Hello, and welcome back! I hope those of you here in the U.S. are enjoying your long holiday weekend. Unless, that is, you work in retail as I do, and then you have my very deep sympathy.

As we reach the end of this month, I've already dug into the December releases and am digging deeper in my spare moments. Even as the turkey was baking and potatoes cooking for our Thanksgiving dinner this week, I was reading while waiting for the baking and cooking to finish. I suspect there'll be a few less of those moments for the next month, with work and family things. But I'm going to try to keep up.

This time out, I have the last of the November releases, this time Elizabeth Hoyt's To Seduce a Sinner (Grand Central). Melisande Fleming has loved Lord Vale for years, and now that his intended bride has left him standing at the altar, it's time for her to make a bold move and propose marriage to Jasper. Shockingly, he agrees, though he barely recalls their previous meetings. Jasper spent time in the Colonies, and still bears the emotional scars from his time as a prisoner. He's also still obsessed with finding out who betrayed their group and caused all that death and suffering. That doesn't mean, however, that he can't enjoy having a quiet wife waiting at home for him. But Melisande isn't exactly what he expected, and what should have been a marriage of convenience is turning into something far more interesting. I liked Jasper far better than Melisande, I'm afraid. I can understand infatuation, but I don't know that I can buy into a properly raised young woman proposing marriage to a man who doesn't even know her name, no matter how long she's believed herself in love with him. This one just wasn't my cup of tea, I'm afraid. It's earned only two and a half of Cupid's five arrows. But fans of this series will be looking forward to the next installment, I'm sure.

Until next time, happy reading!