“No effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.” – Helen Keller
If Jane Austin lived in 2013 England, Burning Ashes is the book she would have written! Jane Austin you ask? Yes, that Miss Austin. As homage to all period books go, I’m guessing here that it is. Burning Ashes is a winner. Of course I could be totally off base, but I don’t care because I loved this book! The story’s setting, the steady pace, the word phrasing, even some of the situations are very British and reminded me of my favorite Austin novels. Don’t know if the author intended this but as I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but feel that I was reading a period piece set in 2013. I loved it.
Burning Ashes is a steady ride of sports, relationship drama and sex! A perfect mix if you ask me. The story revolves around two opposing cricket players, Nat Seldon and Scott Avery. Nat is a seasoned player on the Australian national team. Scott is the rookie Englishman who makes his cricket debut against Nat. The match doesn’t go well for Scott, but he does make an impression on Nat. Nat’s not looking for anything serious, but he gets it whether he wants to or not. He’s happy with his little book of friends with benefits. But Scott catches him off guard. There’s something about this young, blond, blue eyed boy that makes him do things he’s never done before. Likewise for Scott, Nat hits a chord and Scott is love-struck.
We get to see the evolution of a relationship, the early days, exploration, finding a rhythm and cementing commitment. Their relationship becomes long distance, and this puts major stress on Nat and Scott. There are some other life altering situations, but they weathered all these storms. Their interaction was beautifully and realistically written. The chemistry between the leads was believable and hot. Scott was the young, inexperienced virgin and Nat the experienced playboy. But as soon as he laid eyes on Scott, Nat knew that he could not be the same. When they do finally did get together, Nat is very patient and loving with Scott. I love this dynamic and if you’ve read my other reviews, you know I love a good virgin deflowering story! I kind of found a little bit of Mr. Darcy in Nat!
Burning Ashes is a thoroughly enjoyable book. A winner on all levels.
You can buy Burning Ashes here:
