Hello, and welcome back! Just a few flurries here, but I suppose it's something. I still don't think we're going to get much winter weather here, though I still hold out hope. I'm reading Robin Schone's new book (finally!) and enjoying it immensely, but I have two more new books to share with you this time out.

House of Dark Delights (Bantam) by Louisa Burton is up first with her first book. In a secluded area of France, a castle hosts invited guests to indulge in sensual fantasies. For many centuries, Darius, Inigo, Elic, and Lili have aided others' fantasies and indulged themselves as well. The book jumps around in time, offering short bits of the history of the castle and its inhabitants, as well as plenty of erotica. Not your standard erotica, but not a romance either, this one would be a good choice for erotica readers looking for something a little different. Just don't expect romance while you're reading, because you won't find much of it here.

Shadow Dance (Ballantine) by Julie Garwood is next with her latest Buchanan story. Jordan Buchanan's life is sort of on hold: she's just sold her business and has no plans for the immediate future other than making sure her brother's wedding to her best friend comes off without a hitch. Her other brother's friend and partner Noah Claybourne teases her, which prompts her to head for Texas after the festivities, to shake up her boring life and meet up with a professor who's been studying the history of the Buchanan and MacKenna families. And then all hell breaks loose. My biggest problem with this one, I think, is that Jordan and Noah don't even see each other for nearly half the book, while she's off in Texas, and when he does make his appearance, things happen a little too easily, too quickly between them. I will say, though, I liked this one far better than the last. I'm giving it three of Cupid's five arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!