The sixth and final installment in Ray’s Invincible Women series (And Mistress Makes Three
) explores a lonely widow’s second chance at love with a lifelong bachelor in Myrtle Beach, S.C. When rugged Officer Rafael Dunlap, a hostage negotiator for the city police, meets the gorgeous Nathalyia Fontaine at the seafood restaurant she owns and manages, it seems like love at first sight for the commitmentphobic cop. Fortunately, the gorgeous African-American restaurateur is also struck; unfortunately, she’s got complicating issues of her own, including a troublemaking sister, Theresa, who shows up suddenly and begins stealing from the restaurant after Nathalyia gives her a job. Another charming subplot follows a feisty waitress (Nathalyia’s best friend) getting close to her bartender, an older gentleman; an unexpected pregnancy also adds to the drama. Ray, a prolific storyteller in the mode of Nora Roberts, demonstrates a veteran’s skill for crafting fascinating, soulful characters with believable motives and mishaps. (Mar.)
