A Fool's Gold Christmas

Fool's Gold #9.5

by Susan Mallery

The unrelenting cheer in Fool's Gold, California, is bringing out the humbug in dancer Evie Stryker. She learned early on that Christmas miracles don't happen, at least not for her. And this year seems like no exception. An injury has forced her to return to the family fold, no matter that they're estranged. She won't add to the awkward scenario by being seduced by the bad-boy charms of her brother's best friend, the last man she should ever want to date. Even when she's recruited to stage the Fool's Gold winter festival, she vows to do as promised, then move forward with her life anywhere but here.

Jaded lawyer Dante Jefferson is getting used to the backwater town he now reluctantly calls home, but the pounding of little dancers' feet above his temporary office is more than any man should have to take! When he confronts their gorgeous teacher, he's unprepared for the attraction that sears him down to the soul. Evie is his best friend's sister--off-limits unless he's willing to risk his heart. Dante has always believed that love is the most dangerous force in the universe, but that was before he had to reckon with the magic of a certain small town, where miracles do seem to happen..

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Christmas, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Holiday, Fiction

292 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2012

About the author

#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.

Critics have dubbed Mallery "the new queen of romantic fiction." (Walmart) Booklist says, "Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor, and superb storytelling," and RT Book Reviews puts her "in a class by herself!" It's no wonder that her books have spent more than 200 weeks on the USA Today bestsellers list.

Although Susan majored in Accounting, she never worked as an accountant because she was published straight out of college with two books the same month. Sixteen prolific years and seventy-four books later, she hit the New York Times bestsellers list for the first time with Accidentally Yours in 2008. She made many appearances in the Top 10 before (finally) hitting #1 in 2015 with Thrill Me, the twentieth book in her most popular series, the Fool's Gold romances, and the fourth of five books released that year.

Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Her heart for animals has led Susan to become an active supporter of the Seattle Humane Society. Visit Susan online at www.SusanMallery.com.

Reviews

[Jessica's Totally Over The Top Book Obsession · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Cowardly Jerk Stars

*****************SPOILERS**********************



OMFG! I took a little break from this series because all the books were setting me off and giving me cases of the rants. I hate cowards in books and this series is rampant with cowardly men. What makes this worse is I almost always love book up til the end when the hero does his chicken dance and then it just ruins it for me. It's like being out at a restaurant eating a beautiful meal and you're really enjoying it. Then when your 3/4 done the chef comes out and farts in your face. It's just ruined!



Lovely picture I painted there I know but I'm just so frustrated. This book, A Fool's Gold Christmas was so good. I was going along really enjoying it. I was loving Evie, really charmed by Dante. Enjoying their relationship and all the towns cute Christmas stuff than bam. Like always it happens. Dante got scared at like the 87% mark and goes to Evie lies and tells her " Hey know how we said "us" were just having fun well my ex girlfriend called me and for Christmas I am going to meet up with her." Yup he tells her it's over and he is going off with his ex for a sex filled Christmas. Totally ripping her heart out. Of course a few pages from the end we find out that he left town but lied about the ex but still he was gone for days that Evie thought he left her to go fuck some ex. She heartbroken and crying her eyes out. But it's cool he shows up 5 pages from the end says sorry and that he was scared and all is forgiven. HEA yay!

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 Stars

As soon as I started reading this I knew it would be another good book....It was a smooth and easy read, a classic Mallery, easily identifiable as one of hers.

We had met Evie and heard about her in previous stories and I wasn’t sure if I was going to like her but that soon changed. She never knew her father and always felt the odd one out and was often ignored even by her mother, which kind of shocked me considering May (her mom, who has featured in previous Fools Gold stories) comes across as a super loving mom to all her kids. The problem was, Evie was conceived as a result of a one night stand and May never got over the guilt that she had done something like that so close to her husband’s death.

Evie had left home at a very young age to go to pursue her career as a dancer and never returns. She has very little contact with her brothers and had not spoken or seen her mother in quite a few years. Following a very serious accident the family bought her back home to recover but she was determined that as soon as she was fit she was going to leave. In the meantime she is hired to teach at the dance studio and begins to love her job and the town. She even eventually talks to her mother and come to terms about the past.

