A Shot of Sultry

January 7, 2013
Beckett (Sultry with a Twist) revisits Sultry Springs, Tex., in this heartwarming, humorous story of second chances. L.A. documentary filmmaker Bobbi Gallagher trusted a colleague who repaid her by damaging her reputation. She returns to her mother’s hometown to visit her half-brother Luke and make a raunchy reality show, Sex in the Sticks, to fund a documentary that could put her back on the map. Luke’s friend “Golden Boy” Trey Lewis is the perfect subject for the show—but he wants Bobbi far more than any of the show’s participants. Bobbi, scarred by her horrific childhood, fears being tainted by her mother’s legacy, while Trey has learned to distrust the notion of everlasting love and is contracted to go to Dubai to clear up his other-than-honorable army discharge. A cast of eccentric characters rounds out the story, which is muscular but sweet at its core. A strong continuation of this promising series. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency.

February 1, 2013
Beckett joins the hoard of authors writing about small Texas towns with hearts of gold. After bombing out in Hollywood, documentary filmmaker Bobbi Gallagher gets another chance from a reality-TV producer to shoot a show about how good old boys try to find love in all the wrong places. Bobbi decides to visit her newly married stepbrother, Luke, in Sultry Springs, Texas, and film his rowdy friends in their bids for love. She's particularly taken with her stepbrother's best friend, Trey Lewis, who's just passing time until he ships out to Dubai, where he will be able to purge his less-than-honorable discharge with a civilian contract. Even though Luke and Trey's mother disapprove, Bobbi and Trey slowly get closer until Trey's old fianc'e reenters his life. What with getting to know her stepbrother, filming the reality show, and falling for Trey, Bobbi's life is chaos. Beckett's foray into love in a small town bounces from funny to endearing to poignant, making her a welcome addition to an otherwise overstocked romance subgenre.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)