December 1, 2014
In the second installment of her Home to Glory series, Arden portrays black operative Byron Hawkins, who is sent to protect the Jewel of Catallegna. He discovers that the Jewel is Damara Petrakis, a royal princess who has become a hostage of her corrupt brother, who wants to marry her to a member of the Russian mob. Since their country is of strategic interest, the U.S. government has arranged to have Hawkins not only rescue Damara, but also marry her so that she becomes an American citizen. They even expect him to hold the wedding in his hometown of Glory, Kansas, to create a media-enhanced love story that may keep her safe. Byron and Damara do fall in love, but they are inhibited by his guilt and nightmares over losing his team on a previous op and her need to create the democracy in Catallegna her father dreamed of. Furthermore, several sets of bad guys are out to get them. Ultimately, they figure it all out in a military romance with more redemption than action, a heartfelt tale of serious love.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)