"UNBUTTONING EMMALINA" by Suzanne Forster: Ms. Forster delivers us two interesting people in the form of Jeff and Emmalina, but then fails to really deal with the realities of their personalities. Em is touted as a "Victorian lady," but we see little of it in her reactions to Jeff and life around Jeff, and the fears resulting from her long-ago problems with her mother aren't resolved at all.

"TANGLED IMAGES" by Lori Foster: I've enjoyed the saga of the Winston brothers and I really enjoyed reading Mack's story. Foster manages to deliver well-developed characters and a decently-resolved plot in a short amount of time. This installment isn't as funny as previous installments, but it's still very well-done.

"SINDERELLA," by Kimberly Randell: I always like stories where good friends become lovers, and this story was a well-written example of that. The characters were appealing, and their relationship well-developed. I understood and appreciated Frankie's reasons for approaching Connor "in costume," and found her predicament with the mask very amusing.

"LEATHER and LACE" by Maggie Shayne: I liked Martha Jane, and found her introduction to Richard as "Valentine" to be amusing. I liked Richard too and found his pursuit of Martha Jane to be touching. It's a cute story that proves an efficient secretary can also be sexy.

EXCELLENT

Jo Anderson

A.L.R. Reviews