Lake Como

May 20, 2013
Hallie Elliot spent her childhood intrigued by her half-sister, Portia, the product of her mother's first marriage to an Italian prince. But Hallie's life in San Franciscoâwhere she has the perfect successful boyfriend and a brilliant careerâhas turned out just as well as those of her Italian kin, or so she thinks, until she finds her boyfriend in a suspicious embrace with her boss, Kendra. Hallie flees to her sib-lings' family estate on Lake Como to sort out her feelings. There, Portia is caught between a crum-bling marriage and the scandal of divorce. At the idyllic Tesoro villa, with each other's support, the sisters are able to contemplate moving on. In the meantime, there's glorious scenery, gourmet food, and designer shopping galore. While Portia falls for a new man, Hallie finds a dream job designing a reclusive billionaire's home and connects with her client's business manager, Angus. But two big se-crets complicate Hallie's happinessâand one of them will make her wonder if she can ever trust enough to love again. Portia's engaging subplot and a few shocking revelations lend complexity and depth to Hughes's third novel (after Market Street), but the plot is bogged down by lackluster love scenes, a too-perfect heroine, and a distracting preoccupation with designer goods. Agent: Melissa Flashman, Trident Media Group.

July 1, 2013
Working under one of the most desired interior designers in San Francisco while dating one of the few chivalrous men left on the planet, Hallie Elliot seems to have it all. Until she finds her long-term boyfriend, Peter, and her overpowering boss, Kendra, in a rather strange, too-close-for-comfort situation. Peter insists that nothing happened and proposes to Hallie. Instead of giving him an answer, she decides to try to figure things out while heading to Lake Como, where she'll spend August visiting her half sister who is also having love difficulties. While there, Hallie follows a path to self-discovery, seeks a reconnection with her sister, and learns a hidden family secret, all while meeting a mysterious man named Angus who sets her up with a design project she just can't refuse. Hughes (Market Street, 2013) delivers another fun, place-based work of women's fiction, this time portraying a likable character hungry for answers to life's questions in beautiful Lake Como, home to delectable food and men.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)