Hello, and welcome back. A real Nor'easter blew up the east coast this weekend. All we got here was a lot of rain and now wind, but I saw some film this morning of serious ice in New England. If a storm like this isn't a good reason to curl up with some good romance novels, I don't know what is. I found some interesting teas at the herb shop this weekend, and, along with my stack of TBR books, I'm all set for the next rainy day--or days, as the case may be.

By now you all know I can hardly contain myself when I get my hands on a new Nora Roberts book. This one was no exception. The hardest part was waiting all this time to share it with you, because this was one of the books I got months ago and the release date wasn't until this month. But now, Chesapeake Blue (Putnam) is here. At last! At a conference I attended last month, Ms. Roberts talked about how many readers had written to her after the original trilogy, begging for Seth's story and how she'd never planned to write it. Then she reached a point where she couldn't help consider it when readers began to write to her publisher as well. (I should probably mention that she also said she'll never write another book because of reader demand because this one wasn't at all fun for her.) In any case, she did, and I have it.

Seth Quinn has been away from St. Christopher, becoming a success in Europe and keeping a blackmailer away from his family. But now he's come home and finds some changes in the little town, including Dru Whitcomb Banks, who's come to St. Christopher to try to do something without her family's connections or interference, depending on the point of view. Seth's artist's eye lands on Dru, along with a good dose of pure male interest. Dru's intrigued, but cautious. Could there be a more perfect match? Nah. There's just one little problem--the blackmailer has followed Seth home, and has big plans to cash in this time. Seth has had enough--but will he give in to keep his new love and his family safe? Of course, as with any continuing series, you get to revisit favorite characters from stories past. Not to mention the steamy attraction between Seth and Dru. Nora Roberts just plain knows how to tell a story that people want to read. Period. Of Cupid's five arrows, this one's earned four and a half. I'm waiting impatiently for her next book.

If you're a newsletter subscriber, you already heard about my updating of the art shop. I'm also working on adding a couple new categories to the links section on the main page. I've changed a few things in the Romantic Notions Shop as well, so I hope you'll stop in and check them out. After all, holiday season is upon us, and if you know a romance lover, you may find just the right gift for them here. Heck, you might even find something you absolutely have to have.