My kind of trouble A novel

Schwartz riffs on The Music Man in this entertaining rom-com. Huxter Harmony Hale makes her way to Brookville, Calif., hoping to pull off her biggest con yet in revenge against the town mayor, who made his fortune off an idea he stole from Harmony's father. She pitches the town on a Coachella-style music festival that will never actually come to pass--but to make the scheme believable, she must secure the land that belongs to Brookville's autistic librarian, Preston Jones. Preston is deeply committed both to caring for his nonspeaking younger sister and to keeping the library's youth programs afloat in the face of challenges from conservative townsfolk. Though he enjoys a good romance novel, he has no time for love in his personal real life, and his impulse is to steer clear of the beautiful, curvaceous Harmony. When Harmony promises to help him save the youth programs, however, Preston rethinks his stance. Soon their tension breaks and steaminess ensues. Despite the delightfully devious heroine, Schwartz puts a refreshing emphasis on healthy communication, making the bond between her leads feel well-earned. Meanwhile, the well-handled representation of Preston's autism and Harmony's body positivity make this a breath of fresh air. Schwartz proves herself a worthy successor to Meredith Willson. Agent: Lee O'Brien, Looking Glass Literary. (Oct.)

DEBUT Harmony is a con artist and very good at her job. Her next mark is the mayor of Brookville, CA, the man who stole her father's work and became a millionaire. She's planned every angle and has answers to every question about her trusty cover story, a fake music festival. She just needs someone to give her access to the potential festival site. That someone is Preston Jones, a passionate librarian and the autistic guardian of his autistic preteen sister. But Preston is too focused on job stress to give Harmony more than a glance, no matter how many times she tries to waylay him. The mayor's wife is trying to remove books that she deems inappropriate from the library, and Preston is certain his refusal will cost him his job. That's Harmony's in, and she grabs it. She'll help Preston win over his adversaries and save his job, if he'll just sign on the dotted line. What starts as a business proposal turns into a friendship, and before Preston knows it, he's dating Harmony. VERDICT Schwartz's debut is a steamy, gender-swapped contemporary retelling of The Music Man, with excellent dialogue and lots of humor.--Heather Miller Cover