Beneath the Patchwork Moon

The second installment of Kent’s Hope Springs contemporary romance series (after The Second Chance Café) stands refreshingly alone, setting out a new situation with new protagonists and allowing background to remain background. Luna Meadows has been in love with Angelo Caffey since she was a schoolgirl, but the tragic and mysterious death of Sierra, Angelo’s sister and Luna’s best friend, tore apart their youthful romance and devastated the Caffey family. Angelo’s been gone from their hometown of Hope Springs, Tex., for eight years, but when Luna buys his abandoned family home in a foreclosure sale, he returns for a last chance to uncover the secrets he’s sure Luna is keeping about his sister’s death. There’s drama aplenty, and though the setting is nothing special, Kent uses strong, clear writing to emphasize the believable and not-quite-predictable character interaction that makes this series stand out. (Mar.)