Oh I don’t think I can even gush about how much I love Mallery. (Oh wait… I already have….) When she announced she was continuing on with the Fool’s Gold Series, I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait to get the stories about the Hendrix triplets, and the stories have so far been wonderful.

Montana has always considered herself the lost triplet, but after she started working with the therapy dogs, she knew she had found her calling. After a bad run-in with Dr. Bradley, she worries their encounter will cause problems for her. But to her surprise Simon asks her to bring a dog in for one of his patients, and the two are soon fighting their ever growing feelings of attraction.

Simon has never stayed in one place for long, and although Montana is the kind of woman who makes him think it might be worth it, he keeps telling everyone that he is leaving. Even once the two start to develop a deeper relationship, Simon is scared to stay in one place, even if it’s with Montana. But when his final days in Fool’s Gold approach, Simon finds it harder and harder to say good bye.

I love the way this series continues to unfold at each and every turn! There were so many things brought up in this book that I can’t wait to see where Mallery goes with it. The Hendrix matriarch has a great past that is slowly unraveling that I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. Older brother Kent also will hopefully get a chance at his happily ever after, especially after everything he’s gone through. One of the things that Mallery does best is create incredible and believable characters that drawn you in and keep you coming back for more and more.

Although I was already cheering for Montana, I was a little disappointed with her hero at first. Simon came onto the page with a rampage and was a little bit of a jerk before his true colors started shining through. There were times I didn’t even want to like him, but once more and more of his story unfolded, his anger and hurt became real to me, and his terrible childhood had me shedding tears for him. I was hoping he would have to do a little more groveling before getting Montana back after his declaration that he was leaving, but at the same time I really liked them together.

Their romance was at times predictable, but that is just one of the things I’ve come to love about Mallery’s books. I know that I can count on a great romance with wonderful characters, despite the fact that sometimes it feels as if plots are being tweaked and re-used. One of the biggest things I loved about their romance was how much tension there was between them throughout the story. Their stolen moments were intense and hot and yet they were also few and far between, making them all the more sexy. Also, the way that Montana completed Simon in so many ways was perfect as well. Simon was tortured and broody and angry, but Montana came in and soothed all his rough edges and made him a better man because of it. LOVE THAT!

All in all, Mallery continues an incredible series with fun characters with great family dynamics that ensure the reader will be coming back for more. The little glimpses of past characters was a special treat, and I know that I am anxious for the next installment.

Publisher: Harlequin Blaze
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: NetGalley

What could be better than a baseball star turned cowboy? I was officially in book hero heaven with this read. My first ever Thompson book and she blew me outta the water with this one.

Caro is a small town girl dealing with some pretty large problems. Her grandmother is sick and had to be put in a home, she recently moved out of the only house she knew, and is working and living over a bar. When city boy Logan comes to her small town for a wedding, the two are instantly attracted to each other. Although Caro knows that Logan won’t stick around forever, she is still determined the have as much fun as she can before he goes.

Logan is down in the dumps. His big major league career is over, his knee is busted up, and he is wallowing in self-pity. But the trip to the small town has everything to get him back on track. From Caro’s bubbly and optimistic personality, to the town who worships him, he really starts to feel more like a man and less like a failure. When things between him and Caro become more than just sex, Logan has to decide what he wants most: a small town life, or the hustle and bustle of the big city.

For a Blaze book, I didn’t find this one to be as erotic as some others I have read. Thompson did an amazing job of developing the characters early on, getting me hooked and reeling me in. I absolutely loved the romance in this one. I thought that Logan and Caro, while obviously attracted to each other, also had a little something extra from the moment they laid eyes on each other. They were sweet to each other, loving, caring and very almost fairy tale like. Once the romance got started, I really didn’t want to put this one down.

There were a couple times that I wanted to smack Logan upside the head. At times he came across as a spoiled and whiny baby. Granted he went through a lot and was in a really crappy place and all that, but he did quite a bit of complaining and moaning about his new life. He had quite a few pity-parties and while I understand he had to go through it all to get to where he needed to be, I thought he should have had a little bit of drive to find something new to do with his life.

