All I Ask

This indulgently emotional second-chance romance from Michaels (Come Back for Me) sees the sweet reunion of a pair of single parents. Childhood best friends Teagan Berkeley and Derek Hartz never disclosed their mutual crushes before Teagan’s unplanned pregnancy with her college boyfriend, Derek’s marriage, and his wife’s discomfort with their friendship put them out of contact for over a decade. But when Derek and his daughter move back to Chincoteague Island, Va., following his wife’s death, the pair reunite amid small-town gossip and the clashing personalities of their two teenage girls. Flashbacks to the mutual pining of their teen years and subsequent falling out slowly build the reader’s understanding of the emotional baggage and miscommunication beneath the surface of their present-day interactions, making their eventual love confessions that much more satisfying, though the subsequent sex scenes are disappointingly bland. Some readers will find the relatively painless conflict resolution unrealistic, but most will enjoy the wish fulfillment of a story that sees long-broken hearts heal with barely a scar. This poignant story will gratify hopeless romantics. Agent: Kimberly Brower, Brower Literary & Management Inc. (Mar.)