READY FOR KING'S SEDUCTION – Maureen Child
Kings of California , Book 9
Harlequin Desire #2113
ISBN: 978-0-373-73126-8
October 2011
Series Romance

Long Beach, California – Present Day

A couple of years ago, Lucas King's business had secrets stolen by Dave Clancy, who Lucas thought was a friend. Now Lucas hates Dave, and when he runs into Dave's sister, Rose, he decides to hatch a plan of revenge. He'll woo and seduce sweet and innocent Rose and then wave the news of the deed in front of Dave's face. Lucas hires Rose, who teaches in-home cooking classes, and invites her into his home all on the pretext of wanting to learn to cook. But soon the plan of seduction backfires when Lucas finds himself falling for Rose.

Rose never learned what really happened between her brother and Lucas, and while she's curious as to why, she knows it's best to avoid the man. Of course, the real reason Rose doesn't want to be around Lucas is because she's fighting a longtime attraction to him. She doesn't really want to teach him to cook, but she needs the money that would come in handy to help get her business off the ground and allow her to remain independent from her brother's assistance. Evenings spent with Lucas soon turn into a night of passion. But Lucas makes it clear it was a mistake, that he isn't the marrying kind. Can Rose walk away from the only man she may ever love?

Revenge is planned, but it all goes down the drain for Lucas in READY FOR KING'S SEDUCTION when Rose gets under his skin. Lucas didn't have the best of times growing up, and the only people he trusts are his brothers, Sean and Rafe. Family loyalty all proved to be true when he got close to Dave Clancy, only to have his friend betray him. Lucas thinks payback will be having sex with Dave's sister. Lucas knows nothing about cooking and probably wouldn't have taken a class, but if this gets him closer to Rose, then he'll do it. She turns out to be sexy, smart and willing to talk back to Lucas. No wonder she grabs his attention. But when he finally beds her, he's in for a couple of shocks and now is torn between pushing her away, or never letting her leave his bed.

Rose is recently divorced after a disastrous marriage and certainly isn't looking for mistake number two, yet Lucas entices her even more than before. When heated kisses turn to more, she has to come to grips with the reality that Lucas isn't going to love her. Should she just walk away and hope to salvage the remnants of her tattered heart? How will she feel when she learns the reason Lucas seduced her and what her brother did? Is she ready for the fallout that is sure to follow in READY FOR KING'S SEDUCTION?

Maureen Child has penned another fantastic installment in the Kings of California series. READY FOR KING'S SEDUCTION can be read as a standalone, though readers will wonder about Rafe and Katie (who are mentioned) and next up is Sean's story (he has several scenes in this one). Be sure to check out READY FOR KING'S SEDUCTION and see what the King men are all about.

Patti Fischer