The Passions of Chelsea Kane

The clues to the identity of the heroine in this contemporary romance can be obvious and heavy-handed, but the variety of characters Delinsky ( A Woman Betrayed) presents provides ample entertainment. Mystery surrounds the birth of Chelsea Kane. Adopted by the Kanes, she knows only that she was born in Norwich Notch, a small New Hampshire town. An architect, Chelsea gains her first uncertain foothold in Norwich Notch by buying into its largest business, a financially troubled granite company. Locals resent Chelsea's intrusive presence, but two who take to her are Hunter Love (in a friendly sort of way) and ``stunningly male'' Judd Streeter (passionately). Someone who obviously doesn't take to her, however, scares her with late-night telephone calls and torches her barn. Chelsea's efforts to earn a place in the community and in Judd's heart are endangered when she learns she is pregnant. Judd is not the father, and Notch residents disapprove of unwed mothers. In this small-town romance Delinsky refreshingly takes the opportunity to poke fun at social snobbery and moral hypocrisy. (Apr.)