Simon Travers is hotness personified, and it's not in derision that nannies and baby sitters call him THE SEXY ONE, and flirt and bat their eyelashes at him. Not only that, he's financially secure, he's buff, he's nice and he adores his five year-old daughter Hayden. But Simon has a serious problem: he has been in lust with his nanny from day one. He is so not going there, he is not going to be that cliché of the man who goes after his nanny. Abby Becker has been working as a nanny for Simon for seven months, and she keeps trying to convince herself that she cannot be attracted to him, she should not; she needs her job, she loves Hayden, and she really enjoys working for Simon. Besides she doesn't even know if he feels the same; he's been professional the whole time, even though she relishes the adult conversations they have when he comes home late from work. Maybe she looks forward to those little moments too much, and it seems so does he...

Oh how Lauren Blakely weaves a delectable, sensuous love story that is so genuinely sweet, that I too fell completely in love with Simon, Abby and even Hayden. Unlike the other stories that follow the lives of our Manhattan friends, starting with BIG ROCK, which were told from the hero's point of view, THE SEXY ONE is told from dual points of view, and I think it makes the story even stronger in this case. Simon is just too darling for words: he's not perfect, but perfectly normal in all his sexiness and gorgeousness; he is a good man who happens to come in a most yummy package. I read with a smile on my face and joy in my heart because they are just so lovely and they felt so genuine. Before Simon and Abby even realize it, it's obvious they already are a family, and their verbal exchanges are a definite proof of that: they tease each other gently, they are interested in the other's interests and dreams. In spite of their valiant resistance, they cannot deny the attraction that pulls them always closer. And the moment they realize that this attraction is mutual made me hold my breath, and that first kiss? Magical!

It's extraordinary how Lauren Blakely can put emotions into words, how she can find the exact words to convey every little moment, every little touch, every smile, and make the reader feel it's only for her/him; how she can reach our heart and soul and make fiction so real is a rare gift. And at the end, Ms. Blakely gives us an all too tantalizing taste of the goodies that await us in the coming months, and it is going to be smashing indeed. What more can I say about THE SEXY ONE? I loved it, I loved it, I loved it!