Three romances to warm you up for summer

The Girl From Summer Hill

By Jude Deveraux

Ballantine Books. 384 pp. $27

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Reviewed by

Lidija Dorjkhand

nolead ends Most fans of romance books have a special place in their heart for Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice and her quintessential couple, Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Many a novel has used the winning formula of spirited heroine and aloof but honorable hero who fight their attraction until their love cannot be denied. Jude Deveraux has gone a step further and (on several levels) based the start of her new Summer Hill series on Austen's work.

Casey Reddick is a chef who has relocated to the town of Summer Hill, Va., after leaving a busy Washington restaurant and a failed relationship. She works catering meals for a crew who are about to put on a production of Pride and Prejudice to benefit charity.

Early one morning, Casey groggily comes into her kitchen to get started. She has been given a cottage on the grounds of the Tattwell estate, a former plantation where the play will be held. Just outside her screen door she notices movement. A man was disrobing on her porch. Thinking she must still be dreaming, she is rooted to her spot in the still-dark kitchen, watching as the gorgeous man proceeds to lather up under a showerhead on the porch.

A call on her cellphone breaks the reverie, and the man, pants on by now, storms into her house and angrily confronts her. She threatens to call the police, and he leaves. Casey later finds a voicemail from the director that says his cousin, the actor Tate Landers, who is the new owner of Tattwell, is visiting with his friend. She is not familiar with Tate's work, but she is aghast to realize that she had been ogling and then threatening the man who could toss her out of her house. She decides to take breakfast over to apologize.

Despite being considered a romantic heartthrob, Tate values his privacy and shuns the spotlight. He had assumed Casey was spying on him to get photos for a tabloid. He learns the truth, but is still grumpy about the episode and about being dragged into the small-town production by his cousin. Casey overhears his complaints and is offended, thinking him a Hollywood snob.

Among the actors who get roles in the play are Tate's friend and fellow actor Jack Worth, who is cast as Mr. Bingley; the beautiful Gizzy Nolan, Casey's half-sister, who will play Jane; and a smoothly charming man who is actually Tate's ex-brother-in-law and who will play Mr. Wickham. Tate will be Mr. Darcy, and the director makes a bold decision to cast Casey as Elizabeth.

It's fun to watch how the romance between Casey and Tate unfolds parallel to the roles they rehearse on stage, which of course follow the book (it all got to be a bit Inception-like to contemplate). Deveraux's deft writing and introduction of compelling side stories ensure that the book is an enjoyable and amusing homage to Austen.

nolead begins Because of Miss Bridgerton
nolead ends nolead begins By Julia Quinn

Avon Books, 384 pp. $7.99

nolead ends Sybilla Bridgerton, known as Billie to everyone, was stuck on a roof with a sprained ankle. She had been trying to rescue a cat from a tree, but the creature had hissed and clawed, and she fell from the tree onto the roof of an empty farmhouse. She sees someone in the distance and shouts until she catches his attention. Unfortunately, it is George Rokesby, disapproving eldest son of her neighbor.

George tries to hide his aggravation and attempts to help Billie down a rickety ladder he finds, but after a series of events, he finds himself also on the roof with the ladder on the ground. Stuck together, the two are forced to pass the time chatting and find that they actually like each other. Finally, George's brother Andrew comes along and manages to get the ladder back up.

George chivalrously carries Billie all the way back to the Rokesby home. The two discover to their chagrin that they enjoy her being in his arms entirely too much.

Sparks between the two grow, even though on the surface they are totally unsuitable for each other. Billie is an unconventional woman for her times - she basically manages her father's estate. George, who will be the future earl, should be looking for a dutiful and circumspect wife.

Billie is a delightful heroine - brave, intelligent, often impulsive. You keep your fingers crossed that George will not be the type of man who will want to dim her spirit. Some hilarious scenes featuring their jealous thoughts during a house party are gems.

nolead begins Alone in the Dark
nolead ends nolead begins By Karen Rose

Signet. 736 pp. $7.99

nolead ends Homicide Detective Scarlett Bishop gets a call one night from former Army Ranger Marcus O'Bannion asking her to meet him as soon as possible, alone. She hasn't spoken to him in nine months, not since she met him in the hospital after he had been shot by a sociopath who had killed his brother. But she had thought about him all the time.

Scarlett doesn't immediately find him and searches a nearby alley, where she sees the body of a young Asian woman. Marcus is there and explains that the teen was someone he had wanted Scarlett to help. He had seen the girl one night, and she had seemed scared and in trouble. After subsequent attempts to speak with her, he had gotten her to agree to meet him so he could help. But just as the girl started to tell him her story, shots were fired. She was killed, and Marcus was shot, too, but luckily he was wearing a Kevlar vest.

As they investigate who the girl was and what happened, Scarlett and Marcus uncover a far-reaching crime ring involving human trafficking and murder. They also discover that the attraction they feel is mutual and intense.

Tautly suspenseful, the 700-plus-page book takes place over just two days as Scarlett and Marcus delve into an evil underworld and try to find the operation's ringleader, who has targeted Marcus. The tone of the book, the second in Karen Rose's Cincinnati series, is dark as it focuses on the crimes and the protagonists' tortured backgrounds, but their growing love is a source of redemption as they seek justice for the victim.

ldorjkhand@phillynews.com

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