Danger, Sweetheart

Bestselling author Davidson (Undead and Unforgiven) mashes together romance tropes in hilarious fashion, poking good-natured fun at her genre while leaving the reader with a satisfying story. Shannah Banaan’s one-night stand resulted in twins. The boys’ father wanted nothing to do with them, so she raised Blake and Rake on her own in Las Vegas on waitress wages until their father died and left millions to the boys in a trust she controlled. When she inherits land in declining Sweetheart, N.D., she cuts off city slicker Blake’s access to money until he makes Heartbreak Farm a success. He lusts after Natalie Lane, foreman at the farm. A renegade pony, an evil mastermind coveting the land, and a terrible grandfather add to the rollicking good read. Davidson’s author’s note explains her plan, and at the back of the book she includes a list of the clichés she employs, such as a heroine pretending to be someone else; knowing the gimmick in advance doesn’t at all detract from the fun of the book. Agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Agency. (May)