Off Kilter

In the second of a loosely related trilogy (after June 2010's Some Like It Scot), Kauffman spins a complex tale of personal rediscovery. Roped into posing for a sexy Highlander-hunk-of-the-month calendar contest, Roan McAuley is irritated and then intrigued by photographer Tessa Vandergriff. When he learns about her award-winning wartime credentials, Roan must re-examine what he knows of this odd, prickly woman, while Tessa tries to redefine herself and her life after the shell-shock of the battlefield. Startled at first by Roan's attentions, Tessa soon becomes pleased, but her fear of loss and memories of betrayal threaten to wreck the fledgling relationship. This rather ordinary romance is elevated beyond the average by a well-earned satisfactory ending and the unflinchingly honest description of a woman's emotional journey toward love and life. (Jan.)