Built to Last

Rey’s frothy contemporary romance brings two women together to restore an ancient farmhouse in Ithaca, N.Y. The dilapidated house is perfect for transplanted Southerner Olivia Bennett, who’s now a tenure-track English professor at Cornell University. She just needs to hire a local contractor to fix it up. When Joss Bauer of Bauer and Sons Construction answers the call, she instinctively appreciates Olivia’s vision for the old place. Even though they can both see the home’s potential, they don’t really appear able to see each other. In fact, when they first meet, Joss totally misreads Olivia and tries to set her up with Joss’s brother Ben. That’s just the first of several misunderstandings that threaten to derail the women’s mutual attraction. Tension mounts as Olivia’s colleagues and her snobbish family collide with Joss’s down-home demeanor. But the women totally click in bed, as well as when they’re poring over paint chips, and readers will enjoy finding out whether love conquers all. (Apr.)