Deep in the Heart (Austin After Dark #1)

Two strong, battle-scarred people grapple with how to make a relationship work in the forceful first Austin After Dark contemporary. Ever since Austin, Tex., became a country music hub, the Olsen family’s custom guitar business has done well. Whenever country music star Camden Grace wants a new instrument, he’s willing to pay the Olsens whatever they charge. He needs a new guitar ASAP, but 24-year-old co-owner Jenna Olsen is swamped with orders. There are three things that might put him at the head of the queue, though. First, Camden’s just rescued Jenna from an attack by a high school nemesis who won’t let an old grudge die. Second, Jenna’s grandfather, the widely respected luthier who founded the business, has a soft spot for Camden. And third, every time Jenna sees Camden, sparks fly. But Camden has PTSD from his time as an Army Ranger, and Jenna’s a survivor of assault. The harm that trauma can wreak on a budding romance is convincingly portrayed as each lover is simultaneously drawn to and unnerved by commitment to the other. For fans of complicated characters, this one’s a shoo-in. (BookLife)