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Kings of California #5
Claiming King's Baby
It was supposed to be a last meeting to sign divorce papers. Then passion overtook them and Maggie King walked away with more than just a legal decree—she was pregnant with the child Justice King had always refused to give her. A fact she would never dare reveal to him.
But when circumstances forced her back to the King ranch, she could hide her secret no longer. Justice had a son, one he desperately wanted to deny was his own. Because admitting the boy to be his blood kin would mean he'd made the biggest mistake of his life.
But when circumstances forced her back to the King ranch, she could hide her secret no longer. Justice had a son, one he desperately wanted to deny was his own. Because admitting the boy to be his blood kin would mean he'd made the biggest mistake of his life.
192 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 2009
About the author
Maureen Child
1,187 books550 followersUSA Today best selling author Maureen Child is the author of more than ninety romance novels and novellas. Maureen is a five time nominee for the prestigious Rita award from Romance Writers of America.
One of her novels, A Pocketful Of Paradise, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.
Over the years, she’s written under lots of different names and she prefers the term ‘pseudonym’ to ‘alias’. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing.
Under her own name, Maureen writes short contemporary novels for Silhouette Desire—books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling. Maureen is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances for NAL and darker paranormal stories for Silhouette Nocturne.
Maureen writes paranormal romance novels under the pesudonym of Regan Hastings
One of her novels, A Pocketful Of Paradise, was made into a CBS-TV movie called The Soul Collector, starring Melissa Gilbert, Bruce Greenwood and Ossie Davis.
Over the years, she’s written under lots of different names and she prefers the term ‘pseudonym’ to ‘alias’. As Ann Carberry, she wrote western historical romances. As Kathleen Kane, she wrote not only Americana romances, but western paranormal romances as well. As Sarah Hart, she wrote one really spectacular western paranormal that is still one of her favorites. And once, Ann Carberry even wrote a Victorian historical which she absolutely loved doing.
Under her own name, Maureen writes short contemporary novels for Silhouette Desire—books she loves to write because of their fast pace and condensed story telling. Maureen is also writing funny, contemporary paranormal romances for NAL and darker paranormal stories for Silhouette Nocturne.
Maureen writes paranormal romance novels under the pesudonym of Regan Hastings
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 2, 2021
This put me in a horrible mood.
The H is way too selfish and egotistical to be a good hero or husband. He lied to his wife that he didn't want kids when he thinks he's sterile preferring to push her away. He prefers to insult his wife by asking for a paternity test on his son when he could just go find out if he's sterile but he's way too much of a manly man to do that. At the possibility that the child is his he wants to take possession and have his wife move back in as friends. No, not friends with benefits but friends. I imagine he assumes that they will end up in a sexual relationship because that's what they do. This way he doesn't have to actually make any effort whatsoever.
Bye. I hate you.
The H is way too selfish and egotistical to be a good hero or husband. He lied to his wife that he didn't want kids when he thinks he's sterile preferring to push her away. He prefers to insult his wife by asking for a paternity test on his son when he could just go find out if he's sterile but he's way too much of a manly man to do that. At the possibility that the child is his he wants to take possession and have his wife move back in as friends. No, not friends with benefits but friends. I imagine he assumes that they will end up in a sexual relationship because that's what they do. This way he doesn't have to actually make any effort whatsoever.
Bye. I hate you.
September 9, 2016
Sweet love story and a fast read!
May 7, 2021
Yeah, so neither are very likable and his pride creates a very toxic marriage.
January 11, 2017
I pity their child. He's going to need therapy for the rest of his life. His parents are more messed up than BradJolina's relationship.
March 14, 2015
it's not dat bad but pretty stupid. justice let ego prevail over his happiness but dat can also mean he did not love maggie enough. the plot did not make sense, not for me atleast.
December 1, 2010
It doesn't get much cheesesier than a name like Justice King. It was one of those "I didn't have anything else to read at the time."
June 12, 2011
Originally read June 2013 and gave 3 stars. Re-read August 2013 but obviously liked it a lot more as increased the rating to 4 Stars.
January 22, 2014
It's my second book of the Maureen Child's Kings of California series.
Justice King was the most pig-headed and stubborn hero I've ever met. It was painfully obvious how much he loved Maggie, but instead of begging her to stay and telling her the real reason why he couldn't give her a child, he let her go. If he'd just told her the truth, they could have been avoided a lot of unpleasant things.
I admired Maggie's character. She's like most of Maureen Child's heroines that even though she loves Justice, she wouldn't settle for anything less than she deserves.
