Hello, and welcome back. Hope you´re all squeezing in some reading time along with the spring chores. After a small accident with a butterfly bush, my eye has recovered enough for me to finish my reading for the week, so let´s get started.

First up this week is Irish Hope by Donna Fletcher (Jove´s Irish Eyes). Colin of Shanekill is off to search for Hope, missing member of the royal family. She´s disguised herself as a boy and gone off for an adventure, but crosses paths with Colin, who takes the boy, "Harold" under his wing. For half the book, Colin believes she is this boy while she is falling in love with Colin. Along the tortuous path this pair must follow through the course of the book, we meet their friends who are caught up in the events surrounding Hope and Colin. Not a keeper for me, but a pleasant enough way to spend a few hours. This one earns three of Cupid´s five arrows.

Next up is Very Truly Yours by Julie Beard (Jove Historical). Rake Jack Fairchild is off to the country to try to earn some money to pay back his father´s creditors. His plans don´t include any more women, but his first exchange with a villager is with the lovely Liza Cranshaw, who´s being blackmailed into marriage. Jack learns this accidentally, and rather than tell her, he decides to help in whatever way he can. Naturally, that means spending time with the lady in question, which leads to other things, like love. He must find the evidence the blackmailer has in order to stop his truelove from marrying another, but will he be in time? Interesting cast of secondary characters here, and a rather winding tale. It´s a bit difficult to keep track of everyone sometimes. I´m giving this one three arrows as well.

Finally, we have Paradise Island by Gena Hale (Onyx). Ms. Hale is a very well known writer in the sci-fi field under another name, and this is her first but not last foray into romance. I´m very glad about that, too, because I really liked this book. Luke Fleming is none too pleased when a woman washes up on his island home--where he hides from the world. Even worse, she says she doesn´t remember who she is, and she´s sexy as hell. From the condition she´s in on her arrival--badly sunburned and suffering from a gash on the head--he´s not sure what to believe, but he can´t refuse to help her. Their unrelenting attraction makes it difficult to survive the four weeks until his next supply drop, and in the outside world, there are people plotting against them both. Great sexual tension and suspense. I can´t wait for Ms. Hale´s next book. This one gets four of Cupid´s arrows.

Until next week, happy reading!