Hello, and welcome back! Spring is here, at last, and we're having an absolutely gorgeous week. It makes for a much nicer time at baseball games, and it means we'll have a pleasant drive to Pittsburgh this week for the Romantic Times convention and booksigning.

This time out, I have the latest Renee Bernard, A Rogue's Game (Pocket). Julian Clay, Earl of Westleigh is living on the largesse of friends as he's lost his fortune. He hopes, however, to earn it back, playing cards. He meets a most interesting young woman, Eve Reynolds, who appears to be doing just the same thing. Eve plays at her uncle's behest, though she has her own motives as well. Julian sets about finding out how she's so successful, believing she's a cheat. And if he can seduce the very attractive miss as well, even better. Julian isn't the most virtuous of heroes: he's currently sleeping with his married hostess, though not enjoying it particularly well. Eve is a little too perfect for me: dutifully playing cards with wealthy women while feeling bad for taking their money and jewels, and at the same time trying to escape her uncle's clutches. There's certainly plenty of steam between this pair, and, for a young, unmarried lady in that time, a lot of opportunity for them to be alone and indulge in that attraction. And, conveniently, it turns out that her plotting will coincide very nicely with his own hopes for the future, at a most opportune moment for them both. If you're looking for a very light read with a charismatic hero, you may enjoy this one quite well. If you're looking for something a little deeper, a little more believable, you might want to skip it. I didn't find it a keeper, I'm afraid, though it was decent reading before the last baseball game we shivered through. It's earned only two and a half of Cupid's five arrows. Perhaps next time....

Until next time, happy reading!