cover image Beach Colors

Beach Colors

Shelley Noble. Morrow, $14.99 trade paper (368p) ISBN 978-0-06-210308-6

Margaux Sullivan, the protagonist of the pseudonymous Noble's women's fiction debut (after a long line of romance and mystery novels, including, most recently, Foul Play at the Fair, as Shelley Freydont), is a fashion designer taking New York City by storm%E2%80%94that is, until her husband steals all of their money and abandons her. Confused and distraught, she returns home to Crescent Cove, Conn., and reconnects with family, friends, and a former flame: Nick Prescott, the town's police chief. As Margaux rebuilds her life, she slowly falls once again for the honorable, if initially intractable, Nick, who abandoned his career as a professor in order to return to Crescent Cove and care for his young "traumatized" nephew, Connor. But opportunities await in New York, and Margaux must decide which is more important%E2%80%94the runways of Manhattan, or a quiet life with Nick and Connor. Noble draws readers effortlessly into the tender drama of Nick and Margaux's romance, and the multiple stories of loss and rediscovered trust will delight readers looking for a beach read with substance. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary Agency. (June)