Houston, Texas, the Present

Can life possibly get any worse for Tish Gallagher? She sacrificed time, money, and even her marriage to her business of wedding videography, but all for nothing. Reckless financial management leaves Tish saddled with debt, and she cannot seem to stop spending. Desperate, Tish makes a wish on an antique wedding veil -- for a job to establish her reputation and get her back on track financially. Instead, her vision is of her ex-husband, Shane Tremont, whom she has not seen since he walked out on their marriage two years ago. His image is of a man in pain who is lost and needs her.

Shane Tremont, member of the Secret Service, is injured in the line of duty while guarding the daughter of the president, Elysee Benedict. His heroic sacrifice promotes him from friend to favorite project for Elysee. She takes him to her home to recuperate from his injuries. Comfortable proximity and a chat with the president convince Shane to propose, and Elysee enthusiastically accepts. Now that Shane is planning to marry again, is he ready to move on? Did he really get over the all-consuming love he felt for Tish? Ready or not, Elysee decides to help him find closure, because she hires Tish as their wedding videographer! Can Tish stand to let Shane go, even if the job will establish her reputation successfully?

ONCE SMITTEN, TWICE SHY, second in the Wedding Veil Wishes series, is a light romance but has some memorable scenes, especially the opening ones where we meet Shane and Tish. Tish has a potent personality, lots of deep stuff going on under the surface of a modern businessperson. Tish has an embarrassing episode early in the book -- her credit cards are denied and cut up at a restaurant where she scheduled a luncheon to impress a potential client. I felt so terrible for Tish, I had to put the book down -- walk away for a moment. It was like watching a train wreck in slow motion and a masterfully written scene; I was right there in the room with her. Shane is a stalwart, staunch kind of guy. A weakness of the book is that readers will not truly understand what happened to Tish and Shane’s marriage until more than halfway through the book. Until that is revealed, their differences don’t resonate with the reader because their relationship is so intense, exemplified by a steamy love scene. There is also a credible mystery that will keep the reader guessing. Someone on the President’s staff is a dangerous adversary, but who? Is Shane in any shape to save Tish? Read ONCE SMITTEN, TWICE SHY to find out.

Lisa Baca