Not Quite Over You

July 30, 2018
In Mallery’s middling fourth Happily Inc. contemporary (after Why Not Tonight), a poor but fiercely independent innovator goes into business with her wealthy high school sweetheart, but their differences in status and power make it hard to believe in their rekindled love. Drew Lovato is the heir to California First Savings and Loan. He’s spent 12 years regretting his breakup with Silver Tesdal; when he went off to college, he left her alone, pregnant, and broke. Drew signed away his parental rights, and Silver placed their daughter for adoption. When Silver is turned down for a business loan from his family’s bank, Drew sees the perfect opportunity to become a part of her life again, and conspires to buy into Silver’s portable bar-for-hire business. Silver isn’t quite ready to let him back in—or to reveal that she’s still in touch with their daughter. Entitled, immature Drew uses his wealth and position to manipulate Silver into taking him on as a business partner, and then imagines her stripping for him while they’re in a meeting. Steamy sexual attraction can’t compensate for the nagging certainty that Silver could do so much better. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency.

September 15, 2018
AlcoHaul business owner Silver would love to buy two vintage trailers to expand her mobile wedding-bar business in bustling Happily Inc. The only person who agrees to lend her money is Drew Lovato, the boy she loved in high school. They had a child, and she placed the baby for adoption while Drew was in college. Drew is struggling with his political parents' ambitions for him and hoping to work in his grandfather's bank and invest in local entrepreneurs. In fact, he wants to be a partner in Silver's business. She hasn't told Drew that she is in contact with their daughter, and now that Autumn is coming to visit, she realizes that he deserves to know his daughter. As for Drew, he faces the reasons he left Silver and fights for a second chance. A rare and positive look at open adoption adds dimension to another uniquely appealing Mallery romance in the Happily Inc series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)