Someday Soon

Readers put off by the raunchy sexual appetites and morals of some contemporary romance protagonists will enjoy this story of a lonely young widow who slowly gets under the skin of a misogynist mercenary until he discovers that love is the best thing that ever happened to him. More feminist readers, however, may find Macomber's hero, Cain Maclellan, rather irksome, as he appears to value lovely Linette Collins chiefly for her ``softness'' and gentleness. Cain's job involves rescuing various victims of Third World terrorists; and Linette, who lost her first husband to cancer, worries about her growing attraction to Cain because of his dangerous career. She does not, however, appear unduly troubled by the fact that he himself often kills others in order to achieve his objectives. Macomber (The Trouble with Angels) here throws together the traditional ``family values'' of Linette and her family and the rugged machismo of Cain and his co-workers into what ultimately seems like an uneasy mix, but her portrayal of a relationship that develops slowly and steadily despite a host of obstacles nevertheless can be convincing. (June)