Jude's Law

Sexy bad boy Jude Jamison, a former prize-fighter and wealthy actor who has given up Hollywood for sleepy Stillbrook, Ohio, develops a mad crush on curvy, conservative gallery owner May Price in this appealing contemporary romance from bestseller Foster (Wild ). Though May does her best to thwart Jude's bold advances, she winds up pleading for his help after her ne'er-do-well brother, $50,000 in debt, is beaten by loan shark goons. May and her brother have no choice but to borrow the money from Jude and hide out at his palatial Stillbrook estate. When Jude discovers that the terms of the debt involve a personal threat, he steps in to protect both May and himself. Jude and May are so graphically portrayed that it's impossible not to feel heat radiating off the pages, especially during their hard-earned love scenes, but their hostile back-and-forth makes their relationship, at times, forced and uncomfortable. However, neatly dovetailing plotlines and plenty of family drama more than compensate. (Feb.)