Okay, okay, I admit it! It's been a long while since I've picked up a Harlequin series romance book, for several different reasons. Thankfully, I broke my cold spell and devoured Jo Leigh's NOT-SO-SECRET BABY in about four hours! I'd almost forgotten how good Intrigue books are, but believe me-I'll never forget again!

Jenny Granger was a barely legal age cocktail waitress in Las Vegas when she fell under the spell of C. Randall Todd. A man who oozed charisma, charm, and wealth, Jenny allowed herself to be blinded by Todd and his bling-the money that had never seemed all that important while working her way through college suddenly bought her clothes, jewelry, and a limited peace of mind. Todd didn't push her into a romantic relationship; instead, Jenny willingly took the jump on her own, and by then, it was too late. Because Todd, once he had a grip on something or someone, wasn't a man to let go. By force, intimidation, and mental cruelty, he possessed a grip on Jenny that she couldn't shake-until, that is, she enlisted the aid of one of Todd's henchman, Nick Mason, and made her escape.

Now her life is peaceful. She's a single mother with a young son, living in a quiet town where no one knows who she really is or where she came from. Life is the way Jenny wants it-until she wakes one night and discovers that her son, Patrick, is gone, and that Todd has found her hiding place. Now her innocent son is in the clutches of a man who makes Mafia mob bosses look tame by comparison, and Jenny has no choice but to return to Vegas and the ministrations of a man who wants only to make her pay.

Nick Mason is still one of Todd's right-hand men, along with a real baddy named Henry Sweet. Todd is determined to rear his son, Patrick, in his own image as an ungodly-wealthy casino owner and arms dealer, and to make Jenny suffer for her betrayal. It's up to Nick to help Jenny avoid Todd and his sadistic temper, at the same time rescuing Patrick from a life of terror and intimidation. But with his own heart on the line, not to mention his top-secret reason for being in the employ of C. Randall Todd for these past three years, Nick is running out of time-and running out of reasons to avoid Jenny and the emotions she stirs up in him.

Jo Leigh writes nail-biting romantic suspense with heart-pounding emotions and dialogue. Her characters in NOT-SO-SECRET BABY are all so real that you can't help being swept up in this world of love, danger, and passion that she's created. I'm certainly glad I broke my series romance cold spell and picked up this super hot book! ( )