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My Sexiest Mistake
A simple mistake...A sexy mistake...
In fact, it would be the most incredibly sexy mistake of their lives. One minute, Cade Douglas, delectable Boston businessman, is signaling for a waitress in the bar of a very fashionable hotel. The next, he's nearly racing upstairs with a beautiful stranger, who'd answered his summons instead.
Gorgeous Ryan Donnelly can't believe it's all happened so smoothly. Before arriving, she had imagined how awkward it would be to meet the gigolo who'd been hired for her. Her gigolo. Her secret lover. The one who would ignite the intense passion she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced.
She was the one, the one who would fill his senses, save his soul. Cade was certain of it.
He was the one, summoning her so casually, so confidently. Ryan was certain of it, of him.
If they'd only known.
In fact, it would be the most incredibly sexy mistake of their lives. One minute, Cade Douglas, delectable Boston businessman, is signaling for a waitress in the bar of a very fashionable hotel. The next, he's nearly racing upstairs with a beautiful stranger, who'd answered his summons instead.
Gorgeous Ryan Donnelly can't believe it's all happened so smoothly. Before arriving, she had imagined how awkward it would be to meet the gigolo who'd been hired for her. Her gigolo. Her secret lover. The one who would ignite the intense passion she wasn't sure she'd ever experienced.
She was the one, the one who would fill his senses, save his soul. Cade was certain of it.
He was the one, summoning her so casually, so confidently. Ryan was certain of it, of him.
If they'd only known.
251 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
5 people are currently reading
52 people want to read
About the author
Kristin Hardy
82 books29 followersI've been book crazy my entire life. When my mom would tell me to go to bed, I'd hide in the bathroom just so I could read a few more pages. In the afternoons, I'd play with my dog, Misty, in the backyard and tell her elaborate stories of princesses and Indians, dressing the dog up to play the part.
I grew up in Anaheim, California, home of Disneyland. When I was 12, I started my first novel, about a boy growing up with a race horse. I only managed to get about ten pages into it, but the seed of ambition was planted. I wrote short stories throughout junior high and high school, and entered college as a creative writing major. Unfortunately, the pressure of writing literary short stories weekly for a college course was far different than writing one story a semester in high school and that was the end of that.
Shortly after, now as a geology major, I read about category romance in a Sunday supplement and decided to give it a try. My first effort brought together an aviatrix and a cowboy and had a great scene in which the heroine airlifted a sick ranch owner in the midst of a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, it didn't have much else. A few years later, now as an engineering major, I decided to try again with a book about a lady architectural engineer and the gorgeous owner of a shipping company. This time, I had a cute meet and a great kiss scene, but still no real plot or conflict. I tossed it after three chapters.
The next year, this time as a physics major, I came up with a plot about a firefighter and an engineer. Things were looking good when I thought about plot points and conflict and actually developed a solid story line. A couple of chapters later, though, I moved away to attend grad school in Orlando, Florida, home of Disney World (are we seeing a pattern here?). The manuscript moldered in my closet.
After graduation, I worked in Connecticut on the mirrors for a NASA x-ray telescope now orbiting the Earth. Writing kept calling to me, though. I quit engineering and moved to New Hampshire to join the editorial staff of an engineering trade magazine. There, I met and fell in love with my husband, Stephen. Suddenly all those romance novels made a heck of a lot more sense.
Thus, plot possibilities followed me when I left the editing spot to join a business-to-business dot com (where we were paper millionaires for a heady 30 seconds). Around that time, a publisher tried to recruit me to launch a print magazine for an engineering society. Driven by the conviction that it was time to finally finish one of those danged books, I took the job and negotiated a four-day work week that would allow time to write.
This ambition coincided with the announcement of the Blaze line. Inspired by a presentation at a writers' conference, I plotted out a Blaze novel on the plane home and wrote the draft of Chapter One that night. Ten months later, I typed the words THE END and did victory laps around the living room. My Sexiest Mistake sold to Harlequin's Blaze line in September 2001 for publication in June 2002. My upcoming three book series will be released by Blaze in 2003.
I currently live in New Hampshire with Stephen (he's also a magazine editor), who is my critique partner, copy editor, web master, and master of my heart.
I grew up in Anaheim, California, home of Disneyland. When I was 12, I started my first novel, about a boy growing up with a race horse. I only managed to get about ten pages into it, but the seed of ambition was planted. I wrote short stories throughout junior high and high school, and entered college as a creative writing major. Unfortunately, the pressure of writing literary short stories weekly for a college course was far different than writing one story a semester in high school and that was the end of that.
