Hollyland

Leavy (Film Blue) pairs a “Hollywood bad boy” with a brilliant arts researcher in this flawed contemporary romance. When scholarly Deanna “Dee” Schwartz, 40, first sees actor Ryder “Rye” Field, 50, outside a trendy Los Angeles bar, sparks fly, despite Dee’s friends cautioning her against pursuing things. The instalove between the protagonists will turn off some readers, trading steady emotional development for unbelievable declarations of devotion. The sheer number of über-famous power players who just happen to show up at the restaurant during Rye and Dee’s first date is another unconvincing development; Rye assumes he’s the more famous member of the couple, but he’s proven wrong by how familiar every celebrity they encounter is with Dee. There’s a fun element of wish fulfillment to this reversal, but it will still take readers out of the story. The romance proceeds apace—including a proposal with an outrageously large diamond—until Dee is abducted by an unlikely player from Rye’s past. Rye’s mother, also a movie star, had been abducted and killed by a crazed fan, heightening Rye’s reaction as he does everything he can to rescue Dee. Rye’s intense emotions save the last half of the novel, and the detailed depiction of Hollywood glamor throughout adds some appeal. As a whole, however, this feels forced. Agent: Jennifer Utner, Utner Agency. (Apr.)