House in the Trees

In a formulaic but sometimes appealing novel by the author of Serengeti Sunrise , violet-eyed, chestnut-haired beauty Sabrina Chandler accompanies her lovable, curmudgeonly landlady , Emily Wilson, on a month-long visit to Emerald Island in the Samoas. Emily wants to persuade her elderly sister-in-law to return stateside, while Sabrina hopes to recover from the hurt inflicted when her fiance fell in love with another woman. The island's redoubtable owner, Adonis-like author Joshua Brand, is also the veteran of a broken engagement; inevitably attracted to Sabrina, he just as inevitably fights his awakening love. The two spar through the usual emotional ups-and-downs against a throbbingly lush tropical background, peopled with stereotypically serene natives and other stock characters, ultimately affirming their commitment after tragedy nearly parts them forever. Among the book's wildly improbable romantic touches is a tree house with all the modern conveniences, including a shell-shaped bathtub. There are loose ends. Sabrina rushes into too many dangerous situations. Though Avalon is now marketing aggressively for a trade audience, this novel will appeal mainly to paperback romance readers looking for fluff between hard covers. (Nov.)