Under Her Skin

In this emotionally riveting page-turner, debut author Anders creates two broken but highly sympathetic protagonists who elicit each other’s inner strength as each seeks to heal from poor choices and toxic relationships. Uma is on the run from her abusive boyfriend after a night of torture in which he covered her body with horrible tattoos. She lands in tiny Blackwood, Va., where a local skin clinic offers free tattoo removal for abused women. After getting a job as a live-in companion to an elderly woman, Uma is drawn to her gruff new neighbor, Ivan, a metalworker and self-defense teacher that strays of many species turn to for nurture. The kindness, integrity, growing trust, and playful, steamy chemistry between Uma and Ivan allows them both to find hope in the possibility of a healthy relationship. Anders’s strong cast of supporting characters includes Uma’s reclusive employer, Ivan’s sister, and the local bartender, and the town becomes a character in itself. Readers will be hungry for more from Anders’s pen. Agent: Laura Bradford, Laura Bradford Literary. (Feb.)