Huckleberry Lake

The tedious sixth book in Anderson’s Mystic Creek series (after Strawberry Hill) splits focus between three separate but connected love stories without fully developing any of them. Mystic Creek, Ore., sheriff’s deputy Erin De Laney has been crushing on Wyatt Fitzgerald, the deaf foreman of her uncle’s ranch, for quite some time, but flirting with him doesn’t yield the result she’s been hoping for. Elsewhere in town, Wyatt’s younger brother, 22-year-old Kennedy, falls for levelheaded 17-year-old Jenette Johnson. He knows he has to tread lightly at least until her 18th birthday, but an injury brings them together and they develop an intense emotional bond. Meanwhile, Erin’s best friend, café owner Julie, nurses feelings for pawnshop owner Fred “Blackie” Black. Blackie, who is 20 years Julie’s senior, returns her affection, but he worries about what type of relationship they could have. The transitions between these disparate story lines are often disorienting, and, despite an excess of small-town detail, the characters and relationships feel sketchy at best. Readers will struggle to stay invested in this choppy romance. Agent: Steve Axelrod, The Axelrod Agency. (Dec.)