Dante is Rafe’s (Evie’s brother) business partner. He is not happy that the business has relocated to Fools Gold which he considers to be a little backwater town and is hoping that he won’t have to stay there long, but then he met Evie! I have always liked Dante and was looking forward to reading his story and thought he was well matched with Evie as they had both had emotional issues and helped each other to overcome them.

Mallery has always been an auto-buy for me and that will continue and I am looking forward to reading more stories set in this town.

Copy kindly provided by Harlequin via Netgalley

[Eilonwy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Evie Stryker has been on her own for a decade, since she left her mother and three brothers for New York and the hope of a dance career, which turned into a job as a cheerleader for a professional football team. But when she gets her leg broken by a barreling football player, her family takes her home, to a small town called Fool's Gold. Evie gets a job teaching dance while her leg heals, but plots her escape -- until she meets handsome attorney Dante Jefferson, her brother's business partner. Neither of them wants a long-term relationship. Maybe a Christmas romance will be just what Evie needs.

Soooo, you can see exactly where this story is going, right? But even knowing that, I still had high expectations for this book based on the other two not-specifically-romance Susan Mallery books I read in the past couple months. Those stories had a high level of emotional depth and insight, and I assumed some of that would appear in this, too.

Ha. This book felt to me like someone told the author, "Here's a plotline. Make it happen!", because at no point did it seem as if there was any genuine heart in this story. Evie is estranged from her family, and for good reason, since they all treated her like dirt for her entire childhood. And in my opinion, none of them particularly improve over the course of this book. Her mom does get all rueful about always treating Evie like the unplanned child she was, which is a start.

But there's no redeeming those brothers. Or the level of sexism that this book says is fine, and never calls itself on. The family dynamics here are terrible. You'd think this whole group of siblings is still in high school! The brothers want to be "protective" of Evie, so naturally they need to control her relationship with Dante. The brother who works with Dante tells him to stay away from his sister. The morning after Evie's first night with Dante, all three brothers burst into her house because they're "worried" about her and "love" her. They saw her less than 12 hours before doing this. It didn't fit into the story very well for me, and I wanted to jump in and slap them around. Their sister is a grown-ass woman, pardon my language. They're grown-ass men, with more important things to worry about than whether their adult sister is sleeping with the local bad boy. This was just so aggravating, and shows so little respect for boundaries or belief in their sister's ability to make her own decisions and live her own life, that I wanted Evie to pack up and move to Australia or someplace equally hard for this busybody family to get get their tentacles to. (Her mother isn't any better in the busybody department.) Try gender-swapping all this, with a father and three sisters treating a 26-year-old man this way, and ... ugh.

I can't even believe I finished this book. Aside from the completely forced family plot, it was pretty boring, as shown by how long it took me to read this short trifle. I hate DNF'ing, so I made myself read every word. And it was not worth it. Evie and Dante were decently cute together, but the romance was pretty secondary to that awful family plot. Plus, Evie often felt about 16 to me, as if those ten years away from her family hadn't led to any maturity whatsoever (so maybe her brothers had a point, but it still doesn't excuse their behavior).

This was just entirely disappointing for me, on every level.

NOT recommended.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Good: I fell behind in this series and spent far too much time away from this cozy little town I love. What a wonderful time to come back to it, with a Christmas themed story. Evie was a natural choice for the female lead, having introduced her, a little, in a previous novel. Dante was a little more surprising as the male lead, but they worked together perfectly. Evie and Dante's fears were both understandable, if not completely relatable. The Christmas setting made the entire story a lot more festive and upbeat than their romance would have been alone. Beyond their relationship, it was absolutely wonderful to see Evie interacting with her family, building those relationships for the first time, as well as seeing both Evie and Dante become real, included members of the community.

The Bad: I disliked the turn towards the end of the novel before the inevitable happily-ever-after. Mallery has a nasty little habit of making her male leads act in an unnecessarily cruel manner out of fear of commitment before realizing there is no fighting true love. It happens really often. I find it hard to believe that all these men use this same juvenile tactic and that they are always forgiven for it in the end. To the point where the other townswomen who've gone through it in their own relationships will get together with the hurt woman and laugh about their own miserable experiences. Once, sure. Twice, okay maybe. An entire town full of women who take back purposely hurtful men like it's some sort of right of passage, um, no.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Welcome back to Fool’s Gold, California where dancer Evie Stryker is settling while recovering from an injury. Evie could easily be labeled a scrooge during the holiday season, with a family who she has never been close to closing in and trying to make amends for issues in their past. Evie finds a welcoming diversion when she meets lawyer Dante Jefferson, who is best friends with her brother. Dante is not looking for a relationship, but a way to get through the holidays and when Evie agrees to a no strings attached affair, neither one of them realize that they may just share a little Christmas magic of their own.

