From Publishers Weekly
In this diverting contemporary romance from Mallery (Someone Like You), wedding cake designer Gracie Landon was shipped off at age 14 to live with relatives when her obsessive crush on 18-year-old Riley Whitefield became a local media item and an embarrassment to her family. Now, 14 years later, she's back in Los Lobos, Calif., to create a cake for her younger sister's wedding while aching to be part of the family that turned her out. Her mother is as unloving and judgmental as ever, and both her sisters are self-absorbed drama queens. Despite her family's selfish demands, Gracie, with all her eagerness to please, bends over backwards to accommodate their requests; sister Vivian demands a fabulous wedding cake that will take weeks of preparation, while sister Alexis insists that Gracie trail her husband, Zeke, whom she believes is having an affair. Since Zeke is Riley's campaign manager in his race for mayor of Los Lobos, prowling around Riley's house seems the right place for Gracie to start, but her snooping only puts her and Riley on the front page of the local press. While dirty politics, a vengeful ex-wife and a lot of backstory drama plump up the story line, some readers may find themselves wishing for a heroine who's less of a doormat. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist
Gracie Landon became a legend at age 14 when her longing for 18-year-old Riley Whitefield turned her into a stalker. Everyone in Los Lobos remembers the tales of Gracie's exploits, including the time she nailed Riley's girlfriend's door shut so she couldn't go out with him. The newspaper even carried "The Gracie Chronicles." Now Gracie is a celebrity wedding cake designer. Her sister is getting married, and Gracie is back in town for the first time since her youthful indiscretions. Riley just so happens to be running for mayor, and Gracie's brother-in-law, Zeke, is his campaign manager. When Gracie's sister suspects that Zeke is having an affair, Gracie tries to trail him. Unfortunately, Riley catches Gracie sleuthing, and since he, too, has a vested interest in Zeke's reputation, he joins her. More than a romance, Mallory has crafted a fine tale of small-town life, family relationships, and forgiveness. At times funny, at times bittersweet, this story will appeal to a broad spectrum of readers. Shelley Mosley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Book Description
First comes love, then comes marriage. . . Or that was Gracie's plan, anyway, at the ripe old age of fourteen. She loved eighteen-year-old heartthrob Riley with a desperation that made her a town legend. Even now that she's all grown up, the locals in sleepy Los Lobos won't let her forget her youthful crush. . . .but it's not as easy as it looks. And how can she, when she's face-to-face with Riley at every turn? The onetime bad boy has come back to town seeking respectability-but the sparks that fly between them are anything but respectable! Gracie's determined to keep her distance, but when someone sets out to ruin both their reputations, the two discover that first love is sometimes better the second time around.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

First comes love, then comes marriage. . .Or that was Gracie's plan, anyway, at the ripe old age of fourteen. She loved eighteen-year-old heartthrob Riley with a desperation that made her a town legend. Even now that she's all grown up, the locals in sleepy Los Lobos won't let her forget her youthful crush.

. . .but it's not as easy as it looks. And how can she, when she's face-to-face with Riley at every turn? The onetime bad boy has come back to town seeking respectability-but the sparks that fly between them are anything but respectable! Gracie's determined to keep her distance, but when someone sets out to ruin both their reputations, the two discover that first love is sometimes better the second time around.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly