The Billionaire in Boots

London’s top-notch third entry in the Princes of Texas series (after The Devil in the Saddle) entices with sizzling romantic tension and genuine human conflict. Charlotte Bailey works for Nick Prince as the office manager of Saddlebush Land and Cattle Company in Three Rivers, Tex. Nick always wanted to be a pilot, not a rancher, but, after his father died, he put his plans for flight school on hold to help the struggling family business. Now Nick and Charlotte keep up a near constant stream of contentious but borderline flirtatious workplace banter stemming from their frustration with each other’s organizational styles and memories of the passionate night they shared before they became employer and employee. When Nick and Charlotte inevitably give in to their mutual attraction once more and embark on a tentative relationship, their different visions for the future create complications: Charlotte wants to settle down and have children, while Nick still plans on leaving Three Rivers to learn to fly. This painfully plausible conflict is rendered with tenderness and humor. The sweeping emotions and down-to-earth protagonists of this fast-paced love story make it a must-read. Agent: Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency. (Mar.)