Ashley Bennett never thought returning to her hometown would put her in contact with her old friend and teenage crush or that being so close to him would re-ignite old flames. Christopher Morgan knows that what has happened to him isn’t anyone’s fault but he finds himself depressed about his situation until he discovers who his physiotherapist is, Ashley, the one girl he has never forgotten, the one that got away. And maybe this time he can take the chance that fate has given him and make a future that has her in it, a future that looks brighter every second Ashley is in it.

Cutting To The Chase by Stephanie Morris is the tale of two old school friends who discover that attraction can change a friendship into something more. I loved the whole story and the characters for their charm and personality but found myself unable to lose myself in the fantasy world of this contemporary romance because I found myself being drawn out of this story again and again by the conversations between the characters. At times it felt like a stilted conversation between the hero and heroine while at other times I was able to lose myself in their complex relationship.

Keirra Smith is a woman who knows what she wants but that doesn’t mean that falling for the handsome determined male chasing her is in the cards for her future or being able to forget what he does for employment. Keirra has always told herself she wouldn’t get involved with a police officer but it seems that neither her heart nor her body are listening to her, especially when it comes to Deputy Eric Brooks. Will Eric be able to help Keirra overcome her fears? Or will the fear and Keirra’s own apprehension destroy their one chance at happiness?

Playing For Keeps by Stephanie Morris is the tale of a woman who is afraid to love, especially a man who works a dangerous job every day. I enjoyed parts of this book but there were also parts that drew me away from the story time and again making it hard for me to enjoy it fully. The characters were well portrayed and the story was interestingly enticing but I found that the conversations between characters just didn’t give the flow that I was looking for. Don’t get me wrong overall I loved the story and its characters, but I was disappointed by a few of the sentence compositions, otherwise I would have loved this book even more.

The people of the Mystic Isle of Aelynn have been experiencing strange weather phenomena ever since they lost the Chalice of Plenty.  Now that their oracle has died, the spirits seem to have abandoned Aelynn.  Lessandra Olympus and her brother,  children of the former oracle, were passed over by the spirits seeking a new spiritual leader.  Lessandra believes Murdoch Le Droit, a rebel exile who can not control his psychic powers, is that future leader.  Murdoch and Lessandra have a stormy past which ignites into passion as they unite to find the Chalice of Plenty and bring order back to Aelynn.

MYSTIC WARRIOR is a tale told across two worlds during the time of the French Revolution  and the struggles of the mystical island of Aelynn.  Bestselling author Patricia Rice creatively weaves the story of these two worlds with dynamic characters and magical events.  A thoroughly absorbing read, MYSTIC WARRIOR enchants as it continues Ms. Rice’s Mystic Isle series.

Philomena Desdemona Brown – or Fil as she likes to be called – loves her life. She’s got the job of her dreams as a comich book artist for Girl from Mars, she loves her house and she loves nothing more than spending her free time hanging out with her best friends Stevo, Digger and Jim watching sci-fi DVDS and winning the weekly pub quiz down their local pub. Life couldn’t possible get any better for Fil – until Stevo announces that he’s fallen in love and starts spending less and less time with Fil and the gang.

Fil has never had much time for romance. At college, she had thought herself wildly in love with a charming Frenchman, but her hopes for happy ever after were scuppered when she found out that her Prince charming was a toad of the highest order. Fil might have sworn off men, but Stevo’s announcement – and the thought of spending the rest of her life watching sci-fi movies with her misanthropic friends – makes her wonder whether she has been too hasty in writing off the opposite sex.

But Fil has got plenty of things to worry about other than her single status. Circulation figures for Girl from Mars have dramatically shrinked and her boss decides that the only way they can save the comic and get some more subscribers is by bringing in a new writer on the team, Dan McKay, an Oscar-winning writer and director of romantic comedies, who plans to give the feisty and independent Girl from Mars a love interest.

Fil is positively aghast when she hears of Dan’s proposed plans to introduce a romantic sub-plot into the comic! But Dan is determined that the romantic element is what’s needed to breathe new life into what their harshest critics are deeming an old-fashioned and outdated publication. Not wanting to lose her job, Fil decides to grit her teeth and do what’s best for the comic. Pretty soon, Fil realizes that Dan might be just what Girl from Mars needed. But will Dan be able to convince Fil that she needs him just as much as the fictional superheroine which brought them together in the first place?

Fil cannot help but fall in love with her gorgeous work colleague. But she’s just made a pact with her two friends to forsake all relationships with the opposite sex! Is Fil going to be forced to choose between her dearest friends and the man she just cannot bear to live without?

In Girl from Mars, talented storyteller Julie Cohen has truly outdone herself. This romantic comedy supremo has penned a fresh, funny, intelligent and moving tale of romance and friendship that I just couldn’t put down. Julie Cohen’s characters are believable, real and so richly drawn that you’d love to have them as friends, her humour crisp, sharp and credible and her ability to make you laugh and cry on the same page simply extraordinary!

Girl from Mars is a fabulous story about falling in love, making choices and growing up that should be on every romance reader’s bookshelf. Smart, engrossing and believable, feel-good reading does not get any better than this!

Tom O’Brien is in a position to be made partner if he can keep his client alive and happy for 21 days. On the surface that seems easy but his client, Brutus, is a dog. His guardian is a tempting, beautiful woman who seems to think Brutus needs Tom for more than just his attorney. Maddy is not at all like the gold digger he envisioned and he can’t help but be attracted to her but Tom is in the middle of his five year plan and has no room for a dog nor for a woman.

Madeleine Cartwright had no clue that Walter Stoddard had money. She had agreed to take in Brutus if Walter should die but she figured it would be at her own expense. Now, she has a sexy lawyer on her door step as well as lots of reporters. There have been attempts on the life of Brutus and her livelihood is being threatened by all the press. She can’t help but be attracted to Tom but, after a past break up, she initiated a two date rule.

Kandy Shepherd will make us laugh and make us sigh as we engage our senses in the reading of Love is a Four-Legged Word. Tom and Maddy were so good for each other but both were caught up in other things – Tom, with his plan and Maddy with her two date rule. Love interferes with these ideas. Brutus is fantastic and is even  heading towards his own happily ever after. Clever, witty and fun to read, Love is a Four-Legged Word is perfect to take anywhere with you this summer (and fall, and winter, and spring.)