Lake Como

Hallie Elliot spent her childhood intrigued by her half-sister, Portia, the product of her mother's first marriage to an Italian prince. But Hallie's life in San Francisco%E2%80%94where she has the perfect successful boyfriend and a brilliant career%E2%80%94has turned out just as well as those of her Italian kin, or so she thinks, until she finds her boyfriend in a suspicious embrace with her boss, Kendra. Hallie flees to her sib-lings' family estate on Lake Como to sort out her feelings. There, Portia is caught between a crum-bling marriage and the scandal of divorce. At the idyllic Tesoro villa, with each other's support, the sisters are able to contemplate moving on. In the meantime, there's glorious scenery, gourmet food, and designer shopping galore. While Portia falls for a new man, Hallie finds a dream job designing a reclusive billionaire's home and connects with her client's business manager, Angus. But two big se-crets complicate Hallie's happiness%E2%80%94and one of them will make her wonder if she can ever trust enough to love again. Portia's engaging subplot and a few shocking revelations lend complexity and depth to Hughes's third novel (after Market Street), but the plot is bogged down by lackluster love scenes, a too-perfect heroine, and a distracting preoccupation with designer goods. Agent: Melissa Flashman, Trident Media Group. (Aug.)