Flirting with Texas

Lane’s sixth in her Deep in the Heart of Texas series (after Trouble in Texas) revisits Bramble, Tex., and the eccentric inhabitants of Miss Hattie’s Henhouse, a whorehouse turned bed and breakfast. Aging “hen” Minnie Ladue asks Beauregard Cates to go to New York City and search for Jenna Jay Scroggs; Minnie thinks Jenna would be much happier home in Bramble and working at Miss Hattie’s. Beau quickly learns that Jenna is an activist with a knack for making enemies and beating them up when they chase her down. When the good people of Bramble kidnap Jenna and Beau to bring them back to Texas, the lengthy drive gives plenty of time for sparks to fly. The antics of the ladies at Miss Hattie’s add hilarity to the budding romance between Jenna and Beau in this sweetly improbable story of Texas charm and memorable characters. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary Agency. (Aug.)