If you're not a forum regular, or a newsletter subscriber, you missed the announcement on our latest giveaway, which will be ongoing over the next few weeks. All the rules and details are posted in the forum, but you must be a registered forum user to participate. Registration is free, and there are a lot of books and goodies up for grabs this time, so what are you waiting for?

First up this time is Katie MacAlister's
You Slay Me (Onyx). Aisling Grey thinks she's just making a delivery for her uncle when she travels to Paris, but she's really stepping into the middle of a big occult mess, complete with demons and dragons and guardians--and finds out she's one of the latter. This one starts out with an automatic strike against it--it's told in first person. Then there's the chick lit tone of it, which didn't make me like it any better. I keep hearing how people love this author, and I'm just not seeing why. Perhaps it's her 'voice', the way she tells her stories. Maybe it's something else. But I just did not enjoy this one at all, though fans of hers will be pleased to know this is only the first, and Aisling will be back for a second round next May. I'll pass, though.

Next is Lisa Wingate's
Lone Star Cafe (Onyx), with Laura Draper stuck in the middle of Texas and having a terrible time. Also told in first person, this one has a heroine with a lot of stereotypical problems. The part I liked best about this one were the two old women who run a cafe in the middle of nowhere. And considering this is a romance, that's not a good sign. I'm noticing more and more first person storytelling in romance lately, and frankly, I hate it. As a reader, I want to know what makes both the hero and heroine tick, not just one of them. I want to see how both of them are falling for the other, not wonder what the heck the other one sees in the one telling the story.

Finally, a real romance! Amelia Grey's
A Hint of Seduction (Berkley) has Catherine Reynolds searching for the man who is her father--but she isn't sure exactly who that might be or how to find out. The Earl of Chatwin rescues her one early morning, setting in motion much more than just her quest to find her father. These are charming characters, and, if you liked her last book, you'll be happy to know you'll get to visit briefly with previous characters. I'm borrowing three and a half arrows for this one. I can't wait to see the next.

Until next time, happy reading!