Bend Toward the Sun

Devon breaks hearts and puts them back together again in her tear-jerking debut. Botanist Rowan McKinnon is on the hunt for a postdoctoral position when she meets obstetrician Harrison Brady through a mutual friend. Harrison recently unexpectedly lost a patient, spurring him to take a leave from his practice as he struggles to get his anxiety and panic attacks under control. Rowan gladly accepts a job at the Brady family’s fledgling winery, and she and Harrison explore their mutual attraction. From the beginning, they want different things. Rowan was raised by an indifferent mother and a loving grandmother who died when Rowan was 12. Add in the way her first and only boyfriend mercilessly criticized and lied to her, and her reluctance to enter a relationship rings all too true. Though she insists on keeping things casual, Harrison’s determined to win her heart. Devon handles Harrison’s anxiety with impressive sensitivity and his love and caring shines through on every page. The result is a moving tale of two hurt people healing together. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Aug.)