BOUND BY MURDER

A woman previously suspected of murder is implored by her ex to get him out of jail when he’s accused of a similar crime.

Though she hasn’t always been lucky in love herself, Jenna Quinn loves love. She’s charmed when Mason, her young employee at the antique bookshop Twice Upon a Time, falls head over heels for the literal girl next door. The added attention of boyfriend Det. Keith Logan makes Jenna wholly smitten with the spring season. So smitten, she’s willing to try to play nice when her former fiance, Blake Emerson, shows up to her workplace with a woman who introduces herself as Missy Plott, the next Mrs. Emerson. Even though it stings to see someone else wearing the engagement ring she’d picked out, Jenna considers herself lucky that she and Blake are history. After all, instead of supporting her when she was wrongly accused of murder, Blake all but vanished, leaving her to rely on the support of her new friends in Hokes Folly, North Carolina. Missy sees herself as winning, and Jenna’s not about to convince her otherwise, but Blake demonstrates he’s no prize when he tries to win Jenna back while Missy’s out of earshot (eww!). Jenna tries to keep her head down and stay out of it until Blake’s accused of murder in the wake of a shocking discovery. Remembering Jenna’s success in clearing her own name, Blake and his mother, Gwendolyn, implore her to help. Will this be a chance for Blake and Jenna to clear the air, or will investigating imperil the true love between Jenna and Keith?

Real-seeming characters provide more grounding but less fun.