Like You Love Me

Locke (Restraint) populates her Honey Creek series launch with quirky and well-drawn town dwellers, but the contrived romance undermines the charm of the setting. Growing up, Holden McKenzie spent his summers in Honey Creek, Tenn., where he befriended Sophie Bates. Though each had a crush on the other, they never acted on their mutual attraction. Now a veterinarian, Holden is back in town working at his grandfather’s clinic while waiting for news about a job in Florida. Meanwhile, Sophie runs Honey House, a local bed and breakfast that may be forced to close if she can’t catch up on her back taxes. When Holden learns that his potential new employer prefers to hire married doctors, he proposes to Sophie, hoping their marriage will help him land the job. In exchange, he agrees to pay her taxes and save Honey House—but soon their marriage becomes all too real. Locke doesn’t quite do enough to update the marriage of convenience trope for a modern setting, and it strains credulity that the characters would make such a big commitment as a ruse, but the side characters offer enough enjoyment to keep readers engaged. Those who fall in love with the setting will hope for more convincing relationships from Honey Creek stories to come. (Feb.)