Paper Moon

Though it is labeled a romance, readers will have difficulty finding anything romantic about Rice's 1885 Texas spin-off of Paper Roses. Janice Harrison is a bitter, dowdy schoolmarm trying to support herself and her little sister. Peter Mulloney, a dreamer out to prove his worth to his family, comes to town looking for a banker friend to finance a gold mine. Janice remembers Peter from her youth; his rich father destroyed her family's life. Despite old grievances, when Peter is wrongly accused of arson, Janice risks her reputation and her job to prove his innocence, and ends up his wife. While there's plenty of plot, including the kidnapping of Janice's secret baby, the story lacks the romantic energy and enthusiasm needed to make it more than a mediocre read. (Mar.)