UNDER THE TABLE

A caterer gives a mysterious, nerdy billionaire a makeover—and gets more than she bargained for.

After spending years unhappily married to a slacker husband, Ohioan Zoey Sullivan gets up the nerve to ask for a separation. She heads to New York and moves in with her sister, catering private parties and dinners to support herself. That’s how she meets Tristan Malloy, a computer programmer who lives in a gorgeous apartment with a first-class kitchen. Tristan is polite and respectful, but he’s also a little awkward, and his clothes are embarrassingly dorky. When the two of them strike up an instant friendship, Zoey offers to give him a makeover. It turns out that Tristan is a diamond in the rough, and his new clothing, haircut, and confidence reveal more than just his good looks. Zoey quickly develops intense feelings for Tristan, but does he reciprocate, or does he want to remain just friends? Zoey soon realizes she has to be honest about her feelings if she ever wants to live her own life. Evanovich (The Total Package, 2016, etc.) creates a sexy and fast-paced romance, but it’s hard to get invested when the stakes just aren’t that high. Zoey’s ex is cartoonishly awful, and her feelings for Tristan are so clear that it’s hard to believe she wouldn’t act on her attraction sooner. Still, there are enough steamy scenes and moments of sexual tension to keep the interest of fans.

Fun, if a little light in substance.