Courting the Cop

Kwan (One Real Man) sets this too-pat but sweet contemporary in a generic American small town, where yarn store owner Abigail Brightwater is a one-woman force for restoring the decaying Main Street. Abigail is mortified when the shoplifter she tackles turns out to be undercover police officer Brody Donovan, who absentmindedly pocketed an orange while tailing a suspect. As Abigail is apologetically mending Brody’s torn clothes, he realizes that her bedroom makes the perfect stakeout point for his current mission: capturing the man who shot his longtime partner. Abigail agrees that he can have access to her house until the criminal he’s pursuing is caught. Before long, her store’s knitting group is convinced that the two are a couple, an observation that quickly becomes the truth. As Brody attempts to juggle his feelings for Abigail with his commitment to the case that brought them together, Abigail tries to work out whether Brody fits into her life. The book starts off whimsical and is strengthened by Kwan’s knack for creating realistic characters. Both Brody and Abigail’s pasts create realistic emotional conflict on top of the stakeout. Turning points rely a bit too much on coincidence, but overall this is a solid, enjoyable romance. (Oct.)