Wrong Number

An inappropriate text sent to the wrong number sparks an unusual relationship in this steamy romance from Brown (The Frenemy Mistake). Avery is unpacking from her move to Massachusetts when she’s surprised by a text from a stranger—who’s sent her a cartoon “dick GIF.” Though not normally like her, she decides to respond and­—after apologies from the sender (whom she dubs “Dick Guy”)—they strike up a text-based flirtation, though neither reveals their true identity. When Avery starts her new job at a local bakery, readers quickly learn that “Dick Guy” and Avery’s boss’s son, Jake, are one and the same, though the characters remain oblivious. As the pair grow closer IRL, their text conversation heats up. Anonymity emboldens them both: Avery enjoys that the stranger doesn’t know about her painful past or about her hearing loss, while Jake likes that the woman he’s dubbed “Wrong Number” doesn’t know about the burns on his legs. But when their identities are revealed, can their relationship survive? Brown does a good job showing both characters come out of their shells, and though the premise is contrived, everything that follows feels real. Equal parts sweet and sensual, Jake and Avery’s love story is sure to win fans. [em]Agent: Lynnette Novak, the Seymour Agency. (Aug.) [/em]