No Regrets

Ross (Southern Comforts) steps away from her usual murder-and-mayhem plot this time around with the credible, if somewhat soapy, tale about three sisters who are separated after the murder-suicide of their parents on Christmas Eve, 1972, in Los Angeles. Molly, the main protagonist, becomes a nun working as an ER nurse; Lena finds fulfillment as the wife of the caring Dr. Reese Longworth; and Tessa (Ross's trademark dysfunctional character) yearns for stardom but is instead caught up in Tinseltown's underworld of pills and prostitution. When a brutal rape leaves Molly pregnant and longing for motherhood, she begins to question her vows--""It occurred to me lately that what I believed to be a vocation was instead, a crutch."" Lena's sudden death and Molly's growing attraction for Reese--the adoptive father of her child--reconfirm Molly's vocational uncertainty and bring her to a personal milestone in her life. Despite a few groaningly predictable moments, this is a steamy, fast-paced read. (July)