L'homme le plus sexy

by Julie James, Sophie Dalle (Traduction)

Jeune avocate, Taylor Donovan doit accomplir une mission bien particulière : coacher un acteur qui, pour son prochain rôle, souhaite s’imprégner de l’ambiance des tribunaux. Mais pas n’importe quel acteur. Jason Andrews ! Le plus grand acteur d’Hollywood, pourchassé par les paparazzis et harcelé par ses fans. D’emblée, la collaboration s’annonce délicate entre la juriste rigoriste et le comédien trop sûr de son charme. Taylor ne peut s’empêcher de banderiller cet ego surdimensionné... mais combien de temps résistera-t-elle à l’homme le plus sexy d’Hollywood ?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Adult, Humor, Fiction

375 pages

First published October 7, 2008

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Julie James practiced law with one of the nation's largest firms for several years until she began writing screenplays. After Hollywood producers optioned two of her scripts, she decided to leave the practice of law to write full-time. Her books have been translated into twenty-two languages and Julie’s ninth novel, THE THING ABOUT LOVE, is now available.

Julie James lives with her husband and two children in Chicago, where she is working on her next novel.

Visit Julie's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/JulieJamesfan...

Follow Julie on Twitter: http://twitter.com/juljames and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliejamesa...

Reviews

[Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't read many romance oriented books.

Sure, I read the occasional paranormal or fantasy romance, and I definitely like my books to have an element of hearts and flowers, but generally speaking, I prefer ACTION to relationships, and I prefer the supernatural to vanilla humans.

BUT.

The infrequent mood does strike, and when it does, I have a handful of go-to authors.

Julie James is one of them.

Her books are smart and funny, and while all fictional romances demand that you willfully suspend disbelief, a James book requires it less than most.

Except this one, maybe. B/c SEXIEST MAN ALIVE. *snickers*

Taylor Donovan is on loan to the LA branch of her Chicago law firm. She leapt at the opportunity to temporarily change her surroundings after walking in on her fiancé screwing his 22-year-old teaching assistant on his desk.

I can't say that I blame her.

And things are going great. Taylor is pummeling the opposing council, discrediting witnesses left and right, really owning the case she was brought in to work, and then . . . she gets called into one of the partner's offices and is asked--as a favor--to help out one of the firm's Big Deal clients: Jason Andrews, Hollywood's #1 Actor (think Brad Pitt ten years ago) is filming a legal thriller and wants to observe a real litigator to better understand his role.

And Taylor is the best . . . so only Taylor will do.

Unable to refuse (though she tries, oh, how she tries), she reluctantly agrees and sets up an appointment.

Which he is unable to make, canceling at the last minute.

So she reschedules.

And he no call/no shows.

Having cleared her days for him--TWICE--Taylor is PISSED.

And when she sees an entertainment news segment interviewing him in VEGAS, she understandably loses her mind.

From there it just gets more fun.

I have a couple of minor issues with the OTT-ness of how Hollywood was represented, but maybe that's just my ignorance speaking, and overall, JUST THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE was the brain candy I needed. The characters are fun and engaging, the plot is more believable than most that I've seen involving love-me-I'm-famous storylines, and James is just really good at what she does. Highly recommended.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can thank Jeff & Trish for my overabundance of Chris Hemsworth gifs...

Review 2014

So. I finally bought this, because my library didn't have it in digital format.
Boo!
And if you know me, then you also know that this is a very Big Deal.
For two important reasons:
1)I'm cheap
2)See above



Also, I rarely re-read books, because I simply have too many new books coming at me. But every once in a while, I like to clear my palate and read something that I know I'm going to enjoy.
Which brings us to this little gem.

Taylor and Jason.
sigh
It shouldn't work for me. Nothing about this story should work for me.
I don't like stories about actors. Or lawyers.
I'm not even really a HUGE fan of chick-lit.
And I sure as hell don't like to read romance novels that don't have any sex scenes in them!



And yet...
Somehow this story makes me smile. Reallyreally smile.
It's funny, it's sweet, and I love both of the main characters.
So, I bought it. And read it...again.



Review for 2012
Ok, so I just re-read this. It is still unbelievably cute the second time around.
Highly Recommended for fans of the light and fluffy stuff!

Original review 2011
This was a little slice of Chick-Lit heaven! Soooo good!
Now, don't let the title fool you, there are no sex scenes in the book. However, I'm willing to overlook this fatal flaw, because the story is just so darn good.

[Julie (jjmachshev) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed for queuemyreview.com; book release: October 2008

Okay, time for some ‘True Confessions’. Is there any woman alive who hasn’t dreamed of landing the absolute sexiest Hollywood star? Fess up! We’ve all dreamed it. It may have been when we were younger, but we’ve still all dreamed of Mel Gibson, Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt, Robert Redford, etc. But really, could we make it past their egos? Their unreal lives? The paparazzi? In “Just the Sexiest Man Alive”, Julie James spins a tale of that dream come true. He’s smoking hot, he’s been voted the sexiest man alive THREE times running, and he seriously needs an attitude adjustment.

Taylor is our heroine. She’s the star up-and-coming lawyer at a big Chicago firm who has been brought out to Los Angeles to try a $30 million lawsuit. She was more than happy to get out of Chicago and get away from her lying scumbag of an ex-fiancé who she caught ‘in flagrante delicto’ on their dining room table! To cope, she’s thrown herself into work and now she has this chance to shine! Until…the LA office gives her a small side job, they assign her to work with megastar Jason, whose next film stars him as a lawyer. He just needs some tips on legal issues and characterization. Shouldn’t take much time…right.

