The Real Thing

A little matchmaking among friends turns enemies into lovers in this captivating romance from the New York Times-bestselling author of Threats and Promises.

After stumbling upon a corruption scheme and trying to do the right thing, corporate attorney Neil Hersey finds himself blackballed by the entire Hartford business community.

When fitness instructor Deirdre Joyce embarrassingly breaks her leg, her family tries to convince her to take over the helm of their corporation instead of doing what she loves best. To escape their pressure, Deirdre turns to a friend who owns an island off the coast of Maine . . . the perfect place to find serenity and solitude.

The only problem is that Neil has the same friend-and the same idea.

Now these two strangers find themselves stranded together far from the mainland, both reeling from professional disasters. Neither is in the mood for company, but Deirdre and Neil are about to discover that there's a fine line between fighting and flirting-and once they cross it, they can never go back . . .

Praise for Barbara Delinsky

"Delinsky's writing is fluid and makes for a hard-to-put-down book." -Glamour

"Delinsky is a first-rate storyteller who creates believable, sympathetic characters who seem as familiar as your neighbors." -The Boston Globe

"Delinsky writes about the emotional crises of everyday people and how those trials shape relationships." -The Cincinnati Enquirer