As Seen on TV

Schorr (Bridal Girl) delivers a smart, feel-good contemporary centered on New York City freelance journalist Adina Gellar, whose addiction to Hallmark TV movies, Gilmore Girls, and romance novels has given her an idealized view of small town life. When she pitches an article about a big-city developer bringing a huge condo complex to small town Pleasant Hollow, N.Y., her editor at an online pop culture magazine bites. It sounds like a real-life take on one of romance’s favorite tropes—close-knit small-town residents band together to keep big, bad corporate entities from ruining their home—and a staff position hinges on Adina delivering the goods. Except Adina quickly learns that fiction and real life don’t always line up; the Pleasant Hollow locals are excited about the amenities the new project will bring, and the cute small-town boy she instantly crushes on? Turns out, he’s project manager Finn Adams, who lives in Manhattan and doesn’t do long-term relationships. Schorr’s handsome hero has unexpected depth (formerly homeless, he’s now an advocate for affordable housing), and her heroine’s journey from starry-eyed dreamer to realist resonates. This clever plot easily charms. Agent: Melissa Edwards, Stonesong. (June)