Cheater’s Regret

Van Dyken delights readers with this clever contemporary about a hapless man who’s his own worst enemy—and his girlfriend’s, too. Austin Rogers is ready to, if not forgive, at least forget that her boyfriend, Thatch Holloway, cheated on her; it was just a one-time transgression. But he literally slams the door on making up. It’s almost as if he wanted to get caught, and now wants to provoke Austin until she breaks up with him. Naturally, this doesn’t go as planned. Austin is totally in love with him—and Thatch is in love with her, but for reasons of his own he feels like it’s best to push her away. When she decides to take revenge on Thatch, the ensuing antics and Thatch’s responses add great entertainment value to their steamy relationship. Van Dyken’s smart characters carry her well-wrought plot to a satisfying happy ending. Agent: Erica Spellman-Silverman, Trident Media Group. (May)