Hello, and welcome back! Our weather is still gorgeous, though with more spring-like temps this week, which suits me just fine--the gardens require some weeding before I can get the mulch trucked in. And it's just right for sitting out in the afternoon with a book and just enjoying the spring weather and flowers. I've finished with the April releases, and have begun going through the May books that have started arriving.

Even Vampires Get the Blues (Signet Eclipse) by Katie MacAlister is up first. Vampire Paen Scott needs half-elf p.i. Samantha Cosse to find a relic so he can save his mother from a demon. If you're a fan of MacAlister, no doubt you'll love all the action here, and won't mind the first-person p.o.v. If you're not, well, it might be a toss-up. This one has several strikes from the get-go for me: the first-person p.o.v, the vampire, and I'm just not a fan of Ms. MacAlister's style. Unless I knew a person was a fan of smart-alecky-type stories, and the other things I listed above, I just can't recommend this one.

Megan's Mark (Berkley) by Lora Leigh is next, with deputy Megan Fields suddenly finding herself the prey in her hidden corner of the country, and alpha-male Breed Braden Arness sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong. I approached this one with some trepidation, having read some of Ms. Leigh's previous works and finding myself completely appalled by them. I'm all for a good alpha male in a romance, but hers have crossed the line in my eyes. Braden, unfortunately, doesn't fare much better. Because of him, Megan's forced into a detour she didn't choose, one that was caused by his bite. For me, that's like some recent vampire stories I've read where the hero changes the heroine without permission to 'save her'. Baloney. This is going to be another author I steer clear of in the future to save myself some aggravation.

Until next time, happy reading!