I’ve read many of the books Joss Wood has written for Harlequin’s Desire line (the series From Mavericks to Married, The Ballantyne Billionaires, and Love in Boston are a few of my favourites) but with the shutdown of the Desire imprint (a sad reality; I still really miss their Blaze and Temptation lines, too) the author has turned to writing for Harlequin Afterglow (along with many other Desire authors). Love in Translation is a delightful opposite attracts romance about a translator dealing with burnout and an adventurer taking a physical break who end up as roommates and then more.

Rheo Whitlock has always prided herself on her stable and precise career as a UN interpreter. But when a stray comment made on what turned out to be a live microphone becomes a viral moment and her career and confidence take a dive, she ends up on stress leave, holed up in her grandmother’s secluded (and currently empty) vacation home – fondly called the Pink House – in small town Gilmartin, Washington, an outdoor adventurer’s paradise. But Rheo doesn’t care about that – she’s not the outdoorsy type, and she’s just there to lick her wounds and figure out how to resuscitate her career. No-one in her family, including her grandmother, knows that she’s there, and the only person she talks to regularly and who knows of her plight is her new friend Abi, owner of a local deli and coffee shop. So when a dusty SUV pulls up and a handsome, rugged, guy knocks on her door, no-one is more surprised than Rheo is.

As a teenager, Fletcher Wright spent several months in bed suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome. Now he lives every day to the fullest. As an adventurer and filmmaker, he’s always looking for the next thrilling journey. But his friend and doctor, Seb, responsible for the regular medical checkups that enable him to have health insurance on all his trips, insists that he take a three month break to recover from the recent illnesses (malaria, pneumonia, frostbite) he’s endured during his hikes, mountain climbs, and other athletic endeavours. When his good friend Carrie clears the way for him to rent her grandmother’s Pink House for a few weeks as part of his recovery, a place where he can enjoy the outdoor scenery and get his hiking fixes in without overexertion, he looks forward to some rest and relaxation. What’s he’s not expecting is to find the house already occupied.

While Fletcher has the right to have the house to himself, it’s clear that Rheo is living there and from her panicked expression, doesn’t have anywhere to go. The house is big, with more than enough bedrooms for the two of them, so Fletcher offers to let her continue to stay there, at least until Rheo’s cousin Carrie shows up, by which time Rheo is going to have to confess to her family (and especially her grandmother) that she’s been occupying the house without their knowledge. The attraction between Fletch and Rheo is instantaneous and leads to some sexy times, with both knowing that there is a time limit on their vacation romance. But sharing their problems draws them closer together emotionally, leading to stronger feelings. With Rheo hoping to return to her career in New York and Fletcher unhappy staying in one place for long, is there any hope for a long-term future together?

I found both Rheo and Fletch to be likeable and empathetic characters, having unique problems to deal with. Rheo is a master of several languages but the simultaneous nature of translation duties (being able to listen to one language and speak another at the same time), in high pressure diplomatic situations requires confidence in one’s abilities and Rheo worries she won’t regain her edge. I found the description of her job quite interesting and Fletch has some ideas to help her, including doing some impromptu translation for a friend. He pushes her out of her comfort zone in an effort to help her see that conquering her fears can be done in new ways. He believes she has it in her to recover and Rheo takes his advice to heart, even though they do sometimes clash – not a surprise given their forced proximity environment and having different ideas about how to move forward.

Rheo has several issues with her family that need to be addressed and this situation makes it impossible for her to ignore them any more.Those issues are dealt with well, and a good reminder of the importance of communication.

For Fletch, cabin fever set in almost from the moment that Seb told him to take it easy, but even though it’s difficult, he is able to restrain himself from doing anything too strenuous. He encourages Rheo to go out for short walks with him (she really is not into outdoor things at all, but grudgingly comes to enjoy them more than she’d expected). He enjoys spending time with Rheo and as he starts to feel more for her, he believes a future together won’t work as their lives are just too compatible. This causes him to become distant and makes some admittedly hurtful decisions that he will have to make amends for before they can get their happy ending. I like how it all turned out (once Fletch admits to his mistakes) and the ending is emotional and sweet. There’s a tease for what will hopefully be another book in the series with Carrie and Seb (who dislike each other for reasons as yet unknown) and I’ll be keeping my eyes out for that one.