The Favor

Hart's romance is inspired by the belief that young lovers who shared a loathsome secret, a tragic accident, and emotional turmoil can reconnect and rekindle years later to address unfinished business. When troubled teen Janelle Decker was told "rehab or reform school," she opted for her beloved Grandma Nan's house instead. Next door to Nan were the "motherless Tierney boys"%E2%80%94Gabe, Andy, and Mikey%E2%80%94living with a vulgar, abusive father who made mysterious, unexplained late-night visits to the boys' rooms. Forward 20 years and now single mom Janelle returns to care for her ailing grandma and enroll her son, Bennett, in sixth grade. Still living next door is handsome, surly Gabe, who is openly hostile toward Janelle. Janelle and Gabe's teen romance is portrayed as intense, yet aloof; intimate, voyeuristic incidents expose their mutually gratifying antics via facing bedroom windows, both as teens and now. Hart (All Fall Down) gradually reveals the lurid circumstances surrounding "the favor" and the mystery of the shooting that left Andy disabled as a teen. Janelle's kindness toward Nan, and the emotional toll it takes as she watches her die, is heartfelt, and the detailed physicality involved in caring for an elderly loved one is portrayed vividly and compassionately. (July)