Bay of Sighs

A mermaid and a time and space traveler fall in love while searching for a magical object off the island of Capri and protecting it from the goddess of lies and her minions in the second Guardians fantasy romance (after Stars of Fortune). Mermaid Annika, nearly childlike about life on land, is not a typical Roberts heroine. Sawyer King is a Renaissance man with good reasons to be reluctant in pursuing his love for her; she, in turn, cannot make certain first moves because she's bound by the sirens' rules. But Annika is well advised on seduction by her fellow female Guardians, a seer and a werewolf and does what she can to convey her interest. The group's good-natured camaraderie is a definite plus, as is the sweetly romantic nature of the couple's possibly doomed courtship. Too bad Annika's na%C3%AFvet%C3%A9 is overdone, and though Sawyer's a great hero, he occasionally comes across as a combination of other Roberts leading men. Agent: Amy Berkower, Writers House. (June)