★ 09/26/2016
Contemporary romance fans who love bridal trappings and don’t mind well-meant social manipulations as long as they lead to a happy ending will delight in the opener of Swank’s Bachelor Brotherhood trilogy (spun off from the Wedding Pact series), a sentimental, endearingly goofy story that packs a surprising amount of impulsive heat. Construction foreman Kevin Vandemeer, who’s recently returned to Blue Springs, Mo., after a stint in the Marines, has sworn off women and resigned himself to living in the disaster of a fixer-upper his sister has purchased for him. He even agrees to keep the kitten she finds under the steps. Then next door neighbor Holly Greenwood awkwardly brings him part of a homemade lasagna, and they inevitably hit it off. But the demanding wedding planner for whom Holly works is actually Kevin’s mother, and the family meddling in their lives runs deep on both sides. Keeping the relationship secret until Holly’s big assignment is done will be both necessary and challenging. Swank’s fluffy, feel-good storytelling proclaims the primacy of love as a force to which everyone should surrender—the bachelors destined to star in future installments haven’t got a chance. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich. (Nov.)
This week’s Romance Roundup includes a couple doing battle with demon realms, a fabulously wealthy and handsome man who wants to meet a nice, genuine woman, and a children’s soccer coach who is reunited with an old flame. [ean2]The Brightest Embers, by Jeaniene Frost Ivy and Adrian have gone through a lot together—think missing family […]