Lent, Leant

I just saw an unexpected confusion in a story:

"Valentina lent over and pinched both their cheeks, earning squeals of pleased protests."

'Lent' is the wrong word.  The idea is that  Valentina was leaning towards the kids; the past tense of Leaning is Leant.  It isn't a very common word, but ... this mistake is sort of jarring.

Well, it is a sort of cute gangster- related rom-com, but I'm only a quarter of the way through it; I may abandon 'cute' by the end of it.  It's Dangerous Game by  ... somebody.  Oh, Bel Blackwood!  Of four books by her I've read, I liked three.

OK, boys and girls, we'll meet anon.

Kay