The Great Escape

Phillips (Call Me Irresistible) reintroduces Lucy Jorikin in this delightful, if initially somewhat slow, romance. As a former U.S. president's adopted daughter, Lucy feels the pressure to be perfect. But when Lucy runs out on the perfect man, Ted Beaudine, on the day of her wedding, she shows that she wants something else. Throwing caution to the wind, she accepts a ride on the back of a motorcycle from a menacing-looking stranger nicknamed "Panda." Lucy isn't quite ready to face her family, and the rest of the world, again, and her growing attraction to the grizzled biker just makes it easier to keep her real life on hold. After a secret about Panda comes out, however, Lucy realizes that escaping her too-perfect life will be harder than it seemed. Readers may be impatient during the beginning and unconvinced by aspects of the ending, but with two such hot leads, a few flaws can easily be overlooked. (July)