Well, anyway, I still liked the ending. Plus, Baby Jonas was such a cutie. It still held my interest that made me want to find out what happened to Maggie and Justice.
Justice King was the most pig-headed and stubborn hero I've ever met. It was painfully obvious how much he loved Maggie, but instead of begging her to stay and telling her the real reason why he couldn't give her a child, he let her go. If he'd just told her the truth, they could have been avoided a lot of unpleasant things.
I admired Maggie's character. She's like most of Maureen Child's heroines that even though she loves Justice, she wouldn't settle for anything less than she deserves.
Well, anyway, I still liked the ending. Plus, Baby Jonas was such a cutie. It still held my interest that made me want to find out what happened to Maggie and Justice.
October 1, 2014
3.5 stars, good but it's not really my favorite.
Why? I guess it's because I was expecting a drama when King realize that the baby is his. I want to read some raging fire between Justice and Maggie. But I receive none, nothing but Justice's annoying and possessive behavior. I liked it anyway, I just wish there'd be more.
Look forward to finally read the rest of King clan. :)
Why? I guess it's because I was expecting a drama when King realize that the baby is his. I want to read some raging fire between Justice and Maggie. But I receive none, nothing but Justice's annoying and possessive behavior. I liked it anyway, I just wish there'd be more.
Look forward to finally read the rest of King clan. :)
September 1, 2017
Justice and Maggie separated and working on a divorce not because they don't love each other but because Maggie wanted children and thought Justice didn't want one, which wasn't true. Justice had learnt after an accident he wouldn't be able to have children and he didn't want Maggie to stay with him out of pity. Even when she eventually had a child from him, he wouldn't believe the child was his and this misunderstanding stayed between the two of them through major part of the book.
Justice's housekeeper sums him up very well. “You are the most hardheaded, stubborn, foolish man I have ever known,” Mrs. Carey muttered darkly. “Not enough sense to see the truth even when it’s staring right at you with your own eyes.”
Loved the moment when Maggie plopped baby Jonas on Justice's lap
“Here you go, sweetie. Go see your daddy.” Maggie swung Jonas down and before Justice could get off the bench, she plopped the baby into his lap.
Both baby and man wore the same startled expression, and they looked so much alike that Maggie actually laughed.
Justice didn’t hear her. He was holding his breath and watching the baby on his lap as if it were a live grenade. He expected the tiny boy to start shrieking in protest at being handed over to a stranger. But instead, Jonas looked up at him and a slow, cautious smile curved his tiny mouth.
He had two teeth, on the bottom, Justice noted, and a stream of drool sliding out of his mouth. His hair was black, his eyes a dark blue and his arms and legs were chubby pistons, moving at an incredible rate. Justice kept one hand on the boy’s back and felt the rapid beat of the baby’s heart beneath his hand.
Despite Justice's arrogance and bull-headedness, I couldn't help love him. He's one of my top three fav Kings of California, the other two being Adam King and Rico King.
He made me go through all sorts of feelings, many a times conflicting feelings. On one hand, I felt sad for him when he kept hoping Jonas was his son, on the other hand, I wanted to smack him hard on the head because all he had to do was to take a DNA test and put everyone out of misery, including himself (but then the book would end much sooner).
He was also one of those very few arrogant and stubborn, alpha heroes, who made me laugh, especially his impatience at both hospital scenes - one when his sister-in-law was about to deliver and the other when his son was unwell.
When he and Maggie were in the waiting room, awaiting news about his sister-in-law and the nurse comes and tells the elderly couple that their daughter had delivered her baby and they could see her, his, " We were here long before them!” was priceless.
Also, when he heard he heard his brother had passed out in the delivery room. “You mean he fainted?” Justice asked her, grinning like a big brother who would now have something on his sibling for the rest of his life.
Loved his moments with baby Jonas , how he was falling in love with him. The moment in the hospital at the end stole my heart.
'He walked toward her and went into a crouch in front of her so that he could look at her and his son. He dragged the backs of his fingers across Jonas’s too-warm cheek and felt a well of love fill his heart. The baby turned his head, looked at Justice and sighed. A tiny movement. A small breath. And dark blue eyes looking into his with innocence and confusion. And in that instant, that one, timeless moment, Justice finally completed the fall into an overpowering love for his son.
“It’ll be all right, son,” he whispered, his voice breaking as his eyes misted over. “Your daddy’s going to see to it.”
