Lorna Merryfield is all work and no play. From a very young age her mother drilled into her the need to work to provide for yourself, not to rely on anyone else, not even a husband. As a result, she is now a successful businesswoman. She has her own column and her own business. She is Miss Behavior; she teaches businesspeople and corporations the manners they need to succeed. Her personal life has suffered, though. At thirty years of age she is one step above a virgin. Her business is her life. She rarely socializes, even on New Year’s Eve she is engaged in business-oriented activities. She is flying to Flintlock, hoping to finalize a merger between her business and John Preston’s. Doing so would assure her business’s success. Lorna and John are going to give a pitch to her parents, hoping that they will provide them with some financial backing. But before this transaction can occur, Lorna needs to get to Flintlock. Her faith in the small plane that is her transportation is less than minimal, though the gorgeous pilot to whom she is instantly attracted to and the plane have never crashed – before, that is. On route to Flintlock, the engine cuts out, necessitating an emergency landing. Lorna’s life flashes before her eyes and she comes to some profound realizations about that which is missing from her life. Emerging from a harrowing landing unscathed and finding they are stuck in a blizzard for the time being, Lorna’s control snaps and she gives in to her carnal urges. The heat between Lorna and Gage is intense, as are their couplings in the cramped cockpit. Is it only a need for reassurance that they have survived the crash that drives them into each other’s arms? Or something else, something that could provide the basis for a relationship? Do either of them have any hidden plans, premeditated or spur of the moment?

Ann Wesley Hardin is an excellent author. This I can confide to you after having read three of her books, including this one, all of which have involved flying and airplanes to a large extent – unsurprising, given Ms Hardin’s background in and love of aeronautics. I have thoroughly enjoyed them all. This White Hot Holidays quickie, which covers a time span of approximately twenty four hours or so, is fabulously written, with great attention to detail. Though a fairly short tale, the amount of information and character development that has been packed into it, especially with regards to the time frame of the story, is remarkable. New Year’s is a slight background theme, but this tale is perfect to read year round. There is within this tale a secondary character who I find to be rather mysterious and would love to know more about; it would be great if Ms Hardin were to write a tale for him of his own. Miss Behavior is a fabulous contemporary novella, and most definitely one I’d advise you to snap up, whether or not you enjoy flight.

Reviewed by: Elizabeth