Almost a Bride: Destination Love, Book 2

Watson continues her Destination Love contemporary series (Burning Moon) with this middling story set on the beaches of Mauritius, where heartbroken Annie Anderson tries to have some fun while making sense of her shattered life. When her boyfriend cheated, she lost not only her dream of becoming his wife but also her job, her home, and her self-esteem. When her friends are delayed from joining her on their group vacation, Annie finds herself alone of the beach, where she meets screenwriter Gemini “Chris” Christophersen. He doesn’t believe in love, though it’s all he writes about. Since neither is interested in a relationship, they embark on fully open conversations, feeling they have nothing to lose. Annie is drawn to Chris’s sense of humor and he finds pleasure in her straightforwardness. When they run into Annie’s ex and his new flame, Chris steps in and pretends to be Annie’s boyfriend. There are some laugh-out-loud moments, but the ages of the characters are out of sync with their juvenile antics, and readers will find the ultimate prank hard to swallow. The opening is cleverly creative, but the story doesn’t hold up to the hype. Agent: Erica Silverman, Trident Media Group. (Feb.)