The Name of the Game

In the third Something New contemporary (after The Winner Takes It All), Dawson pits luscious smalltown girl Gracie Roberts against Chicagoan James Donovan. When they met, instant dislike festered between them. They shared nothing in common except the marriages of their friends and family. Gracie’s a baker; James is a health food nut. Gracie is self-taught; James has a Ph.D. in forensic anthropology. Gracie is chaos and fire; James is calm and orderly. But family is important to them both, and 18 months after their disastrous first encounter, they decide they need to get along, though the tension between them crescendos. Dawson deftly threads in backstory, explaining the vast differences between the protagonists and smoothing the way for love. Tantalizing sex scenes and innuendos add sizzle, but the real strength of the characterization is revealed in their human need for understanding and empathy. The denouement falls a bit flat with overplayed drama, but the characters carry the story. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Oct.)