Start Me Up

Delightfully playful, Michaels’s second contemporary (after Blame It on the Mistletoe) marks her as one to watch. Mechanic Mike Everett drops his niece off at six-year-old Claire’s birthday party and is a bit overwhelmed by the sheer amount of aqua and raspberry decorations created by Claire’s mother, talented designer and crafter Anne Edmond. Despite feeling out of place in Anne’s world, he can’t resist his attraction to her and begins following her lifestyle blog, My Perfect Little Life, just to learn more about her. Mike can’t understand why Anne rarely mentions the online lifestyle business that supports her and Claire, but her success is what drove her ex-husband away. Mike decides that he’ll convince Anne that they belong together, and he devotes his energy to winning her and Claire’s affection. Michaels writes warm, believable characters, and readers will look forward to discovering how Anne’s blogging partners, Callie (a baker) and Lindsey (who repurposes antiques), find their own romances as the series continues. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary Agency. (Mar.)