An Offer He Can't Refuse

Being the eldest granddaughter of SoCal's biggest crime boss isn't as glamorous as it's cracked up to be. Ever since her father disappeared, presumed murdered, when she was 12, Téa Caruso has kept as far from her crooked family as she can. Now trying to eke out a living as an interior designer in highly competitive Palm Springs, Téa is on a mission to gain some professional recognition by landing the business of Vegas high-roller Johnny Magee, who has just bought a house in the area. Red-hot attraction lands Téa in Johnny's bed, and Téa begins to wonder if she's finally met a man she can trust with her heart. But Johnny has two secrets: he hired Téa because of her mob ties, and his own father was rumored to have killed hers. Genuinely funny moments catapult the reader toward this romance's engaging end, but it's the touching subplot about a retired mobster's goth daughter and the vulnerable but strong main characters that give this suspenseful romp a deeper spin. Ridgway (The Thrill of It All ) leaves enough loose ends dangling to swing one of Téa's sisters into her own sequel, and readers who enjoyed this solidly written tale will certainly return for the continuing drama. (Aug.)