By the end of this smart, deliciously satisfying tale, the third in Graves's DeMarco brothers series (Wild at Heart
, etc.), readers will wish they were part of the loud, loving DeMarco clan. The family's easy camaraderie and natural protectiveness add charm to this story, which focuses on single father Dave. When Dave learns that former bad girl Lisa Merrick died in a plane crash while on a humanitarian mission in Mexico, he's staggered. But as it turns out, Lisa is still alive, which Dave learns when she phones him to cash in on an old promise. Dave drops everything and travels to the wilds of Mexico to rescue her, only to be drawn into a web of counterfeit drug smuggling spun by a corrupt doctor who's bent on silencing Lisa. Coincidentally, while Dave and Lisa struggle to flee Mexico and forge a relationship (which is complicated by the guilt Dave suffers over his wife's death), Lisa's widower friend Adam is forced to cope with memories of his own wife in order to begin anew with someone else. Graves manipulates the reader too often with the ostensible deaths of major characters, but there's no question that she knows how to create suspense; she's the master of the cliffhanger chapter ending. What sets this novel apart from its peers, however, is not the suspense but the characters and their witty, warm-hearted interactions. (Nov.)
Forecast:
An eyesore of a cover—featuring a cartoonish blue and orange image of a couple racing away from danger—speaks to teens rather than romance fans, the book's primary readership. However, this book should benefit from word of mouth.
