The Perfect Letter

Harrison, host of reality show stalwarts The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, puts his extensive knowledge of women's thoughts on love to good use in his strong debut, a contemporary romance. Leigh Merrill, a book editor in New York, has assiduously avoided her home state of Texas for a decade. But when her boyfriend%E2%80%94who just happens to be her boss%E2%80%94proposes and she isn't ready to give him an answer, she gratefully accepts an invitation to speak at the Austin Writers' Conference. What Leigh doesn't expect is that she will run into Jake Rhodes: her first love, her first boyfriend, and the reason she hasn't returned to Texas until now. Jake is a part of the biggest secret Leigh's ever had. The two rekindle their romance, but there are several who have a vested interest in making sure Jake and Leigh don't become a permanent couple again. Can the two overcome these obstacles? Despite a few head-scratching moments at the end, Harrison has written a solid first novel, convincingly writing from Leigh's point of view. (May)