Some Like It Hot

June 24, 2013
Andersen returns to the seaside resort town of Razor Bay, Wash. (That Thing Called Love), with a story full of small-town community warmth but sorely lacking in romantic heat. Well-traveled Harper Summerville is ostensibly in town as the local inn’s summer activities director, but is actually working undercover for her mother’s philanthropic organization to determine whether Cedar Village, a group home for troubled boys, deserves a grant. She catches the eye of taciturn Max Bradshaw—local police deputy, half-brother of the inn owner’s fiancé, and core volunteer at Cedar Village—who must get over his shyness and fear of rejection by “silver-spoon girls” to approach Harper. But all the key players are so well intentioned that the relationship conflict and tension feels utterly artificial. The troubled teens who populate the background are kept in line with stern looks and field trips, while the supposedly mature adults get mired in the kinds of family conflict and dating angst generally reserved for the adolescent crowd.

July 1, 2013
Harper, a dedicated wanderer, and Max, a man with deep roots in his community, embark on a red-hot affair, despite the fact that Harper will be leaving after a few months. Harper Summerville is in Razor Bay, Wash., to covertly investigate a nonprofit for her family's foundation. In order to do so, she takes a job as an activities coordinator for a local resort and immediately--and uncharacteristically--settles into friendships with Jenny, the resort owner, and her circle of intimates. Among them are Jake, Jenny's fiance, and Max, Jake's half brother. Max is a sheriff's deputy, a former Marine and a volunteer at the nonprofit Harper is checking out. He's also one of the most intense and sexy men she's ever met, so while she knows she should stay well clear of him, she's drawn in and allows herself to explore an explosive attraction she's never experienced before. Along the way, she learns that Max's quiet, stoic exterior hides a passionate, intriguing personality, and the more she gets to know him, the less she wants to leave. Yet Harper has built her life and her career around travel and the attractive lifestyle of a rolling stone, so staying put in Razor Bay with the only man who's truly touched her emotionally is an alien, frightening idea. As for Max, he knows Harper is The One, and he's willing to consider adopting a nomadic existence to keep her in his life, and his arms--even if all he's ever dreamed of is settling down in his hometown; meeting Harper suddenly makes him visualize happy-ever-after. Andersen pens a hot, sexy, yet touching story of two lovers who must come to terms with making changes in their lives in order to be with the person they were meant for. A sexy, surprising romance that goes to some unexpected places, with details, conflicts and characters that flesh out a story that is all the better for them.

COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.