Hello, and welcome back! I hope you’re all staying cooler than we’ve been here. Mother Nature is apparently making up this year for the relatively cooler summer we had last year with already more 90+ degree days than in an average summer, and it’s only mid-July. I’m not looking forward much to the rest of the summer. I hope we have a lovely, cool fall to make up for it. The extreme heat is making it easier for me to keep up with my reading this year, anyway. Hopefully you’re all finding plenty of reading time as well this summer.

This time, I have Hope Tarr’s latest, The Tutor (Harlequin Blaze, bought). This one has Lady Bea Lindsey about to marry Hamilton Billingsby, much to the shock and dismay of Ralph Sylvester. Ralph met Bea some months ago via her sister and his friend-slash-employer, and, while he knows he’s not worthy of a woman like her, he still finds himself caring for her. When she proposes that he teach her about lovemaking so she’s prepared when she enters her boring, nice fiance’s bed as his wife, one of them will know what to do–her brief experience with her husband-to-be has not left her filled with confidence about the man’s lovemaking abilities. Ralph is not thrilled by that proposition, not because he doesn’t want Bea, but because he doesn’t want to teach her things to use in another man’s bed. Still, he can’t say no to her, and they agree to seven nights of tutoring, seven nights that will push both of them into places they never dreamed possible. Emotional places, as well as sensual places. Bea had hoped to startle Ralph into admitting to some sort of feelings for her, but she understands that she isn’t the sort of young lady rogues fall in love with. And when the seven nights are up, Ralph will have to make up his mind about whether to declare himself or let her go for good. Ms. Tarr has been writing fantastic historical romances for years, and I’ve enjoyed them for a long time and hope she gets picked up by another publisher who’ll let her keep creating terrific, believable characters in historical settings for all of us to enjoy, as I hear Harlequin is dropping the historicals from their Blaze line. Ralph is a seriously sexy bad boy, but with a soft heart underneath that belongs to Bea, even if he feels like she’s much too good for the likes of him, especially with his past. Bea is impulsive, though doing what she believes she ought to do by marrying Mr. Billingsby despite the feelings she harbors for Ralph. This story is as delightful as it is hot, and I hope all of you who love historical romances rush out to grab a copy. I’m giving this one four of Cupid’s five arrows.

Until next time, happy reading!