Staying for Good

Bybee’s skillfully crafted second Most Likely To contemporary (after Doing It Over) brings together former sweethearts who have not forgotten each other in the 11 years since high school. Zoe has moved out of the small town of River Bend, Ore., and is a nationally famous chef living in Dallas, Tex. She heads back to River Bend to participate in her friend Mel’s wedding festivities, which puts her in contact with Luke, the man she has never been able to forget. She’s also worried about her mother and younger siblings, and she encourages them to leave the shabby double-wide trailer where they had suffered abuse from her now incarcerated father. Soon bouts of family drama are interspersed with sizzling encounters with Luke, and she faces a momentous decision: return to her hometown or continue to live in Dallas. Bybee’s novel will draw the reader in from the very first page. A cast of multidimensional characters brings the story to life and promises enticing future installments. Agent: Jane Dystel, Dystel & Goderich. (Jan.)