Hello, and welcome back! Our house is still a wreck after last week, but I suspect that by the time the boys are heading back to school, the house will be presentable again. Just in time for me to dive back into my normal reading and writing schedule.

To get you all started on your January reading--once you've also finished cleaning up your homes and reading the books Santa might have brought for you, that is--I have four new books this week. Marcus Major has a new release,
A Man Most Worthy (NAL), with John Sebastian hoping to hook up with his long-lost love Josephine Flowers, who happens to be married. Of course, her husband is a stereotypically slimy, cheating man, which ought to make things simpler. Not my cup of tea, at all.

I also have a copy of the trade paperback size re-release of Bertrice Small's
Enchantress Mine (NAL), which I'll be giving away over in the forum this week. For anyone who hasn't discovered Ms. Small's older, steamier stories, here's your chance to explore one of her sexier tales. Mairin of Aelfleah is sold into slavery by the scheming mother of a half-sibling, only to find herself wed to a prince. Her trip to Byzantium isn't the end of her adventures, either, and all along the way, she has the attention of at least one man interested in her sexually. Of Cupid's five arrows, this one earns four. It was a real pleasure to dig out my old copy of this book again for another read.

I also have a debut historical from Joanna Novins,
The Souvenir Countess (Berkley). Alix de la Brou is on the run from the revolutionaries who murdered her father, and unfortunately, she requires the assistance of Rafe Harcrest to make her escape. I'm not a fan of French-set historicals, and, though this one moves quickly to England, it doesn't help me like the story any better. There's nothing wrong with the writing, just that the background automatically turns me off. I'm borrowing only three arrows for this one.

Finally, Nora Roberts's
Key of Valor (Jove) is here! I actually read this one as soon as I got it. I simply couldn't wait until closer to the release date to find out if Zoe would meet her challenge--as if there was really any doubt--and how she would come around to loving Brad, despite the horrid fault he has of being rich. I wasn't disappointed. Zoe is still as wonderfully self-sufficient as in the first two books, and we find out more about her past here. Brad is even more determined to win not only their quest but Zoe's heart, and he knows just how to go about it--aren't power tools the way to every woman's heart? Well, perhaps not, but they work here. I'm borrowing four and a half arrows for this book. I loved it, though I'm sorry to see the end of the quest and these characters. (Go here to find reviews of the first and second books.) Good thing Ms. Roberts is prolific!

Until next time, happy reading!