Stay with Me

Wade (Undeniably Yours) launches the Misty River Romance series with this crafty mix of tragedy, intrigue, and romance. After Genevieve Woodward, the daughter of a prominent Georgia district attorney, receives a cryptic letter threatening her parents for “what they did,” she leaves Nashville to head to their home in the Blue Ridge Mountains. On the drive, she nearly falls asleep at the wheel after taking too many painkillers, pulls over, and passes out in an empty cottage owned by Sam Turner, a farmer and restaurateur from Australia, who discovers her there in the morning. As Genevieve works to uncover whether her parents actually have a secret, she struggles to recover from her reliance on OxyContin. After that first night, she returns to thank Sam and the two form a friendship, but Sam’s self-imposed isolation after the death of an ex-girlfriend has become an impenetrable wall against relationships. Sam, though, becomes a much-needed source of strength for Genevieve as she discovers the truth about her family. A subplot reveals how Genevieve and her sister were part of the Miracle Five—survivors of a horrific earthquake while in South America on a teen mission trip—which continues to affect her mental health and trust in others. While faith elements are slight, Wade’s endearing love story will appeal to readers of Susan May Warren. (May)