Review: Just the Sexiest Man Alive

Title: Just the Sexiest Man Alive
Author: Julie James
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Published: October 2008

Taylor Donovan knows that being a lawyer takes a lot of hard work. She has put in long hours, taking work home, working weekends and having very little free time. All of this so that she can reach her goal of making partner. So when she's sent to her firms office in Los Angeles to work on an important case she stays true to form and gives it her all. That is until she's asked to help out one of the firms star clients. And they do mean star. Jason Andrews is an award winning, international movie star. He's also drop dead gorgeous and uses his looks and status to get what he wants. Taylor just wants him gone. But he's not going anywhere until he gets what he wants and what he wants is Taylor.

This is Julie James' first novel and if it's any indication of her talent I'll be keeping her on my list of authors to watch and read. Word in romance land is that the contemporary is a dying breed. Not true. Case in point is Just the Sexiest Man Alive. It's an engaging, quick read with nary a vampire, shape shifter or witch in sight.

Taylor is a born and raised Midwestern gal. The Hollywood lifestyle of the rich and famous is not at all what Taylor is use to. She works in her law firms Chicago office but temporarily moves to Los Angeles to work a case that she hopes will help her towards her goal of making partner. She has neither the time or patience to deal with an arrogant movie star who thinks Taylor should be at his beck and call.

Enter Jason Andrews. Tall, gorgeous, every woman's dream. Except for Taylor - he's her nightmare. Taylor is forced to change her schedule to suit Jason's which causes her extra work. She's tries to get rid of him but it's a no go. He only wants her. So she's stuck with him. As they work together, getting Jason an inside look at the workings of a courtroom, Taylor gets to know Jason better, sees his other, more personal side. She realizes he's not always the arrogant jerk she first thought he was.

Jason Andrews *sigh, scream, swoon*. The Sexiest Man Alive. And he knows it! He also takes his work very seriously. He may be beyond beautiful but he's also one hell of an actor. He likes getting into his roles, researching and figuring out what makes his character tick. So when he meets Taylor Donovan and sees her in action he knows she the one he wants to learn from. He refuses her continued tries at getting him to agree to having another lawyer work with him. He wants her to work and train him on all things about the law.

The book starts out a bit slow but once Jason and Taylor meet it picks up quickly. The dialogue between the two was the best part of the story. They're both quick witted and not afraid to say what's on their mind. There were times when they both act too childish and it did get to be irritating. That and the fawning and swooning of Taylor's friends when they meet Jason were cause for a few eye rolls.

Taylor and Jason make a good pair. The fact that Taylor doesn't treat Jason like the movie star he is but instead treats him like another guy, a guy who she finds extremely attractive, but still treats him like more than just a pretty face. Talk about a role reversal! And Jason at first finds the fact that Taylor doesn't bow down to him frustrating. Once he realizes that she takes him seriously and her interest goes beyond his face he finds he likes how she acts when she's with him. Jason isn't used to people wanting to stay out of the spotlight. Most people he meets want to share that spotlight with him. But not Taylor.

I found Just the Sexiest Man Alive an entertaining, quick read. Ms. James next book Practice Makes Perfect is due out March 3. More author and book info can be found on her website.

Rating: B+