Holiday Read

Cole debuts with a summery and slow-burning contemporary. Looking to start over after an emotionally abusive marriage, avid surfer Candice leaves behind the busy beaches of Oahu to offer surfing lessons in the calm and quaint Newquay, Cornwall. Heartache has left her lonely and emotionally defensive, but she finds a second family in the tight-knit small town. When she’s not surfing, she escapes into her favorite romance novels. So when romance author Alexis arrives in town searching for surfing lessons and inspiration for his next novel, Candice jumps to help. But as the pair grow closer, she also starts to suspect that Alexis is a fraud with no understanding of or appreciation for the romance genre. Then his agent, Daniel, comes to town and, seeing Candice’s expertise, offers her the chance to cowrite Alexis’s novel. As all three brainstorm potential romance plots, Candice also learns what—and who—she wants in her own love life. The love triangle adds some drama, while the meta elements will be a special treat for romance fans. Throw this one in the beach bag. (July)