The One Real Thing

Unfinished business, a past crime, and the need for personal redemption all lead to Hartwell, Del., the fictitious city that provides the setting for Young’s (Moonlight on Nightingale Way) new contemporary series, Hart’s Boardwalk. When prison doctor Jessica Huntington attempts to deliver 30-year-old letters to their intended recipient, she runs into bar owner Cooper Lawson. Cooper and the other residents of Hartwell are being pressured by Ian Devlin, Cooper’s former best friend’s father, to sell their businesses. Cooper’s strong attraction to Jessica makes him believe that he can finally have the family he’s always wanted. When Ian learns a damaging secret about Jessica, he tries to use the info to blackmail her into convincing Cooper to sell. She has to decide whether to walk away and leave Cooper with good memories of her, or tell him the truth and risk his feelings for her changing irrevocably. The intricately woven subplots make up for Jessica’s frustratingly secretive nature and will make a smooth transition to the next in the series. Agent: Lauren Abramo, Dystel & Goderich Literary. (Sept.)