Blame it on the Brontës

Sereno’s sophomore rom-com (after Helen of Troy, Illinois), while predictable, delivers plenty of tongue-in-cheek literary witticism and small-town heart. It’s publish or perish for San Francisco lit professor Athena Murphy, who takes a semester-long unpaid leave. While she misses her students, this is her final chance to save her job. So back home to Laurel, Ill., she goes, emboldened by her plan to uncover the identity of C.L. Garland, author of a popular series of erotic renditions of classic works. It’s bad enough that she has to deal with her divorced parents and find a part-time job, but then she learns that her ex, Thorne Kent, with whom she shared an extremely tumultuous romance, has moved back to town and owns the local café. He’s got his secrets, like almost everyone in town, but he also follows his passions—one of which is Athena. The plot plays out exactly as expected and Thorne and Athena’s will-they-won’t-they drags on a bit too long, but the novel’s heart lies in its quirky, memorable characters. Readers will find themselves laughing through the familiar tropes—and dying for one of Thorne’s delicious creations. Agent: Erin Niumata and Rachel Ekstrom, Folio Literary. (May)