cover image All In

All In

Shelley Shepard Gray. Blackstone, $15.99 trade paper (308p) ISBN 978-1-5384-4088-9

Gray deals a winning hand in her engrossing second Bridgeport Social Club contemporary (after Take a Chance). Ace Vance and his son, Finn, are new to the Bridgeport, Ohio, area, having recently moved from the small town of Spartan, W.Va. Ace wants to give 15-year-old Finn a new start away from his emotionally absent mother, and he’s also pleased about a new start for himself near his old friend Kurt. Meredith Hunt, a Pilates instructor, has spent her life protecting her heart and coping with her mother’s constant expressions of disappointment. When Ace and Finn, rough-looking guys with hearts of gold, come to her rescue after a mugging, they’re all in for some big changes—and life lessons that open their eyes to new possibilities and the importance of support networks. Packed with an enticing mix of heartening emotional engagement and inspirational sweetness, the light, joyous plot has just enough substance to provide ample food for thought. Agent: Nicole Resciniti, Seymour Agency (Feb.)