30 Days

In this delightfully tender erotic romance debut, set in present-day Toronto, Canada, D'Abo deftly crafts an enticing situation. Alyssa Barrow's husband died of cancer when she was 33. He left Alyssa with a packet of cards%E2%80%94which, she discovers, contain instructions for "Alyssa's 30 Days of Sex"%E2%80%94and an invitation to use them once she felt ready to move on. Two years later, Alyssa finds a willing participant in her new neighbor, recent divorc%C3%A9 Harrison Kemp, and they agree to work through the cards, but with one caveat: their arrangement is solely about sex. Both still struggle with baggage from the past and are very reluctant to start a new romantic relationship. But as they delight in intensely satisfying sensual activities, Alyssa and Harrison begin to develop a friendship, and more. The premise could have become awkward or maudlin in less skilled hands, but D'Abo makes it feel charming and plausible. Well-developed and engaging characters, major and minor, lead to conflicts that feel both realistic and fresh, and difficult subjects are handled with empathy and gentle humor. Romance fans will delight in this sweet and spicy expedition. Agent: Courtney Miller-Callihan, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Aug.)