Sweet Surprise

November 10, 2014
Fiona and Mike are the classic contemporary romance novel couple: impossibly good-looking, successful in their chosen fields, and universally adored. Each of them has overcome a troubled background, and each feels intrinsically flawed and undeserving of love and happiness. With the help of the obligatory spunky best friend for the heroine and wisecracking buddy for the hero, the two are able to acknowledge their overwhelming mutual attraction. With such a clichéd start, one might expect a twist or a surprise reveal, but this saccharine love story, the fourth set in the small town of Sweet, Tex. (after Something Sweeter), devotedly follows the formula without deviation. The faultless characters, implausible dialogue, meddling Texas mama, and dull, straightforward plot will put off readers who might have been hoping for a little challenge or emotional complexity along with their sugary romance. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon literary Agency.

December 15, 2014
When single mom Fiona Wilder moves to Sweet, Texas, to be closer to her daughter's family, she wishes she weren't quite so interested in her ex-husband's best friend, firefighter Mike Halsey. Fiona knows she's lucky. Despite an unwanted pregnancy and a failed marriage, she loves her daughter madly, and even if her ex, Jackson, wasn't right for her, he's still one of the Good Guys. Now she feels blessed to move to Jackson's hometown and get started on a new life, close to his tightknit family that adores her and their daughter, Izzy, and that wants to help her launch her own bakery. But as she's moving a carful of belongings to her new home, she's involved in an accident that totals her car and takes her off her feet for weeks. Of course the sexy fireman who pulls her to safety has to be Mike, Jackson's best friend. Fiona's not immune to Mike's charms, but she's sworn off men and knows she has to focus on her new business. Hard to do in normal circumstances, it's even harder when Jackson's mom decides to play matchmaker and arranges for Mike to do some carpentry in her shop. Neither Mike nor Fiona plans on a relationship, but they can't deny a mutual attraction, and as they move into and then beyond a physical liaison, they each realize just how perfect they might be together. Terry continues her Sweet, Texas, series with a lighthearted, entertaining story that has moments of intensity but never quite fulfills its promise. Fiona's continued declaration that, as a former party girl, she can't trust her decisions seems increasingly ridiculous given all that she's accomplished and the obvious good choices she's made. Plus it seems unrealistic that a single mom working for an hourly wage could save enough to start her own bakery. A smooth, sweet, romantic read if you don't consider the details too closely.

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January 1, 2015
Terry (Anything but Sweet, 2013) fans will welcome the story of Fiona, friendly ex-wife of Jackson and mom of young Izzy. Jackson's fireman partner, Mike, extracts Fiona from a bad car accident, and both are reluctant to act on their attraction due to unsuccessful relationships in their pasts. Mike's heartbreak and domestic issues continue to shadow his thoughts about the future. But when Fiona needs help moving and setting up her cupcake shop while recovering from her injuries, family and friends in the small Texas town conspire to bring her and Mike together. It's refreshing that Fiona gets along so well with her ex and his new bride, and her struggles with her new business also add to the story. Diversity in characters is welcome, even if Terry risks coming close to Hispanic stereotypes. She certainly excels at the slow but sexy growth of realistic relationships as the story builds in an absorbing and very appealing way. Fans of Jill Shalvis and Christie Craig will welcome Terry's Sweet, Texas series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)