Hot in Hellcat Canyon

Bestseller Long, known for her historical Pennyroyal Green series, has a brilliant, quirky style that gives her first contemporary a delightful gleam. Her clever phrases make her small-town setting and characters seem fresh and new. Locals are charmingly astonished when star actor John Tennessee McCord’s broken truck lands him in the small town of Hellcat Canyon, Calif. J.T. is swiftly smitten by waitress Britt Langley when she uses the word enigmatic in conversation over his lunch order. Having escaped a disastrous marriage, Britt protects her heart with an “invisible force field” that can’t quite hold off J.T.’s genuineness, intelligence, and charm. J.T. is a hero who puts Britt’s needs over his own, and Britt finds she understands J.T.’s deepest yet unacknowledged desire. The entire town roots for their romance, which is endangered more by Britt’s fears and some realistic, understandable miscommunications than by the possible return of J.T.’s former girlfriend, a fellow star whose posters plaster the town. This laugh-out-loud treat is warmly emotional and richly satisfying. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (June)