This Time Around

In Fenske’s newest second-chance love story set in Portland, Ore. (after Now That It’s You), a hapless woman finds that misunderstandings almost outnumber the extra-toed cats she’s inherited along with her grandmother’s B and B. Jack Carpenter was a screwup when he was in college, but he loved Allie Ross, despite her nitpicking ways and constant demands. Allie’s unstoppable need to have everything go as planned led her to end her romance with carefree and spontaneous Jack. Sixteen years later, Jack, now a wealthy business owner, widower, and single father to 10-year-old Paige, returns to Portland to attend his high school reunion, eager to show Allie how wrong she was about his future. Allie’s own life is a trail of wreckage, including four failed engagements and parents serving time for orchestrating a Ponzi scheme. Outspoken Paige and the often embarrassing contents of Allie’s grandma’s attic add a special blend of comedy and suspense as Jack and Allie reunite. The lovers let their pride and insecurities get in the way, but readers will gladly join them on their journey to self-improvement. Agent: Michelle Wolfson, Wolfson Literary. (Apr.)