he’s committed to her, and again, his willingness to put his heart on the line is gorgeous.

“Tell me, Tyler. Is it just sex?”
I shake my head. “Woman, the way I feel is not just coming from how much I want to fuck you.”
“Or how much I want you to fuck me,” she tosses back, with a naughty little lilt to her voice that tells me all her worries have been assuaged.
“Exactly. There’s way more to this, and you know it.”

I really liked these characters. Both strong and confident, they are so much fun together, and their building romance was really nicely written. After the way Tyler behaved in the past I would have liked to have seen a little bit more grovelling before Delaney decided to take him back, but the man certainly knows how to prove his devotion, and his romantic declarations had me swooning.

“I’m not just crazy for you … It’s way more than that, angel. It’s so much deeper. I’m in love with you all over again.”

I love how Blakely ties in her standalones with her other books, but still keeps them absolute standalones. In this case, Tyler is the friend of Simon from The Sexy One, and Delaney is best friends with Penny from The Only One. There are some glimpses of those characters and their partners, but this book can easily be read on its own.

This was a really fun read. Tyler and Delany’s story was short, sweet and sexy with a great second-chance-romance and I really enjoyed it.

“It was always you. I always thought of you. You made me feel…so much.”
“Angel, you make me feel everything.”

3.5 stars.

 

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Excerpt

She turns her head.

And waves.

And smiles.

That smile makes me feel like I can do this. Like I can win her heart again. Mine pounds faster as I near her, and it’s not just because I happen to think she’s the most stunning woman I’ve ever seen, but because of who she is.

I arrive at her side, and she straightens. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

There’s that awkwardness again, and I want no part of it today. Like the bungee jumper I am, I lean in and dust a quick kiss on her lips. At first, she freezes. That won’t fucking do at all. My tongue darts out, flicking her top lip. A soft breath escapes her, and she gives in. Her sweet lips linger on mine, sending a charge down my spine. My brain leapfrogs ahead, and I picture scooping her up in my arms, carrying her to a quiet little patch of trees, and kissing her till she begs me to take her home.

I want that badly—I want her to beg for it because she’s at her happiest when she’s overcome—but I suspect it’s too soon for her.

Not to mention, screwing in Central Park usually results in a public citation. Public fornicators are never as clandestine as they think they are.

I nibble lightly on her bottom lip for a few seconds, drawing out a throaty murmur from her. Then I somehow find the will to separate.

She blinks. Several times. She sways the slightest bit, like her feet barely touch the ground. Good. I want her to be affected.

She furrows her brow. “I’m sorry, but do we kiss now when we see each other in the park?”

“Evidently we do.”

“Weird. Because I didn’t get that memo.”

I rock on my heels. “Want me to take it back?”

“The kiss or the memo?”

“The memo,” I say matter-of-factly, like this is all so obvious. “You can’t take a kiss back.”

“You sure on that, Nichols?”

“I can try to take back the kiss. Want me to, sweet girl?” I use the term of endearment I once called her. She doesn’t blanch, and that’s a damn good sign.

She smirks. “Be my guest.”

I kiss her once more, like I’m reversing the lip lock, doing it all in rewind, pulling away ever so slowly, ever so softly, leaving her dazed once more.

Perfect.

If she can drive me this crazy, make me this hard, send the temperature in my blood to beyond incendiary, the least I can do is return the favor.

Judging from her reaction, I’m doing it right.

I gesture from her to me. “Like that. I think that’s how you take back a kiss.”

Chuckling, she nods to the running path. “Ready for me to kick your ass?”

Every competitive bone in my body snaps to attention. “We’ll see about that,” I say, then I smack her pink nylon covered behind.

Her eyes widen, saying oh-no-you-didn’t.

But there’s a twinkle in those baby browns that says the lady might like spanking.

That’s new, and it’s most interesting.

I pencil in a new item on my mental to-do list. Find out how much she likes spanking. I never spanked her in college—just wasn’t part of the repertoire. But judging from her response now, I’m more determined than ever to find out everything she likes in and out of bed.

 

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Giveaway

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The Escapist Book Blog is not responsible for this giveaway

 

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Lauren Blakely Standalones

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About the Author

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 twelve 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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