Still the One

Shalvis’s sixth Animal Magnetism contemporary (after Then Came You) suffers from a weak plot and unsympathetic characters. Fiercely independent Darcy Stone, who trains service dogs for veterans, is 100% self-reliant—except when she’s around the sexy, confounding AJ Colten, her old friend and physical therapist. After a terrible car accident, Darcy struggled to regain what walking skills she could under the watchful eye of AJ, who pushed her hard despite his strong romantic feelings for her—feelings he tried to deny because she’s his best friend’s little sister. A particularly humiliating incident led Darcy to vow that she would never let AJ into her heart. But when they head to a conference together and are forced into the charade of an engagement, a snowstorm locks them in and leads to a weekend of improbable passion. AJ and Darcy stumble through various misunderstandings, a lack of communication, and flimsy conflicts in the form of other love interests, while figuring out whether they are really meant for each another. Though AJ is reasonably heroic, hard-headed Darcy is difficult to appreciate, and the plot never gels. Agent: Robin Rue, Writers House. (Apr.)