Shannon is picked as a contestant for a
cake baking and decorating contest show.
Having spent her life tending to others’
needs, first in a failed marriage and then
in the successful parenting of her adopted
daughter, she longs to finally take care of
herself, both professionally and romantically. Her motives are refreshingly plausible and relatable. Bisexual pastry chef
Maya, a judge on the show, is known more
for her party lifestyle than for her cakes;
when she falls for Shannon, a longtime fan
14 years her senior, she realizes that her
history is going to make it hard to pursue
a real relationship. Shannon especially
struggles with a rumor that Maya recently
had an abortion. Though the reality
show’s challenges often lack originality,
Dutton’s love story never loses
momentum. (Feb.)
Comics
; The Thrilling Adventures
of Lovelace and Babbage:
The (Mostly) True Story of
the First Computer
Sydney Padua. Pantheon, $28.95 (320p) ISBN
978-0-307-90827-8
This print edition of Padua’s webcomic
is a must-have for anyone who enjoys get-
ting lost in a story as brilliant in execution
as conception. Padua debut graphic novel
transforms the collaboration between Ada
to the small Alabama town of her youth to
look after her injured grandmother.
Darcy Wilde is a prim and proper
librarian trying to live down her mother’s scandalous reputation. Her new
neighbor, Robbie Dalton, who’s Falcon’s
new high school football coach, has a way
of riling her up. But irritation gives way
to mutual desire, spoiled only by a mis-communication that leaves Darcy convinced Robbie is gay—an inaccurate
assessment that threatens to ruin his reputation with the townsfolk. To save
Robbie’s image and his job, they engage
in a fake relationship that threatens to
turn all too real with each sizzling kiss.
But Robbie has dark secrets and traumas
of his own to overcome before he can
commit to what they both know to be a
good thing. The instant chemistry and
dynamic give-and-take between the two
fuels this otherwise ordinary romance as it
juggles several different dramatic subplots. Trentham pulls the various elements together in time to deliver a sweet,
satisfying story. (Mar.)
For the Love of Cake
Erin Dutton. Bold Strokes (
boldstrokesbooks.com), $16.95 trade paper (288p)
ISBN 978-1-626-39241-0
In Dutton’s highly entertaining contemporary, well-drawn characters
Shannon Hayes and Maya Vaughn discover romance behind reality TV.
adjust from big-city life to the much
slower pace in Laurel Ridge, Penn., where
she inherited a home from a grandmother
she never knew. While Allison quickly
makes friends with sweetly-spoken quilt
shop owner Sarah Bitler, it’s her deepening friendship and romance with cabinetmaker Nick Whiting that takes center
stage. Not everyone is as welcoming as
Sarah and Nick, however. A somewhat
sinister mystery surrounds Allison’s
inheritance, and there are several people
who would be happy to see her gone.
With far more emphasis on emotional
connections than suspense, the intricately
constructed plot features relatable, believable characters faced with realistic struggles both large and small. This is an excellent beginning to what promises to be a
series of rewarding, satisfying novels.
Agent: Danielle Egan Miller, Browne &
Miller Literary. (Mar.)
One Wish
Robyn Carr. Mira, $8.99 mass market (384p)
ISBN 978-0-7783-1772-2
Carr fills her seventh visit to Thunder
Point (after The Homecoming) with a
charming cast of characters and a tender
love story. Grace Dillon—formerly
known as champion ice skater Izzy
Banks—moves to the small Oregon town
and buys a small flower shop, hoping to
escape the overwhelming pressures of the
competitive skating world. High school
teacher Troy Headly is getting over a long
relationship and looking for some lighthearted fun, so he offers a no-strings-attached relationship to the too-serious
florist. Things heat up quickly when the
two realize that they feel far more for each
other than mere friendship. But after
Grace’s estranged mother returns to town
with a bombshell revelation, their relationship might be nipped in the bud. Carr
neatly weaves in glimpses of the hap-pily-ever-afters from previous books in
the series, which will please longtime
readers. This is a solid smalltown romance
with heart. (Mar.)
Slow and Steady Rush
Laura Trentham. St. Martin’s, $3.99 e-book
(400p) ISBN 978-1-4668-8394-9
In the first installment of Trentham’s
Falcon Football series, a young woman
gets a new shot at love when she returns
; Pedal to the Metal
Jesse J. Thoma. Bold Strokes ( boldstrokesbooks.com), $16.95 trade paper (240p) ISBN
978-1-62639-239-7
Sassy and sexy meet adventurous and slightly nerdy in Thoma’s much-anticipated sequel to The Chase. Max Winters is the self-proclaimed computer guru for Holt Lasher’s bond enforcement crew in Providence, R. I. She’s
been wanting to do more fieldwork, helping to apprehend
people who jump bail, but she’s as surprised as anyone when
Holt graduates her to primary agent on a tricky case—and
lead babysitter for Whitney “Dubs” Williams, an unrepentant, irreverent, gorgeous car thief who’s going to help Holt’s
crew break an auto larceny ring. Dubs has done part of the time for her crime and
leaps at this opportunity to wear a white hat, hoping to at least briefly escape the
boredom and monotony of prison life. She doesn’t count on being shot at, chased, or
handcuffed to Max, the one woman she finds utterly irresistible. Tongue-in-cheek
wit keeps the fast-moving action from going off the rails, all balanced by richly
nuanced interpersonal relationships and sweet, realistic romance. (Mar.)
