Hard Beat

Bromberg expertly captures the voice of a man caught between his tender heart and macho confidence in her standalone seventh romantic thriller in the Driven series (after Sweet Ache). Foreign-war correspondent and alpha male Tanner Thomas is recovering from the death of his photographer partner. He convinces his boss at Worldwide News to send him back to the Middle East, and sparks sizzle when he and sexy freelance photographer Beaux Croslyn meet in the correspondents’ hotel bar and hook up for a one-night stand. The next day, they discover that they’ve been assigned to work together. Adrenaline is an aphrodisiac for them, and more tension explodes from the pages when they’re embedded in military missions. But things are not always what they seem with the mysterious Beaux, and seasoned reporter Tanner struggles to distinguish facts from his anxious fears. A surprise ending adds another twist to this gripping journey in a dangerous land. Agent: Amy Tannenbaum, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Nov.)