TRUE CONFESSIONS

When California tabloid reporter Hope Spencer roars into the mountain town of Gospel, Idaho, in her silver Porsche, turquoise Tony Lamas and ultra-tight, "seal-a-meal" jeans, Sheriff Dylan Taber knows that her presence will create quite a stir among the locals. The sassy blonde has awakened some familiar urges in Dylan himself, but—as single father and lawman trying to live down his wild past—he knows that he can't put his reputation on the line for a fling with a flatlander. Hope has plans of her own for her six-month "working vacation" and they don't include romance. Still recovering from a disastrous marriage, Hope has come to Gospel to heal and to spin a few alien-adventure articles for her editor. She's unprepared for the gossip-loving, toilet-tossing locals, however, and she soon finds herself making friends among them and falling in love with the town sheriff. The only problem is that Hope has yet to tell Dylan what she does for a living, and Dylan seems to be keeping certain details about his past from her as well. Gibson's (It Must Be Love, etc.) characters are quirky and endearing and her clever, snappy dialogue amuses at every turn of the page. With each novel, Gibson's storytelling seems to improve, and this sweetly sexy romance is evidence of her now-considerable skill. (On-sale: July 31)

Forecast:A fresh, sweetly suggestive cover and generous advance praise from Jayne Ann Krentz, Elizabeth Lowell and Karen Robards will ensure that this frisky, fun read will sell to its 350,000 first printing.