Holding the Dream

Roberts continues her three-part saga of the Templeton Hotel dynasty with the story of Kate Powell, the serious, pragmatic, adopted cousin of the Templeton heirs, Josh and Laura. Margo Sullivan, the housekeeper's daughter and heroine of Daring to Dream, is now blissfully wedded to Josh and expecting their first child; Laura has divorced her cheating husband and is struggling to raise her two daughters; and Kate learns that she has been accused of embezzling funds from her clients' accounts. Byron De Witt, who replaced Laura's ex-husband at Templeton's helm, offers Kate emotional and physical support and ends up falling like a rock as he joins forces with the Templeton clan to clear her name. Much of this second installment recounts events of the first book and paves the way for the last, but Roberts manages to glue them all together with witty narrative, sassy dialogue and the savoir-faire that readers have come to expect from her. (Jan.)