Hello, and welcome back! The weather is gloomy and wet here today, making it the perfect day to stay inside with a good book and a cup of hot tea, for me anyway. Then again, I can almost always find a good reason to curl up with a good book. That's why I'm nearly done with the November stack on my desk and ready to dive into the December books in the next week. And trying very hard not to peek at the February Robin Schone that landed on my desk today. This time, I have three current releases to share with you.

Pink Jinx (Warner) by Sandra Hill is up first. Veronica, aka Ronnie, Jinkowsky knows better than to believe a fish tale when she hears it, but she can't help herself when the teller is her grandfather. So it's really her own fault when she winds up stuck on a boat with her ex-husband, Jake Jensen, the man she's married and divorced four times already. Of course, Jake's just gotten engaged to someone else prior to their treasure-hunting trip, which she believes will help her keep her vow not to marry him again. Yeah, right. Ms. Hill's trademark sexy hero and over-the-top humor will reel you in here, not to mention the quirky secondary characters, including Tante Lulu and Tee-John from her last couple of books. No one does sexy, humorous romances like Sandra Hill. This one gets four of Cupid's five arrows. Lucky fans won't have to wait long for her next book either: it's coming out next month (12/06)!

The Matchmaker (Brava) by Jamie Denton is next. Greer Lomax didn't want to be a deputy in her small southern hometown, and she sure doesn't want the investigation she's got dumped in her lap. And, while we're at it, she also doesn't want her estranged husband, Ash Keller, hovering over her. She still hasn't gotten over the events that drove her out of the FBI and away from Ash two years prior. But someone in her small town is a killer, and Ash isn't about to let his wife get away again, or to let anyone else hurt her. This is one wounded heroine, but Ash is strong enough not to let her push him away, though it does beg the question why he let her run for so long? That aside, however, this is a good read. I also didn't mind knowing all along who the bad guy was. I'm giving this one three arrows.

I'll Be Seeing U (Brava) by Dianne Castell is last with the third O'Fallon brother, Quaid returning home to Fallon's Landing at the same time as Cynthia James, the older woman he's fantasized about for years. Too bad she's snooty and has a bad attitude where men are concerned. Cynthia is not very likeable from the beginning, and her initial stunt where Quaid is concerned just made me think her spoiled and rude, not a woman he could possibly be attracted to. There are plenty of secondary characters here for you to try to keep track of, as well. I have to say, having read Sandra Hill's book just prior to this one, Ms. Hill does quirky Southern characters quite well, but I found these to pale in comparison, more stereotyped and flat. I'm afraid I just didn't like this one.

Until next time, happy reading!