Threads of Hope

Allan (The Edge of Grace) underperforms in her newest, the next installment in the variegated, multi-author Quilts of Love series. Ambitious journalist Nina O’Malley is disgruntled after being passed over for a move to her magazine’s New York office, and her promoted colleague not only has Nina’s coveted spot but also her photographer ex-boyfriend. Nina’s plan to distinguish herself by turning a fluffy charity gala assignment into a heartfelt feature series about AIDS leads her to revelations about her past when she encounters Greg Hernandez, now a veterinarian and widowed adoptive father of an HIV-positive Ethiopian girl. Formerly Hernandez was the popular jock who humiliated her in high school. The inspirational novelist nobly wants to take her characters on redemptive journeys, but she relies too much on earnestness and easy pathos (a motherless, HIV-positive child) and too little on original characterization. The relationship between Nina and her dog Manny is fresher and more engaging than that between Nina and Greg. Allan is capable of doing better. Agent: Sandra Bishop, MacGregor Literary Agency (Mar.)