Shortly after, now as a geology major, I read about category romance in a Sunday supplement and decided to give it a try. My first effort brought together an aviatrix and a cowboy and had a great scene in which the heroine airlifted a sick ranch owner in the midst of a thunderstorm. Unfortunately, it didn't have much else. A few years later, now as an engineering major, I decided to try again with a book about a lady architectural engineer and the gorgeous owner of a shipping company. This time, I had a cute meet and a great kiss scene, but still no real plot or conflict. I tossed it after three chapters.
The next year, this time as a physics major, I came up with a plot about a firefighter and an engineer. Things were looking good when I thought about plot points and conflict and actually developed a solid story line. A couple of chapters later, though, I moved away to attend grad school in Orlando, Florida, home of Disney World (are we seeing a pattern here?). The manuscript moldered in my closet.
After graduation, I worked in Connecticut on the mirrors for a NASA x-ray telescope now orbiting the Earth. Writing kept calling to me, though. I quit engineering and moved to New Hampshire to join the editorial staff of an engineering trade magazine. There, I met and fell in love with my husband, Stephen. Suddenly all those romance novels made a heck of a lot more sense.
Thus, plot possibilities followed me when I left the editing spot to join a business-to-business dot com (where we were paper millionaires for a heady 30 seconds). Around that time, a publisher tried to recruit me to launch a print magazine for an engineering society. Driven by the conviction that it was time to finally finish one of those danged books, I took the job and negotiated a four-day work week that would allow time to write.
This ambition coincided with the announcement of the Blaze line. Inspired by a presentation at a writers' conference, I plotted out a Blaze novel on the plane home and wrote the draft of Chapter One that night. Ten months later, I typed the words THE END and did victory laps around the living room. My Sexiest Mistake sold to Harlequin's Blaze line in September 2001 for publication in June 2002. My upcoming three book series will be released by Blaze in 2003.
I currently live in New Hampshire with Stephen (he's also a magazine editor), who is my critique partner, copy editor, web master, and master of my heart.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 25, 2022
The only mistake is me choosing to read it.
February 25, 2012
Solid 3.5 stars. No matter how much I tried, I kept forgetting that Ryan was the girl and in the split second when I'd first read "Ryan" I would think it was the guy and it would get confusing. Stupid I know, but my brain just wasn't up to the task this time.
February 10, 2025
Reviewed for THC Reviews
My Sexiest Mistake is a stand-alone contemporary romance that was Kristin Hardy’s debut novel. Ryan is a corporate trainer who has dreams of becoming a full-time romance novelist, and her next book, a steamy contemporary, could propel her to the status she’s seeking. But first she has to complete it, and with limited sexual experience, she’s struggling to write the necessary steamy love scenes. Ryan’s agent suggests setting her up with an escort service a friend of hers uses, so that Ryan can get some hands-on inspiration. At first, Ryan is scandalized, but then she decides to take the plunge. At the hotel bar where they’re supposed to meet, a gorgeous man appears to be beckoning her over, so she assumes he’s her Casanova. In reality, Cade is merely a businessman who’s in the hotel bar unwinding after a day of wheeling and dealing with investors. He raises his hand to call over the waitress, but instead a beautiful woman approaches him and starts up a conversation. Next thing he knows, he’s in her hotel room and things are getting very steamy. He eventually realizes that she thinks he’s an escort, but enjoying his time with her and not wanting it to end, he doesn’t fess up. Instead they agree to meet again. After realizing that she was duped, Ryan plots a little erotic payback, leaving Cade “all tied up.” She assumes she’ll never see him again until he shows up at her office, looking for a partner to provide content for his new website. She’s determined to keep thing strictly professional, but working with Cade every day is a major distraction. Finally Ryan gives in to the attraction and they agree to a discreet, casual affair until one of them burns out. The more time she spends with Cade, though, the more attached she becomes. But with a sordid family history and a failed relationship in his past, Cade doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters.
Ryan got her college degree with plans to teach English at a prep school, but when she had trouble finding a job, she instead went into corporate training. She’s good at her job, but her real passion is writing. She’s already published several sweet romances and now wants to dip her toe into steamier waters, which she hopes will get her a multi-book contract that will make it possible to quit her day job. The only problem is that after an unsatisfying first sexual experience in college, she hasn’t been with a man since, so she’s finding it difficult to write the loves scenes to finish her latest novel. When her agent suggests hiring an escort, Ryan is a little scandalized, but the more she thinks about it, the more appealing the idea is. She thinks she can get the inspiration she needs without any worries about maintaining a relationship. When a guy at the bar where they’re meeting raises his hand, she thinks it’s for her. She’s surprised by how easy their conversation flows and impressed by how gorgeous he is, so it doesn’t take long before they’re getting hot and heavy in her hotel room. But when her agent calls the next day, wondering why she never met up with the escort, Ryan knows she was duped. Angry with Cade but still craving his body, she plots a night of erotic payback that leaves her very satisfied, but she thinks she’ll never see him again. Then he shows up at her workplace, needing her help with his project. She wants to keep it strictly professional between them until she can’t bear the distraction he presents and gives in to a casual affair. But it doesn’t take long before she’s falling in love and wanting more, but it doesn’t seem like Cade feels the same way. I appreciated Ryan for her adventurous spirit and talent at both her teaching and writing jobs. However, I thought her characterization could have gone a little deeper. I couldn’t help wanting to know more about her first sexual experience that seemed to put her off men, but very little about it ever materialized. Overall, though, she’s basically the quintessential hopeless romantic.
