Alone in the world after her twin brother was killed in war, high-school teacher Hope Godwin is convinced by her landlord to volunteer at an animal shelter. Cade Lincoln, a wounded Afghanistan War veteran, estranged from his parents, also volunteers at the shelter after undergoing physical and mental therapy as well as doing community service. Shadow, an angry abandoned dog, steals both their hearts as Hope works with him so that he can be adopted. Serving as the school's counselor as well as teaching history, Hope invites Cade to be her date and serve as fellow chaperone at the homecoming dance. The school team is on a winning streak with scholarships in the offing for its top athletes, but when Hope starts investigating a situation threatening her students, her car is vandalized and increasing danger looms. Will Cade step up and help, or will repercussions from his past make things even more precarious? This tale of redemption and kindness is a gift to Macomber's many readers and all who love tales of sweet and healing romance.

In Oceanside, Washington, an injured veteran undergoing court-ordered therapy and community service after a drunken brawl finds purpose as he puts his war-induced demons to rest. John Cade Lincoln Jr. joined the Army after a screaming match with his father, making it clear he wouldn't be entering law school and joining the family law firm. Fast-forward nearly six years, and Cade is an angry veteran who's still reeling after having been injured and seeing his two best friends die in Afghanistan. He doesn't want to do physical therapy, and he doesn't want to go to counseling. When he's arrested following a drunken brawl, the judge--the mother of a vet who took his own life--orders him to do both as well as community service. Hope Goodwin has moved to Oceanside in an attempt to redefine her life after the loss of her twin brother, an Army Ranger, in the Afghan desert. She's a teacher and school counselor, and she gets to know Cade when they end up volunteering at the same animal shelter. A second plotline follows a handful of Hope's students: Spencer, a geeky computer nerd, is infatuated with Callie, who's on the dance team and dates the high school quarterback, Scott. Callie's twin brother, Ben, is also on the football team, and when Callie discovers that he's been using drugs, she convinces Spencer to hack into his computer to try to figure out where they're coming from so she can stop him. Macomber has a staccato writing style that takes some getting used to, and her storytelling leans toward telling rather than showing, with characters who deviate only slightly from archetypes: the wounded vet, the woman who loves him, the lecherous female barfly, the bullying high school quarterback, the beautiful dance-squad girlfriend, the nerdy computer kid, etc. A story that focuses on the idea of redemption through love and understanding. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Macomber (Window on the Bay) has written another sure-to-be bestseller full of inspiring characters who face the complicated task of dealing with the aftermath of tragedies and facing new beginnings. Cade Lincoln Jr. is a former marine who is dealing with physical and mental injuries received during his military service. His many issues lead him down a path to trouble with the law, and as a result, he ends up doing community service at a local dog shelter. Hope Godwin sought out a new life after the death of her twin brother, moving to a small town and taking a job as a teacher while volunteering at the local dog shelter. Hope soon meets Shadow, a dog many see as being so troubled that he is beyond help. Hope recognizes the care and love that both Shadow and Cade need and realizes that maybe these are what she needs herself. VERDICT Macomber's latest is a wonderful inspirational read that has just enough romance as the characters heal their painful emotional wounds. Recommended for readers who like inspirational stories, contemporary romance, and Sandra Brown novels.--Bridgette Whitt

Fan favorite Macomber (It's Better This Way) brings sweetness and sensitivity to this weighty military family romance. After teacher Hope Goodwin's beloved twin, Hunter, dies in Afghanistan, Hope escapes her native California for a small coastal town in Washington State. While volunteering at a local animal shelter, Hope meets John "Cade" Lincoln Jr., an Army veteran himself mourning the overseas deaths of his two closest friends. After a bar fight, Cade is taking anger management classes and fulfilling his court mandated community service at the shelter. Cade's immediately struck by Hope's patience with an abused and aggressive dog, and the pair forge a close relationship over the course of their service. But before they can imagine a future together, they both must face their pasts. Macomber gracefully deals with the harsh realities of grief; it's easy to empathize with her struggling protagonists, and though their relationship is realistically rocky, readers will have no trouble rooting for their happy ending. The result is a deeply moving contemporary. Agent: Theresa Park, Park & Fine. (July)