I Flipping Love You

Hunting (Shacking Up) falters with this standalone contemporary. When Manhattan lawyer Pierce Whitfield mistakenly accuses Long Island realtor Rian Sutter of a parking lot hit-and-run, they are both surprised by the immediate attraction between them. Rian is determined not to let Pierce’s relentless pursuit distract her from making enough profit flipping houses in their Hamptons neighborhood to buy her grandmother’s old home. Their summer fling intensifies, but deliberate and accidental secret-keeping threaten the burgeoning relationship. This light story relies heavily on the tropes of an antagonistic relationship, but there is little emotional structure built on that foundation. Secondary characters such as Rian’s twin, Marley, and Pierce’s siblings, Amalie and Lawson, are interesting on introduction but quickly forgotten, and faux conflicts around other possible love interests are little more than cliché. Pierce and Rian have backstories that link up in intriguing ways, although key revelations come frustratingly late for the reader. There are hints of potential, but the end result is disappointing. (June)