Romance lovers looking for a truly engrossing read need look no further than the fifth installment in Pappano's Bethlehem series (following Getting Lucky). In Bethlehem, N.Y., everyone is just plain nice; even the poorest part of town has a hint of respectability to it, and happily-ever-afters are guaranteed. The latter is helped along by a trio of resident guardian angels who pop up in unexpected places to watch over and guide the human inhabitants of this benevolent berg. During this latest visit, the reader meets Melina Dimitris, a brash and beautiful PI from a large Greek family who specializes in finding lost children. When three of Bethlehem's youngsters run away from home in order to find their biological mothers, Melina is called to duty. Too late, she learns that one of the kids is five-year-old Chrissy Knight, daughter of Sebastian Knight, the man with whom she shared a torrid four-day affair a week earlier. Although Sebastian tries to distance himself from Melina, fearing that he'll be burned like he was in a past relationship, he's forced to give love a second chance when he discovers that Melina is pregnant. Although Pappano falls back on a tried-and-true romance formula for the final pages, her fresh voice and delightful characters will leave readers looking forward to the next installment. (Jan. 2)
