Nobody’s Fool

In Hegger’s melodramatic second Willow Park contemporary (after Nobody’s Angel), a young woman juggles complicated family issues with her rekindled desire for a high school crush. Holly Partridge returns to Chicago after years away and goes in search of her sister Portia, who’s fled home while in the depths of a bipolar episode. With no one else to turn to, Holly reluctantly accepts the help of Josh Hunter, who once broke her heart. Holly’s issues and Josh’s reputation as a playboy prove difficult obstacles in their road to mutual happiness. When Holly’s other sisters show up, things tip from complicated into messy, leading to emotional upheavals, tearful revelations, and a chance for the Partridge sisters to deal with long-repressed traumas. Hegger’s characters have real chemistry, especially in the bedroom, and she tackles mental illness with sensitivity and realism. However, the story suffers from clunky prose: “Not so clueless was every red-blooded male in her vicinity. More than one covert eye went her way.” Hegger’s style lacks subtlety or restraint, threatening to overwhelm the reader with an emotional assault on every page. Agent: Nalini Akolekar, Spencerhill Associates. (Sept.)