Cade is a businessman, working on creating a website that he hopes will be the next big internet sensation. After securing a seven million dollar investment from a venture capitalist, he’s celebrating with a drink at the hotel bar. As he raises his hand to call over a waitress, another gorgeous woman approaches him instead, hitting on him. When Ryan invites him up to her room, he thinks he just hit the jackpot, but soon the oddity of the things she says makes him realize that she was likely meeting an escort and thinks he’s that guy. Cade knows he should probably fess up, but he’s really enjoying her company in more ways than one. Thinking she’d end their interactions if he did, he decides not to say anything. After a steamy evening together, they agree to meet up again the next night, during which she ties him up and has her wicked way with him as payback after finding out the truth. Cade can’t deny that it was still a pleasurable time, but when she leaves in the morning, he figures he’ll likely never see her again. Then he chances to run into Ryan at her workplace, a company Cade wants to hire to create content for his website. Although he agrees to her demand that they keep things professional, he can’t deny that seeing her every day is an exciting temptation, and soon he’s appreciating her teaching skills as much as her bedroom talents. When Ryan finally proposes that they resume their affair until one of them burns out, Cade is eager to jump in with both feet. But when she tells him she loves him, he feels it might be best to end things before she gets hurt even more. Cade was a pretty good guy who just had a hard time believing in an HEA after watching his dad run through a succession of women throughout the years and then having one failed relationship of his own. I’m glad that he came to his senses before too much time passed and realized that he’d fallen for Ryan, too.
The GoodReads rating for My Sexiest Mistake is pretty low, and with it being my first read by Kristin Hardy, I went into it with some uncertainties. I think it was the mistaken identity scenario that attracted me to read it in the first place, and the beginning of the story was pretty fun and steamy. After the truth is out and Cade and Ryan reconnect in a professional capacity through her employer, it turns into more of a workplace romance. At that point, the storytelling could be a little slow-paced at times. However, there was enough simmering attraction and relationship development taking place to keep me interested. Once they both give in to their undeniable attraction, things turn hot and sexy again. They may have met in a very unconventional way, but their chemistry was unmistakable. While there maybe could have been a little more character development for Cade and Ryan, there’s enough that I liked them both. Even though it made me a little sad when Cade broke up with Ryan, I generally understood his reticence toward becoming more deeply involved and luckily he realizes his mistake relatively quickly. I enjoyed how the author brought everything full-circle, wrapping up the story where Cade and Ryan’s relationship began. IMHO, it was a perfect ending. The story may not have had a great deal of excitement, but given that this was Ms. Hardy’s first published novel, I thought she did a pretty good job with it for a debut effort. It was good enough to leave me open to trying more of her work in the future.
My Sexiest Mistake is a stand-alone contemporary romance that was Kristin Hardy’s debut novel. Ryan is a corporate trainer who has dreams of becoming a full-time romance novelist, and her next book, a steamy contemporary, could propel her to the status she’s seeking. But first she has to complete it, and with limited sexual experience, she’s struggling to write the necessary steamy love scenes. Ryan’s agent suggests setting her up with an escort service a friend of hers uses, so that Ryan can get some hands-on inspiration. At first, Ryan is scandalized, but then she decides to take the plunge. At the hotel bar where they’re supposed to meet, a gorgeous man appears to be beckoning her over, so she assumes he’s her Casanova. In reality, Cade is merely a businessman who’s in the hotel bar unwinding after a day of wheeling and dealing with investors. He raises his hand to call over the waitress, but instead a beautiful woman approaches him and starts up a conversation. Next thing he knows, he’s in her hotel room and things are getting very steamy. He eventually realizes that she thinks he’s an escort, but enjoying his time with her and not wanting it to end, he doesn’t fess up. Instead they agree to meet again. After realizing that she was duped, Ryan plots a little erotic payback, leaving Cade “all tied up.” She assumes she’ll never see him again until he shows up at her office, looking for a partner to provide content for his new website. She’s determined to keep thing strictly professional, but working with Cade every day is a major distraction. Finally Ryan gives in to the attraction and they agree to a discreet, casual affair until one of them burns out. The more time she spends with Cade, though, the more attached she becomes. But with a sordid family history and a failed relationship in his past, Cade doesn’t believe in happily-ever-afters.
