Hello, and welcome back! It's still hot and muggy here, though not nearly as hot as the past few weeks. Unfortunately, it's not cool enough yet to spend much time outside with my books, so it's more indoor reading, at least through the end of this month, it looks like. Maybe I'll get lucky and next month will be better. But I'm not holding my breath for that.

Give Me a Texas Ranger (Zebra, received from publisher) has stories from Jodi Thomas, Linda Broday, Phyliss Miranda and DeWanna Pace, who're getting to be a regular quartet, this time not just set in Texas, but all centered around Texas Rangers. Thomas leads things off with 'The Ranger's Angel', where Annalane Barkley meets up with Ranger Wynn McCord when a villain tries to stop a letter's delivery. Wynn's mission is to make sure the letter gets safely to its destination, but he's not willing to let Anna remain in danger along the way. Broday's 'Undertaking Texas' has Ranger Stoney Burke running into Texanna Wilder again. She's a dangerous woman, to his heart, but he can't let her late husband's brother rope her into a marriage unwillingly. Still, Texanna can't seem to stay out of trouble, and Stoney might be the only one who can keep her safe. 'One Woman Ranger' from Miranda has Ranger Hayden McGraw stepping in when Ella Stevenson finds herself in danger, but Ella knows the Ranger is only passing through and not planning to stick around. Pace's 'The Perfect Match' has Ranger Thomas Longbow working undercover when a fighter is in Laney O'Grady's dusty Texas town, and the sparks that flare between Thomas and Laney make it much easier for him to use her as his cover. And much harder to keep things from getting personal. Jodi Thomas is a master of Texas-set stories, whether with a Ranger or any other kind of character, and this story is terrific, a nice way to tide fans over until her next full-length release. I didn't love Broday's contribution, though, as it seemed Texanna kept walking right into trouble, even though she knew the dangers around her. Miranda's tale was okay. Her hero is great, but there's an awful lot of story to try to pack into such a small space. Pace's story is delightful, however, with a charming heroine and a Ranger just right to keep her and her young stepson safe from her villainous brother-in-law. For the Thomas and Pace stories, this one's earned four of Cupid's five arrows. I think you'll enjoy them as well.

Until next time, happy reading!