After all

Proby concludes her Romancing Manhattan series (after All it Takes) with a jam-packed emotional story about family, belonging, and love. In the five years since Carter Shaw's wife, Darcy, died, Carter has struggled to support his troubled preteen daughter, Gabby, while building his business as a Manhattan lawyer, relying on legal assistant Nora Hayes for everything from childcare to household management without ever noticing how stunning she is--until now. The recently divorced Nora worries their professional relationship won't survive the blistering chemistry developing between them, but a series of classic romance tropes deployed in quick succession--a night snowed in at the office together, a "practice" date that turns all too real--push them ever closer, and they decide to pursue a secret workplace romance. The sheer number of tropes in play leaves many plot threads, including a trauma in Gabby's life and a late-book medical scare, feeling poorly incorporated. Readers' frustration with the ever-changing conflicts will be mitigated somewhat by the honest connection between Nora and Carter and the growing bond between Nora and Gabby. This earnest but overdone series ender will satisfy committed Proby fans. Agent: Kevan Lyon, Marsal Lyon Literary. (July)