Full review on Cata Romance
http://cataromance.com/2012/09/review...

[Nadja · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was my first read of the Fool's Gold series. I liked the sweet town but the book wasn't so amazing that I now would want to read more books of the series. It was a simple christmas chick-lit with a sympathic heroine. Nothing out of the ordinary.

[Bookworman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one!

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Fool's Gold Christmas
2 Stars

Estranged from her family, Evie Stryker is forced to return home following an injury. Now her mother and brothers are determined to make up for the past. Will Evie be able to forgive and forget?

Unfortunately, Evie's story does not live up to expectations. The hints at a strong and feisty heroine in the previous book all but disappear as Evie turns into a Christmas elf (literally at one point), determined to live up to the holiday spirit.

Evie's friends to lovers romance with Dante Jefferson, her brother Rafe's business partner, lacks chemistry, depth, and emotion. There is no apparent reason for their attraction other than Evie's skimpy leotard, and their sexual relationship is fade-to-black. Is this because it's a Christmas book?

While Dante is a fantastic hero for 90% of the book, open, honest, caring, and loving, his actions toward the end are horrendous and completely undermine his character. The fact that Evie and everyone else simply gloss over his behavior, and act as if nothing happened add insult to injury.

Finally, what is up with all the pregnancies and babies? Is there something in the Fool's Gold water?

Overall, not one of the better books in the series. I hope the next one will be better.

[Brie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Two books ago I broke up with this series. Obviously I have no willpower because the minute I saw this one on NetGalley I requested it. The reason I wanted to read it was because the heroine was actually the one redeeming part of what I call the book with the goats of doom . I’m happy to say that this one wasn’t awful.

Evie Stryker is the estranged half-sister of the brothers that were the leads of the past three books in the series. The reason she’s estranged is because their mother had an affair just after the boys’ father died and she was the result. The mother never loved her and she was mostly cast aside and ignored. She grew up alone and with a lot of resentment and when she left home, she never came back.

But now, she had an injury that forces her to spend time in Fool’s Gold and interact with her family. She’s not too excited about it, but at least she has the distraction of the hot lawyer who works at the same building where she teaches dance. They soon get involved even though he’s not a commitment guy (he has mommy issues and a dark past). But of course, it’s Christmas and miracles happen.

This was an entertaining story that brought memories of the early books in the series. It’s less complicated than the rest of the books, and I see it more like an extra. If you don’t read it, you won’t miss much, but still it’s worth the try. It also ties some loose ends, mostly because it resolves the heroine’s subplot that ran throughout the series. Well, I’m not sure if that is indeed the case because I only read the first book, but I assume it does because she was fine at the end of Summer Days.

There was nothing new about the romance, it was absolutely predictable and I’ve read that story many times before. It was sweet, though, and there was great chemistry between the leads. We get to see some of the characters from past books, but their presence wasn’t overbearing or forced. And overall I’m satisfied with the love story.

What I hated was the mother. What a despicable character. She was already useless and ridiculous in the first book, but this one takes it to the extreme. What a terrible mother, the heroine is the only one who sees this, yet the Christmas spirit and the rules of the HEA force her to forgive her. I say no! Dear Heroine, take your blackened heart and tell your mother to go choke on a goat or something. Just no.

So there you have it. It’s a cute, enjoyable book. I would recommend this one to fans of the series and of light small town contemporaries, as long as they are willing to pay $9.99 for 300 pages of predictable fluff (what’s up with that price?). I’m not judging, though, I would totally buy it so go for it. I complain a lot, but I always come back for more.

Source: we received an e-ARC of the book through NetGalley for review purposes.

[Cynthia D'Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

A FOOL’S GOLD CHRISTMAS has another mother-daughter estrangement storyline, but this time is May Stryker (mother of Clay in the previous book and his brothers from books 7 and 8) and Evie Stryker.

