A 29-year-old woman inherits 50% of a farm near Lake Tahoe and must work with the other owner to save the property. Luna Wright has a huge chip on her shoulder: Adopted at birth and hurt in love, she's worked hard to be successful in her five years as the manager of Apple Ridge Farm, a gorgeous 150-acre spread in the Sierras. Which she thought she'd managed to do, with the help of friends and family--Willow, her best friend; Stella, her grandmother; and Chef, her first boyfriend and now good friend--despite the farm's grumpy owner, whom all the employees hate, and her own history of failure. But then Silas Wittman, that grumpy owner, dies, and she finds out that not only was he her biological grandfather, making her hiring smack of nepotism, but he's left her half the farm and a balloon payment that's due in 60 days. And then her new business partner, Jameson Hayes, Silas' investment manager, turns out to be a hot guy she met at a bar who turned her down cold. So to add to her stress about making the farm a success, and the fact that she's convinced her beloved co-workers will hate her once they find out she's part-owner, she has the embarrassment of working with a guy who rejected her. Jameson has secrets of his own, and he promised Silas he would stay at the farm for two months to help Luna, which won't be easy. An easy-to-read, forced-proximity romance filled with quirky characters, strong--but flawed--women, and supportive men. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Bestseller Shalvis hits a home run with this emotionally nuanced contemporary, the fifth in her Sunrise Cove series (after The Sweetheart List). Luna Wright devotes herself to Apple Ridge Farm, a haven for rescue animals and quirky humans. When her boss, Silas Wittman, dies suddenly, she's shocked to discover that he has left 50% of the farm to his investment manager Jameson Hayes--and the other 50% to her. Luna, who was adopted at birth, learns after inheriting her share that Wittman was actually her biological grandfather and that the farm is deeply in the red. Unless she and Jameson can come up with a balloon payment, it will be lost to the bank. As the two work together to save Apple Ridge, their chemistry sparks--but when Luna finds out Jameson has been keeping a few (well-meaning) secrets, her abandonment issues threaten to derail their budding romance. Shalvis augments the love story with a spectacular supporting cast, including Luna's palm-reading, free-spirited adoptive grandmother, Stella, and gay ex-boyfriend, Chef. The hilariously named rescue animals and their antics add humor and charm, especially a baby goat named Dammit Ziggy who takes a powerful shine to Jameson. There's a ton of heart here. Agent: Annelise Robey, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Jan.)

Luna Wright manages Apple Ridge Farm, a struggling tree farm, animal rescue, botanical garden, and whatever else the community needs near Lake Tahoe. When the absentee owner of the farm, Silas Wittman, dies suddenly, Luna is faced with a few surprises. Silas was her grandfather, and half the farm goes to Jameson Hayes, Silas' protégé. Jameson is a numbers guy, and his intention is to visit Apple Ridge, see what can be salvaged, and sell the rest. Except he didn't count on Luna's makeshift family--an ex-boyfriend and his husband, an adoptive grandmother, a stable of farmhands, and a menagerie of rescue animals like cuddle-addicted baby goat Dammit Ziggy (DZ for short). And then there's the sizzling attraction he feels for Luna. The Bright Spot is pure Shalvis, with whip-smart banter, crackling chemistry between the leads, and themes of friendship, found family, and competent people getting the happy endings they deserve. Like previous Sunrise Cove novels (starting with The Family You Make, 2022), this one can be read as a stand-alone, though readers will be so charmed they'll want to read the entire series.