Ryan got her college degree with plans to teach English at a prep school, but when she had trouble finding a job, she instead went into corporate training. She’s good at her job, but her real passion is writing. She’s already published several sweet romances and now wants to dip her toe into steamier waters, which she hopes will get her a multi-book contract that will make it possible to quit her day job. The only problem is that after an unsatisfying first sexual experience in college, she hasn’t been with a man since, so she’s finding it difficult to write the loves scenes to finish her latest novel. When her agent suggests hiring an escort, Ryan is a little scandalized, but the more she thinks about it, the more appealing the idea is. She thinks she can get the inspiration she needs without any worries about maintaining a relationship. When a guy at the bar where they’re meeting raises his hand, she thinks it’s for her. She’s surprised by how easy their conversation flows and impressed by how gorgeous he is, so it doesn’t take long before they’re getting hot and heavy in her hotel room. But when her agent calls the next day, wondering why she never met up with the escort, Ryan knows she was duped. Angry with Cade but still craving his body, she plots a night of erotic payback that leaves her very satisfied, but she thinks she’ll never see him again. Then he shows up at her workplace, needing her help with his project. She wants to keep it strictly professional between them until she can’t bear the distraction he presents and gives in to a casual affair. But it doesn’t take long before she’s falling in love and wanting more, but it doesn’t seem like Cade feels the same way. I appreciated Ryan for her adventurous spirit and talent at both her teaching and writing jobs. However, I thought her characterization could have gone a little deeper. I couldn’t help wanting to know more about her first sexual experience that seemed to put her off men, but very little about it ever materialized. Overall, though, she’s basically the quintessential hopeless romantic.
Cade is a businessman, working on creating a website that he hopes will be the next big internet sensation. After securing a seven million dollar investment from a venture capitalist, he’s celebrating with a drink at the hotel bar. As he raises his hand to call over a waitress, another gorgeous woman approaches him instead, hitting on him. When Ryan invites him up to her room, he thinks he just hit the jackpot, but soon the oddity of the things she says makes him realize that she was likely meeting an escort and thinks he’s that guy. Cade knows he should probably fess up, but he’s really enjoying her company in more ways than one. Thinking she’d end their interactions if he did, he decides not to say anything. After a steamy evening together, they agree to meet up again the next night, during which she ties him up and has her wicked way with him as payback after finding out the truth. Cade can’t deny that it was still a pleasurable time, but when she leaves in the morning, he figures he’ll likely never see her again. Then he chances to run into Ryan at her workplace, a company Cade wants to hire to create content for his website. Although he agrees to her demand that they keep things professional, he can’t deny that seeing her every day is an exciting temptation, and soon he’s appreciating her teaching skills as much as her bedroom talents. When Ryan finally proposes that they resume their affair until one of them burns out, Cade is eager to jump in with both feet. But when she tells him she loves him, he feels it might be best to end things before she gets hurt even more. Cade was a pretty good guy who just had a hard time believing in an HEA after watching his dad run through a succession of women throughout the years and then having one failed relationship of his own. I’m glad that he came to his senses before too much time passed and realized that he’d fallen for Ryan, too.
The GoodReads rating for My Sexiest Mistake is pretty low, and with it being my first read by Kristin Hardy, I went into it with some uncertainties. I think it was the mistaken identity scenario that attracted me to read it in the first place, and the beginning of the story was pretty fun and steamy. After the truth is out and Cade and Ryan reconnect in a professional capacity through her employer, it turns into more of a workplace romance. At that point, the storytelling could be a little slow-paced at times. However, there was enough simmering attraction and relationship development taking place to keep me interested. Once they both give in to their undeniable attraction, things turn hot and sexy again. They may have met in a very unconventional way, but their chemistry was unmistakable. While there maybe could have been a little more character development for Cade and Ryan, there’s enough that I liked them both. Even though it made me a little sad when Cade broke up with Ryan, I generally understood his reticence toward becoming more deeply involved and luckily he realizes his mistake relatively quickly. I enjoyed how the author brought everything full-circle, wrapping up the story where Cade and Ryan’s relationship began. IMHO, it was a perfect ending. The story may not have had a great deal of excitement, but given that this was Ms. Hardy’s first published novel, I thought she did a pretty good job with it for a debut effort. It was good enough to leave me open to trying more of her work in the future.
November 30, 2009
One of the better Blaze books with an emphasis on the developing relationship and the characters outside lives (neatly integrating their careers into the plot for a change) and it wasn't just one extended sex scene. It did lose steam towards the end and the hero's constant "I can't love because my parents were so screwed up" got very old, very fast. Still, it was fun while it lasted.
April 4, 2009
Not hot enough, shouldn't be classified as Blaze series.
June 29, 2009
gripping
can't say nothing more...!
can't say nothing more...!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews