Maggie Robinson (release date June 1) is darker and more erotic than my usual fare, but I have been fascinated by Eden and Hart’s story since I read the first snippet. Tempting Eden, the sizzling debut novel of Margaret Rowe, a. How can anyone who loves romance fiction resist such a combination? Tempting the Marquess, the second of Sara Lindsey’s delightful Weston family series (release date June 1) boasts a Welsh setting, a brooding hero, a romance-reading heroine, secrets, laughter, and wonderful secondary characters. I’m particularly thrilled about a tantalizing trio of tempting titles by three remarkable writers whose books I’d rave about even if they were not good friends. I have more than fifty books on my must-read list of summer releases (May 25-August 31). Summer 2010 promises a gracious plenty for romance readers.

And reading-summer means more time to read, more time curled in a chair with a book and a glass of iced tea within easy reach or stretched out in bed, oblivious to the numbers on the clock face. But I do like the lazy pace of summer-late breakfasts and lingering at the table to engage in meandering conversations, slow drives along back roads to vacation sites, porch talk after sunset with honeysuckle perfuming the air and fireflies dancing in the trees. I hate days when the temperature hits 90 and then goes up and up, when the heat is a muggy blanket enveloping everyone who steps outside to challenge the sun. Since the last day of school for the grands is Friday, May 21, my summer begins Saturday, May 22.

My summer has always been tied to the school calendar. Traditionally, the summer season runs from Memorial Day (May 31 this year) through Labor Day (September 6). Officially the first day of summer is June 21.

The Duke's Captive by Adele Ashworth