HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY

Author: Nicola Marsh ISBN: 9780263863789 6/2008 CONTEMPORARY Publisher: MILLS & BOON

Working by day… Abby Weiss could make her name as a stylist to the stars on a two-week photo shoot in a tropical island paradise. Even better, Judd Calloway, her best friend, will be the photographer. Nothing could be more fun than working with him… Naughty by night! …except spending hot, sexy, passionate nights with him! In the years since they last met Judd’s become a charming, muscled, gorgeous hunk! Abby can’t keep her hands off him – and the attraction’s mutual. And now Judd’s got a proposal that he hopes will keep her right where he wants her: in his bed!

RRAH's THOUGHTS AND PONDERINGS:

Nicola Marsh sets her contemporary erotic romance, HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY, on a paradise island off the coast of Australia where Abby, a hot new fashion stylist, is directing a photo shoot for Australia's top magazine. Imagine her surprise when she finds out her best friend will be the photographer. He's been traveling the world shooting wildlife photos for the last eight years. Judd and Abby have kept in contact through frequent e-mails and phone calls, but he was able to pull off his surprise anyway.

The steam started rising off the pages the second I opened the cover and found Abby and Judd sizing up each other's smoking bods. These semi-platonic friends went from zero to sixty after one kiss and a night apart to think about it. The only sexual tension after that was in how soon they could get off the photo shoot each day and back into bed.

The plot line is fairly thin and the narrative is padded with even thinner reiterations of Abby and Judd's childhood friendship. Abby felt like he abandoned her when he left before, and only wants a sexual fling now because she's sure he'll run off again. He thinks she only wants a fling because he's too dense to see she loves him. The rest of the plot points are barely pasted together and often make as much sense as wearing polka dots with plaid. He suddenly goes from shooting zebras to shooting models in leopard print bikinis? In the middle of the week long shoot, an emergency photo shoot is with a wedding dress that just happens to be in Abby's size 12 and the tux is just right for a 6' 4" man like Judd? Thank goodness for smoldering looks and clothing being ripped asunder.

Will Judd be able to convince Abby that he's home to stay?

I recommend HOT NIGHTS WITH A PLAYBOY to any reader looking for passages they can skip so they can get to the "good stuff."

Susan Barton