Hello, and welcome back! Our ice is melting. I figure by the middle of next week, if our forecast remains the same, most of the ice and snow will be gone, leaving that very unattractive mud that's underneath. On the other hand, it is still winter, so we may yet get a real snowfall before spring arrives. And no matter what the weather, between the review books that come in and my personal purchases, my TBR pile will never shrink enough that I'll be in danger of running out of reading material.

Over in the forum, we're about to start this month's book club discussion. I hope you'll join us in talking about our first-ever dual selection. And in the meantime, I have two new releases to share with you this time out.

Arousing Suspicions (Avon) by Marianne Stillings is up first. Tabitha March sees other people's dreams, and she's got one doozy of a client right now. But when she tells detective Nate Darling about these dreams, he has to wonder if she's a murderer, since these dreams seem to be coming true. But no way does he believe she can see others' dreams. I have to say, I like Nate better than Tabitha in this one. I'm not sure why; there's nothing really wrong with Tabitha, but Nate is sexy and complicated and many women's dream man. The whodunit isn't too terribly difficult to figure out, but with sexy Nate keeping you turning pages, who cares? This one was fun as well as steamy, a really enjoyable read. I'm borrowing three and a half of Cupid's five arrows for it.

No Safe Place (Pocket) by JoAnn Ross is next, with Detective Kate Delaney leaving her ruined career behind temporarily to find out what's happened to her estranged sister. Nick Broussard's no longer a cop, but Kate hires him to help her investigate her sister's 'suicide', to help navigate the tricky waters of New Orleans police and criminals. Nick is full-on sexy, funny and endearing at the same time. Kate is tough and capable, while still wounded from her past and recent experiences. This one is fast-paced and still believable, which makes for a nice change from some of the things I've read in recent weeks. I'm giving this one four arrows and waiting for Ms. Ross's next book.

Until next time, happy reading!