Once in a Lifetime

The ninth installment of Shalvis’s Lucky Harbor series (after Always on my Mind) scores big with a delicate love story and red-hot passion. Aubrey Wellington is used to taking care of herself and projecting a tough-girl image, but that facade starts to crumble under the scrutinizing eye of Ben McDaniel, the most eligible bachelor in Lucky Harbor, Wash. Working hard to reopen her deceased aunt’s bookstore and make it a place of warmth and companionship, recovering “bitchaholic” Aubrey is also on a private mission to make amends with a long list of people she’s wronged. Ben, who buried his grief over his wife’s death by taking on dangerous engineering missions around the world, agrees to fix up the store and is soon curious about Aubrey’s list. As sparks fly, they are amazed not only by their heated attraction to each other, but also by the concurrent tender feelings—until an old secret threatens their commitment. Fans of smalltown contemporaries will savor this delicious and heartwarming story, a refreshingly realistic romance between two great characters. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Feb.)