His Little Lanie

This sweet contemporary loosely adapts elements from Hans Christian Andersen’s classic tale “The Little Mermaid.” Lanie Lange has never told Eriksen Sanders, her secret love, that she was the one who saved him from drowning years ago. Now that he is divorced and back in town, will Lanie finally confess? Ford creates a simmering tension between the two protagonists as they try to understand and manage their quiet attraction to one another. Although moments of repetitive overexplaining and odd syntax slow the narrative at first, it does become more fluid as the story progresses and the characters develop. Lanie’s interactions with her family reveal her tender nature and genuine family affection—something that Eriksen has trouble with in his relationship with his ex-wife. Ford’s flair for lush language and metaphors shines in the Maiden Lake scenes, bringing out the calm strength that swimming gives Lanie, drawing out her relationship with Eriksen, and creating mystery surrounding his near-drowning incident. Classic tenderness and sexual tension mix well here. (BookLife)