North Bay Road

This uneven contemporary from Kirshenbaum (Rouge) kicks off when New York fashion stylist Liz Galin mysteriously inherits a multimillion-dollar Miami estate from a stranger. After verifying the authenticity of this bizarre windfall, she’s excited about her change of fortune, which includes a million dollars annually to be spent on renovations. To claim it, however, Liz must move to Miami for six months and a day to establish Florida residency, and her doctor boyfriend is unable to come with her. Instead, she invites her gay best friend, Roy, and the pair get to work restoring the property. Liz’s new neighbor is pop star G Alvarez, who, after a bad first impression, becomes a welcome distraction for Liz as they flirt and bond over emotional scars: G opens up about his manager sexually abusing him as a child, and the descriptions are graphic. Meanwhile, Liz discovers the diary of her benefactor, Elsa, and interspersed passages connect the women across time and reveal a parallel love story. The pacing feels off-kilter, with a slow start and a rushed ending, and so much going on overwhelms the romantic development between Liz and G. There are some moving moments, but romance fans will be underwhelmed. Agent: Laura Yorke, Laura Yorke Literary. (May)