Sunday, November 11, 2007

REVIEW- Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist

Title: Sexiest Man Alive.
Author: Diana Holquist.
Publisher: Grand Central (former Warner).

BLURB: Shy No More Worksheet
Name: Jasmine Burns


Imagine the person who intimidates you. Naked.
I'm intimidated by Josh Toby, the world's biggest movie star. Who has to imagine him naked? I've seen it on a forty-foot screen.

Breathe deep.
Did I mention he's Josh Toby? As his costume designer, I'm supposed to dress him. And undress him. Oh, and my psychic sister Amy, who has never been wrong, named him my One True Love. Breathing is completely out of the question.

Ask for what you want.
What I want is for him to stop being so...irresistible! I want not to fall in love with a man who's stalked by the paparazzi, whose washboard abs could cut glass, and whose movie star girlfriend is the most stunning creature ever.

Believe you can do what needs to be done. Then do it.
So, all I have to do is believe I can resist Josh Toby. Resist those deep violet eyes, those strong, muscular arms, and the way he makes me feel like the only woman on earth. Couldn't be easier. Yeah right...

I read this book because I kept seeing decent reviews and I was expecting a fun, quirky storyline. Well, I got that, but what I didn't get was a hero I found... heroic. He was a touch on the feminine side. Why do I say this do you ask? Let me site some examples.

Example 1: He's a movie star, the press thinks he's dating Cleo Chan, but really that's a ruse. Anyway, he talks Jasmine into dressing up for Halloween and she finally reluctantly agrees. The catch is, she'll dress up as him, Josh Toby, but as his character Mitch Tank and he'd dress up as Cleo Chan.

"What?" he asked. His eyes lit up to match the spark in hers.

"I'll be you." She paused as she considered the implications of what she was about to say, then rushed ahead recklessly before she lost her nerve. She could do it. she could make the costume with her eyes closed. She could transform this man into whomever she liked. "And you be your girlfriend, Cleo. That's my final offer. Take it or leave it."

But instead of looking horrified, he grinned. "Ooooh, yes! Very wicked, Jas. i'll have to back you into corners more often. I'm in. Definitely in."


Okay... what hero in a romance novel talks like that? Does that not sound a little on the gay side? Or at least bisexual or metrosexual to you? Gah.

Example 2: They did the Halloween thing and are now at a restaurant eating. He asks her if she has a boyfriend. She lies and says yes. He asks what his name is...

"His name is Josh also. Coincidence." Not.
"So, what's he like? C'mon. Spill. What kind of man can penetrate the defenses of the elusive Jasmine Burns?"


Any of you dated a guy who talks like that? A guy who says, "spill"?

While the storyline and premise of the book were fun and quirky, the hero was just too feminine in spots for me to enjoy his character 100%. Now for me, the "Sexiest Man Alive" is a man of few words, and when he does speak, they're masculine... words that make you shiver.

Anyway, that's my take on this book. It's impossible to give it a grade, but if you don't mind a hero who isn't necessarily macho, then you''ll love this book. As it is, I did like the story and the premise and most of the characters, sans the blips where the hero was less than macho in my eyes. *shrug*


Grade of the storyline alone: B.
Grade of the story as a whole: Probably a D.

8 comments:

  1. I'm still undecided on this one. I've never read this author before ~ the blurb sounds good. Sorry you didn't like it more.

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  2. Ha. I got this one because one of the ladies at DearAuthor gave it a decent review, but now you are the 2nd person to give it a disappointing one. I'll have to give this one a go and see if it works for me. Great review, btw.

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  3. I think I might be too old for this premise. LOL It's been a long time since I could relate to daydreaming about a movie star. Either that, or my lack of enthusiasm for contemporary romance is coloring my view. So sorry this one didn't work for you Anne. Hate it when that happens.

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  5. Yep, Stacy, that's where I heard about it too... on Dear Author. And then I looked on Amazon and it has five stars... so not worthy of five stars. Not with that kind of male/hero characterization. Blech.

    Dev- If you read it, I hope you like it. It's a light, fluffy plot, but the portrayal of the hero was just too feminine for me.

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  6. Well, as I read your review I knew on so many levels this wouldn't appeal to me. Then when I read Jennifer's comment I understood why - I'm too old for this kind of fluff. LOL 'Cause if she's too old for it, I sure as heck am. GG

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  7. Hrrmph! You're all making me feel old. *G* I have to admit the movie star premise was never my favorite, but I know many like it. Outside of sitcoms I've never heard a man speak that way, but I don't live in a large metropolitan area and maybe that's partly why? Perhaps he was more a Beta or Gamma (as opposed to Alpha) hero?

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  8. I liked this book, a lot. I thought it was clever and fun. The "spill"? Well,I didn't really notice(hmm.. now that's sort of surprising). The halloween costumes? My background is in the theatre and I'll tell you, actors will do ANYTHING. They are a different breed of man all together. Of course that was a long time ago...
    It was Jasmine who caught me up in the story, not Josh. I'm willing to like my heroine more than my hero if she is interesting enough. And that Jasmine is a lot of fun.

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Have you read it? What do you think?

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