Jason is the sexiest man alive. Just ask him. He’ll quote you statistics about how many times the average woman watches his movies. He can, and has repeatedly, had any woman he wants…until Taylor. Of course, it doesn’t help that he blows off his first two appointments with her…after she’s cleared her very busy schedule. Doesn’t she know who he is? Any woman should be THRILLED to drop everything to spend time with him…uh huh.

As you can imagine, Jason is so very easy to despise. His character hits every bad ego-inflated Hollywood stereotype. But the beauty of this story is that we get to see him slowly come back to the real world. He’s mightily attracted to Taylor (lucky, lucky girl) and he makes his share plus of mistakes. But gradually, he becomes human enough to feel guilt, regret, remorse, and love. The bad boy reformed…and don’t we all love that!

This is author Julie James’ first novel. I must say I was very impressed with the way the author brings the whole Hollywood game-playing scene to life. The supporting ‘cast’ in the story is excellent. We meet publicity hungry stringers, agents, and wanna-be big names, looking out for themselves and shamelessly arrogant. Then there’s the paparazzi who’ll do anything for that one money-maker shot. So much fun to hate ‘em all! And a no-nonsense lawyer with shark-like instincts in the courtroom, but down to earth once outside. I liked Taylor. Heck, I wanna BE Taylor in my next life because I think I’ve missed my chance in this one!

“Just the Sexiest Man Alive” is a true romance. A larger than life hero and an unlikely heroine whose lives would normally never intersect, and yet they turn out to be perfect for each other. All together now…AWWWW. If you’re looking for a feel-good romance, you can’t go wrong with this story. Julie James’ next novel, “Practice Makes Perfect” is due out in March of 2009. I’ll be looking to pick up that one too!

[Alp · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You had me at Shit Happens.”


What a lovely read!

Oh my God, this book knocked my socks off! I didn’t think it would be this good! If I had known, I would have read it sooner. It was such a fun read that I couldn’t help but turn the pages non-stop. I can’t believe I finished it in one night! Yes, you read that right—one night. And I think that says a lot about how much I enjoyed this one.

This is a story of a larger-than-life Hollywood actor, Jason Andrews, and a sexual harassment attorney, Taylor Donovan.

Taylor was on loan from Chicago for the big harassment case in Los Angeles. While she was in the middle of preparing for a trial, she was asked to coach the biggest star in Hollywood, Jason Andrews, in his new role as a lawyer in the upcoming film. She wasn’t happy that she had to take some time off work to babysit this spoiled movie star, but however, she had no choice but to accept to work with him. Instead of showing up at the meeting as scheduled, he went to Las Vegas with his friend. He didn’t just blow off their meeting once, but twice. And at this point, she was beyond angry with him.

Later, Jason tried to reschedule the meeting but Taylor turned him down flat. He had never met anyone who gave him the cold shoulder and then walked out on him like she did to him before, so he saw her refusal as a challenge. And what she didn’t know about him was that he was a man who didn’t take no for an answer.

As they got to know each other better, it stuck out a mile that their feelings ran deep on both sides. But with Jason’s playboy reputation, so how can Taylor know if she can trust him not to break her heart?

Oh yes, I adored this couple! Taylor is strong, sassy, clever, sarcastic, and never afraid to call Jason on his shit. And Jason, ooh Jason… He is such a darling though he can be a real pain in the ass at times. His dazzling personality and sense of humor had me swooning big time. Needless to say, these two were a perfect match!

By the way, I really enjoyed reading this book—every page of it. Just the Sexiest Man Alive is, hands down, one of my favorite novels by this author. Need I say more?

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a delightful and ebullient contemporary romance story.


-----------------------------------------------


“If you keep doing that, you’ll be turning in another wrecked PT Cruiser.”
“You said you wanted to drive,” Taylor whispered teasingly as she nibbled at his neck.
“Because I’m the man.”
“Fine. I’ll stop then, if that’s really what you want…”
The car careened wildly as it took the next corner.
“Fuck it,” Jason groaned. “I’ll buy you a new car.”

[Emily May · Rating 4 out of 5]

A 4 star rating is always a positive thing, especially with me because I have a tendency to be annoyingly picky over little things in books... but I still think this is my least favourite Julie James novel so far. For me, it just didn't have what Practice Makes Perfect and Something About You had. Of course, there was plenty of the author's trademark witty banter and the inevitable love/hate relationship that I've come to expect but Jason Andrews never really impressed me.

The story is about a Chicago lawyer, Taylor Donovan, who is sent to work with a Law firm in Los Angeles and then ends up getting roped into working with Hollywood's hottest actor - Jason Andrews. Jason is working on a part for his latest film where he will starring as a lawyer and wants Taylor's help in order to perfect the role. He cannot believe it when Taylor seems immune to his good looks and charm, when every other woman in the world wants more than anything else to sleep with him. His reputation in the press shows he's only too happy to oblige.

Okay, so this means the guy's really arrogant, conceited, pigheaded and often just plain annoying. There are plenty of stories where it all comes out that the tabloids got it all wrong and that the actor is actually a kind, caring individual with more to him than the large amount of notches on his bed post. I never really got that with Jason. The redemption of him just didn't seem to work and if I was in Taylor's position and knew what she knew about him at the end, I would never have ignored my previous concerns in favour of trusting him.

