Hello, and welcome back! I hope you're all staying warm and cozy and finding some reading time. I'm trying to shorten my list for the bookstore visit I planned for later this week, and finding it difficult. There are so many good books coming out in the next few weeks, I'm afraid I'll need a cart in the bookstore.

And in the meantime, I've got the new Jayne Ann Krentz, Smoke in Mirrors(Jove). Leonora Hutton is not expecting to be accused of theft, but that's exactly what Thomas Walker does when they first meet. They'll have to work together, though, if they want to find out what happened to her half-sister and his brother's wife at Mirror House. As for Thomas, let me just say, whew! Have a cool drink or a fan ready when you sit down with this one. The mystery will keep you guessing, and the sexual tension between Leonora and Thomas will keep you warm. Of Cupid's five arrows, this one's earned four.

Next up is A Dash of Scandal from Amelia Grey (Jove). Millicent Blair's come to Regency London on a secret mission. Chandler Preswick is madly attracted to the fresh young thing, but he suspects she may be the Mad Ton Thief. I had a really hard time getting into this one, I think because of its setting. I admit I'm not a huge Regency fan, and there's so much detail here, a real Regency fan will be in heaven, I suppose. It's mostly a sweet tale--the love scene felt kind of like an after-thought to me--and chock-full of Regency pomp. As I said, not for me. I'm giving it only three arrows.

Finally, I have Maeve Binchy's Quentins (Dutton). Ella Brady has grown up considering Quentins restaurant in Dublin to be a spectacular place. She first went there as a child with her parents, and now, as an adult, she plans a documentary on the restaurant. This one definitely doesn't fall into the romance category, though there's a little of it in the story. A book like this is more women's fiction, with lots of secondary characters and subplots to keep the fan of complicated stories satisfied. And Ella just may learn a few things along the way by coming into closer contact with all of these folks, not only about Quentins but about herself. This one is a nice way to while away an afternoon on a chilly day, with descriptions to make you feel as if you're right there in Dublin eavesdropping on all the characters. I think you'll enjoy it, too.

Until next week, happy reading!