Hello, and welcome back! Things are slowly getting back to normal here, which means I might be able to squeeze in some writing time again soon, along with the reading. Yay! Though I can't help wishing for a little bit of winter besides the cold we've had--a nice little blizzard, maybe, so I can stay inside with a nice book and cup of hot chocolate. Not that I can't do that now, but it doesn't feel much like winter here, and if we're not going to have winter, then spring should come--except that'll mean baseball season is here, along with crazy schedules. Oh well. Even though we've got neither winter nor spring here, I do have a few books to share with you now, though none of them will put you in a winter frame of mind.

Willing (Brava) by Lucy Monroe is up first, with Josie McCall forced to search for her wayward (and possibly injured) mercenary father with his new business partner, Daniel Black Eagle, aka Nitro, who's gotten under her skin in a big way. The conflict here isn't too complicated, but it makes a good frame for the sizzling attraction and very complicated feelings between this pair. A great way to take off the winter chill you might be feeling in your area. This one's earned four of Cupid's five arrows. It's a definite keeper!

I Shaved My Legs for This (Kensington) has stories from Theresa Alan, Holly Chamberlin, Marcia Evanick, and Lisa Plumley. More chick lit than romance, this one has young women I have a hard time believing in--maybe I've just been lucky, but I've never met a 20-something woman as self-absorbed or whiny or immature as some of this lot, and thank goodness for that! I'm not a chick lit fan, and these haven't converted me, just made me pick up a real romance to get the bad taste out of my mouth.

Sweet Water (Signet Eclipse) by Anna Jeffrey is next, with Marisa Rutherford putting herself between her small hometown and Terry Ledger, the man who's just bought the town and plans to displace all its residents for his big plans. Filled with quirky characters and heart-breaking realities, this one is a great follow-up for Ms. Jeffrey after her last trilogy. It's got characters you're going to want to cheer for, situations we can all relate to, and plenty of tangled emotions. This one reminds me why this is an author who jumped onto my auto-buy list after her very first romance. I'm giving this one four and a half arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!