Hello, and welcome back! I've been busy reading October romances this week and have several ready to go for next week. Today, though, I have two new ones to share with you all.

Moon Fever (Pocket) has stories by Maggie Shayne, Susan Sizemore, Lori Handeland, and Caridad Pineiro. 'Tempting Fate' by Sizemore adds another chapter in her vampire series, with Prime Jon Coyote and Desiree Gill hooking up in New Orleans after one of his concerts. Except Desi thinks it was all just one hot dream. Until she gets a shock down the road, and Jon's reappearance in her life requires some explaining. Shayne's 'The Darkness Within' has Caroline dealing with quite a bit of unpleasantness already, and then she's got a ghost in her backyard and Johnny Lipton, who's quite a hunk, offering to investigate the ghost for her. But is Johnny's interest just in her, or does he have a connection to the ghost? 'Cobwebs Over the Moon' from Handeland continues her foray into werewolves, this time in Alaska, with Carla Kelly heads there to find the mother she thought dead and has werewolves pursuing her. And in Pineiro's 'Crazy for the Cat', Jessica Morales heads into the Amazon to find a medicinal plant her late colleague had discovered. Her guide Javier da Costa is sexy but annoying, though when he saves her life, her opinion of him climbs. I'm not a fan of Sizemore or Handeland, and these stories didn't convert me. Ms. Shayne's work is always intriguing, and her ghost story is no exception. It's got a little bit of a gothic element to it, a little darkness, and it's excellent. For me, the pleasant surprise here was Ms. Pineiro's story. I liked Jessica and Javier very much, and the jungle heat has nothing on their chemistry. For these two stories alone, I'm borrowing four of Cupid's five arrows.

Her Pregnancy Surprise (Harlequin Romance) by Susan Meier is next. Grace McCartney knows getting involved with her gorgeous boss Danny Carson is a bad idea, but on a weekend work trip away from home, sometimes things happen that wouldn't ordinarily, and Grace winds up pregnant. But Danny's past has left him wary and disbelieving, so she's on her own. When her beautiful baby is six months old, Grace knows she has to share her with Danny, whether he broke her heart or not. Danny's emotions are complicated, but his mind has overruled his heart for a long time now, so he continues on in business-mode, concentrating only on his daughter's future rather than any potential future he could have with Grace. But just having Grace around again makes him open up more than he could have expected. More than he could have hoped for. Grace is a very strong woman, strong enough to take anything Danny dishes out in his fear of repeating history. This one is sweet, with a very complex hero. And I have to say, I never shop for books by their covers, but this one would grab me if I were browsing bookshelves: the baby on the cover is absolutely gorgeous. I'm giving this one three and a half arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!