Moonlight in the Morning

Readers will blaze through Deveraux’s latest contemporary romance set in Edilean, Va. (after Aug. 2011’s Heartwishes). Jecca Layton was raised in New Jersey, but now she’s a committed New Yorker who manages an art gallery and hopes her own paintings will find an audience. When the gallery closes for the summer, she travels to Edilean to spend time with her friend Kim and possibly reconnect with Kim’s older brother, Reede, whom she met as a teenager. While she doesn’t remember also meeting Dr. Tristan Aldredge, he remembers her, and he’s determined to get her attention. Borrowing from the Cupid and Psyche myth, Deveraux delivers a modern romance addressing relatable relationship obstacles such as the challenges of distance and the need to balance career aspirations. Tristan and Jecca’s chemistry jumps off the page and effective backstory adds depth and realism to their encounters. (Jan.)