Hello, and welcome back! I hope you're all safe and warm after the widespread winter storm that hit the U.S. earlier this week. We got a bit soggy here, but the basement has mostly dried out now. I've got just a few December romances left to read, and several more ready to share with you, before I get to dive into the growing stack of January romances.

This time out, I have Crystal Jordan's Carnal Desires (Aphrodisia), with three tales related to the story she had in the Sexy Beast V anthology. 'In Heat' features the tigress Mahlia and her husband the king, Varad, reunited after his long trip, a required bit of travel that occurred too soon after they lost their baby. Now, Mahlia can't resist her husband's amorous advances, but her emotions are too bruised to allow him back into her heart. And Varad is equally determined to keep his wife. 'In Smoke' has Mahlia's friend Katryn returning to the home planet she never knew for her mating ceremony. Little does she know that she's not about to get just one weredragon mate but two, in the already mated pair of Nadir and Tarkesh. But can she ever adjust to such a different world than she's used to? Or will her mates be able to make such a relationship work? 'In Mist' has Sera Gibbons madly in lust and love with the merman Bretton, but Bretton's kind seek perfection in their lives, and that means he can't possibly mate permanently with a mere human, no matter how appealing he finds her. So how can Sera possibly stay to watch him settle down with someone more suitable? None of these is more than a light read filled with sex. Mahlia and Varad could have fixed their marital difficulties with a conversation before his trip. Katryn's mates are intense, but Nadir is too used to being in charge. And Bretton should think for himself, rather than let his father dictate to him. On the other hand, if you just want to read some short, sexy tales, this might be just what you want. For me, however, not so much. It's only earned two of Cupid's five arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!