I suppose scenes like these, the awesome chemistry between the lead couple and above all, adorable baby Jonas, is what made the book an enjoyable read for me.
Justice's housekeeper sums him up very well. “You are the most hardheaded, stubborn, foolish man I have ever known,” Mrs. Carey muttered darkly. “Not enough sense to see the truth even when it’s staring right at you with your own eyes.”
Loved the moment when Maggie plopped baby Jonas on Justice's lap
“Here you go, sweetie. Go see your daddy.” Maggie swung Jonas down and before Justice could get off the bench, she plopped the baby into his lap.
Both baby and man wore the same startled expression, and they looked so much alike that Maggie actually laughed.
Justice didn’t hear her. He was holding his breath and watching the baby on his lap as if it were a live grenade. He expected the tiny boy to start shrieking in protest at being handed over to a stranger. But instead, Jonas looked up at him and a slow, cautious smile curved his tiny mouth.
He had two teeth, on the bottom, Justice noted, and a stream of drool sliding out of his mouth. His hair was black, his eyes a dark blue and his arms and legs were chubby pistons, moving at an incredible rate. Justice kept one hand on the boy’s back and felt the rapid beat of the baby’s heart beneath his hand.
Despite Justice's arrogance and bull-headedness, I couldn't help love him. He's one of my top three fav Kings of California, the other two being Adam King and Rico King.
He made me go through all sorts of feelings, many a times conflicting feelings. On one hand, I felt sad for him when he kept hoping Jonas was his son, on the other hand, I wanted to smack him hard on the head because all he had to do was to take a DNA test and put everyone out of misery, including himself (but then the book would end much sooner).
He was also one of those very few arrogant and stubborn, alpha heroes, who made me laugh, especially his impatience at both hospital scenes - one when his sister-in-law was about to deliver and the other when his son was unwell.
When he and Maggie were in the waiting room, awaiting news about his sister-in-law and the nurse comes and tells the elderly couple that their daughter had delivered her baby and they could see her, his, " We were here long before them!” was priceless.
Also, when he heard he heard his brother had passed out in the delivery room. “You mean he fainted?” Justice asked her, grinning like a big brother who would now have something on his sibling for the rest of his life.
Loved his moments with baby Jonas , how he was falling in love with him. The moment in the hospital at the end stole my heart.
'He walked toward her and went into a crouch in front of her so that he could look at her and his son. He dragged the backs of his fingers across Jonas’s too-warm cheek and felt a well of love fill his heart. The baby turned his head, looked at Justice and sighed. A tiny movement. A small breath. And dark blue eyes looking into his with innocence and confusion. And in that instant, that one, timeless moment, Justice finally completed the fall into an overpowering love for his son.
“It’ll be all right, son,” he whispered, his voice breaking as his eyes misted over. “Your daddy’s going to see to it.”
I suppose scenes like these, the awesome chemistry between the lead couple and above all, adorable baby Jonas, is what made the book an enjoyable read for me.
July 10, 2017
No. Stop it. Just stop.
The hero legitimately lets his wife divorce him because he doesn't want to tell her he can't have kids. that's all anyone needs to know about this stupid book.
The hero legitimately lets his wife divorce him because he doesn't want to tell her he can't have kids. that's all anyone needs to know about this stupid book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 15, 2021
2.5 stars. Nothing new, but if you like this trope it might work for you.
February 18, 2017
Always loved a story when a baby's involved.
February 7, 2017
Very quick, typical Harlequin read.
It was ok.
It was ok.
March 21, 2016
D1971 Oct09 #5 Kings of California Justice King let Maggie go when she left him, she wanted children and he refused to have any children. He was to proud to tell her he was sterile because of a car accident that killed his parents.
March 1, 2012
Maureen Child - Umuda Doğru
Kendisini kısır zanneden bir adam karısını uzaklaştırıyor karısıda hamile kalıp çocuğu doğuruyor sonra adama getiriyor ama gelde adamı inandır pek kolay olmuyor..
Kendisini kısır zanneden bir adam karısını uzaklaştırıyor karısıda hamile kalıp çocuğu doğuruyor sonra adama getiriyor ama gelde adamı inandır pek kolay olmuyor..
February 21, 2014
4 stars
Loved this! Although the hero was infuriating, the story was wonderful. Loved Jonas too. He's such a sweetie.
Loved this! Although the hero was infuriating, the story was wonderful. Loved Jonas too. He's such a sweetie.
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August 13, 2014#N/A
April 13, 2017
Leído el 06/06/2010
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews