WWW.PUBLISHERSWEEKLY.COM 39Review_FICTION
starts buying up the neighborhood and
sets his eyes on their building, and their
love-hate relationship becomes the least
of their worries. Colorful locals and the
leads’ convincing chemistry give this
romance its sizzle, but it’s the four-legged
costars that steal the show. Animal lovers
are sure to be charmed. Agent: Moe Ferrara,
BookEnds. (May)
A Glass of Red
Sam Carlson. Dreamspinner, $14.99 trade
paper (200p) ISBN 978-1-64405-910-4
Carlson’s intoxicating debut kicks off
with Noah Andrews, an aspiring somme-
lier and art history graduate student at
NYU, getting his dream job cataloging
wine at a Tuscan villa over the summer.
Arriving in Italy, shy Noah meets out-
going Christian Caravalli, who’s over-
seeing the house’s restoration. Each young
man is secretly smitten with the other,
and they bond over dinners Noah cooks
each night. Noah, in turn, silently appre-
ciates the little notes Christian leaves him
at breakfast each morning. Things get
slightly awkward when Noah happens
upon a naked Christian before they’ve had
a chance to confront their chemistry, but
after the renovations force the pair to
share a bed, they give in to their unspoken
desires. Before long they’re having sex in
the kitchen and cuddling on the patio
admiring the stars. But are these guys
having a casual fling—or will their
summer passions become a lasting rela-
tionship? Carlson makes familiar tropes
sing, fleshing out his story with a subplot
about Christian grappling with his par-
ents’ impending divorce and a temptation
Noah faces back in New York. This first
blush of love between a wine nerd and a
hunky handyman goes down as smoothly
as a glass of Montepulciano. (May)
A Proper Scoundrel
Esther Hatch. Covenant Communications,
$15.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 978-1-5244-
1698-0
A scheme to keep suitors at bay fuels
the love between an enterprising railroad
owner and a reclusive rogue in this solid
Victorian romance from Hatch (A Proper
Charade). Business-minded Diana Barton
does her best to evade the men vying for
her hand in order to get control of her rail-
road company—but as most of them are
also investors, she’s hardly successful. So
she hatches a plan to scare them off with
the help of “a man who would ruin her
reputation and not want a railroad in
return.” The home of known scoundrel
Baron Everton Bryant is off-limits to all
but his staff, so Everton’s taken aback
when the determined Diana finagles her
way past his loyal butler to ask for his
assistance. The pair soon slide into a
playful friendship that seamlessly grows
into romance, but Everton must deal
with his guilt over his first wife’s death
before he can love again. Everton’s quick
wit camouflages his serious side, but
Diana’s kindness and patience encourage
him to open up. The characters’ radiant
personalities minimize the angst of
Everton’s backstory, and despite the talk
of ruination, the romance stays relatively
chaste. The result is an emotional outing
full of hope. (May)Rescuing the Rancher
Shanna Hatfield. Wholesome Hearts, $15
trade paper (406p) ISBN 979-8-6702-7874-4
Hatfield’s heartfelt second Summer
Creek romance (after Catching the Cowboy)
pairs a small-town widow with a big-city
lawyer. Attorney Nathaniel Knight
leaves Portland for Summer Creek, Ore.,
to help family friend Emery Brighton,
the heroine of book one, with her work at
the Summer Creek Historical Society.
There he meets and promptly gets on the
nerves of Jossy Jansen, Emery’s fiancé’s
sister, who distrusts his glossy good
looks and flawless self presentation. Still,
when Jossy receives a letter from a law
firm representing a man claiming to be
her abusive late husband’s son, she turns
to Nathaniel for legal advice to prevent
the claimant from taking her ranch. As
the pair spend more time together, their
mutual attraction builds and Jossy opens
up about her difficult marriage. Though
Jossy is wary of marrying again, there’s
no denying her connection to Nathaniel,
who remains hopeful for a future
together. Hatfield keeps her believably
imperfect characters at the heart of this
novel, showing their evolution as they
face life’s trials and discover love.
Readers looking for sweet, chaste
romance set in a rural idyll will be well
satisfied. (Self-published)Inspirational
The Jam and Jelly Nook
Amy Clipston. Zondervan, $15.99 trade paper
(336p) ISBN 978-0-3103-5654-7
The pleasing final installment of
Clipston’s Amish Marketplace series
(after The Coffee Corner) sees widow Leanna
Wengerd find love. Leanna and widower
Emory Speicher Emory meet at the police
station after their children are caught
trespassing, and a friendship quickly
develops between the two single parents.
Emory’s daughter, Maggie, believes her
aging father should be her responsibility
as an only child and foregoes hanging out
with friends her own age. Leanna’s son
Chester, meanwhile, goes to work in
Emory’s shed-building business and
begins to trust and confide in him. The
teens are adamant, however, about not
wanting their parents to date. As a result,
Emory and Leanna hesitate to acknowl-
edge their growing feelings for each other,
at times appearing like teenagers hiding a
crush. The situation is compounded by
Emory’s meddling sister-in-law and
another woman vying for Emory’s atten-
tion, but the two find a way to honestly
share feelings and rely on their faith to
take a second chance at love. Series fans
will love this wholesome finale. (May)★ Let It Be Me
Becky Wade. Bethany House, $16.99 trade
paper (400p) ISBN 978-0-7642-3561-0
Wade continues her Misty River
Romance series (after Stay with Me) with
this enjoyable story about identity and
opening one’s heart after trauma. When
high school math teacher Leah Montgomery
takes a genetic test, she discovers she is
not biologically related to her family.
After talking to her mom, she concludes
she must have
been acciden-
tally switched
at birth.
Meanwhile,
heart surgeon
Sebastian Grant
had stopped
looking for the
woman who
kept him con-
scious after his