Hello, and welcome back! We're back to summer-hot temps here, and I'm about to turn the air conditioning on for the first time this season. I was hoping to have a little longer before we had to do that, but it's so hot and sticky here, even the cats are miserable. Right now, I have no cool place to sit with my reading or writing, and that's not a good thing.

This time out, I have the latest from Jami Alden, Run From Fear (Grand Central, purchased). Talia Vega has done her very best to get away from the horrors of her past. Jack Brooks knows all her painful secrets, though, and when he comes into her workplace, he brings memories with him. Jack doesn't intend to cause Talia more hurt, but he's been keeping her safe for a long, long time, even if she doesn't know it. Then someone from her past comes back, intent on doing more damage, and Jack goes back into protector mode, determined to continue to keep her safe, though this time, it means putting them in much closer quarters than when he rescued her two years ago, but Talia will do whatever she needs to do to keep her younger sister safe, and if it means having Jack underfoot at home, she'll do it. That makes resisting the attraction between them much more difficult, however, and eventually, she may just forget all about resisting. I can't imagine why any woman would want to resist Jack anyway. But Talia comes with a lot of baggage, and Jack is one of those men who will always do the right thing, even if it means he doesn't get what he most wants. The villain is equally determined to have his way, and getting Talia where he wants her has taken a lot of maneuvering, so he won't let Jack get in his way, no matter what. I've been enjoying Jami Alden's books for quite a while now, and this series in particular. Her heroes are always terrific, strong, noble, heroic in ways others are not, and her heroines, while sometimes damaged mentally or physically, are always strong women who won't let their issues stop them from living and loving. What more can a romance reader ask for? I'm borrowing for of Cupid's five arrows for this one.

Until next time, happy reading!

Romance Novels Forum

Jami Alden