Orlando, Florida - Present Day

Derek Calavicci may be the number one romance cover model in the world, but lately, this thirty year old finds the whole process of traveling from place to place and being molested by horny women a bit tedious. He longs for some peace and quiet, rather then being manhandled wherever he goes. Duty calls once again when he attends The Romantic Moments conference in Florida. After returning from a commercial shoot in Tokyo, Derek is exhausted, but his manager Frankie won't let him bail out of the conference, so off he goes, resigned to the fact that he will be treated as a piece of meat yet again.

This is the first time romance author Kelley Michaels will be attending the book conference where she will also be the keynote speaker. She is leaving her teenage children with their father for six weeks; even though she is less than excited about going, she knows she must. She will finally break free of the memories of a marriage gone wrong that ended in divorce. And since she has lost weight, she has a new outlook on life. This forty-something single mother is ready to party and enjoy herself!

Kelly is a bit overwhelmed when she arrives in Orlando, but her good friend Sharon is there as her back up and to make sure she has a good time. This could be the perfect time to finally meet Derek, who has posed on all the covers of her books, and because of it, she has made him quite the star. Derek is very interested in meeting Kelly and wouldn't mind getting to know her more than just as her cover model. But Kelly is uncomfortable around this paragon of hunkiness. Why would he be interested in a woman almost fifteen years his senior, the mother of two teens and someone who constantly fights with him whenever she is in his presence? Kelly feels that all Derek cares about is sex and the possibility of a one-night stand. Derek is very interested in having sex with Kelly, but wants more than just a one-night stand.

After a passionate kiss in the moonlight, both Kelly and Derek are caught by the paparazzi and they must pretend they are the perfect couple and have fallen deeply in love. The press is quite cruel, and they begin to target Kelly's family and herself. But Derek is there to handle them and will try his hardest to show Kelly that their pretend relationship can become real and that he is indeed THE MODEL MAN for her.

What a funny romance! THE MODEL MAN was such an enjoyable read from the moment Derek appears on the first page. I love the whole older woman, younger man romance, and the one between Derek and Kelly is adorable. Poor Kelly is in such a whirlwind with Derek and problems with a daughter and son who are shocked by her antics. Plus, Kelly can't understand why a man like Derek would want a woman like herself. Kelly has a bit of the ugly duckling syndrome, and it takes Derek to break her out of her shell and help her to live in the moment, and if that means a passionate affair with him, so be it.

Derek has many layers to his character and, even though he may be the perfect male specimen, he realizes that everything cannot be handed to him, and that especially means Kelly. He enjoys hard work and has a good head on his shoulders. You really have to feel for the poor guy because Kelly keeps giving him the run around, but he has the support of Kelly's friend Sharon, who helps him win Kelly's heart. Frankie, his manager, is a hoot who tells it like it is, but underneath her gruff exterior, she cares for Derek and doesn't want to see him hurt.

Nicole McCaffrey has written a gem of a book with THE MODEL MAN. I especially enjoyed the setting of the book conference and the behind the scenes actions of an author, her model, and, of course, their fans. For some laughs and a romance that tugs at the heart, I recommend THE MODEL MAN. Now if I could only find my own Derek. *G*

Kate Garrabrant