Hold on My Heart

Brogan’s sophomore contemporary (after Crazy Little Thing) successfully blends a sassy heroine and humor with deep emotional issues and a traditional romance. Suddenly jobless with her relationship on the rocks, event planner Libby Hamilton moves back to her small hometown to live with her happy, chaotic family. Perfect older sister Ginny is married and pregnant, wild younger sister Marti is engaged, and Dad is turning a historic one-room schoolhouse into an ice-cream parlor—using Libby’s savings. Working with her father, Libby meets Tom Murphy, a restoration specialist. On the darker side of the story, Tom is mourning the death of his wife, killed in a car accident a year ago in which he was behind the wheel. Unable to move on, Tom struggles to maintain relationships with his teen daughter and his wife’s parents. The contrast between Tom’s genuine pain and the lighthearted conflicts in Libby’s family can feel odd, but the well-developed characters and the sweet story with just a touch of heat will please readers looking for a creative take on romance. Agent: Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates. (June)