Stripped Bare: Vegas Billionaires, Book 1

The first book in McLaughlin’s (Home Run) new series, an amusing retake of Pretty Woman, entertains with blistering physical desire and witty banter amid high-stakes personal conflicts. Macey Webster is a struggling single mom in Spokane, Wash., and supporting her 10-year-old daughter, Morgan, is her utmost responsibility. She hopes to earn much-needed funds through an arduous week of stripping in Vegas and a few rounds at the blackjack table, but she loses all her earnings on one bad turn of the cards. Wealthy casino owner Finn McCormick, vaguely recalling that they were once lovers, offers her $30,000—if she’ll be his public date and private mistress for a week. Macey reluctantly agrees, as going home broke is not an option. Finn, who mystified himself by making the proposition, soon has to admit that their kinky lovemaking has an underpinning of romantic connection. But there are stumbling blocks to moving forward: Finn thinks Morgan is Macey’s boyfriend back in Spokane, and Macey does not correct him, fearing what will happen if Finn realizes Morgan is his daughter. The conflicted hero and unsinkable heroine make a great pair in this sexy contemporary with a heart of gold. (Mar.)