Sierra Falls

Moving from historical romance (Master of the Highlands, etc.) to contemporary romance set in the titular California foothills village, Wolff pairs a saddened older man and a sweet put-upon young woman. Sorrow Bailey, stuck running her parents’ rundown lodge and tavern, yearns to be a real chef somewhere—anywhere—else. She’s tired of her boyfriend, Damien, who runs his family’s timber business, and now wants recently widowed sheriff Billy Preston, formerly a big-city police lieutenant. While Sorrow and Billy’s mutual attraction smolders and soon flares into lusty bedroom acrobatics, a steadily worsening series of disasters hits Sorrow and her family business, paralleled by a senior-citizen romance between fry cook Tom Sullivan and divorcée Marlene Jessup. Engaging protagonists, sympathetic minor characters, and an involved though predictable plot full of real-life problems create enjoyable escapism while leaving broad hints at episodes to come. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Apr.)