Stud

Schmidt (the Emerging Queens series) bolsters this enjoyable erotic contemporary with a surprising amount of plot. Terri Cooke supports her sick brother with her barista job, which requires her to deal with entitled jerks such as mogul Mick Wentworth. She has to admit that he makes up for his arrogance by being stimulating eye candy. Meanwhile, Mick fantasizes about Terri. When she applies for a job as Mick’s assistant, their lust can’t stay pent-up for long. Terri is a likable protagonist who balances her tough breaks with her attempts to stay positive. Her loving relationship with her big brother is conveyed without heavy-handed sentimentality and adds to her sympathetic character. Mick has a brusque attitude toward his work and his antagonistic family, but he soon shows Terri his more sensitive side. As Terri and Mick navigate through their own emotional issues as well as their misconceptions of each other, Schmidt works their conflicting emotions to ratchet up the sexual tension before liberating it in steamy interludes. Plot twists and tender moments enhance the sexiness of this enticing story. Agent: Louise Fury, Bent Agency. (Aug.)