Principles of (E)motion

Read’s beguiling sophomore outing (after Johanna Porter Is Not Sorry) once again finds a smart woman in an ethical gray area. Mathematics prodigy and near-recluse Dr. Meg Brightwood left academia 15 years ago to live with her grandmother in a decrepit Washington, D.C., mansion due to paralyzing social anxiety and general disdain for university politics. Since then, she’s devoted herself to solving the notorious Frieholdt’s Conjecture, aka the “Impossible Theorem.” After her grandmother’s death, Meg, now 30, must find the strength to hold onto her work before her greedy and ambitious father claims the proof as his own. She gets some unexpected support from Isaac Wells, the high school dropout her grandmother hired for odd jobs a decade ago and whom she never had the courage to connect with in her younger days despite a strong attraction. Isaac, for his part, is in trouble with the law and, when he turns to Meg for help, she offers to let him hide out in her garage. Read’s skillful character building makes Meg and Isaac’s connection feel plausible as both take risks to ensure the other’s safety and happiness. This well-matched couple is sure to charm. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Jan.)