The novel would have been better if we'd been led to fall in love with Jason's personality, this seemed like an area that was never tapped into and I finished reading wondering if he actually had one. I also couldn't help but dislike the fact that Taylor gave up her partnership opportunities as a lawyer to be with an arrogant, oversexed actor. She seemed to all of sudden change from Ms strong-and-independent into Ms screw-my-career-if-I-can't-be-with-him and it wasn't a particularly smooth transition.

I enjoyed the novel and I really love Julie James' writing style of sarcastic humour and quickfire bantering. But I wanted more from this book and I feel unsatisfied by the conclusion. I want a male character I can like as much as the female lead does, I want character development that makes sense and I want more sex. Yes, that's another thing - I like smut with my romance, I'm not going to lie to you. This book had exactly 1 sex scene and it went something like "And then Taylor reached for his belt buckle..." *fade to black*. I've said in other reviews that I don't care if it's not overly descriptive, but come on, at least give a little detail. Dreamfever isn't descriptive like, say, a Lora Leigh novel, but it is damn hot!

[A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

The thing is, I don't like storylines with characters who are celebrities, particularly storylines with the stereotypical Hollywood setting. I don't know why.



But that is not the reason why I didn't rate this book higher.

I loved the banter and dry humor. I even liked the heroine. She's smart, strong and driven. But the hero rubbed me the wrong way. He is conceited, arrogant and borderline immature, a manchild. Not my type.



All in all, this is a fun book, but that's all it is. I like my books deeper, more meaningful.

[Catarina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stubborn Stars.

Taylor is a lawyer. Jason is a famous actor and he just was elected the “Sexiest Man Alive”. Now that he is preparing for a role when he’ll be playing an attorney, he seeks a lawyer firm to help him… and Taylor is the lucky chosen one. He immediately wants her. She wants nothing to do with him believing he’s too much trouble, too much famous and with a too sordid past.
He’s decided to have her anyway, so how does the sexiest man alive gets the only girl in the world who wants nothing from him?



This was a funny and sweet romance and very nice to read. I didn’t gave it five starts, first because this was one of those books where it needed one or another steamy moment. It had none. And also, the heroes took too much time to get together, which not only was frustrating, as he made me loose some interest in the middle of it. However, for some reason, Julie James books are always a safe choice for me. She is an amazing romance author with a remarkable writing style, and I know that I will always like a romance story written by her.



Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: Jason was sweet and sexy, and although some may say he was to full of himself, it’s true, but he did that in such a funny way that was impossible not to like him. Taylor was a strong heroine but her stubbornness made me hard for me to like her more. If it wasn’t for her, half of the frustration in this book didn’t even exist.
Steam: Meh.
Sensible Subjects: No.
Love Triangle: Well, for a (short) moment you can almost say that there is one. But the other guy is so insignificant that you don’t even care!
Cheating: No.
HEA: Yes. But as a standalone it definitely lacks an epilogue.

[Mo · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a re-read. I'm sorry, I have to drop some stars. I must have read this a couple of years back when all I was reading was straight romance, chick-lit even. My reading tastes have changed and progressed over the years and, while I enjoyed the story, there is no way it is a five star read. I think that is what I gave it back in the day.

This author is still and auto-buy for me. I preferred her FBI series. At least there is bit of mystery and suspense in them

Ah, well! Never mind.


Thought Jason was a bit shallow ... and his "come to Jesus" moment a bit implausible.



I will still download her new book when it releases.

[Camilla Isley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m devastated... only because I realized this is the last backlist title of Julie James’ I had left. Since I discovered her I’ve binge read her every word and now I’m in a serious book/author hangover...

Just the Sexiest Man Alive is another perfect love/hate romantic comedy, this time set in the Hollywood glam of LA.

That first time Taylor and Jason met and she cross examined him was everything... LoL and “Yeah, girl, you show him.”

Loved everything about this book...

[Pepito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an amazing read. I just can't believe how good it was. I started it and couldn't stop, I was so obsessed I finished it the very same night I started with it, I just kept reading till 5 am. I seriously recommend this to you all, it's just impossible not to love it.

This is a story about one of the best lawyers out there who has just found her fiancée banging his young secretary on "working time". Well she got over that asshole and got to work with not only the most rich, famous and handsome actor of the moment, but also the third time named sexiest man of the year.

While this sounds like a total chick flick, it really isn't. I had a great time reading it and this author is quickly becoming a fav. There are some amazing turns every now and then on her books that make you unable to stop reading. She has an amazing writing style and that sense of humor we all love, very dark and sarcastic but in a good way.

What I loved the most about this 2 main characters was that from the beginning you could see they were perfect for each other, they may have been so not what others would look for in a couple but they were just what the other needed. I was sighing no stop while reading, and I had to stop sometimes because I was feeling just too much. I blame the freaking amazing chemistry the characters had, I just adored them.

More than anything this was a very funny read and made me feel great in a time I needed a break because I had been working too much, so I must thank this amazing author for this book and recommend it. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

This is how I would order Julie James' books right now:
1-Just the Sexiest Man Alive
2-Practice Makes Perfect
3-Something About You


* I still have to read A Lot Like Love

[Pang Happy Holidays & Happy New Year =D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another my fave from Julie James with 4.8 stars..

Love, love, love the characters! They're made up the whole book for me, Taylor Donovan and Jason Andrews *drools*. It just come to my right mood of wanting to read some dreamy romance. A Normal Girl and a Super-hot-handsome-sexy-richy-whatever-guy.*cliché plot, I know* lol!

