I swear, when I decided to follow Silhouette Desire’s Dynasties: The Ashtons continuity series, I expected some fireworks. I mean, this series is about life among the rich and wicked after all, and I was looking forward to some good, juicy eeevil doing. But all I’ve been getting is series romance staples, and boring ones at that.Just A Taste, the latest in the series, is a paint-by-numbers romance that never came into focus.

Jillian Ashton is the daughter of Spencer Ashton, the villain of this series (who really needs to get on board with some villainy and spice things up). She married Jason Bennedict in a fit of hormones, and then regretted it. Jason lied, cheated on her and left her broke and despondent. The only friend she had was her brother-in-law, Seth.

Jillian came back home to the family wine business and now runs the Louret Vineyard tasting room. She has some big plans to expand the room and wants Seth, who is a contractor, to do the work. At first he says he’s too busy, but eventually he agrees and the mental lusting begins.

And that’s about it. Lots of mental lusting, and a love scene with descriptions and language from wine-tasting. Spencer Ashton makes a walk-on appearance and shows just how evil he is by calling his daughter by the wrong name. Seth and Jillian muse about each other, there’s a misunderstanding, a reconciliation and that’s it.

I can’t say too much about the characters. Jillian has long legs and is an expert wine taster, and Seth is hunky and not an expert wine taster. He has a three-year-old daughter who talks baby talk (ugh). Various Astons have cameo roles. That’s about it – this is one of the most boring books I have ever read.

I’m going to continue with this series, since I promised myself I would do so, but I am about to lose hope that it will take off and get interesting. I’ve tried a few mini-series before, with mixed results, and it only confirms what I’ve thought all along. When it comes to series romance, it’s the writer who makes the book, not the series.