A Happy Ending (HE) is a tenet of romance. However, the difference between a good story and a "keeper" is the concept of Happily Ever After (HEA). It is a subtle difference, but the mark of an HEA is that you aren't ready to say goodbye; your own romantic daydreams center around the hero and heroine, only of course you have substituted yourself for the appropriate player. This concept is one of the reasons there has been a trend toward bringing back prior love-matches as secondary characters. People want to see that the marriage was for keeps.

A good example of a solid love match seen over time is found in J.D. Robb's Death series. Robb, better known as Nora Roberts, began her futuristic mystery series almost two years ago. The latest book, Ceremony in Death, is every bit as good as its predecessors. If you haven't read the series, it is important to start with the first book, Naked in Death and continue chronologically. They aren't romances per se, but the romance between Eve Dallas and Roark is as hot as it gets, as permanent as it gets and critical to the plot. These two are in it for keeps, even through hurt feelings and other realities of love. The books are billed as mysteries but are really cross-genre. Be prepared for graphic violence, descriptive lovemaking, memorable characters, and a delicious love story!

Reviewed by Jodi Israel.