Hello, and welcome back! My desk is positively buried beneath my to-do lists and my review books at the moment, but, instead of taking a nap this afternoon so I can stay awake for the midnight show of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire that I'll be seeing after work tonight, I'm clearing it off. Mostly. I don't think it's possible for me to ever clean it completely off--I'd never know where I put everything. In the meantime, I have five current releases waiting here to be shared with all of you.

The Royal Pain (Brava) by MaryJanice Davidson features another foray into her alternate world of Alaska as a sovereign kingdom, and this time, Princess Alexandra has got her self sent off to the wilds of North Dakota for three weeks, and Dr. Shel Rivers hasn't got time to pamper any royalty at the marine institute. No matter what she might look like. I'm not a big Davidson fan, and this one didn't convert me. Everyone is just too smart-alecky, too witty, and there are people here with points of view that I just didn't see as necessary. Not to mention all the profanity. Now, I'm all for a well-placed cuss word when it's necessary. I just don't see the need to pepper one's speech with them. It didn't endear the huge cast of characters to me. It's definitely not a keeper for me.

Till There Was U (Brava) by Dianne Castell is next. Ryan O'Fallon knows there's no way that baby his father is parading around is his, but he can't prove it without going home to O'Fallon's Landing--which is going to really mess up his demanding work schedule. Fortunately (or not), Effie Wilson, his competitive co-worker, is determined not to let his personal life mess up their current project, so she goes with him. Too bad each thinks the other is just the hottest thing they've ever seen, which gets in the way of work in a whole different way. Maybe it's just me, but I just can't relate to these characters. I can see the attraction, though perhaps not the urgency. This one isn't a keeper for me either.

Temperature's Rising (Brava) by Karen Kelley is next. New officer Conor Richmond has made some mistakes since arriving in town, but he has the chance to make up for them when he and Jessica Nelson, the chief's daughter, go undercover to try to catch a band of burglars. Of course, they have to pretend to be a couple to do so, and there's some serious heat simmering between them. This one is cute, with more focus on the romance than the two previous books this time, and, while I don't think it's a keeper for me, it definitely qualifies as an erotic romance in my book. Jessica is smart and capable, and Conor is luscious. I'm giving this one three and a half of Cupid's five arrows.

Who Loves Ya, Baby? (Brava) by Gemma Bruce has ex-cop Julie Excelsior going home to her late uncle's house, the place she grew up and where her childhood friend Cas Reynolds has also recently returned. Of course, there's a feud between their two families that goes back generations, and more than one someone in the small town wants the treasure her uncle was rumored to have hidden away. This one tries very hard to be funny, too hard, I think. And this pair has a lot of lies between them. Not for me.

The Pregnancy Test (Brava) by Erin McCarthy rounds this out this time with one of my favorite authors. Mandy Keeling's positive pregnancy test couldn't have come at a worse time. Getting a new job with health insurance is a good step out of her current mess, but getting involved with her sexy new boss Damien Sharpton would be way too complicated. Ms. McCarthy's stories can be counted on for steamy sex, and laugh out loud situations, not to mention characters who'll make you want to believe. This one is no different, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It's earned four arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!