cover image The Bear Affair

The Bear Affair

Cynthia Powell. Thomas Bouregy & Company, $17.95 (0pp) ISBN 978-0-8034-9031-4

The first of Avalon's hardcover romances to be marketed to the trade as well as to their primary library audience, this unabashedly emotional, cliche - laden first novel has a chief cardiac surgeon named Frost, a hospital gift-shop manager named Berne, a board member named Puffenball and a head administrator, Ms . Hardigree, who spends much of her time playing Cupid. Taylor Berne, at 24, seems a case of arrested development. Comforted by her teddy bear, Mr. Marmalade, as a child, she still talks to him and dances along with her teddy alarm clock. Naive and foolish, Taylor creates frequent problems for Dr. Kayne Frost, who eventually warms up to her as they create a special bear for cardiac patients. A member of the hospital board, he can help promote her ``Bear Care'' therapy, despite hostile rival Kiki Vandemere. When Kayne warns her he has no time for ``complications'' like love, Taylor is reminded of her doctor father, who was seldom at home. But Taylor respects Kayne's dedication and grows to understand her father better. Though Kiki wants to buy Mr. Marmalade, Taylor auctions him off to raise money for Kayne's new cardiogram machine. Then there's the requisite lovers' misunderstanding--and romantic wrap-up. Serious aspects of patient care are lost here in a miasma of cutesy behavior and bears, bears, bears. (Nov.)