SECRETLY HERS

A lusty, secret agreement leads to friendship and love for two 30-somethings in Beck’s second Sterling Canyon romance (Accidentally Hers, 2015).

In a rapidly developing Rocky Mountain ski town, “blond, buxom, and big-hearted” real estate broker Kelsey Callihan can feel her biological clock ticking away. Now on the heels of her 31st birthday, Kelsey is determined to get serious and date only men who can make her dreams of marriage and motherhood come true. The problem is Trip Lexington, a distractingly handsome backcountry skier and notorious playboy who flirts shamelessly with Kelsey every time they run into each other. Kelsey, afraid of scaring off potential marriageable bachelors if she’s seen canoodling with Trip around town, finally agrees to a top-secret arrangement. She will embark on a purely sexual fling with Trip in exchange for his beloved grandfather’s Stetson and his help in nabbing her a more serious prospect, a potential future husband. This plan goes quickly awry when mind-blowing sex leads to intimate pillow talk. As their casual friendship (with benefits) blossoms into love, their relationship runs into more complications when a romantic rival hits Trip a bit close to home. There’s even more conflict when Trip’s concerns about overdevelopment interfere with Kelsey’s career plans. While there's plenty of energetic sex, ultimately it’s the witty banter and the deepening of the characters and their relationship, along with some unexpected plot twists and a lovable supporting cast, that will keep the reader hooked. Kelsey’s willingness to temporarily compromise her naïve romantic notions for great sex and Trip’s troubled family background as the illegitimate son of a wealthy builder add layers of relatable angst and sympathy. Beck is able to keep the various plot threads relevant as the romance unfolds and makes it all come together in the end.

A smart, fun, sexy, and very contemporary romance.