The Hollywood Jinx

This tantalizing slow-burn contemporary romance from Wilson (The Chemistry of Love) follows aspiring film-score composer Jane Wagnerback to her small hometown of Patience, Ohio, to fill in for her librarian mother while her father recovers from a heart attack. Jane’s shocked to find the community in disarray, bankrupted by an embezzling ex-mayor, and sets out to boost both the local economy and residents’ morale by inviting movie star Nick Haddon to appear at the town’s annual harvest festival. Bad boy Nick must polish his reputation to save his tanking career, and his publicist thinks Patience is a good place to start. Sparks fly when Nick and Jane meet, but Jane, who has intensely low self-esteem stemming from past heartbreak, struggles to believe that playboy Nick’s interest is sincere. Meanwhile, Nick is tired of getting everything handed to him, so he’s willing to work to prove his love. Wilson dangles intimacy between these two like a carrot just out of reach, keeping the pages flying. Readers will easily fall for Nick, who’s genuinely a nice guy despite his reputation, but may find Jane’s unrelenting self-doubt exasperating after a while. Still, Wilson nails the small-town setting, complete with nosy but well-meaning residents, and delivers a sweet happy ending. This is a treat. Agent: Sarah Younger, NY Literary. (July)