Loves Me, Loves Me Not

Can a Baltimore flower shop manager find love with a lawyer known for sending bouquets to different ladies each week? Malin's first adult novel (she's written two teen mysteries as Libby Sternberg) offers a whimsical look at the vagaries of dating through the eyes of Amy Sheldon, 26. Amy's had a rough time ever since she "killed" her fiancé, Rick, in a freak car accident two years ago. The flower shop, a low-key retreat from her former advertising job, tumbles her into a new relationship with one of the shop's most loyal customers. Henry Castle is passionate, emotional and full of life—with a reputation as a "bed-hopping Latino." Amy constantly questions whether Henry is right for her, and the obsessing gets tiresome, especially when circumstances force her to move into Henry's apartment. But an intriguing side plot about her best friend, Wendy, who gets pregnant after she learns her boyfriend has a West Coast wife, adds punch and pathos to the story, and there's a hilarious interlude about a down-and-out Catholic college where Amy gets a job in an overburdened PR department. Lightweight but cute, Malin's plot moves along steadily enough toward its inevitable happy ending. (Oct.)