ROMANCING RILEY

Sassy and stylish, this fast-paced contemporary romance stars a tattooed, pierced, punk rocker heroine who matches wits with a U.S. Marshall. Fresh from an L.A. undercover assignment, Charlie Zap is new to Manhattan, which makes him the perfect cop to take over the surveillance of sexy Riley Callahan. Riley, the almost famous party-girl daughter of an exiled rock star, scratches out a living as a freelance shopper for the federal witness protection program. But the U.S. Marshall's office suspects her of using her contacts to glean information from confidential files and leak the material to underworld sources. It's Zap's job to catch her and bring her in, but the only way Zap can get close to Riley is to pretend he's a bodyguard sent by her exiled father. When Riley finds a key that may be a clue to her dad's disappearance, she coerces Zap into a sexually charged chase through middle America in a vintage pink Caddy, hoping to find what she needs to clear her dad's name. Side trips include Zap's family home, where Riley has a first-time taste of life's simpler pleasures, and an amusing but unproductive visit to Graceland. With its fresh, feisty characters and diverse settings, this past-meets-present tale will help Lane (Reinventing Romeo) win over a younger generation of romance readers. (Feb. 5)