“You seem nervous around me.”

      Even as Pete spoke those words, he advanced on her, his eyes never leaving hers.

      “I am,” Thomasina replied. “We don’t fit together, Pete. I’m a career woman. You’re an old-fashioned guy. It’d be a mistake for us to get too close.”

      Close was exactly what they were now. He stood mere inches from her as he said, “It felt pretty good the other day when I held you.”

      “Use your head, Pete. This’ll never work.”

      He took her by the shoulders, closing the tiny gap between them. “It’s not my head I want to use. It’s my lips.” A millisecond later his mouth claimed hers and his arms wrapped around her.

      Any protest she could muster disappeared like mist, and her heart raced. But how could that be? Pete Schofield was not The One.

      Or was he?

      Dear Reader,

      Working with talented writers is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job. And I’m especially pleased with this month’s lineup because these four authors capture the essence of Silhouette Romance. In their skillful hands, you’ll literally feel as if you’re riding a roller coaster as you experience all the trials and tribulations of true love.

      Start off your adventure with Judy Christenberry’s The Texan’s Reluctant Bride (#1778). Part of the author’s new LONE STAR BRIDES miniseries, a career woman discovers what she’s been missing when Mr. Wrong starts looking an awful lot like Mr. Right. Patricia Thayer continues her LOVE AT THE GOODTIME CAFÉ with Familiar Adversaries (#1779). In this reunion romance, the hero and heroine come from feuding families, but they’re about to find out there really is just a thin line separating hate from love! Stop by the BLOSSOM COUNTY FAIR this month for Teresa Carpenter’s Flirting with Fireworks (#1780). Just don’t get burned by the sparks that fly when a fortune-teller’s love transforms a single dad. Finally, Shirley Jump rounds out the month with The Marine’s Kiss (#1781). When a marine wounded in Afghanistan returns home, he winds up helping a schoolteacher restore order to her classroom…but finds her wreaking havoc to his heart!

      And be sure to watch for more great romances next month when Judy Christenberry and Susan Meier continue their miniseries.

      Happy reading,

      Ann Leslie Tuttle

      Associate Senior Editor

      The Texan’s Reluctant Bride

      Judy Christenberry

      Lone Star Brides