A small-town girl gets tangled up in an indecent relationship

Set in a small football town in Texas, The One & Only embraces, then promptly breaks all the stereotypes. Our Southern heroine, Shea Rigsby, is actually a stats-obsessed sports fan; shortly after she snags her dreamy boyfriend, the NFL’s top quarterback, his jealousy turns him into a nightmare. Meanwhile, her childhood crush on her best friend’s father turns into something much more grown-up. By the time she’s tangled up in a love triangle that could crush her BFF, you have no idea who to root for. Chicklit powerhouse Emily Giffin’s playful prose will draw you in, and the hot-and-heavy make-out scenes don’t hurt either. The idyllic small-town backdrop is used to full effect in this undemanding 400-plus-page read, but the book is also layered with more serious issues, like cheating, corruption — and even sexual assault.

The One & Only, Emily Giffin, $30.