Hello, and welcome back! I hope you all had a good holiday weekend. My book room project is nearly done; all I´m waiting for now is the addition of a new bookcase so I can finish loading up the rest of my books. At last! Except for the cats, no one ventures in but me, and I can hardly wait to put a chair or a couple of big, fluffy floor pillows in there so I can lock the door and enjoy my reading in peace.

I´ve just finished reading the third of the books I want to share with you this week, and wow! They´re all great stories, each with a different level of mysteriousness essential to the plot. So, what are we waiting for? Let´s get started.

First up is the debut of Silhouette Romances Soulmates line with Karen Rose Smith´s "A Husband in Her Eyes." Melanie Carlotti has been having the strangest dreams since her corneal transplants, and she´s determined to track down the man in them. Zack Morgan´s focus is solely on his daughter and his business; the circumstances of his wife´s death have left him feeling guilty and angry. Melanie´s best intentions of telling Zack her real reason for seeking him out go by the wayside as she falls into working for him and as his daughter finds a place in Melanie´s heart. Zack still has doubts about himself and his past, but can he trust his heart? I mentioned this new line last summer when it was announced at the national RWA convention in July, and for those of you who missed that, this is their foray into light paranormal elements in their Romance line. Ms. Smith balances these elements very nicely with the rest of the plot, something paranormal romance lovers will be thrilled with. Melanie is a strong woman who´s gone through a lot, and Zack has a lot to overcome before they can reach their happy ending. Of Cupid´s five arrows, I´m giving this one four. Enjoy!

Next up is Susan Meier´s latest, Married Right Away (Silhouette Romance). Savannah Grogin is quite satisfied with her life--she´s pregnant via artificial insemination and settled in the B&B her parents used to run--until she finds out who the owner of the sperm was: her former boss Ethan McKenzie, whose family has a lot at stake if word gets out about the goings-on at the sperm bank. His solution: get married until after the baby´s born and then get a divorce. The trouble is, being married makes them both wish for more than just a few months together. But what if there was a mix-up in the donors at the sperm bank and the baby´s not his? Great characters as usual, very believable conflicts, and a smooth read. I´m giving this one four arrows as well.

Finally, we have the paperback release of Nora Roberts´s The Villa (Jove). This is one of those stories that involves lots of people, in this case, the Giambelli family, with Tereza the matriarch, Pilar, her daughter, and Sophia, her granddaughter. Someone wants to topple their little wine empire, and there are plenty of suspects. Not to mention soul-searing romance for a couple characters. I´ll try not to gush here, but if you´re a fan of Ms. Roberts and didn´t spring for this one in hardcover last year, run, don´t walk, to the bookstore and get it now! This is one of those books you´ll hate to have to put down to do things like cook dinner or do laundry and other necessary chores. The reveal is a shocker, even if you think you know whodunit. It´s earned four arrows, too.

Until next week, happy reading!