In My Mailbox & It's Monday, What are you Reading

In My Mailbox and It's Monday, What are you Reading are weekly memes hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and Sheila at Book Journey. Both are great ways to share the books you're either reading, or shifting to the top of your TBR pile (because, let's face it, sometimes a little shifting is the best we can manage!).

  

The Mailbox has been pretty empty lately (by design - I've simply been too busy), but I'm delighted to have an early copy of Darcy Abriel's Haevyn (Humanotica, Book 2) and I jumped at the chance to give J.M. Snyder's A Cowboy's Heart a review:

Ranch hand Tommy Prout thinks he's in love ... with his boss, Hal Bolstrum. Problem is, Hal's engaged to be married to the ranch owner's daughter and, though he knows of Tommy's crush, he sees it as nothing more than harmless affection. When payday rolls around and the other cowboys want to ride into town to check out the girls at the Wildhorse saloon, Tommy tags along to throw off any suspicion anyone might have about his feelings for his boss. He sure as hell doesn't want to spend his money on any of the soiled doves the town has to offer.

At the bar he meets Lila, an enterprising young working girl who takes a liking to him. When Tommy says he wants to be left alone, Lila suggests he rest in her room -- with the promise they don't have to actually do anything. But Lila isn't like the others, and when she discovers Tommy is more scared of her than attracted to her feminine charms, she lets him in on a little secret.

Lila's real name is Stephen Marsh. He lives as a woman, moving from saloon to saloon, pleasing men for money. He loves men and enjoys his work, and what others don't know about what's under his skirt doesn't bother him. In all his years on the prairie, he's never met someone quite like Tommy. When he discovers Tommy is sweet on Hal, he suggests teaching the cowboy just how to please a man.

He doesn't mean to lose his heart to Tommy in the process.

With "Lila" in his life, Tommy begins to dream of someone softer than Hal, someone pretty when dolled up but still man enough where it counts. Someone like Lila. As his feelings deepen, can he use Lila's own teachings to win the heart he really loves?

As for what I'm reading, I'm hopping between books as the mood grabs me (as ususal), but teasing me for time and seducing my attentions this week are:

♥ The Empress Sword by Paulette Jaxton
♥ Static by L.A. Witt
♥ Pearls of Asia by Lee Geiger
♥ Secrets & Lies by Tracy James Jones






Well, that's it for now . . . what are you reading?

♥