Read Between the Lines

Lacey (Come Away with Me) kicks off her Love in the City series with a sweet and mild romance between a bookstore owner and her favorite author. Rosie Taft is content with her life as the owner of a Manhattan bookstore, even if she gets most of her romance from novels and an online flirtation with her favorite lesbian romance author, the reclusive, one-named Brie. Then she receives notice that the store’s landlords will not be renewing its lease, evicting it from the space that holds so many memories of Rosie’s late mother. In a desperate attempt to save the shop, she invites Jane Breslin of Breslin Property Development to come see the community she’s built. Meanwhile, she gets the opportunity to meet Brie IRL for the first time—and she’s shocked to discover that Brie and Jane are one and the same, as Jane uses a pen name to hide her writing from her parents. Their mutual attraction is strong, but can they separate business from pleasure to make a relationship work? Lacey rounds out the romance with a lively cast of friends and family, and a wintry backdrop. The result isn’t particularly memorable, but it’s a quick story perfect for a cozy night in. Agent: Sarah Younger, NY Literary. (Dec.)