cover image Undeniably Yours

Undeniably Yours

Shannon Stacey. HQN, $7.99 mass market (378p) ISBN 978-0-373-77685-6

Stacey’s latest Kowalskis contemporary (after Exclusively Yours) is as spicy and insubstantial as popcorn laced with cayenne. When down-to-earth Beth Hansen and player Kevin Kowalski have a one-night stand, an unexpected pregnancy results. As they try to figure out how to raise a child while not being a couple, fiercely independent Beth feels strangled by Kevin’s overprotective he-man ways. Kevin would love to be not only a father but Beth’s main guy, and convincing her he’d be a great family man takes up the bulk of the plot. Their unlikely initial attraction feels like a rushed device to get to the pregnancy premise, and Beth’s dogged rejection of Kevin quickly begins to grate. Buoying the story is a secondary romance that’s more interesting than that of the main characters, and strong, funny writing fills the plot holes. Agent: Trident Media Group. (Feb.)