Wrong to Need You: Forbidden Hearts, Book 2

Rai follows her Forbidden Hearts series launch (Hate to Want You) with well-drawn characters and a plot that heats up with the mutual attraction between Jackson Kane and his brother’s widow, Sadia Ahmed. Sadia’s family believes money is the only reason she’s pulling double evening shifts as a cocktail waitress at O’Killian’s Bar; the Kane Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot that she inherited from her deceased husband, isn’t providing enough for the single mom and her son. She doesn’t tell her relatives that cocktail waitressing also yields a constant stream of no-questions-asked anonymous sex partners. When Jackson returns to Rockville, N.Y., from self-imposed exile, Sadia’s yearning for him, which she’s suppressed for a decade, comes roaring back. As if to further tempt her, he shows up at the cafe, offering to fill in as the chef she desperately needs. Romance and passion grow between them, but the rest of the town still holds a grudge for the fire they believe Jackson started 10 years ago, so if he wants to stay for Sadia’s sake, there are amends to be made. This is addictive reading for fans of family sagas and romance. Agent: Steve Axelrod, Axelrod Agency. (Dec.)