The Jewel of the Isle

The great outdoors brings peril and passion in this high-octane rom-com from Rea (Lucy on the Wild Side). Emergency room physician Emily Edwards doesn’t like adventure, nature, or taking risks, but she’s determined to visit Michigan’s Isle Royale National Park to spread her father’s ashes as he would have wished. She snags the last available hiking guide and is initially impressed with Ryder Fleet’s handsome looks—but she’s understandably aggravated when he reveals that they’re lost and he’s not actually an expert hiker. His late brother was the outdoorsman, while Ryder generally handled marketing, but with their tour company in dire straits, he had little choice but to take the job. Emily and Ryder’s trek is derailed even further after they witness a murder and wind up embroiled in a criminal conspiracy. Now they’re forced to evade both rampaging moose and gunmen. Rea ramps up the suspense, but never races through the relationship itself, allowing it to develop at a natural pace amid the drama. The characters slowly reveal their hidden depths—Emily isn’t as uptight as she appears and Ryder has a good heart and a love for Calvin and Hobbes—igniting an attraction that inspires them to want to save each other. It’s the perfect mix of danger and delight. (Nov.)