We all have guilty pleasures. One of the most delicious is to spend an afternoon or evening curled up with a good romance novel. “Calgon, take me away,” indeed. If you appreciate the genre, or if you’re a shy romance novel virgin willing to try something new, what better time than Valentine’s Day to indulge?

FIRELIGHT, by Kristen Callihan, has all the ingredients of a fine historical romance. It’s billed as Part One of the Darkest London Series, so let’s start reading at the beginning of the saga. Our heroine is Miranda Ellis, a flaming redhead who is no ordinary woman. She’s struggled her entire life to control her exceptional abilities. But now, her family is impoverished, and she must do the unthinkable; she weds Lord Benjamin Archer, who is also far from ordinary. Hiding his disfigured face behind a mask, Archer finds himself helpless to resist the passion he feels for Miranda. When he’s accused of a series of grisly murders, Miranda struggles with her gift no more; she must enter the world of dark magic and intrigue in order to save her husband.

Paula Quinn goes way beyond the age-old question, “What does a Scotsman wear under his kilt?” with her new novel, CONQUERED BY A HIGHLANDER. Lady Gillian Dearly has been cast out of her family because she bore a child out of wedlock. She’s willing to do anything to save herself and her son, even if it means being bound to a barbarian who’s plotting against the king. But when she meets Colin MacGregor, an agent of the monarchy, their mutual irresistible desire forces her to throw caution to the wind.

Contemporary Romance is well represented with the new Cavanaugh Island Series of novels by Rochelle Alers. An African American author who brings a fresh perspective and an exciting energy to the field, Alers ably captures the warmth of the South with SANCTUARY COVE. At 38, Deborah Robinson is trying to recover from the shock of her husband’s death. She decides she needs a new start, so she packs up her household and takes her teenage children to Cavanaugh Island, her grandmother’s ancestral home. Fate lends a hand when Deborah meets Asa Monroe, a member of Doctors Without Borders. They are drawn together in friendship, and then romance.

Fans of Bella Riley’s HOME SWEET HOME will rejoice that the second novel in her Emerald Lake series is just as good. WITH THIS KISS tells the story of two people who shouldn’t be together, but who can’t ignore the attraction that binds them. Rebecca Campbell has emerged from an engagement with a man who is a good friend, but for whom she feels no passion. Sean Murphy returns home to find himself hopelessly falling for his brother’s girl. Can the two of them learn to trust, and to allow the beauty of their Adirondack haven to nurture their love for each other?

DEADLY DANCE, by Dee Davis, is a blend of romance and adventure that makes this novel hard to put down. A-Tac is a black-ops CIA unit whose members use as their cover being part of an Ivy League faculty. Hannah Marshall is used to working behind the scenes, but when her partner is murdered, she begins to doubt all that she’s taken for granted in the past. Yet she must trust Harrison Blake, the wildly attractive new member of her team. Harrison has spent years tracking the man who killed his sister, and when Hannah disappears, he fears the same monster has taken his new lover.

So for St. Valentine’s sake, turn off the Bad News Hour on TV, use your newspaper to start a fire (fireplace recommended), put your cell phone on vibrate (definitely), and spend some blissful time in the realm of the Romance Novel.

Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist and an avowed bibliophile. She writes extensively, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. Michall is a voting member of National Book Critics Circle. www.michalljeffers.com