Evie is a half-sibling to the Stryker men, conceived during a one-night stand during the time May was reeling from the death of her husband. I admit that the way Evie was ignored by May (and many times by her brothers) while she was growing up broke my heart. She suffered true psychological and mental neglect. May and the boys were a strong foursome and Evie was on the outside looking in. Broke my heart. Evie leaves home at 17 for school and basically never returns. The brothers do a lousy job staying in contact. Her own mother neglects her year after year. At first, it was the depression and guilt of the one-night stand. Later it’s the guilt at the realization of what she did to her own daughter. These two have a mountain of emotional baggage to climb over in this book.

Dante Jefferson is the business partner of Rafe Stryker (Evie’s half-brother). When Rafe falls in love and moves to Fool’s Gold, he drags Dante along, supposedly only for a short transition period. Dante has no family. His mother died when Dante was fifteen. (He has quite the backstory!) He gives his heart to no woman. He’s a player. He knows it and he makes sure the women he’s with knows it too. After a clogging class in the dance studio over his office, he heads upstairs to give the dance instructor a piece of his mind, only to discover it’s partner’s sister, Evie.

This is a Christmas based story with all the touchy-feely goodness you would expect of a story based in Fool’s Gold.

This book TOTALLY ROCKED. The repartee between Evie and Dante is simply delicious. Mallery hits every note with this one. While I’ve loved all the Fool’s Gold books, this one left me crying, smiling, and not ready for it to be over. IMHO, this is the best one yet. Don’t miss it.

[Dani C. (Polly's Place) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was totally in the mood for a unique Holiday romance that takes place in a small town and this book hit every one of those points. This is one of those lovely stories that was so easy to get into and to lose myself in.

After a horrendous accident, Evie Stryker’s family has finally brought her home. The problem is Evie has never felt like she was a part of her own family. Now her family is trying to change that and one of her brothers has asked his business partner and Evie’s neighbor Dante to keep an eye on her. No one would have ever imagined that Dante and Evie would become more than friends especially Dante…

As a reader who hasn’t really delved into the Fool’s Gold series, this was a good book to read. I really enjoyed the touching plot. It moved at such a wonderful pace and really has opened my eyes to what wonderful stories I haven’t been missing. I am looking forward to taking the time and to read those books as well as the ones that are coming up.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book!! Great story!! Love this series!! Can't wait to read the next book in the series!! Love this author's books!!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A couple of years ago I really got in to Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series. Only Yours/Only His/Only Us I devoured back then and so whenever a new Fool's Gold novel was released, it was downloaded to my Kindle. But I didn't keep up with the books and I now have 8 or 9 to get on with. I foolishly thought A Fool's Gold Christmas was a novella (I don't know why) so decided to start with that one, although I am now kicking myself because A Fool's Gold Christmas comes after the Summer Days/Summer Nights/All Summer Long trilogy. Though you don't have to read all the books in order, it helps to because Fool's Gold is a commuinty so you're always meeting past characters, which I love.

It was SO good to be back in the Fool's Gold universe. Yes, the last time I read a Fool's Gold book was 2011 which means it's been 4 years, and while I was confused meeting lots of people again, I remember the triplets from the "Only" trilogy which made me feel as if I was still a part of things. If I could move to Fool's Gold tomorrow I would. It's just got this great sense of community which is proven ever more when Evie (sister of the brothers featured inthe "Summer" trilogy) has to put on the Christmas nativity all by herself, after she's abandoned by the 70-year-old dance teacher who ran off with her fancy man (I know!). The way the residents all come to Evie's aide to help her put on the show made my heart want to explode, but that's the Fool's Gold way.

A Fool's Gold book wouldn't be a Fool's Gold book without some romance and drama and the romance comes in the form of handsome lawyer Dante. I loved how easy the chemistry was between Evie and Dante and how they just slipped into their easy-going romance without over-thinking it. If only real life relationships were that freaking easy, eh? I loved that they just clicked, even if the clog-dancers regularly gave Dante headaches (I agree with him there). I also really liked how Dante helped Evie with her family issues. It was sad to see Evie didn't get on well with her family, but Dante's very sensible words helped her to see it from a different (less angry) perspective.

