Happy Valentine's! Well, almost. I hope tomorrow's a lovely day for all of you. No romantic dates here. Our youngest has a basketball game. But, to be honest, I just enjoy hanging with my dh, so a bball game is as good a place as any.

For this week's blog, I thought what better time to discuss what I've been reading than Valentine's, especially when I've been reading so many of my friends' books lately!

Cheryl has been a great friend and mentor since I first started writing. I've always so loved her stories. The Lawman's Bride (Harlequin Historical Series) by Cheryl St.John was no exception.

Sophie is running from her past...straight into Clay's arm. Problem is, she's a criminal, he's the law. But maybe there's more to the story...and maybe all it will take is love to figure it out.
Cheryl St. John always tells gripping stories of the heart...and The Lawman's Bride is no exception. As a matter of fact, it's exceptional!
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Okay, here's something you might not have known about Cathy...her husband is my cosmic twin. Well, at least that's what she claims. It seems whenever the two of us are together, trouble ensues and she seems to feel we're both to blame, but truly, it's all his fault! LOL

Fully Engaged (Silhouette Intimate Moments) by Catherine Mann
Rick and Nola had a magic weekend together...then she left. Now she's back, and Rick's playing bodyguard. Protecting Nola makes him realize he can't let her go again.
Mann is an author who knows how to blend a fast-paced intrigue with true and heart-racing passion. A must read!

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There's a minature castle on my office shelf, and every time I look at it, I think of a good friend, Kate. I met her for the first time at a conference, but had been lucky to have known her for a long while before then online. At our lunch, her husband and I both used the word Lovely more than once, and since then, they've been my "lovely" friends. If you go back a few weeks on the blog, you can read about her cat, the world famous Sid!

The Italian's Forced Bride (Harlequin Presents) by Kate Walker
Alice has fallen in love, but realizes that Dom will never return her feelings, so she returns home to England...and discovers she's pregnant. Alice knows that he has to know the truth, but she's not really prepared for Dom's reation. A truly, "lovely" story of a love that was meant to be!

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Okay, here's a confession, she might be one of the biggest names in romance, but she's still a very sweet, down-to-earth lady. I was in a conference at Atlanta, on an escalator with a huge suitcase. Now, I don't think I've ever mentioned my bad leg here, but I have one, and it had been giving me grief. So, I did this hugely graceful stumble on that escalator. There at the bottom, was Nora Roberts, looking horrified, and ready to spring into action and catch me if I fell. Now, my suitcase in and of itself was a deadly weapon, so she was extremely brave because between the suitcase and me, we could have smooshed her! (And that is how the rumor that I almost killed Nora Roberts started...thanks Susan! LOL) You've got to love when someone you admire is as nice in person as you imagined!

Remember When by Nora Roberts
I 'm pretty sure everyone knows that Nora Roberts and JD Robb are one in the same woman...one of the best writers in modern times! Well, teaming these two sides together in one volume was brilliant! In the first story, Laine Tavish is trying to live down a less than reputable past, when trouble comes and finds her in small town Angel's Gap. It's up to Max Gannon to find out if she has anything to do with the missing jewels. What they find together is something worth more than the jewels. In the second part of the story, Max and Laine's granddaughter has written a book and told the story of the missing jewels, of Max and Laine. Now, death seems to be dogging her heels, and it's up to Eve Dallas to finally put things to right.
A brilliant, engrossing story!

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Cathie and I both write for Silhouette Romance and over the years have become friends. Not only is she a gifted writer, she's a heck of a lovely person!

Bad Girls Don't (Berkley Sensation) by Cathie Linz
Opposites may attract, but when Nathan and Skye come together it's more than attraction, and they're more than opposites. A belly dancer and a cop? Linz pulls of another magical story with a great central couple, quirky and inviting secondary characters and lots of laughter! A don't miss read!

Good Girls Do (Berkley Sensation) by Cathie Linz
Julia wants nothing more than a quiet, ordinary life, but when Luke comes back to town, it doesn't look as if Julia's going to achieve that particular goal. But maybe, getting a little shook up isn't all that bad??!!
Linz sparkles in this story that complete with a whacky small town, tons of laughs...and a great love story!

I hope you all have a lovely Valentine's filled with love, friends...and good books!!

Holly