Product Description

A broken heart is hard to mend. And a good heart is practically impossible to find ... When Georgia Abbott's fiance cheats on her, she's left with a broken heart and the reality of her humdrum life in London. Until someone tells her about a job on Glow magazine: in Sydney. That's Sydney, Australia - where the welcome is as warm as the weather and the men look like Mel Gibson, but taller. What's she got to lose? So Georgia packs up and ships out Down Under. And at first things seem promising, as she's swept up in a whirl of A-list parties, dancing, and debauchery. But while Australian water may go down the plughole the other way, Australian men are - oh dear - starting to look all too familiar ...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #25910 in Books
• Published on: 2006-10-26
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 416 pages

Review
Reading this book is like having a long and alcohol-fuelled chat with your oldest pal while watching a chick flick and eating chocolate at an alarming rate. With the kind of insight only a woman can effectively reproduce on paper for other women to read, Alderson describes the outwardly glamorous world Georgia Abbott lives in as British socialite and writer for top Australian magazine, Glow without forgetting that, like all of us, she is just a girl who falls in love too easily and falls asleep with a mouth full of kettle chips. Georgia has left England after discovering that her otherwise perfect fiance, Rick, has been visiting prostitutes on a regular basis. Lured by a dream job and the prospect of finding a handsome Aussie farmer with huge muscles, a twinkle in his eye and 'a farm the size of Wales', Georgia finds herself in Australia where she finds stockbroker-and-weekend-farmer Billy and his mate, I'm-a-farmer-but-I'd-rather-be-an-artist-and-I-wont-make-a-move-on-you-because-Billy-saw-you-first Rory, not to mention I-love-Shakespeare-and what-are-your-thoughts-on-traditional-childcare-but-I'm-really-a-womanising-liar Nick and I-need-another-joint- Jasper. Georgia begins to realize that Australian men are very similar to English men. Tired of the drug-fired party scene and the men she keeps on meeting at the parties, Georgia escaped to a friends farm, where she bumps into a familiar and welcome face. Pants On Fire is a hilarious read, true to life and holding something for readers from all walks, but there is also a dark side to Alderson's writing in its unnerving picture of Sydney life, the number of drug-taking characters increasing by the page. (Kirkus UK)

A sassy magazine editor searches for romance among flamboyant artists and social climbers in Sydney. Georgia Abbott has all but given up on love after walking in on her cheating fiance. Tired of sulking around London, Georgia decides a change of scenery will be just the thing to cure her broken heart. On a whim, she accepts an editorial job at Glow Magazine and heads down under. Alderson, an editor at British Elle, understands the magazine business and does a magnificent job of sweeping the reader up in the glamorous world of fashion. She also has a special gift for dialogue and makes each chapter more outrageous than the last as Georgia gets to know the recovering addict, the bulimic and the self-absorbed promiscuous princess who make up Glow's editorial staff. Though Georgia quickly adopts the staff's insouciant attitude and quirky style, her introduction to Sydney's men doesn't go quite as smoothly. Alderson gets right to the heart of the matter-the men that women are drawn to and the men that women actually need are often quite different. Georgia falls for a succession of wrong men: the pathological womanizer, the handsome dim-wit who's in love with another woman and the underachieving artist who is far too fond of marijuana. The author is adept at exposing the powerlessness women often feel in relationships. Until Georgia builds her self-confidence and properly heals from her breakup, she'll never meet Mr. Right. Here, copious amounts of champagne can be a great way to kick up your heals with friends, but the path to happiness is found in self-reflection and purposeful living. As her year in Sydney comes to an end, there's a surprise or two in store for Georgia, providing hope that there are still good men out there. A lively romp down under. Vibrant characters, a beguiling setting and a plot that engages from start to finish. (Kirkus Reviews)

About the Author
Maggie Alderson was born in London and lives in Sydney. She was editor of Elle in the UK, has worked for many other magazines and newspapers and is a popular writer with the Sydney Morning Herald. PANTS ON FIRE is her first novel.

Customer Reviews

Boring
Could not figure out at all what this book was about, so gave up after a few pages.

Gobsmackingly Wonderful!!
I totally adore this book and have read it too many times to count! The first paragraph about the phallic shaped hat a certain character wears at the Hat Party had me hooked! Maggie's style of writing enthralls you and I hated her ex who cheats on her, hence her moving to OZ and I LOVED LOVED Anthony Maybury (who I'm pretty sure makes an appearance in "Mad About The Boy" if my memory hasn't totally failed me)and wish he were real so he could make beautiful dresses for me lol!!! I rarely get so caught up in a book. Every time I read it I grab my laptop and start planning my trip to Sydney!! I strongly recommend this book, I'm writing this reviw with the book next to me as I'm literally about to start reading it again! A great beach book too I might add!!!

Pick this up and you won't want to put it down!
Pants on Fire tells the tale of Georgia Abbott. After catching her so-called "perfect" fiancee with a prostitute, a job opportunity on the other side of the planet is a tempting prospect. So Georgia packs up and goes to work on Australian magazine Glow as its deputy editor.

On her arrival, Georgia is instantly impressed by the friendliness of the people and the sheer beauty of Sydney. She's instantly swept up into a wild world of parties and product launches, and she starts to leave her old life and worries behind. The Australian men also seem to be rather superior to British men, with their strong forearms and tanned skin. Georgia dreams of meeting her dream man, who will sweep her into his arms and take her off to live on a huge farm in the country.

As Georgia settles in, she begins to realise that things aren't all that different to life in London. Sydney is rife with gossip, everyone knows everyone and there's lots of bitching and backstabbing. But a gorgeous man persuades her that things aren't all that bad, and makes her feel like the most special girl in the world. When they eventually go to bed together Georgia thinks she's really struck it lucky. A gorgeous, lovely man who's fantastic in bed, he was almost too good to be true...

Which isn't so far from the truth. Turns out the wonderful Nick has slept with almost every girl in Sydney - and nobody thought to warn Georgia. After another disastrous fling, things are looking really bleak, and Georgia thinks perhaps the Australian men aren't all that different from British men after all...

This is a fantastic book. It had me laughing all the way through at the mad characters, particularly Georgia's gay best friend Antony. It's full of controversial issues, for example; drugs, bereavement, depression and bulimia, but it's all dealt with in a sensitive way. And it also shows how each issue is dealt with, showing that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that nobody ever needs to feel alone.

Overall, despite all the deep and meaningful sub-plots this really was a laugh a minute, and I was rooting for Georgia all along. I often found myself wanting to shout at her for being so daft, but she's a great character and you'll find yourself being on her side and hoping she finds her Mr Right. A gripping but light-hearted read.