Hello, and welcome back! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend with plenty of reading time along with the outdoor activities. I got quite a bit of work done on the gardens this weekend, but I'd already finished my reading for this week's reviews before I started on the outside work. I'm actually working my way through a September release right now, and I can't wait to share it with you. In the meantime, I hope you'll let me know what you think of this week's books, all available in June.

First up this week is Lynna Banning's The Courtship (Harlequin Historicals Series# 613) (Harlequin Historical). We had the pleasure of reading Ms. Banning's last book here, too, and this one is another pleasure to read. Rydell Wilder is a man who knows what he wants, and he's waited a long time to have it, and now it's within reach: Jane Davis. She's forced to ask him for a loan to open her dressmaking business in their small western town after her father's death, and his terms are that she repay the loan, and if she's unable, she must marry him. There is a very gentle, sweet tone to this story, one that will have you rooting for this couple. Though Jane is definitely a lady, there's something about Rydell that she can't resist, something her heart can't resist. I've borrowed four of Cupid's five arrows for this book. I think you'll enjoy this one, too.

Next up is Deb Stover's Mulligan Stew (Jove Irish Eyes), with Southerner Bridget Frye learning that her husband hadn't abandoned her, but that he'd died. Now she's also learned that he had a family, and his mother wants to meet her and her son, Jacob--in Ireland. But her brother-in-law, Riley is none too pleased about her arrival, because he's certain that she's a liar and Jacob couldn't possibly be his brother's child. Too bad Bridget and Riley are attracted to one another, awake and asleep, for they both start having erotic dreams after her arrival. Whew! Toss in a little curse and a haunted castle and few more wonderful characters, and you've got a great read. I sincerely hope Ms. Stover is planning a book for Riley's sister Maggie, too. Fall in love with Riley yourself. This one's earned four arrows, too. Enjoy!

Finally, we have Beyond Seduction from Emma Holly (Jove Historical). Merry Vance, daughter of the Duke of Monmouth, refuses to be controlled, by her mother or a husband. Instead of submitting to her mother's demand to marry Ernest Althorp, she lets her parents believe she's gone to visit her friend Isabel while she sets off to pose for Nicholas Craven, a notoriously rakish artist. And Nicholas devises his own plans--to seduce his model, "Mary Colfax." Neither of them plans on losing their heart, though, but you know what they say about the best-laid plans, right? Be sure you have a nice tall, cool drink at hand when you sit down with this one. A fan would also be a good idea, if you have one handy, because this is one hot read. Naturally, with the secrets these two are keeping, the road to true love is a tad bumpy, but you can count on your happy ending, steamy though it might be. This one's getting four and a half arrows.

Until next week, happy reading!