Love Affair

Gullible, idealistic young Ohioan Frankie Grant arrives in New York with little more than high expectations, plus memories of her dead parents and brother. She meets middle-aged political reporter Henry ""Mac'' MacIver, who generously offers her lodging in his apartment. Their relationship begins platonically, but soon, Frankie and this worldly, intense man become lovers. Despite their disparate backgrounds and ages, Frankie readily assimilates herself into Mac's full life. His abundant affection assuages her loneliness, and Frankie rounds out her days by taking temporary office jobs. But problems emerge: Mac hesitates about divorcing his elegant, estranged wife, and Frankie feels embarrassed when his two youngsters visit. Mac's investigation of a journalist's baffling disappearance disconcerts Frankie even more, since someone seems determined to halt his sleuthing. Leahy (Family Truths describes this couple's daily routines, delights, and tribulations with an empathy and veracity that will have readers avidly turning the pages. (April 21)