cover image Accidentally Engaged

Accidentally Engaged

Mary Carter, . . Kensington, $12.95 (314pp) ISBN 978-0-7582-1539-0

Carter's second novel (after She'll Take It ) follows a thrice-divorced tarot card reader possessed of questionable psychic prowess who is drawn into the strange dealings of a wealthy family. Despite three failed marriages, 32-year-old Clair Ivars is still "in love with love," so she's not exactly thrilled about her first encounter with Rachel Morgan, a manic bride-to-be who bullies Clair into predicting a miserable married future. Rachel leaves her three-carat diamond engagement ring with Clair, along with instructions to return the pricey piece to the groom-to-be, wine and vodka mogul Jack Heron. Hilarity and mishaps ensue as Clair travels to the Heron Estate and meets Jack and his family. While pretending to be Jack's fiancée (to please Jack's grandmother and a group of investors), Clair finds secrets in every corner of the mansion and meets her dream beau. The sitcom-caliber humor hits its mark, and the trove of mini-mysteries will keep readers guessing. (Mar.)