Wildest Dreams

This sweet (but occasionally sour) contemporary is the ninth novel set in the tiny Oregon hamlet of Thunder Point (after A New Hope). Single mother Lin Su Simmons, a hardworking and somewhat impoverished nurse, is doing her best to keep herself and her young son, Charlie, afloat while caring for Winnie Banks, who is suffering from ALS. Champion triathlete Blake Smiley also understands hard work; he grew up in a tough neighborhood where he learned to run for pure survival, not fun. When he moves in next door to Winnie, sparks fly between Blake and Lin Su, and Blake takes Charlie under his wing. But when Lin Su realizes Blake and Charlie have kept a huge secret from her, it threatens to destroy their budding relationship. While Lin Su sometimes comes off as judgmental, inflexible, and frankly unlikable, in the end she gracefully rises to meet new challenges. Returning fans will be delighted by updates on other couples in the series. (Sept.)