Betts spins a realistic but problematic follow-up to 2009’s Tangled Up in Love
. Jenna Langan can’t get over her ex-husband, undercover cop Gage Marshall, and the divorce she never wanted. Gage isn’t happy either, but he can’t bear to reveal that his work led him to undertake various reprehensible acts. One night, Jenna lures Gage over, drugs him and ties him up, and sexually assaults him—he does consent once he wakes up, but some readers may not find that sufficient mitigation—in hopes of getting pregnant. Gage is furious, but can’t walk away if he might be a father. As they explore the lies that destroyed their marriage, their friend Grace revenges herself on her cheating fiancé by wrecking his apartment and car and stealing his dog. Readers looking for a diversion from formulaic perfect couples will certainly find it here, but the characters’ amoral behavior is neither amusing nor compelling. (Aug.)
