Review: Sexiest Man Alive by Diana Holquist

January 31st, 2010 | 1.5 Stars, Acting, Artist, Beauty and Fashion, Book Review, Comedy of Manners, Contemporary, G-I, Gypsy, Low Self Esteem/Confidence, United States of America

I picked this up from the library because it was recommended in the AAR forums as a book about heroines who have low self-confidence. The heroine in Sexiest Man Alive has panic attacks around men, especially good looking men. On the whole it’s a semi-cute read, but it’s very campy in a bad way, like it tries to hard. I show you what I mean…

Jasmine Burns really wants to be a costume designer, but she can’t even make it through the interview with Arturo because he’s handsome. Her sister Amy is a psychic gypsy who lost her powers. Amy gives Jasmine the name of her One True Love. Two thousand dollars poorer, Jasmine has a name, Josh Toby. The only Josh Toby she knows is the gorgeous Hollywood actor, which means she’s screwed because she’ll never leave New York to find him.

Through a quirk of fate, Arturo loves Jasmine’s work and hires her to be his assistant even with her bolt, barf, and run. She is sworn to secrecy and meets him at a restaurant to discuss the details. The secret she has to keep? Josh Toby is in town to do an off Broadway performance as Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. She runs.

Her sister catches her in a taxi and drops her off at a library where another Josh Toby exists. He is a carrot top, extremely shy librarian. Jasmine is relieved. Josh thinks she is a homeless nutcase. One True Love indeed!

The actor Josh Toby pursues Jasmine. He needs her to disguise him from the paparazzi and of course he’s instantly attracted to her weird and quirky behavior. He figures it’s because he’s a famous actor. Josh finds himself spilling a bunch of secrets. How his Hollywood girlfriend, Cleo Chan, is really not his girlfriend. They pose that way for publicity and to keep the crazies away. Oh and how he’s terrified of onstage acting… so the two can bond over irrational fears, which of course they overcome without much difficulty at all later in the novel.

Cleo Chan meanwhile is in love with Josh Toby and is determined to get him back. It doesn’t help that Amy also tells her that Josh Toby is her One True Love. You can guess from here what hijinks end up happening. It’s totally predictable and very unsatisfying.

Rating: 1.5 Stars

Buy: Sexiest Man Alive