An Associate and a Hollywood Superstar. Jason is going to play the lawyer role in his legal thriller flim. Thus, Taylor is chosen from her Firm to babysit this Hollywood Superstar, teach him how to act as a lawyer. But alas.. this unavoidable job turns out to be a Nightmare for her. This Jason Andrew is just oh ho SO arrogant, self-centered, and self-important..

Though he is Just the Sexiest Man Alive.
The Guy many Women sigh for..
She is NOT one of them.

The book might be cliché, man.. but I can't help to really enjoy it! I love Taylor, she is such a smart, sassy, feity girl. The way she cope with Jason is great! Anyway, the man might be rude ass-hole with no good manner or anything I describe ealier. Don't u dare think I hate him cux it's opposite. I LOVE HIM!! I love his sarcastic sense of humor. Love the way he infuriate Taylor and vice versa, it made me lol a lot!

Sarcasm is everwhere! and I found myself *giggle* with Jason and Taylor throughout the book. Their game. Their banter. Their drama. Their sarcasm. They are very fun to read! Woow.. such a great read for me. :D

[Elodie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I only have one thing to say :

[Denisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Cute and funny!


Ok, maybe this book doesn't really deserve 4 stars, but I've been unlucky with books lately so I'm just happy to find a pretty good one.

The characters were really funny and sweet and yes, the story was predictable, but it was really well written. It was one of those hard-to-put-down books.

It's definitely worth a try if you're looking for a light, sweet, funny read.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

As always, with a Julie James book, I am filled with nothing but squees and rainbows upon finishing.

[Dd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this book was certainly NOT what anyone would call "perfect".In fact it was as perfect as Pearl Harbour was watchable(No disrespect meant for the fans-if there were any!).
The main characters too ,of course, had a TON of flaws.
Jason-the sexiest man alive-the hottest movie star-had an ego exceeding the size of Texas.He simply could not picture that any ordinary mortal would not fall to his feet and start worshipping him.Cocky,too full of himself,arrogant,rude.... you would want to throw something at him,including yourself(well that part is exclusively for those who belong to the feminine gender).
Taylor-the never loses a single case attorney-successful,smart,stunning,strong -was a little bit too self-assured,serious and certainly thought a lot.She had her fair share of ego and acted a bit too immature at certain points.
The story was quite shallow at many parts with no real depth to it.Few stupid parts dragged on and a few good parts ended in a blur before it could be savoured.
Now ,well, my greatest surprise -even after all these IMPERFECTIONS,I actually liked this book.This book because of its imperfections,was by no means beautiful, but it is soooo ADORABLE and CUTE.The characters ,especially Jason, at certain parts surprised me with his sweetness and capacity to love.And to be very fair the ending stole my heart away---

“—and so I was thinking that maybe I should start my own law firm.”
With this having been declared, they both fell silent. After a long moment, Jason spoke first.
“I think that’s a great idea.”
Taylor jumped off the couch excitedly. “I know! I can see it now—Taylor Donovan and Associates.
That has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”
Jason gave her the strangest look. “Don’t you mean TaylorAndrews and Associates?”
Taylor laughed as if this was the most ridiculous thing she’d ever heard.
She stopped abruptly when she saw Jason’s serious expression. “Ohh . . . I see our first fight as a
married couple is going to be a big one.”
Jason got up off the couch and walked over. He gave her an affectionate kiss.
“I’ll start preparing now.”
--after a paragraph or two THE ENDING LINES---
FINALLY, LATE THAT night as they lay in bed, Taylor rested her head on Jason’s shoulder, looking
up at him.
“I love you,” she said softly.
Jason’s arms tightened around her. He grinned sleepily. “I know.”
Taylor drifted off contentedly. Until, through the darkness, she heard a low, sneaky whisper.
“Mrs. Taylor Andrews . . .”
She didn’t bother to open her eyes.
“Still not gonna happen.”
But then she lay there, awake. She opened her eyes and, for a long time that night, watched Jason as he
slept peacefully by her side.
Only because she wanted to be sure she had gotten in the last word.
Of course.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros
• Some cute and funny bantering
• One really sweet moment (the hospital/Jason’s house scene)
• Jeremy: Jason’s best friend who is funny and supportive
• Really cute ending


Cons
• The arrogance of Jason and how he treated women in the past were nauseating. Also, I don’t understand why Jason didn’t just tell Taylor that he and Naomi never had anything. Like he expects her to trust him, when she’s still thinking he and Naomi are having sex? Like what?? He should’ve just told her so she won’t think he’s playing with them both. It’s weird to think this is the turning point for her – and yet, it could’ve been solved so easily on his part.
• Characters lacked depth: I felt like both Taylor and Jason could have been explored more as characters. I wanted more introspection and talks about their life, family, etc. It would be nice to get some more dimensions with both of them. Taylor, however, has more depth than Jason because readers at least find out why she is so motivated to be a successful lawyer (her parents gave up a lot for her) and why she is so distrustful of men (her cheating ex-fiancé). I find it weird that the family aspect of Taylor was dropped after her first mention of how much she appreciated her family. So are they close, are they not? No clue! Taylor at least, as a character, I can tell she is driven and confident and she kicks ass at court. On the other hand, Jason’s characterization is practically solely on being “the hottest and most successful actor in Hollywood,” which makes him arrogant and a player. He does somewhat develop to be more thoughtful and sweet as he falls in love with Taylor. However, I am bothered that his thoughts in his perspective are practically solely focused on “getting Taylor.” There’s not much introspection on his part outside of the romance. We did not get to explore his family (we do not even know if he has a family) or the reason why he chose acting as a career, or his goal in life, or anything else really.
• Romance also lacked depth: While I like the bantering and a few cute-funny moments between Taylor and Jason, I would have liked MORE. More talks, more developments, more getting to know each other, more moments. I feel like they still barely know one another, partially due to the point above (because the book itself didn’t give enough substance to the characters).
• Can Jason not put down other girls just because he thinks Taylor is “something special”? I would like to minimize the theme of female rivalry that both Jason and Taylor sometimes subtly promote. I don’t like the words “bimbos” or having to read that Taylor is more special because she’s not wearing an updo like all other girls at the ball. Like why does that even matter?

