“Her Sky Cowboy” by Beth Ciotta (paranormal, fantasy, Signet, November 2012, $7.99, 352pp)

Series: Glorious Victorious Darcys, book 1

Summary:
Amelia Darcy has no interest in marrying well. Her heart belongs to the sky and the dirigibles of brass and steel that swoop over Victorian England. But when her father, an eccentric inventor, dies, the Darcy siblings are left with scrap metal—and not a penny to their names. Their only hope to save the family name and fortune is to embark on a contest to discover an invention of historical importance in honor of Queen Victoria.

“Pitch Perfect” by LuAnn McLane (contemporary, Signet, September 2012, $7.99, 304pp)

Summary:
Cricket Creek, Kentucky, is a sweet river town known for its theater, shopping, and cuisine. But tough times are crushing tourism—until a hard-swinging baseball team and three hometown heroes begins revitalize the community one inning at a time….

Determined to prove her independence, Mia Monroe is no longer Daddy’s little rich girl. Buying an old car with the last of her money, she sets out for who knows where… until her clunker clunks out in Cricket Creek. With no plan and no credit cards, Mia has to find more resilience than she’s ever never needed before. And a little help from an attractive new acquaintance wouldn’t hurt… As first baseman for the Cricket Creek Cougars, Cameron Patrick has two jobs: win games and stay out of trouble. If he can do both, he might just make it back to the minor leagues. He knows Mia is trouble from the moment she catches his eye—but he can’t stop looking. And maybe her kind of trouble is exactly what he needs.   

“Coming Up Roses” by Catherine Anderson (historical, Signet, May 2012, $7.99, 432pp - reprint)

Summary: 
Widow Kate Blakely survived a cruel husband and now struggles to raise her daughter and keep her small farm afloat in 1890, Oregon.  Harboring a deep secret, she keeps new neighbor Zachariah McGovern at length until she must turn to him to help save her daughter.  When he nearly dies as a result, Kate nurses him back to health.  As Zach heals, Kate slowly learns to trust, but she isn’t sure she can trust him with her deepest secret.

“A Scandalous Countess” by Jo Beverley (historical, Signet, February 2012, $7.99, 432pp)

Summary:
Lady May is back. And so is the scandal that sent her tumbling from her position as the toast of London, when her husband, the Earl of Maybury, was killed in a duel. Even a year of mourning hasn't quieted the rumors of her infidelity.

Georgia Maybury is determined to regain her position in the beau monde, but a scarred ex-naval officer threatens her plans...

“Lucky Penny” by Catherine Anderson (historical, Signet, January 2012, $7.99, 432pp): “Lucky Penny” is another Coulter family historical novel by Catherine Anderson. This book shows exactly how far a woman will go for her child. Brianna and David, the two main characters, are brought together by a fictitious story that Brianna tells to protect her daughter. Over time, she finds out how hard it is to keep the truth hidden.

In 1891, there were very few jobs available for a young mother. Brianna found one taking care of a widow’s son. When this man made advances, she kindly informed him that she was married. A bit later, he wants Brianna to write her husband and ask him to come get her and their child. He is about to remarry and has no use for Brianna’s services anymore. With her back against the wall, Brianna starts sending letters to David Paxton; a man she doesn’t think exists. For six years, Brianna and her daughter, Daphne, continue writing letters to the fictitious David. Over time, Daphne takes the story to heart and wishes that her papa would come to their rescue.

“Love, Come to Me” by Lisa Kleypas (historical, Signet, September 2011, $7.99, 400pp): Reading early books by established authors can be a fascinating experience. As such, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read one of Lisa Kleypas’ early books, “Love, Come to Me.” I did have some reservations, most notably, that the book is set in the post-Civil War/Reconstruction era. This time period is definitely not one of my favorites for romance novels. But, I was curious, and I love so many of Lisa Kleypas’ historical romances.

Lucinda Caldwell is a well-to-do and beautiful young woman living in Concord, Massachusetts. She is engaged to a local war hero who keeps putting off their wedding. Newcomer Heath Rayne, a southerner looking to make a fresh start, sees Lucinda and decides that he has met the woman of his dreams. Heath engineers a compromising encounter with Lucinda, and the two end up married. Shortly thereafter, Heath invests in a newspaper forcing the couple to move to Boston starting a whole new life.

“Romancing Lady Cecily” by Ashley March (historical, Signet eSpecial, August 2011, $2.99, 15,000 words): Lady Cecily Bishop is just your average London debutante, enjoying her season until her arranged marriage takes place - to a man whose identity is kept secret from her. Her betrothed invested in her father’s business venture in order to gain Cecily as his wife, but demanded she not be told his name. While the unknown man has been pushing back the wedding for the past two years, another man, Baron Sedgwick used that time to seduce our heroine. Ok, so maybe Cecily isn’t really a typical debutante.

“Red Mortal” by Deidre Knight (paranormal, Signet, April 2011, $7.99, 384 pp): If a book features immortal Greek heroes, I simply can’t resist it. Seriously! I have a thing for “to-die-for-tortured-by-the-gods” heroes. Watching them fall in love and find peace after thousands of years of life warms my heart in a fantastic manner. So when a copy of Deidre Knight’s “Red Mortal” came in the mail, I clutched it tight and immediately found myself a quiet corner. After all, Knight’s “Gods of Midnight” series revolves around some awesome Greek warriors, and she has been teasing us with Leonidas and Daphne’s story for a couple of books now.

In “Red Mortal,” Leonidas, the king of the warriors, and Daphne have finally pledged their love to each other. But Daphne, an Oracle of Delphi, has a very jealous half-brother who just happens to be the God of War, Ares. Ares is also the god who granted Leonidas and his warriors immortality as a reward for their faithful service to the Spartan people at Thermopylae. But recently, the warriors have been at odds with their patron. This, combined with Ares’ fury over Daphne’s love for Leonidas, causes Ares to revoke Leonidas’ immortality. Leonidas begins to age immediately at a rapid rate.

“An Unlikely Countess” (Historical, Signet, $7.99) by Jo Beverley: Catesby Burgoyne has cultivated a reputation as the scandalous second son of the Earl of Malzard. After being kicked out of the service, (he was forced to sell his commission) he returns home to an icy welcome. He is cut out of the family after a nasty fight with his older brother, who is now earl.

 
Living her life on progressively little, Prudence is now looking forward to a genteel lifestyle.  Pru and her mother have sacrificed so that her brother, Aaron, could have the funds to set himself up as a solicitor. With their mother dead, Aaron dismisses his sister, ignoring her repeated pleas for assistance now that he has obtained a new wife with a tidy dowry.