Conard County Marine

The gripping prologue of Lee's Conard County series (after An Unlikely Daddy) is superseded by chapters full of tedious dialogue and repetitive narrative, turning a promising premise into a disappointment. Due to an assault, Kylie Brewer has lost the last three years of her life to amnesia. While residing with her sister in their hometown of Conard City, Wyo., she meets Evan Cooper, a Marine who's in town visiting his cousin. Kylie suffers from anxiety attacks whenever she's alone, so Evan agrees to be there for her when her sister has to work. When strange things start happening around town, including children being approached by a person in disguise, everyone wonders if it has something to do with the attack on Kylie. Evan has named himself her guardian, but protecting her proves to be difficult, since her assailant, and the reasons behind the attack, are unknown. The incessant whining of the weak-willed heroine will quickly turn readers' sympathy into irritation. It's difficult to comprehend why the hero is drawn to her, making it impossible for Lee to develop their relationship. (Sept.)