The gorgeous heroine of Ray's how-the-mighty-fall—and learn a valuable lesson—story (after You and No Other
) has made a career of manipulating men. But 32-year-old, thrice-married Jana Franklin is down on her luck after a divorce and ensuing scandal. As the novel opens, a disheveled Jana—teetering on her last worn pair of Manolos—crashes a Dallas, Tex., charity gala in search of one more affluent knight in shining armor, but she's ousted unceremoniously by the censorious hostess. Impoverished, friendless and helpless, she makes her way to the linen boutique of Olivia Sanders, a generous young woman who takes pity on her and gives her a job and a place to stay. Then Tyler Maxwell arrives, Olivia's protective, manly brother, whom Jana desperately hits on right away. Though Tyler is not one to be easily fleeced, he's both intrigued and confused by the forlorn, sensuous Jana. Over the course of the novel, he's increasingly compelled to discover more about this fierce yet fragile woman, as she learns the value of love and self-reliance. This fairy tale story requires total suspension of disbelief, but romance readers may relish following Jana's reform. (Oct.)
