Somebody Like You

December 19, 2016
Darling, Vt., is the quintessential New England romance-novel town where local business and families are closely tied together and everyone knows everyone else’s business. That quality serves Laurel Stone well when her newly opened gardening center is the victim of repeat vandalism, and a local cop, who also happens to be her high school sweetheart, is the first responder. Aiden Gallagher fully regrets that his immature high school antics drove Laurel away, but now that she’s back in town, he’s determined to earn her love. He’ll have to work hard, because Laurel is still reeling from an unexpected divorce that forced her life in a direction she never planned. In a story that’s sweet and heartwarming without being treacly, Alward (Summer on Lovers’ Island) builds believable chemistry between Lauren and Aiden while introducing enough friends and siblings to have readers preparing to settle into Darling for a long cozy stay. Agent: Karen Solem, Spencerhill Associates.

February 15, 2017

When her marriage crumbles after her husband comes out as gay, accountant Laurel Stone returns to quiet Darling, VT, to pick up the pieces and take her single life in a more satisfying direction. Now as the new owner of Ladybug Garden Center, she's on target--if only gorgeous police officer Aiden Gallagher, the man she once baptized with a vanilla milkshake in high school, didn't keep distracting her. A love-wary heroine simmering with unresolved anger and trust issues and the cop who has loved her since childhood rekindle a long-lost spark and learn that sometimes the legend of the town's famed Kissing Bridge is true. A well-rounded assortment of secondary characters and some mysterious vandalism add to the mix. VERDICT Tender, sensual, and overflowing with New England charm, this appealing story is the perfect launch to Alward's back-to-back series (Someone To Love [Mar.] and Somebody's Baby [Apr.]) that community romance fans are certain to adore. Alward (The Cowboy's Convenient Bride) lives in Nova Scotia.

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