Summer Heat

De: Jay Northcote

Narrado por: Mark Steadman

A summer fling is an ideal cure for a broken heart. But when it's with your best friend, things get complicated.

When Adam is dumped by his boyfriend, a week away at a beach resort seems like a great opportunity to get over his ex. Sun, sea, and no-strings sex will be just the boost he needs to move on with his life.

Adam's best friend, Finn, agrees to accompany him at short notice. Finn's had a crush on Adam for years, but is determined to put his feelings aside and be the perfect wingman in Adam's time of crisis.

A spontaneous threesome with another guy forces Adam and Finn to confront their attraction to each other. Having a holiday fling together wasn't part of the plan, and as their trip heats up, they soon realize that one night of fun won't be enough for either of them.

The passion might be scorching, but their hearts and friendship are on the line. If their romance is going to survive the flight home, they have to be honest about what they want.

©2017 Jay Northcote (P)2017 Jay Northcote

Sweet, Steamy Friends to Lovers

Awww, so sweet!

Loads of that marvelous Jay Northcote dirty talk, and steamy sexy-times. A perfect friends to lovers, Northcote constructs this one perfectly. Between the painful dumping by the dumbass BF at the beginning, the underlying hints of attraction between the long-time besties, and all the adorable hidden longing. Really well done.

Super nice performance by Mark Steadman in the audio version.

Narration

The narration would have been fine, but there was almost no difference in the voices of the two MCs, so it was always difficult to tell who was talking.

3.5 Stars

Any additional comments?

If you're looking for a steamy, friends to lovers, beach/holiday listen with fairly low angst and you've liked Jay Northcote in the past - you should definitely check this out.

There's no reinvention of the wheel here. It's pretty formulaic, and similar in tone and plot to other Northcote novels.

When Adam finds out his long-term boyfriend/fiancé is leaving him for another man, he goes to his best friend, Finn, for comfort. Finn ends up going with Adam on a summer holiday to Spain that had originally been for Adam and the ex.

The plan is simple, tried, and true - get over his ex by getting under someone new.

There's definitely some high steamy moments here - starting with a threesome that acts as the catalyst to Adam and Finn finally breaking the friends-only barrier. Once the wall is down it's all sex, all the time.

There's also the obvious miscommunication where neither Finn or Adam can tell they are falling for the other and keep saying things that make it seem like they want to only remain friends, when the opposite is totally the case.

Of course, there's finally the AHA! moment where they finally gets themselves on the same page and there's a HFN/HEA to be had in the end.

Mark Steadman narrates the British character voices with ease and it's an easy listen overall for the most part. I once again noticed Steadman's pacing as I continue to have issues with his excessive pauses and his inflection at times. However, I was prepared for his performance as it seems that's just how he narrates.

All in all I recommend Summer Heat if you're in the mood for a quick listen with a lot of sexy times coupled with a light, low-angst read.

More than just Summer Heat

I loved the book! I've read it/listened to it several times when I needed something light-hearted but also hot. It is a great example of friends-to-lovers and I adored both characters, because they were occasionally complete idiots. They were always adorable though, and I kept rooting for them. The narration is good too, as Steadman is always good :)

Loved this sizzling summer story!

This is a super friends-to-lovers novella based around a summer vacation. Finn tries to help his best friend recover from a recent break-up by accompanying him on holiday to a gay resort in Spain. The aim is to make the most of Adam’s newfound freedom, but both men’s feelings for each other takeover, but not before a delicious threesome takes place.

What I love about this story, apart from the hot make-out sessions and possessiveness about each other, are the main characters themselves and their internal struggle with the idea of taking their friendship further. Both men are afraid intimacy might ruin the relationship they already share. At the same time, they are fearful this special time together will be restricted solely to the week in Spain and therefore will end soon.

Jay’s writing always sparks lots of lovely tingles, often edged with a touch of angst. Summer Heat is a quick, easy read/listen, with a great mini epilogue that works well. Very enjoyable!

I've come to associate Mark Steadman with Jay's stories. His voice suits the age and personalities of the British characters. His narration is always steady and clear, with added 'zing' during the emotional and passionate scenes. Great job.