Back in the Texan’s Bed

Sex, lies, and family secrets form an intoxicating brew in the first Texas Cattleman’s Club: Heir Apparent romance from Simone (Vows in Name Only). Fast-rising culinary star Charlotte Jarrett returns to her hometown of Royal, Tex., to become head chef at a new restaurant, with her toddler son, Ben, and a truckload of romantic baggage in tow. Apart from Ben, work is her life and her kitchen is “her baby.” But she’s never liked interacting with her elite clientele—so she’s doubly displeased when her ex-boyfriend and unsuspecting baby daddy Russell “Ross” Edmond Jr asks to pay his compliments to the chef. As far as Charlotte knows, the infamous playboy used and abandoned her when she needed him most. Ross, whose bitter romantic and familial histories have made him cynical about love, harbors similar misgivings about Charlotte. It’s not a promising foundation for a second chance—but almost all of what Charlotte and Ross believe about their breakup is misinformation fed to them by a manipulative family member. Once they’ve deconstructed the mountain of miscommunication between them, their mutual chemistry and the bond of caring for Ben bring them back together in convincing fashion. Simone packs it all into a tightly drawn, if sometimes predictable, package. Fans of secret baby stories will be pleased. (Feb.)