Undercover Attraction

Robert (Forbidden Promises) combines strong chemistry, snappy plotting, and imperfect yet appealing characters in her fifth O’Malley contemporary. Driven, defensive NYPD cop Charlie Finch, daughter of an FBI agent, is discredited after her former comrades falsely brand her as a dirty cop. Mob boss Aiden O’Malley tries to maneuver his family through the treacherous shoals of fear and double-dealers; even among mobsters, there’s a code of honor, and at least one family is flamboyantly not adhering to that code. It might seem counterintuitive for a crime fighter and a crime committer to hook up, but they have a common enemy, and the powerful passion that engulfs Charlie and Aiden from the outset makes their original cover story—a hasty engagement—believable. This installment is easily readable as a standalone, and it’s a worthy addition to a sexy series. New readers will want to look up Robert’s backlist. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Nov.)