Hot Island Nights

Prim, proper, conservative English rose Elizabeth Mannen receives some news that rocks her perfectly planned life, causing her to break off her engagement to her equally stuffy English fiance (aka Droopy Drawers, so coined by Elizabeth's best friend) and trek half way around the world to an Australian island hot spot in search of answers. She sure as heck wasn't prepared when Nathan Jones answered the door clad only in a low slung towel precariously tucked about his hips. And her English sensibilities were equally affronted when the Aussie charmer insisted on calling her Betsy and Lizzie. I personally like nicknames, so I found it quite amusing. Nathan Jones isn't quite the carefree Aussie "mate" he appears to be. He's got a whole boatload of his own demons he's trying to work through. A tragic event in his life has caused him to drown his sorrows in the bottom of a bottle (beer, vodka whatever's close at hand), just so he can make it through the day. Mayberry does a really good job making you experience Nathan's grief right along with him. Elizabeth and her cool, calming influence seems to be just what Nathan needs as he deals with his debilitating loss and slowly helps him find his way back to the land of the living. Hot Island Nights was a beautiful story of healing and understanding and Nathan and Lizzie make a potent couple. Although this is a Harlequin Blaze, it seemed longer than its 217 pages and read with more depth of story and character than a lot of other similar books. There were lots of hot, steamy sex scenes and chemistry between Nathan and Elizabeth (after all it is a Blaze). Lizzie's previous sexual experiences with Droopy Drawers were lacking and pedestrian to say the least, but Nahtan's just the man to help Lizzie broaden her sexual horizons. I've said this before about Mayberry whose heroes are Aussie men...there is nothing sexier than a hero with an accent - even if it is only in my head. Take a trip down under and enjoy some Hot Island Nights.