cover image It Had to Be You

It Had to Be You

Francis Ray, . . St. Martin's, $7.99 (285pp) ISBN 978-0-312-36507-3

What begins as a tantalizing romance between two stubborn individuals loses some oomph in Ray's fourth Grayson Friends novel (after 2009's One Night with You ). Zachary Albright Wilder, an in-demand music producer, is shocked and angry when beautiful, solitary classical musician Laurel Raineau refuses to work with him because of his scandalous reputation. Determined to persuade her, Zach follows her from Los Angeles to Mexico, keeping his identity secret. As Laurel learns to separate Zach's true character from the rumors, he discovers that “loving a person might be easy, but making a relationship work was another matter.” The love scenes are frequent and steamy, though the writing is often jumpy and clichéd, and readers who like a lot of glamour with their romance will enjoy the frequent references to fast cars, exclusive clubs, and high fashion. (May)