Luke

In the second installment of her Turn-Coupe, La., series (after Kane), Blake introduces her newest heroine, famed romance author April Halstead. April's life is threatened when she decides to use one of Luke Benedict's ancestors in her latest book. Although Luke's family would prefer that April ""not stir up something that could rear up and bite them,"" Luke feels obligated to protect her, presumably because the pair had once been high school sweethearts. When April ends up on the wrong end of some nasty phone calls, a drive-by shooting and a boat explosion, Luke whisks her off in his luxurious pontoon boat where the inevitable love affair begins. Their idyllic respite is short-lived when they are discovered; soon, April is forced to draw upon her own resources to save herself. Blake offers countless insights into the joys and torments of being a popular author. (Mar.)