Wishing on Willows

Robin Price is a widow with a three-year-old and a struggling caf%C3%A9 in Peaks, Iowa%E2%80%94a dream she and her late husband had. That dream is threatened when handsome developer Ian McKay comes to the small town with big plans for condominiums that will breathe needed economic life into the area. That development threatens not only Robin's caf%C3%A9, but also a nearby ministry. The development battle is on, even as Robin's and Ian's unspoken attraction grows. Ganshert brings some nice touches to this inspirational romance: she's got a good ear for the speech and interests of toddlers, and she handles romantic tension well. But her drama is lazy: the value of the ministry is stated, not shown, and Robin is given too much pathos (her mother's dead as well as her husband). Ian is more successfully developed, but he's also carrying a heavy load of back story. Sometimes less is more. Agent: Rachelle Gardner, Books & Such Literary Agency. (Mar.)