Maybe This Time

McLaughlin’s second Whiskey and Weddings contemporary (after Maybe I Do) starts out sweet but ends on a sour note. Jen Mackenzie is one of the working poor, both fiercely proud and desperate to keep her head above water. She’s had a crush on comfortably wealthy TJ Laughlin since high school, but, now that she works for him, she assumes he disdains her and accordingly treats him rudely. In fact, TJ’s fallen for her. At first, the way that TJ decides to finally act on his feelings is sweet and patient, and if he’s a little overbearing, he means well. Slowly, though, that attitude shifts into near-violent jealousy, possessiveness, and controlling behavior, turning what should be a love story into a surprise horror novel for readers who recognize the hallmarks of abuse. With weak plot resolutions and explicit but lukewarm sex scenes, this novel is an easy pass. Agent: Sarah Younger, Nancy Yost Literary. (Mar.)