A Great Kisser

Kauffman's bland latest sends a D.C. workaholic to a cozy Colorado resort town to find sex and intrigue. When Lauren Matthews arrives in Cedar Springs, she is eager to learn about her mother's impulsive marriage to Mayor Arlen Thompson. Surprisingly for her, if not the reader, she also hooks up with sexy pilot Jake, and a whirlwind romance ensues. Romantic thrillers also require villains, and Kauffman tries to create one in Arlen, but he's never given a chance to be very villainous, while his marriage to Lauren's mother doesn't contain even a modicum of believability. Jake, meanwhile, fills the role as the affable hero. There are hints of menace, but the payoff isn't there. (Nov.)