Overall, I’m giving this 2.5 stars. It is cute at times and I think the ending is rather satisfying, but the characters and romance needed a little something more.

Things that you might want to know (WARNING: Spoilers below)
Happy/satisfying ending? A bit hasty, but yes happy.
Love triangle? Cheating? Angst level? Not really a love triangle, but Taylor does go on a date with Scott after Jason announces that he’s having sex with Naomi (even though that’s a lie). Taylor kisses Scott a few times, but it was kinda like whatever to her.

And Jason doesn’t really think about other women when he met Taylor. But before he met Taylor, he was a pretty swarmy player.

Low-medium angst.

Tears-worthy? No.
Humor? Some.
Favorite scene? When Jason picks up Taylor at the hospital and watchers over her for 24 hours to make sure she’s not hurt. The ending was pretty cute too.
What age level would be appropriate? Mature audience. Some mentions of sexual content (but no explicit details). Some crude language.

[Mojca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, am I glad for my latest crazy book-shopping spree that led me to this little gem of a story.

With this flood of contemporary/suspense/thriller/paranormal romance hybrids out there it was refreshing stumbling upon a "straight" contemporary. They come rare these days, especially if you’re looking for a fresh and frolicking book that manages to deliver from beginning to end.

I loved the feel and the style of it. It was quirky, a little eccentric, hilarious, fast-paced, sarcastic, yet serious and sad at the appropriate moments. It’s obvious the author used to write screenplays, the whole thing had an almost movie-like feel, for me the characters and the story came alive even quicker and the book as a whole was a big more "tangible".

I absolutely adored the characters. They had depth (even the supporting cast), so many dimensions it was scary, and they appeared "real", like someone you’d meet on a street someday or read about in a magazine.
Taylor with her sarcastic defense system and that huge emotional scar she absolutely refused to acknowledge, yet it shaped her point of view and impacted everything she did and say, almost causing her to make the biggest mistake of her life. Kudos for her logical, lawyer-y brain for (once in a lifetime) being right and put its foot down.
And Jason. Oh, what to say about Jason. At first he was "a typical movie-superstar prick", but oh so slowly Taylor got to know him better, the reader got to know him better, and before you know it, we were both in love with the guy. Okay, so he was a jackass, especially the stunt with his co-star, but he did it for a good cause (his cause). And it worked! And when he finally decided to go with the flow and turned the charm up a notch…Ooh. Two thumbs up for the portrayal of the other part of Hollywood as well, the other side of Jason, beside the movie star. Because, when he finally allowed the true Jason to shine through the VIP veneer, that’s the moment Taylor fell in love with him. When he let himself be just a man instead of the actor, that’s when the arrow hit home. Yay!

Great mixing of worlds as well, Taylor’s legal one and Jason’s movie world (with all its hypocrisy and backstabbing "beautifully" portrayed by Scott Casey). These two complete opposites worked perfectly together, creating a wonderful couple…And a wonderful love story.

A highly recommended read. The author truly did one hell of a job with this one and Ms. James is already on my watch list (I’m looking forward to reading her next book – Practice Makes Perfect).

[Anzû · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hated both Jason and Taylor. The story was boring, unoriginal, tasteless and uneventful. A TOTAL burden to read, in other words. Why do people love this? Why so many five stars? Why an average rating of 4.05 out of 5? So many whys!

I’m not going to give it one star though. That’s because I actually managed to finish it. Barely, but I did. I can wholeheartedly say that I’m not impressed. I would like more character depth, a more interesting story and better humor.

[Nisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I outgrew these types of books, but no. This was really good. I loved both the H/H. The hero started off as an arrogant prick but he definitely grew up near the end. The way Jason thinks is hilarious, because for being 38 years old, he's still a kid. The heroine is one smart cookie. I love her, especially during her cross-examinations. The pre-trial thing was so fun to read. Taylor is really tough and holds her ground against Jason quite skillfully. The dynamics between them was very enjoyable, though quite cliche. Somehow, cliche is not always a bad thing.

Super awesome, worth a read and I want to buy this. I read Practice makes Perfect by Julie James and honestly, I liked this one better.

[ElaineY · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW OF AUDIOBOOK; 2011 and 2013
Loved, loved, loved the audio. Karen White turned this into a winner for me. Where I was iffy about the book when I read it back in 2009 and didn't care much for Jason, or Taylor, Karen White changed my overall reaction to them.

Suddenly, and incredibly to me, I was entranced by the sparks that flew between the two and enthralled by the developing romance.

I came back to these two books only after I had listened to JJ's FBI/US Attorney books and loved what Karen White did with them. My first time with Practice Makes Perfect and Sexiest Man Alive were ebooks on my old Sony ereader. The audios are both comfort listens, goos for going back to when I feel I need a perk0-up.

