Shut Up and Kiss Me

Craig (Divorced, Desperate and Deceived) turns her latest smalltown romance into a delightful comedy of errors. Hired by the mayor of Precious, Tex., to do a PR shoot that will draw visitors to the tiny town, photojournalist Shala Winters dodges burglars, would-be assassins, and vandals while tangling with sexy police chief Sky Gomez, who doesn't want her taking pictures of Native American rituals and turning Precious into a tourist trap. Sky doesn't believe in soul mates, though his foster father has prophetic dreams of Sky and Shala together. Shala, orphaned and divorced, is wary of men and furiously defensive of her independence. Many of Precious's standoffish, quirky, nosy residents are of Native American descent, but the culture feels like an afterthought; Craig stays focused on playfulness and sexual tension, and hits all the high notes en route to happily ever after. (June)