Played by Liz Fichera (review)

Riley Berenger is thoroughly bored with her role as Designated Good Daughter, so she’s seeking ways to break her dork girl habits. Sam Tracy, a Native guy from the Gila River Indian Reservation, has big plans to do something to better his community. The two immediately hate each other, each mistaking the other’s reticence and introversion for arrogance. When they are forced to be partners on a leadership weekend, Riley falls into a ravine and Sam rescues her, staying with her through a stormy night, sharing secrets and keeping her warm with a combination of pine needles and naked body heat. Though no actual bodices are ripped here, Fichera writes almost entirely to the Harlequin romance script, at least until until Riley vows to repay Sam’s valiant gesture by giving him an extreme makeover and helping him attract the girl of his dreams, who is happily in love with Riley’s brother—though it turns out Sam is just denying his real feelings for Riley. Despite the piling on of clichéd plot points, Fichera writes a readable story about two teens chafing against identities that no longer fit them. Narration alternates between Riley and Sam, both of whom readers may remember from Fichera’s first novel, Hooked, which focused on Riley’s brother and Sam’s first crush. It’s a plus to see a Native character as protagonist in a contemporary story, and readers fond of traditional romance tales may find the formula here comforting.