A Fool's Gold Christmas was a great addition to the series, though I'm still annoyed at myself for not reading it in the intended order (bad Leah). Rest assured I will go back and start with Summer Days and I am so glad to be back in the warm embrace of Fool's Gold. It just makes me so happy to be back there, and even better to see old characters again, even if it is just briefly. This was a great addition, and I can't wait to get stuck in to more from the Fool's Gold residents.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two-haiku review:

She teaches dancing
He's a hardcore businessman
Not into long term

Nice depth to this one
She works out mother issues
Really love series!

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This story reminded me so much of my favorites series from Maisey Yates, who is one of my favorite authors. This story shared a lot of themes and elements that I have loved from Maisey Yates books. It really made it shine and deliver in the way I wanted to while reading. It was the same vibes I got from reading Maisey books, which just make me happy.

It gave me small town vibes with a great community of characters that i couldn’t help but love along with Evie and Dante. I was so invested in the town of Fool’s Gold that I know I want to return over and over. I was just so connected and loved how the really embraced newcomer Evie into the fold. I loved the spirit of the town.

The emotional storylines were pretty intense on both Evie and Dante’s side. It was utterly heartbreaking especially for Evie. When it came to her feelings about her family and her childhood was the ultimate gut punch. I could feel her pain deep within my soul every time it was mentioned. The pain she went through and how she was so distrustful of her family was just devastating. Luckily she was able to rebuild and heal thanks to Dante and his advice. It was beautiful to see that transformation from thinking she was an unwanted child to allowing herself to be fully embraced by her family. It was one of the touching moments in the book.

There was Christmas in the story, but not overwhelming so. I loved all the activities especially the ones Evie and Dante did together like the tree lighting. I found it very funny that they both claimed themselves to be Grinches yet really embraced the Christmas spirit. Even though they learned to enjoy it with others, I thought that they enjoyed it with each other first was the only way they allowed them to do so. It was like they were Christmas buddies, which was cute. I did wish they did a romantic Christmas thing just the two of them, but it was still nice to see them going through this Christmas journey together.

The chemistry between Evie and Dante was spot on. It was fun and flirty yet intense and full of sexy attraction. Whenever they interacted it would make me laugh as they playfully teased and sparred with one another. It was cute yet all kinds of sexy as they played with one. At the same time, they could confide in one another and have support from one another when needed. They just worked and complimented each other well. It was easy to see they were the one.

Admittedly because they had some sexy chemistry going on, I was really looking forward to some heated love scenes. Even though they had some really sexy kisses, sadly none of the love scenes were shown but instead just alluded to. I wanted to see at least one, but it was a fade to black moment, which was really disappointing. I wanted to see if they bedroom was as scorching as were their flirty banter.

There were so many cute moments in this story. I loved the scenes with Evie teaching dance to the children. I loved all the moments with Alexander the cat. The girl talk moments were great too. There were so many more that put a smile on my face and warmed my heart so much.

Overall, I had a really good time reading this story set in Fool’s Gold. I smiled. I laughed. My heart broke a couple times over what Evie was going through. The playfulness between Evie and Dante was great. Their chemistry was utterly perfect especially with all that sexy flirting. I adored all the Christmas touches without being overwhelmed by them. It was just a sweet and lovely story that I was just really invested in including everyone in the entire town. This just made me want more of this series and all the stories that were told.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another excellent romance in the Fool's Gold series. Evie Stryker was forced to come home when she suffered a broken leg while she was cheerleading at a professional football game. She was dragged back to Fool's Gold by her mother and older brothers.

The relationship between her and her family is difficult. She was the result of a one-night stand her grief-stricken mother had after the death of her husband. Her mother's guilt, the difficult financial situation after, and the age difference between her and her brothers, left Evie feeling like an outsider in her own family. She would never have returned to Fool's Gold on her own since she can't forgive her mother or trust the rest of her family.

Dante Jefferson is her brother Rafe's business partner. He wasn't really happy when Rafe relocated the business to Fool's Gold after he fell in love with Heidi. Dante sees himself as a big-city kind of guy and is a rather noted playboy. His own life has made him afraid to love anyone since love leads to loss in his mind.

