Before Summer Ends

Mallery (The Vineyard at Painted Moon) entices with this heartfelt romance between a schoolteacher and her brother’s best friend. Fourth-grade teacher Nissa Lang’s plan to spend her summer break house-sitting for a wealthy couple falls through, leaving Nissa, who’d already rented out her condo for the summer, without a place to stay. Her brother, Shane, offers to ask his friend Desmond Stilling, a wealthy Seattle CEO with space to spare, if Nissa can crash with him for the summer. Desmond agrees as he has always liked Nissa—especially after having escorted her to her senior prom years before. The attraction between Desmond and Nissa grows as they spend more time together, sparking sensual interludes. Desmond also shows Nissa his caring side when he steps in to help care for her friend Marisol after Marisol has a kidney transplant. So Nissa decides to tell Desmond how she feels—but Desmond, who’s emotionally scarred from a difficult childhood, doesn’t believe he’s capable of loving her back. The authentic, affable characters enhance the fast-paced story. Romance fans are sure to be swept up in Nissa and Desmond’s believably evolving relationship. [em]Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May) [/em]