Dillon Slater was a tech sergeant who spent time in Afghanistan defusing improvised explosive devices. After his tour, he signed up with the Troops to Teachers program and started a job teaching high school physics and coaching the boys basketball team in the idyllic town of Shelter Bay, Wash.

Claire Templeton is a jewelry designer who lived in Beverly Hills until recently. After her mother died, her 15-year-old son seemed to go through a troubled stage, so she picked up and they moved north to Shelter Bay.

Claire’s son Matt was a star basketball player for his high school and is not happy with the move. He knows that the Shelter Bay team has had a losing season for many years. Matt may not be happy he is here; however, the town is ecstatic, as they know all about the phenom who is moving to town.

As Claire and Matt settle into small-town living, Dillon makes his presence known to both Claire and Matt; he is attracted to Claire and wants Matt to succeed. He also is very interested in the team and wants them to work together whether they win or lose, much to the dismay of the residents, who want to win.

As the season progresses, they have some success and some failures, which result in the team doing exactly what Dillon wants — they start to mesh. Dillon and Claire also grow closer, even though she fights her attraction; Dillon is a determined man who always gets what he wants.

My review: This is an engaging, fun, light romance centered on small-town life, where people often help fight your battles and share your successes. This is the fifth in a series and can be read as a stand-alone; however, characters from other books reappear and share their continuing lives.

My rating: I recommend it.