Only in My Dreams

Sara Archer, founder of a successful event planning business, is devastated when her brother Alex ends his lifelong battle with lung disease by committing suicide. She returns home to mourn with her family and receives a second shock: Alex had purchased an abandoned monastery before he died, and his will instructs his six siblings to put their differences aside and reunite in their home town to transform the old structure into a hotel. Despite the painfully obvious setup for a family series and the wholly unrealistic contrivance of the brother’s last demands, this sweet romance bounces back from the shallows to find unexpected depths, boldly pairing a heroine with sensory processing disorder (portrayed in an impressively consistent and compassionate way) and a hero with some serious and believable hang-ups about emotional intimacy. This contemporary romance is an easy read even when it stumbles, excellent for an afternoon’s mindless pleasure and a quick hit of the warm and fuzzies. Agent: Jim McCarthy, Dystel & Goderich Literary Management. (Feb.)