One Night in Santiago by Audra North (Entangled: Flaunt, December 30, 2013)
Now, I don’t know if you can afford the Executive Suite at the Ritz in Santiago, but I bet there will be plenty of women loitering in that hotel’s lobby looking for a hero like Bruno Komarov after reading this story. Hot. Damn.
Lily Stanton is stressed and tired. She’s ready to leave Santiago and her so-called vacation behind but the airport isn’t cooperating. Rolling in the lobby of the Santiago Ritz soaking wet in yoga pants isn’t her most elegant moment, but she’s a seasoned traveler with her consulting company so she can handle it. Waiting in line, she can’t help but notice the gorgeous guy who has come in from the storm on her heels. When they are both told by two different hotel clerks that there is only room left, there’s a scrabble for it. When Lily is declared the winner (by Mr. Hunkalicious giving it to her – his Ritz Rewards card trumped her claim), the least she can do is offer to share the suite. After all, the sofa turns into a bed and there is something inherently trustworthy about Bruno Komarov and his voiced worry that he wouldn’t want his sisters to offer to share a hotel room with a stranger.
Santiago, Chile – surrounded by the mountains Lily skiied in is a modern city filled with contrasts between its historical buildings and modern architecture (Image courtesy of Wikipedia)
While Lily has nothing to fear from Bruno, she should still worry. He’s done nothing but have lascivious thoughts about her gorgeous body and megawatt smile since he spotted her in line in the lobby and the thought of sharing a room is a bit more than his nether region appears capable of handling. Even worse is watching her talk to her sister and discuss her life and work over their dinner – Bruno realizes that this kind, intelligent, capable and slightly damaged woman is exactly what he’s been waiting for while immersing himself in his family’s California and Chilean vineyards. He desperately wants to be a gentleman but when her face reflects his obvious arousal, all bets are off, and this Santiago hotel room is about to get a lot hotter. Convincing a woman he’s known for hours that they might have a future even when they live so far apart is going to be a bit harder, but Bruno is going to make it happen – if she doesn’t escape in the morning, that is.
Audra North – where has she been all my life? A newer addition to Entangled’s stable of authors, her writing proves that the editors at this publishing house have an incredible nose for talent. I was astonished looking over the specs that One Night in Santiago was only about 58 pages. You could have easily convinced me that it was twice as long (and charged me twice as much) because I felt so emotionally invested in the characters. Bruno is Latino-Russian sex on a stick and such a great person that it’s impossible not to fall for him right along with Lily. Lily is a smart, sexy heroine recovering from her ex, but so full of optimism while she rebuilds her confidence that she genuinely deserves Bruno and what he can give her. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed that while North continues to write, she might consider giving us a glimpse of these two amidst their HEA while telling us the story of another wonderful couple.
Happy reading!
torimacallister 