I loved Caro. She was sweet and so optimistic about everything. Despite all the hard and crazy things she went through, she still had a sunny outlook on life. She was passionate about work, her small town, her hobbies and most of all about getting Logan back into life. She was absolutely dedicated to the other people in her life, and it made her so likeable. When Logan hurt her I wanted to cry along with her. Thankfully his grand gesture was enough to make up for all the wrongs.

Many of the secondary characters were very engaging as well. I’m definitely going to go back and read more from Thompson’s backlist, especially these cowboy books. Add in the small town quirks and characters and I think this miniseries will be one that I will go back and re-read again.

All in all I really enjoyed my first Thompson experience. Her writing is engaging and fun. The plot moves quickly and seamlessly through the story. I loved the characters and will be going back for more.

I give Cowboy Like Us an A-

There isn’t much I love more than a great friends to lovers story. I don’t know what it is about it, but this trope always manages to suck me in and keep me reading to the very end. I just love it. While Mr. Right There All Along had a great premise, great potential – it was just average.

Chloe and Simon have been best friends forever. They’ve always had each other’s backs and continue to be there for each other day in and day out. When they both get a notice for their high school reunion, Chloe freaks out. She had an awful high school experience, and isn’t looking to go back and face her old fears. But Simon knows she needs to and presses her to attend.

Simon has always had a thing for his best friend, and it’s getting harder and harder to keep it from her. He never wants to lose her friendship, and worries that if they take things to a relationship level, their friendship might be ruined. He frets over the right decision to make, finds himself kissing her at every turn, and finally realizes that she is what he always wanted.

This book was actually somewhat bland for me. There were no great moments, nothing spectacular that really drew me in. The writing was well executed, the characters developed, there just wasn’t that extra something that engaged me and pulled me into the story.

The romance itself wasn’t especially abundant in this book. Sure, Chloe and Simon shared a few steamy kisses, but as far as the heat level, that was about as hot as it got. The vast majority of the book dealt with their friendship slowly evolving from friends to friends who kissed. To friends who thought about said kiss day and night to friends who decided they were in love. It was slow paced and not super exciting, more like comfortable and laid back.

Chloe’s journey to self acceptance was almost chick-lit in nature. Much of the book was regarding her need to accept her inner beauty, struggle with self imagine and taking charge of her life. While I enjoy a women’s empowerment as much as the next gal, to me it just doesn’t provide the kind of reading experience that is exciting. So while Chloe’s self discovery was a great underlying storyline, it didn’t really add anything to the overall story for me.

All in all Mr. Right There All Along was a friends to lovers book with all the right ingredients, just missing short on the final product. I just wished it would have had… more. The story was just very average across the board. It wasn’t exceptional, and it wasn’t bad either. It was just… average.

I give this a C

Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Amazon Book
| Kindle eBook

I’ve been a huge Susan Mallery fan since I put a call out to my Twitter followers for great contemporary romance books about a year ago. Since then, I’ve devoured almost her entire back list, and gobble up everything new I can get my hands on. Only Mine is the 4th installment of the Fool’s Gold Series, one of my favorites!

Dakota is one of the Hendrix triplets, and with her psychology background, was guilted by the mayor to work with the Hollywood TV crew in the small CA town of Fool’s Gold. Since the world found out about their man shortage, the town has had to deal with some crazy things, but a dating show just might be the craziest. But Dakota will do what it takes for the town, and if helping with the production is what she has to do, she’ll damn well do it. But she never expected Finn.

Finn has come down to Fool’s Gold from Alaska, chasing his younger brothers and hoping he can change their minds against going on the TV show. But Stephen and Sasha have other plans. Finn sticks around to try and change their mind, but finds himself running into Dakota time and time again. When the show comes to an end, will anyone in Fool’s Gold have actually found love?

I was anxiously awaiting to find out more about the Hendrix triplets, and was somewhat surprised that we didn’t see more interaction between the three, but at the same time I loved getting to know Dakota better. She had gone through a really devastating event with finding out she wouldn’t be able to have kids, and watching her struggle with trying to adopt as a single parent was so touching. I loved Dakota, thought she was a great strong heroine and a joy to read.