Interestingly, I do not like Karen White narrating non-Julie James books. I bought one romantic suspense narrated by her (can't remember which) and it was awful to my ears because I seem to have typecast her. She sounded odd in the serious romantic suspense because she was still speaking with that slight lilt to her voice and using the same cadence she does with Julie James' book. Needless to say, it was a DNF after in less than ten minutes.

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REVIEW OF EBOOK; 2009
I found this a very uneven book. Parts of it were downright terrible and parts were delightful. I'm giving it four stars because, in the end, the good parts won.

JTSMA is about a rather full-of-herself lawyer, Taylor Donovan, who meets someone ten times worse. While I found Taylor's personality rather contrived, Jason Andrews, the said sexiest male in this book, was too much of a jerk to be a romance hero, even one in a romantic comedy. For most part of the book, Jason displays the kind of spoilt, juvenile behavior even Paris Hilton would be ashamed of.

Still, the story was engaging enough for me to keep on reading though I did skip the part where Jason taught Taylor how to play crap in Las Vegas - borrrinngg. I was sufficiently interested enough to stick around and find out if the author could redeem her leading man. She did...barely, but enough and in time for this book to have a nice HEA. Both H & H do become more appealing but there were still a lot of snorts and groans coming from me because of the over-the-top writing and in some places, just plain over writing. I did feel, at times, as if Ms James worried way too much that her readers might not get what she's trying to say and so she needs to explain as if writing to kids.

And no prizes for guessing who her hero is modeled after. He's been named sexiest man of the year three times, has blue eyes, blond hair, the top movie actor at the moment, has a passion for architecture which is self-taught and his face graces the gossip mags covers week after week. Hordes of paparazzi follow him like bees after honey and if that's not enough, the name-dropping might help - Brad Pitt is mentioned two or three times, Angelina Jolie, Clooney, even Jen and Vince in case we still don't get it.

I usually pick something different after a Karen Rose and I couldn't get more different than JTSMA. If you can stomach the Hollywood drivel and stick around long enough, Jason does show his better side. Whether he can maintain it in tinseltown for the next six months, that I am still not convinced.

[Leah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had Just the Sexiest Man Alive, Practice Makes Perfect, and Something About You on my to-read shelf ever since SAY came out and everyone--and I do mean everyone--was reading it. However, I had never really paid much attention to them when I was in the bookstore. With the recent release of A Lot Like Love, I figured maybe it was time to jump on The Julie James Train. And let me tell you, I'm glad I did; I definitely should have read this sooner. Just the Sexiest Man Alive is one of the best debut books that I have ever read. Often, first books are rough and can end up being worth only about three stars, but this book was fantastic. It had me laughing from the get-go and, at some points throughout the book, I was even in tears. I think it's safe to say that Julie James rocks. Plus, she's from Chicago so she has to be awesome.

When I started the book, I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about the characters, what with it being a debut book and it being my first Julie James and all. But I love Jason and Taylor. Seriously. Jason was so cute and adorable and funny and sweet and awesome. I seriously wants him. Taylor too was awesome. She was ballsy, blunt, and bold. She made hilarious comments and had extremely entertaining inner-monologues. I also loved Jeremy, Jason's loyal best friend. I couldn't help but think that it would certainly be very interesting if Jeremy starred in his own book.

Not that I liked Scott, a.k.a. The Asshole, at all but I liked what I felt he represented. The Asshole's presence in the book really showed the pettiness of people in Hollywood. That's not to say that all people in Hollywood are like him, but I loved how realistically said pettiness was portrayed through The Asshole and his compatriots.

The one thing that I didn't feel was really played out to its full potential was the Daniel thing. I kept expecting him to show up or something. I hated the guy on principle and because Taylor was punishing Jason for Daniel's mistakes, so I was kind of hoping he would make at least a brief appearance aside from the flowers and the infamous card.

Despite The Daniel Thing, I definitely thought this was a great book and I completely anticipate anything from Julie James in the future and, frankly, she has become an auto-buy.


Favorite Quotes:
"You know, if you're trying to mark your territory, you could've just peed on me before I came over here and saved us both a lot of time!"

On the other end, Jason burst out laughing. "I always suspected you were into kinky shit."
(Taylor and Jason, page 172)


"I'm here for you, Jason. Because I realized that the one person who could break my heart is the only one who should have it."
(Taylor, page 288)


"I love you, Taylor. I think that I've been waiting for you to come into my life for a long, long time."
(Jason, page 289)

[southpaw285 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Taylor Donavan is an up and coming star attorney in a prestigious Chicago law firm. Jason Andrews is a Hollywood superstar who has been voted the Sexiest Man Alive, three years running.

Taylor has been sent to LA to try a $30 million law suit involving the EEOC. Her new boss has also given her a small assignment on the side. She must work with actor Jason Andrews to help him prepare for his upcoming roll in a legal thriller.

The heroine, Taylor Donavan is the star of this novel, with everyone else (hero included) having very little existence. While it is easy to see and feel the witticism of the heroine, the remaining characters are dull and lifeless. The author simply does nothing to bring them to life.

In one particular instance, the author indicates a certain scene will take place with a secondary character involving the heroine. This scene is continuously built up throughout the book, but never comes to conclusion. You keep waiting for a showdown that never happens.

Last, but certainly not least – the ending does not flow smoothly. While it does have a happily ever after, it is choppy at best.

