Burned by a Kiss

The flow of this stodgy contemporary is about as smooth as the gravel roads that lead through fictitious Star Canyon, N.M. Veterinarian Emma Glass has had a thing for Santana Dark ever since he kissed her on a dare the day of their high school graduation. She never expected anything to happen between them; he was the popular jock and she was the class nerd, not to mention that shortly after their encounter, he enlisted and was deployed to Afghanistan. Now he’s back, and he has every intention of getting more kisses from Emma, since the memories of that first one got him through many lonely nights. However, just as he attempts to get close to the sexy veterinarian—with the help of his dog—a family secret threatens to derail all his plans. Unfortunately, there’s little to recommend this vet/vet romance. The dialogue is choppy, the relationship development is nonexistent, and the story has no clear direction. Agent: Meredith Bernstein, Meredith Bernstein Literary Agency. (May)