Kaye’s 2008 debut, Romeo Romeo
, got such a warm reception that she’s written it again, from the mistaken identities to the messy Brooklyn apartment. The only real surprise is the heroine: the repellent Annabelle Ronaldi, whose sister starred in the previous title. The morning after her sister’s wedding, Annabelle awakens next to Dr. Mike Flynn, who bears an eerie resemblance to Annabelle’s dead boyfriend, Chip. Mike, unlike Annabelle, makes a believable protagonist, and his interactions with patients provide some of the story’s most heartwarming scenes. Kaye’s intermittent attempts to create psychological depth, however, sit oddly with the dishy one-liners that dominate her prose. The story of a sensitive guy who cooks and cleans for an outspoken modern woman was cute and sparkly the first time around, but this year-old Champagne has lost its fizz. (May)
