Review_FICTION
56 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ JANUARY 27, 2020
Review_FICTION
media, and she enters college determined
never to allow herself to be that vulnerable
again. Then the utterly gorgeous Caleb St.
John accidently beans her with a Frisbee.
Caleb is the antithesis of every cruel man in
Faith’s past, and he’s captivated by his “fan-
tasy girl,” who refuses to give him the time
of day. Faith’s all-too-human self-esteem
issues are achingly convincing, while sweet,
persistent Caleb, who is dealing with his
ex-girlfriend’s betrayal and, later, with a
personal tragedy, is sure to make readers
swoon. Grissom’s skill for considerate char-
acterization also extends to Faith’s spirited
sidekicks, Kirsty and Beau, and Caleb’s
wise friend Everest. Smart, believable, and
endearing, this unputdownable romance
will win Grissom plenty of fans. (Mar.)Eternity Springs:
The McBrides of Texas: Tucker
Emily March. St. Martin’s, $7.99 mass market
(320p) ISBN 978-1-250-31493-2
Fresh starts bring new love in the
charming standalone sequel to March’s
Jackson. Veteran Tucker McBride is fed up
with his job in D.C. politics, and heads to
Redemption, Tex., to visit family and
figure out his next steps. The close-knit
small town is the perfect setting for Tucker
to rediscover that the outdoors is where he’s
happiest, and he opens a wilderness survival
school across the street from Gillian
Thacker’s bridal shop. Gillian loves her
job and dreams of becoming a wedding
planner to boot, but her relationship with
her own fiancé is on the rocks. After her
fiancé breaks things off, Gillian is deter-
mined to refocus on her career goals, but
the more time Gillian spends with Tucker,
the more she realizes she may just now be
learning what real love feels like. For his
part, Tucker is sure they’re meant to be
together and sweeps her off to Vegas in his
attempt to prove it. Though several of the
grand romantic gestures are awkwardly
rushed, the couple’s chemistry is believable
and their emotional push-and-pull makes
for engrossing reading. Both returning and
first-time readers will devour this sweet
page-turner. (Mar.)All I Ask
Corinne Michaels. Forever, $14.99 trade
paper (368p) ISBN 978-1-5387-4565-6
This indulgently emotional second-
chance romance from Michaels (Come Backthrough to a touching subplot about Anna’s
talented dance student Gabby, whose
fundamentalist father opposes her per-
formances. Though the plot takes some
unlikely turns, the smoldering attraction
between Iain and Anna is deliciously
drawn. Romance lovers will savor
Trentham’s witty, bighearted tale. (Mar.)Unforgiven
Jay Crownover. Forever, $7.99 mass market
(432p) ISBN 978-1-5387-4635-6
Crownover (Justified) returns to small-
town Loveless, Tex., in this suspenseful
contemporary romance featuring angst-
ridden lovers and an unsolved murder.
Straight-laced Texas ranger Hill Gamble
has loved reckless Kody Lawton for as long
as he’s known her, even after she got
together with his younger brother, Aaron.
Kody had a crush on Hill too, but she didn’t
believe she was good enough for him and
bonded with irresponsible Aaron instead.
After Aaron dies by suicide at age 22, Kody
blames Hill, who’d distanced himself from
the couple out of guilt over his lingering
feelings. Years later, Kody’s father, the
former town sheriff, is murdered and Hill
is assigned to investigate, throwing the pair
back together. Kody uses angry outbursts
and flippant jibes to cover her own guilt
about her attraction to Hill, and her juve-
nile behavior will soon grate on readers’
nerves. Forthright Hill proves an excellent
foil, however, and, when danger comes for
the Lawton clan, readers will be taken by
Hill’s vow to protect the woman he loves.
Crownover leaves the central mystery dan-
gling in a cliffhanger ending but reaches an
emotional resolution that will satisfy
romance fans. Readers will be eager for
the next installment. Agent: Stacy
Donaghy, Donaghy Literary Group. (Mar.)★ Mouthful
C.R. Grissom. Tule, $4.99 e-book (358p)
ISBN 978-1-951786-23-6
Grissom’s deeply-felt debut introduces
a remarkable heroine whose body image
issues are rendered with expert precision.
Full-figured Faith Lacerna developed an
adult body in elementary school and the
subsequent teasing and harassment have
lingered with her into college. Her only
sexual encounter in high school ended with
her humiliated when pictures taken of her
without her consent were posted on socialsired sect retakes the city’s poorest district,
aided by poisonous mushrooms and human
cultists, Devin, Jacaranda, and friends work
to protect their home. Meanwhile, Devin’s
sister, Adria, a religious leader, has devel-
oped the power to perform miracles. But
the more wonders she enacts, the more
her faith in the church waivers. Through
myriad perspectives, Dalglish weaves a
complex political web, raising moral
questions about war, religion, and land
rights and eschewing easy answers. The
philosophical strains are tempered with
plentiful action sequences and sweet
romance, keeping the pace up and the pages
turning. This smart epic fantasy promises
more good things from the series to come.
Agent: Michael Carr, Veritas Literary. (Mar)Romance/Erotica
A Highlander in a Pickup
Laura Trentham. St. Martin’s Paperbacks, $7.99
mass market (320p) ISBN 978-1-250-31503-8
The sexy second contemporary romance
in Trentham’s Highland, Georgia, series
(after A Highlander Walks into a Bar)
winningly blends small-town charm with
heat. Feisty dance instructor Anna
Maitland has enough on her plate, but she
agrees to assume leadership of the town’s
annual festival,
the Highland
Games, as a favor
for a friend.
Then Iain
Connors, a dishy
but taciturn,
kilt-wearing
veteran of Her
Majesty’s Armed
Forces, arrives
from Scotland
having been offered the same gig. Sparks
immediately fly between them as they
fight over who’s responsible for the event.
Fiercely independent Anna, whose
demanding mother and undependable
father left her with trust issues, doesn’t
want to give up control, while Iain hopes
the job will free him from his father’s
expectations that he will take over as
groundskeeper of their Highland estate.
Trentham handles the thorny conflicts
between parents’ wishes and their children’s
needs with sensitivity, carrying this theme