HOTSHOT

When Peyton Lockhart and her sisters agree to reboot their uncle’s Florida resort, troubles arise from all quarters, putting Peyton in danger and bringing childhood protector Finn MacBain to her side.

Peyton should have known that landing a job as a food critic for a major foodie magazine with no experience was too good to be true, but she never expected she’d be harassed and threatened by her new employer. After driving from Texas to Minnesota for the opportunity, it’s not too long before she can’t get out of there fast enough. Not long after, their uncle offers Peyton and her sisters the opportunity to work at his resort, supervising a major renovation and planning a grand re-opening, with the possibility of taking over ownership at the end of the project. It’s an offer they can’t refuse and one Peyton is especially grateful for, given the stress of her recent employment fiasco. But when they get to the resort in Florida, it becomes clear that someone is out to get Peyton and is sabotaging the resort renovation. Could it be their greedy, self-serving cousin? Or could it be someone from the magazine, exacting revenge for her sexual harassment lawsuit? Whoever it is, Peyton is in danger, and when she runs into Finn MacBain—the boy-next-door hero who saved her life when she was a little girl and is now an FBI agent—he decides to look into the matter. Finn is larger than life and has always been too old for Peyton, but she’s all grown up now, and when they reconnect, sparks fly. She knows his interest is fleeting (he’s a no-commitment kind of guy) but she’ll take his help with gratitude and nurse her broken heart when it’s over. If she can stay alive. Legendary romance author Garwood delivers a novel that is at times clever, original and sigh-worthy, at other moments, silly and simplistic. Fans of romance and especially Garwood will find glimpses of her brilliance, but elements of the suspense, plot and characterization are sprawling, disjointed and disappointing.

 Uneven and oddly framed, though true believers will find enough Garwood in here to keep them satisfied.