Carden mistakes Sera for an applicant to the housekeeper’s position when she arrives on his doorstep. He immediately decides to hire her and get her into his bed. These rather piggish plans are completely upset when Sera informs him she’s brought his three nieces to him, as he is now their only living relation. Carden is thrown for a loop. He’s a successful architectural engineer, not an earl, and he’d never planned to marry. Now he’s got a house full of females on his hands, and an unwanted title with all the attendant responsibilities.

Desperate, Carden offers Sera the position of governess. After some wrangling, they come to an arrangement: Sera will stay in London and care for the girls, who will hopefully provide a buffer between Carden and the matchmaking mamas sure to land on his doorstep now that he’s acquired a title. Carden will go about his work, and hopefully this earl business won’t get in the way of his engineering projects or his rakish lifestyle.

Sera has more baggage than just the girls. Her marriage to Gerald Treadwell was a hasty arrangement to soothe her ill parents, and when he turned out to be a lout, she was stuck. Now it turns out her father’s work has been published, and Sera has been systematically cheated out of the royalties due to her. It looks like Gerald isn’t dead, after all, but here in London, collecting Sera’s money as a bogus “agent” for Sera’s father. Sera knows her attraction to Carden is doomed, as he won’t marry and she won’t settle for anything less, even if she can disentangle herself from her loveless marriage.

Sera is delightful. She’s direct, resourceful, and straightforward about what she wants – and doesn’t want. Carden, used to actresses and opera dancers, can’t quite decide what to make of her at first – but he can’t stay away from her, either. Sera’s determination never to enter into another sham relationship rings true, given her past, and the author brings it into the story without allowing Sera to play the victim.

Carden would have been better off without the bad-boy reputation we’re supposed to hang on him. For one thing, he doesn’t do much that’s rakish. He’s also very devoted to his work, and he is as straight with Sera as she is with him, so the whole idea of the “reformed rake” doesn’t fit here at all. His deepening attraction to Sera plays out as realistic, however, and the fact that it takes so long for the two of them to get together is actually a nice demonstration of Carden’s true character, and it ain’t rakehell. He’s understanding of her feelings and restrains himself from pursuing her heavily, until the point where he just can’t help himself. By then, Sera is more than willing, and the sex is hot, indeed.

The element involving Gerald, the missing husband, pops up to add some suspense, but it’s fairly predictable, and doesn’t seem to do much other than give Carden room to play the hero. Carden’s two pals are obvious setups for future books, too. But if The Perfect Seduction is any indication, Leslie LaFoy has a real talent for crafting smart, mature leads and romance that evolves into genuine passion. I’ll be looking for the next installment.

--Cathy Sova