The only reason for two stars is the witticism of the heroine, which is the only thing I enjoyed about this book.

Strike One!

[Lučka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, this was a fun read!

There were so many things I didn't like about this book you would think I didn't even enjoy reading it. But I did. Very much.

Hero's a condenscending, arrogant, self-centered prick, who never heard the word 'NO'. Movie star man-ho extraordinaire.

"Women should be treated like a film scripts: kicked to the curb after an hour if they don't hold your interest."

How did Ms. James make him likable is beyond me. On the other hand, he was actually very adorable when the heroine brought him down a peg or two. I chuckled evilly. He was very loyal to the people he cared about and overall I really liked him. He had eyes only for the h from the get-go and that helped a little.

The heroine is a typical James' heroine. Strong, independent, sarcastic, loyal...The only issue I had with her was that she had a problem with the H's celebrity status, but then went out with another actor who was also famous. It was contradictory. she kissed OM, but wasn't in a relationship with the H. I actually cheered her for kissing the OM, bc of the stunt the H pulled to make the h jealous. He had it coming.

Overall, it was a really entertaining hate-love romance with great chemistry. I even teared up once or twice. LOL Let me just say that JJ's books are awesome and I love her writing style.

[Iva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great great great fun & funny book

Kada poznata cikaska odvjetnica Taylor Donnovan na privremenom radu u Los Angelesu, dobije zadatak pomoci glumcu Jasonu Andrewsu poznatom kao najseksi frajer na svijetu da se pripremi za ulogu odvjetnika u novom filmu upadnemo u zabavnu, slatku i opustajucu romanticnu komediju. U kojoj ima dosta smjesnih obrata, dijaloga koje dok citate imate osjecaj da gledate pred sobom te zanimljivih i realisticnih opisa kako odvjetnickog tako i svijeta industrije zabave. Dok sam citala u ulozi Taylor zamisljala sam Juliju Roberts, a u ulozi Jasona zamisljala sam Vina Diesela inace svi su likovi vrlo zivo opisani i za svakog ce vam sigurno netko pasti na pamet. Meni je ova knjiga super jer mi je uljepsala koji dan (namjerno sam razvlacila da mi duze traje iako nije obimna), te me opustila, odmorila i razveselila na slican nacin kao neki ukusni kolac i cokolada ili dobra mjuza... pravi uzitak te ju u takve svrhe od srca preporucujem i dajem joj cistu peticu. http://sisterdelightbookcaffe.blogspo...

[Tammy Walton Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, YES, you read my shelf title right -- it was CLEAN. And smutty old me liked it just fine. :) Of course, I wouldn't want a steady diet of these books -- my mind was screaming for a description of naked body parts and some kind (any kind, please??) of thrusting by the end.

A very cute, fast-paced (I read this almost all at once, and now I'm not sure it was because it was so good or because I was waiting for something to happen between the H/h) funny read. In retrospect I'm thinking the only reason this story actually works is because there's no sex in it. The heroine, Taylor, was great, and I thought Jason was actually a pretty realistic portrayal of a spoiled movie star. A complete prick in the beginning, beginning to come down off his pedestal by the end.

A fun way to spend a couple of hours, pretending you're a high-powered LA attorney hanging out with the Sexiest Man Alive.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lately, my reading list has included mostly Urban Fantasy titles and Paranormal Romance titles. I had just finished a book that kind of bummed me out and I needed to read something that was very different than what I’d been reading. A change in direction if you will. So I searched my book closet and noticed my Contemporary Romance pile sitting there looking very lonely. I looked at it and smiled. It smiled back. Okay, maybe not really but I’m sure if it could it would have because it has been a while since I’ve visited that pile. Lately I’ve been looking to my Erotica pile when I needed a change, but this time I thought a nice, light and fun Contemporary was just what I needed. I closed my eyes and took out the first book I touched.

What I pulled out was Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James. I had heard wonderful things about this author so my expectations were quite high. And on top of that I expect a lot from the Contemporary Romance books I read. The story has to be light enough and fun. It must also be sexy and smart. I’m happy to say that not only did the story meet my grueling expectations but so did the author. Her style was wonderful and I really liked the book’s flow, story’s sweetness and the character’s sass.

Just the Sexiest Man Alive is about Taylor Donovan, an attorney from Chicago who specializes in sexual harassment cases. She is sent to Los Angeles by her firm to handle a big case and also to really see what she’s capable of. She wants to become a Partner in her firm (she will be eligible for this in two years) and Taylor is anxious to prove herself. When she is called into her superior’s office and told that she has been chosen to show an actor who will be playing a lawyer in his next movie how to act like an attorney, she says no. After all, she’s in the middle of prepping for trial. But really she was only given the illusion of having a choice. Then she finds out who she is to mentor. Jason Andrews. The biggest most famous movie star in the whole entire world. *gulp*

I really liked Taylor’s character. A very smart and goal oriented woman, she’s though when she needs to be without being a b*tch. She has her professional life planned out, but has not really put any thought into her personal life. Then again, it comes second so why focus on it at all? I loved her wit. I loved how she didn’t let Jason Andrews throw her for a loop. I loved how she was not afraid to put him in his place, even when no one else would. And I loved the dialogue. She never came across as flighty, even when she was put in a slightly compromising situation. Always with it. I really appreciated that about her and I liked Taylor from the start.

