New York City, New York - Present Day

Costume designer Jasmine Burns is paralyzingly shy around attractive men. She can't make conversation, can't make eye contact, and can barely breathe. Her solution is to flee as fast as possible from the man in question. So when her psychic sister, Amy, tells Jasmine that her One True Love is actor Josh Toby, twice voted The Sexiest Man Alive, Jasmine is more than a little intimidated by the thought. When she gets a job for an off-Broadway play a couple of days later and finds out that she will be Josh Toby's dresser, Jasmine begins to panic. She finds Josh irresistible, and the spark of desire that he ignites in her is something she has never felt. But Josh is insanely famous and has a beautiful, famous girlfriend. When Jasmine finds out that there is another Josh Toby in the city, a librarian, she clings to the hope that he is actually her One True Love. While Jasmine can hold a normal conversation with him, librarian Josh is convinced that she is a mentally ill homeless woman and shows zero interest in her. As hard as she tries to fight her attraction to famous Josh, Jasmine finds herself falling for him more with each encounter.

Josh Toby may be famous, but right now he feels like the loneliest man in the city. He is in town, secretly, to appear in a play that he hopes will give credibility to his acting career. When he meets his dresser, Jasmine, he is enchanted to find that she not only won't aggressively pursue him, she can't even look at him. Josh can't remember the last time he met such a shy woman. However, he is soon working diligently to help Jasmine overcome her shyness. Josh knows that he must also convince her that his long-term relationship is actually only a publicity ploy to keep the world at bay. He can not fail in either goal, for Josh knows that the attraction he feels for Jasmine is forever; she is his soul mate. To claim her, Josh is willing to risk everything and fight for the chance to be with his One True Love.

Bringing additional complications to the story are Josh's pseudo-girlfriend Cleo Chan; Mo, a publicist; Jasmine's friends, Jen and Suz; and the insatiable paparazzi that surround Josh at every turn. For each hurdle that is overcome, another new and unexpected one is there to take its place. Fortunately, no one has ever said the path to true love is easy.

THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE is a delightful tale of overcoming social anxiety. While Jasmine freezes in the presence of men, she is also a talented designer who must find the courage to fight for her job and to claim her man (whoever he is!). Josh has his own deep-seated demons to overcome and is willing to bargain with Jasmine to help them both achieve their dreams. Deft writing brings out both the humorous and painful emotions that each character experiences, and characters are put into situations that will have readers simultaneously laughing and cringing. Settings and circumstances keep the pace quick and reader interest high. Lighthearted and fun, THE SEXIEST MAN ALIVE winningly shows that love can conquer fear.

Jennell