In his hands

Abby knows nothing outside of her quaint life in the commune. After joining the Church of Apocalyptic Faith as a child, she's remained inside its sheltered confines, but her curiosity has always gotten her into trouble. It's this feeling that draws her to the handsome Grape Man. Otherwise known as Luc, the Grape Man owns the nearly defunct vineyard across the fence. Luc is perfectly content to be alone growing his grapes and fantasizing about Abby. She's helped him in the vineyard before, but he's a bit wary of where she comes from. The people across the fence seem like a cult, he thinks, but surely they're harmless, right? When Abby appears at his doorstep cold, beaten, and afraid, his opinions of his pious neighbors quickly change. Together, they enter a dangerous fight against the charismatic leader of the church that will push both to their limit. This page-turner by Anders (By Her Touch, 2017) will have readers forgetting the improbable premise to see if Abby can escape the clutches of the cult and find love, too.--Dittmeier, Amy Copyright 2018 Booklist

Anders's engrossing third Blank Canvas contemporary (after By Her Touch) brings romance and suspense to the mountains outside Blackwood, Va. Young widow Abby Merkley belongs to the cultish Church of the Apocalyptic Faith-led by her stepfather, Isaiah-but she defies the church's teachings to seek a job from her gruff, grape-growing, loner neighbor, Luc Stanek, whom she recognizes as a kindred spirit. Abby is willing to break multiple rules to acquire medicine for her young friend Sammy, who's epileptic, but she can't bring herself to tell Luc that she finds him attractive. When Isaiah announces his plan to marry her, Abby resists and is tortured by Isaiah's devout followers, who brand her with hot irons. She successfully escapes to Luc's farmhouse under the cover of a winter storm, and he shows her kindness and erotic passion-both of which are completely new to her. Wanting to protect Abby and help her heal, Luc reaches out to Sheriff Clay Navarro and dermatologist Georgette Hadley, whom Anders's fans will enjoy meeting again. Anders excels at creating sympathetic characters who will win the reader's heart. A nail-biting incursion into the cult to rescue children concludes this sterling tale of two lost souls finding true love. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.