STANDOFF

The action takes place in New Mexico, but all the main characters are from Texas, always fertile home ground for perennial bestseller Brown (The Alibi, 1999, etc.). Dallas TV reporter Tiel McCoy, en route to a vacation, takes a detour to look for Sabra Dendy, the daughter of a Texas millionaire who’s hotfooted it out of town with her boyfriend, Ronnie Davison. Tiel bumps into the duo as they’re holding up a small-town convenience store. Turns out Sabra’s not only pregnant but in labor; her baby is delivered by the mysterious “Doc,” who proves to be a Dallas oncologist ruined by the unjust accusation that he helped his mortally ill wife commit suicide. Naturally, Tiel falls for Doc. Naturally, Sabra’s dad is a creep who sics the FBI on the misguided lovers. Naturally, there’s plenty of time for steamy sex in between the flying bullets.

True love conquers (almost) all with time-honored predictability, and Brown’s many fans will undoubtedly enjoy her latest.