Hello, and welcome back! It appears summer has finally really arrived and dug in her heels. I'm wishing for a little break from the heat and humidity, but it doesn't look like that's coming any time soon, unfortunately. So instead, I'll stay inside the air-conditioned house and work my way through this stack of August romances here on my desk.

To kick off the August reviews, I have one of my favorite authors, Shannon McKenna, with her latest: Tasting Fear (Brava). This one is a trio of stories about the D'Onofrio sisters, Nancy, Nell, and Vivi. The death of their mother during a burglary is bad enough. Then, when Nancy is headed back to her house to meet builder Liam who's doing some work there, they discover the thief has come back and trashed the place. Liam isn't inclined to let Nancy wander off on her own, but she has a very busy life, no matter how attractive Liam is. Until someone is waiting for her at her apartment, and then staying with Liam suddenly seems like a terrific idea, even if resisting their fiery attraction will be impossible in such close quarters. Nancy and Liam discover part of a letter her mother had started to write to the sisters, intimating that there is something hidden, but no clues to what or where. Nell has been lusting for weeks after a customer in the restaurant where she waits tables. With a bit of goading, she finally gets his attention, but it turns out she can't do anything about it: he's going to be her new boss. Duncan likes his life orderly and neat, and Nell's life is anything but. Between her two jobs and working on her degree, she has no time for a relationship, and bosses are definitely off-limits, though neither of them can resist. Duncan is determined to keep her safe, but even he can't be with her 24/7, and Nell refuses to give up her life to hide from whatever whacko is after her and her sisters. Vivi winds up driving cross-country to Jack's place to lay low for a little while, as she and her sisters hope the would-be murderer and thief will give up on them. But Jack isn't exactly what she'd imagined. Nor is Vivi what he'd expected when Duncan asked him to let Nell's sister stay a while. Even though he knows she's not the staying kind, he can't help himself when she's close to him, and he'll do anything to keep her safe. I'm never dissatisfied when I pick up a book by Shannon McKenna. She is one of the best at combining taut suspense and steamy, erotic romances into one absolutely amazing package. Her heroes are always strong and imperfect, and her heroines are always their match, smart and flawed. It's the perfect combination, and I always love her books. This one is no exception. I'm borrowing all five of Cupid's five arrows for this one. It's a terrific addition to my keeper shelf, and to yours.

Until next time, happy reading!