cover image Listen to Me

Listen to Me

Kristen Proby. Morrow, $14.99 trade paper (336p) ISBN 978-0-06-243475-3

After suffering heartbreak in a recent relationship, Addison vows not to get involved with anyone—especially ex-rock star Jake Keller, whom she’s just hired to play in her Portland, Ore., restaurant, aptly named Seduction. But despite the past sorrows that still haunt them, Jake and Addison find it hard to resist a dance of mutual attraction and seduction. Titillating foreplay and steamy sex scenes that reduce powerful businesswomen to avatars of lust are the highlight of this romance. Unfortunately, inconsistency makes it difficult to identify with the characters. Jake oscillates between a respectful guy and an egotistical cad who’s driven purely by his hunger for Addison’s “sexier-than-fuck” body. This lends itself to somewhat superficial dialogue, which causes the narrative flow to ebb and wane. Although the obstacles for Addison and Jake are predictable and resolved with relative ease, there are enough ups and downs to keep the pages turning and a cliffhanger to spark interest in the sequel. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Agency. (Apr.)