High Risk

An ambitious reporter and a former mercenary find healing and love in spite of themselves in Ahrnstedt’s strong third Only One Night romance (after Falling). Ambra Vinter has never gotten over the abuse inflicted by her foster father, a terrifying evangelical minister in the remote Swedish town of Kiruna. Now she’s a journalist at a leading tabloid in Stockholm. The last thing she wants is to return to Kiruna in the midst of sunless winter, even if it’s to cover a major sex scandal. Ex-soldier Tom Lexington lives in the woods outside Kiruna, alone with memories of his former girlfriend Elinor and flashbacks to his near-fatal last mission. Despite an inauspicious first meeting, Tom and Ambra bond during a picnic under the Northern Lights and a sexy shared sauna. But before they can commit, they’ll need to overcome their painful pasts, including Tom’s awkward torch-carrying for Elinor. Ahrnstedt doubles the romance with a love connection between Tom’s old friend Mattias and Ambra’s foster sister Jill, a pop star. With plenty of steamy sex scenes to warm the Arctic setting, Ahrnstedt’s latest will entertain fans of hot romance. Agent: Anna Frankl, Nordin (Sweden). (Apr.)