Sugar

The one-sided first-person narrative and lack of romantic chemistry make this romance difficult to swallow. Pastry chef and control freak Charlie Garrett is all work and no play. Her boss has been promising for years to make her the head pastry chef; tired of waiting, she accepts a job offer from her ex and moves to Seattle. Charlie’s best friends are determined to see her in a relationship, so they set her up with diner owner Kai Malloy, whom she’d only briefly encountered once. Despite her quirky, irritating ways, Kai likes her enough to be patient with her busy life, which soon includes a filming schedule. Readers aren’t privy to Kai’s past or his innermost thoughts, so it’s difficult to understand why he’s willing to stay with Charlie despite her refusal to make him a priority. The relationship feels forced rather than developed. Stuart (the Heidi Elliott series) has some talent with prose, but there’s nothing sweet about this bland romance. Agent: Chip MacGregor, MacGregor Literary. (Feb.)