01/29/2024
Kitt’s tepid third Millionaires Club contemporary (after The Time of Your Life) finds Black charter school director Olivia Cameron juggling her job and renovating a home she’s inherited from her great-aunt. When she discovers a stash of 1920s cash hidden in the walls of the house, the contractors swarming the building are soon replaced by law enforcement; the FBI has to make sure the money isn’t stolen. Assigned to the case is white agent Sloan Kendrick, who soon develops a more than professional interest in Olivia, though the pair wait until the case is settled before beginning to see each other. Despite the hook of the mystery windfall, readers shouldn’t expect much suspense. Nor is this a rom-com. Instead, what follows is a slow-moving romance between two divorcees who apply a perhaps unrealistic amount of logic to all their decision-making. Kitt handles interracial dating well, allowing some friction to come from the couple’s different backgrounds but most to be driven by their contrasting personalities. Though the love story is believable, the slow pace makes this a hard sell for romance fans. Agent: Lisa Vance, Aaron M. Priest Literary. (Apr.)