I also liked Finn, despite his overbearing and somewhat annoying tendency to treat his adult brothers like they were toddlers. I liked watching Finn grow from this overbearing Alaskan backwoods man; coming out of his shell and finding that what he has always known might not be the best for him. I loved the relationship between him and Dakota, how supportive he was of her at every corner, and even the way he handled himself at the end of the story. I really thought Mallery did a wonderful job with his reaction to Dakota’s “news” and how he discovered he was in love with her. It was very well done!

For the secondary story lines of Finn’s twin brothers Sasha and Stephen, I had some mixed feelings. I really liked Stephen, the more subdued and laid back of the two. I loved his relationship with Auriel and how they really found a way to compliment each other, despite their gap in ages. I just wish that the storyline surrounding her mother hadn’t been so depressing and ugly. It was a little disheartening to read. Unlike Stephen, I found Sasha to be shallow and childish. I could see why Finn treated him like a two year old. Sure Sasha seemed to know what he really wanted to do in life, but the way he went about everything just reminded me of a spoiled child. I wish we would have had the chance to see him grow up a bit.

All in all, Mallery is back with another stellar contemporary romance filled with passion, love and a sense of community. I love the Fool’s Gold cast of characters and was happy with these additions. I can’t want to see what is in store for us with the other Hendrix triplets. Mallery fans will not be disappointed!

I give Only Mine a B.

 

Barnes & Noble  | Amazon eBook | Amazon Book  | Book Depository

I’m not usually a huge fan of the Harlequin category romance books. I don’t know why, I just usually don’t read them, and the ones I have read, are usually only just so-so reads for me. Not great, but not horrible either. But everyone now and then one will come along that sounds interesting enough for me to pick it up and run with it.

Jolie Tanner was tossed aside by her best friend in grade school because of her mother’s affair with a married man. Since that day, Jolie has been a social outcast in town, and couldn’t wait to get far, far away. But when her mother’s lover dies, she comes back to town to provide support to her mom.

Too bad Jolie ends up stuck in the middle of a blizzard with not only the sexiest man alive, but also the son of the man who tore her life to shambles. Cole Rees hates what his father did to his family, and has always taken a little of his anger out on Jolie. But when she helps save his life on the mountain, he realizes there might be more to those Tanner women that just a sexy smile and killer body.

I had some mixed feelings about this one. There were things I really enjoyed about it, and there were things I found to be a little out of the realm of possibility, even for Harlequin. The whole ordeal with Jolie and Cole having to survive the blizzard, the gondola crashing into the avalanche and the trek back to a safe location was actually one of my favorite parts. It reminded me of what exactly people are able to do when put into extreme situations, and both of their characters really shone through in a positive light with how they handled themselves.

From there I went into a bit of disbelief when one moment Cole and Jolie are bickering and snarking on each other, obviously holding onto so much hate and anger. Moments later they are “sharing one kiss” which leads to smexy time and instantly back into glaring hatred. It was awkward and odd that such strong characters would let go of their convictions like that. It felt forced and completely out of character for both of them.

Once they get rescued and are forced back into the real world, I was impressed and happy with the way that Cole really backed Jolie, how he supported her in the face of the media, and thanked her despite everyone knowing about their bad blood. My heart melted a little for Cole in those moments, and he stuck out as one of those romance heroes you hope to meet and fall for.

The conflict between Cole’s family and Jolie was difficult to watch, and at times Cole’s own mother seemed so childish. While I know tons of adults can act like toddlers, for some reason I don’t always enjoy reading it, and was glad a lot of her conflict was kept to a minimum. I do hope that we get to see more of Cole’s younger sister Hannah, possibly she will get her HEA soon…

All in all I enjoyed this Presents story by Hunter. I’m always loving the enemies to lovers stories, and despite a few hiccups, Cole and Jolie’s relationship was fun and engaging to read.

I give The Man She Loves to Hate a B

 

Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Amazon Book | Kindle eBook