Now Jason is a different story. I did not like him much at the beginning of the book. But not because he was written badly. Quite the opposite actually. I did not like him because he was written so well! Jason is the top of the top when it comes to Hollywood actors. You can’t get much bigger than him. The problem is he knows it. He is used to everyone doing whatever he wants whenever he demands it and doesn’t think twice about anyone else. He is a chauvinistic conceited arse. I like that Jason is not too sure how to handle Taylor because she is not acting like everyone else does. Lines like: “Taylor tried not to smile. Ahh…Hollywood. Just when you might think all the stereotypes and clichés aren’t true, you realize, yep – they are.” are further proof that Taylor isn’t falling for Jason’s bull and further reason for Jason to go batty. And when he goes batty, you giggle. But, as you can imagine, there is more to Jason Andrews than the actor who is really, really full of himself. There are many scenes that made me shake my head, a couple that made me shake my fist, but many made me *sigh*. He is a good guy and a fun character to read. I liked getting to know him through this book, and seeing his façade crumble.

And just a quick note, the friends and co-workers in this story were fun. They added to story without taking too much attention away from the main event and helped us see different sides to Jason and Taylor.

I’m pleased by how much I enjoyed Julie’s writing style. The pace was good and you can really tell she has a legal background because the details describing anything lawyer-ish, from the court room proceeding to just the files, were really well done. I am definitely going to read more of her stuff in the future. In fact, I already ordered her book “Practice Makes Perfect” and I can’t wait to break it open…sooner rather than later.

Just the Sexiest Man Alive was just what I needed. A very smart story filled with wonderfully written characters I still thought about days after finishing the book.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Imagine Brad x Angelina fan fiction. Now take out all the kids and throw in a lot of snark and chemistry. Oh, and take out all the kinky sex while you're at it. You know you were thinking it! What you're left with is Just the Sexiest Man Alive.

Jason William Bradley Andrews is the 3x Sexiest Man Alive and reigning Hollywood heartthrob. He also happens to be from Missouri with a self-taught passion for architecture. Are you rolling your eyes yet? I was, especially after some early Pride and Prejudice references.

"Obviously not busy with anything important enough to tempt me."

"But your approval is harder to earn and therefore worth more than the others."

Seriously, as much as I love Darcy, I can't with all the Pride and Prejudice anymore. (Unless it involves Tom Mackee and Tara Finke. Then it's a thousand times yes!)

However, my opinion changed after the description of Taylor Donovan. Initially, all we know about Taylor is that she's an ambitious, smart, successful lawyer from Chicago. It's only when she overhears women gossiping about her in the bathroom that we learn that she looks like Angelina Jolie. I stopped rolling my eyes because I realized Julie James is in on the joke and writing with a wink wink nudge nudge. Jason even has a dream featuring Brad and thinks, "Brad Pitt. Jason almost laughed out loud at the thought. He wished he was Jason Andrews."

So, plot: Taylor is temporarily relocated to LA by her firm for a $30 million sexual harassment trial. The firm assigns her to help Jason prepare for an upcoming role as a lawyer. Jason blows off their initial meeting for a trip to Vegas and then strolls in to watch her in court. He's captivated, she's pissed, sparks fly. Jason wants to learn more about her; Taylor, with the assistance of Us Weekly and every secretary in her office, knows too much about him. Despite Jason laying on all his Sexiest Man Alive charm, Taylor can more than hold her own. She even catches the eye of the thinly veiled (and hilarious) Orlando Bloom character whose name I can't remember because I just called him Legolas in my head. Lots of hijinks and sarcastic banter between Taylor and Jason ensue.

This book was a LOT of fun. I loved how witty and sarcastic Taylor and Jason were. I liked Jason's obvious and thus dorky attempts to get Taylor's attention. What didn't work for me was that after Taylor was photographed with Jason once, there's NO WAY her identity would be a secret for long, especially after a night out at Hyde. I know, I know, this is a romance not a biography, but Taylor's Mystery Woman status was one of the big plot points, and there's just no way TMZ wouldn't have had her entire CV and high school picture on their website within 24 hours. Also, a night out at Hyde where they were surrounded by other customers but NO ONE whipped out his/her cell for a pic? Some random family friend took a pic of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds at her family Thanksgiving dinner and posted it on Instagram -- not even Twitter -- and still the major blogs sniffed it out in a matter of hours.

Ultimately though, my complaint is minor and won't take away from your enjoyment of the novel at all. This is a fun read with great dialogue. And a DJ AM reference! (RIP) Just an FYI (because I like to be thorough in my reviews): There aren't any Victoria Dahl-esque sex scenes. It's actually fairly chaste.

I'll definitely be trying Julie James's next book Practice Makes Perfect.

3.5 stars

[Lana *Best left alone with books and snacks* · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my, it's like fun of the Entourage and silliness of Boston Legal got meshed up together into a light and breezy smoothie.

I wonder what kind of smoothie that puppy got, hmm...

The most important thing is that this story did not even remotely take itself seriously. I mean come on, that ending? Riiiiiight. But I enjoyed it specifically for that same reason, although there was a great ammount of eye-rolling, so be warned.

Over and out

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute romance. Great writing too! I debated for months if I wanted to read this one as it is G-rated, but I am glad I finally read it. It was a quick and enjoyable read, and I will definately read more by this author.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun, sweet romance. I smiled so much throughout this book that my cheeks hurt! There's no sex, it's all "fade to black" but I didn't mind. I can't explain why this book was so cute, but it just was. I think that the whole Scott and Daniel parts were left a bit open-ended for my taste-would have loved to see them get told off. But that's cool, I was happy with the ending :)