Hello, and welcome back! It's a tad warm here for spring, and I'm looking forward to the cool-down coming in the next two days. Of course, it's bringing rain, which will not be good for Little League, but I won't quibble. I'm about to start my dive into the May releases, but I do have a handful more of April books first. This time out, I have three new books to share with you.

A Wicked Gentleman (Pocket Star) by Jane Feather is up first. Harry, Viscount Bonham is on a mission, and he's not going to let a few women keep him from completing it. But Lady Cornelia Dagenham isn't quite the country bumpkin he believes. She and her friends have come to London for a month to inspect the house her friend has just inherited, and to show their children the city. Harry and Nell butt heads more than once in this one. For a reader looking for something not too complicated, sort of an old-fashioned romance, this might be just the ticket. Perhaps I wasn't in the mood for this kind of book. It seemed rather by-the-numbers to me, with nothing a seasoned romance reader couldn't predict. It's earned only three of Cupid's five arrows.

Lush (Aphrodisia) by Sasha White is next, with three stories set around an erotic art gallery. Teal Jamison has finally figured out what she wants to do, and her gallery is nearly ready in 'The Principles of Lust', but someone doesn't want her to open. Her carpenter Zach Dillon is hot, and has been a distraction, but now that the gallery's almost done, she's ready to move to a new phase with him. But she's not sure she wants exactly what Zach wants. In 'Passion Play', Teal's writer brother Dominick meets his match in jewelry designer Mia Jones when this pair meets. 'Sexual Healing' puts Mia's friend Caitlyn Ellis in the path of emotionally damaged photographer Jack Lowell. I liked the first and last stories in this one best, because the second is told in first person, from both points of view. Distracting for me. Happily, this collection of erotic romances actually has some romance to go along with the sex, unlike many of its counterparts. I'm giving this one three and a half arrows.

Prince of Fire (Berkley) by Linda Winstead Jones is the second of the children of her Fyne witches. Keelia, Queen of the Anwyn, daughter of Juliet, has been kidnapped by a hated Caradon. Joryn has no intention of fulfilling the prophecy she tells him about, but he can't say he'd mind being her lover, despite the differences between them. Somehow, these two must find a way to work together to defeat the evil starting to overshadow their lands. Keelia is strong, Joryn is irresistible, and this is a heck of a ride. Fortunately, we don't have to wait much more for the third story in this trilogy. You'll get to keep up with the other major players in this over-arcing story along the way, but Keelia and Joryn are always front and center, which made me very happy. This one's earned three and a half arrows as well.

Until next time, happy reading!