Hello, and welcome back! We had our (sorta) first spring-like day on the first day of spring, but today feels like winter's back, and with a vengeance. I guess it's not time to put away the cocoa and soup just yet. At least I have plenty of new books to keep me occupied indoors. As I write this, we have another giveaway happening over in the forum, our fifth this month! Congratulations to our winners so far for the month: Martha, Kim, Diane, and Jennifer. And good luck to those of you still trying!

This time out, I have three romances you can grab at the bookstore now, so let's get to them. First up is Sue McKay's
Shaken and Stirred (Zebra). CIA operative London Llewellyn is set to rendevous with her spy brother before she heads home, but when she arrives, she finds that someone has killed him. Adam De Wulf happened to be seeking a hideout in her brother's room when he stumbled on the murderer escaping, and Adam doesn't stick around when London wants answers. I'm not real big on spy stories, but there're bad guys here who'll make you laugh out loud, as well as sexy Aussie Adam whose own personal quest gets tangled up with London's. This one is wonderful fun, London's smart, and Adam is a great hero. I'm borrowing four of Cupid's five arrows for this one. A real keeper.

Next up is Amanda Ashley's
Whisper of Eternity (Zebra). Tracy Warner loves the old house she's just bought. But when she made the purchase, she didn't know there was a vampire living beneath it, and it turns out this vampire has been waiting for her--for centuries. Dominic St. John has loved and lost Tracy in many lifetimes and is determined not to lose her this time. But first he has to deal with her fears--and his own enemy. I'm not a vampire fan usually, and, though I tried hard to like this one, I couldn't. I was firmly on Dominic's side until he whisked an unwitting (not to mention unwilling, had she been given a choice) Tracy away to one of his homes when she left him. After that, it was all downhill for me. My biggest problems with this one occur late in the story, but I don't want to ruin the story for any of you who may want to read it. I'm giving this one only two arrows.

Finally is Fern Michaels's
Listen to Your Heart (Zebra). Josie Dupre talks to herself. Or, more accurately, to her little dog. A lot. But when a prospective customer comes to call at her catering business, bringing his pony-sized dog along, her dull life explodes to bits. Paul Brouillette isn't the sort of man she ought to be looking for, and her reaction to him (and his dog) when they meet, is unpleasant. As in, her behavior is unpleasant. Yet, somehow, he gets past that. Of course, the attachment between their dogs doesn't give them much choice either. I wished I could get more into Paul's head; much of this story is told through Josie's point of view, and I had a hard time relating to her. It's a pleasant enough story, but not a keeper for me. It's earned three arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!