Since he and Evie are next-door neighbors, Rafe asks him to keep an eye on Evie. Evie has taken a job as a dance instructor and then the manager runs off with a man and leaves Evie stuck with the whole Christmas dance program - a tradition in Fool's Gold. But Evie isn't as alone as she thinks. Her sister-in-law and future sisters-in-law take her in and almost force her to be part of the community.

And Dante is there on the side pushing her to establish a new relationship with her mother since he would give anything if his mother was still alive and still in his life. They also bond together as outsiders more than a little baffled by the whole Christmas thing that has taken over Fool's Gold. They become friends and then lovers and gradually fall in love.

This was an engaging story about forgiveness and taking a chance on love. The characters were wonderful. It was great catching up on some characters from earlier in the series and getting previews of some whose stories are coming later in the series.

[Fanny · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Fool's Gold Christmas sigue la misma linea que los libros anteriores y aunque es un poco extraño leer una novela de Navidad en pleno agosto, me apetecia leer algo de este estilo.
La historia de Evie y Dante es rapida de leer y muy agradable, obviamente no es la lectura mas profunda pero si eres fan de esta saga estoy segura de que la disfrutaras.

2.5 Estrellas!

[Dorine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review also post at my blog, TBR MOUNTAIN RANGE.

Even if you don't read the FOOL'S GOLD series, you'll still enjoy this book because this couple is so very charming. If you love a friends to lovers theme, then grab this book and enjoy this sassy dancer and the lawyer who can't stop imagining her in a leotard.

The thing that I love most about Susan Mallery's books is that they're so easy to read. It's like sitting down with an old friend and catching up—whether you read the series or not. A FOOL'S GOLD CHRISTMAS centers on the small town's celebrations while two people try to avoid getting involved in them. The main couple's repartee made for some entertaining reading. The quirky antics of the residents and their unusual holiday celebrations add a spark to an already fun time of the year. Even the animals get into the season's celebrations so animal lovers will get their fix too.

Dante Jefferson moved to Fool's Gold, California to set up his law practice with his business partner, Rafe Stryker. Dante is not a fan of holidays or the cozy-family-thing since the death of his mother. Feeling that her death was his fault, Dante has sworn off love so that he will never hurt anyone else. But how can he ignore the holidays when the dance instructor and her students are clomping above his head everyday, getting ready for the big season production? He should be especially leery since he has just realized that the sexy dance instructor is Rafe's sister. He shouldn't have anything but platonic thoughts about his best friend's sister. Dante soon realizes that even though the dancers are noisy, often interrupting his work schedule, he can't contain his attraction to their instructor, with or without Rafe's approval.

Evie Stryker's family meant well when they brought her to Fool's Gold to recover from her injury. Evie's dancing career is over but relying on her estranged family's assistance is beyond what she can endure so she accepts the dance instructor job and moves into a townhouse temporarily. She did not expect the other instructor to run off with her boyfriend and leave Evie to handle the season production of "The Dance of the Winter King" alone. In addition to that, she has her brother's bossy business partner, who is also too attractive for Evie's sanity, stressing about the noise and tempting her into a friendship that she's sure she will regret. Evie just wants to stay in Fool's Gold long enough to heal her injury, satisfy her student's expectations for the year end show and then move on somewhere else, away from the family who never loved her enough in the past.

Right away I was caught up in the witty exchange between Dante and Evie when they first meet. Evie is beyond exasperated with the responsibilities that are now hers. All Dante wants is to have the cloggers stop their incessant noise so he can finish his contract negotiations by phone in Shanghai. His office is below the dance studio so unless they come to an understanding, one of them is going to have to leave and it's definitely not going to be Dante. He never backs down.

When Evie discovers that Dante lives in the townhouse next door to her, and he arrives home bearing food with an invitation to join him, she knows she's doomed. They settle in for food and wine together, where a friendship begins and much more promises to follow if their undeniable attraction to each other has any influence.

What I liked best from the beginning of A FOOL'S GOLD CHRISTMAS is the dialogue between Dante and Evie. Their constant teasing back and forth was guarded, yet flirty. Neither one of them wants a relationship, so they agree to help each other through the upcoming holiday season that they both despise. Dante or Evie don't feel any special family bonding so it's them against the family-feel of Fool's Gold. It seems simple enough but the reader knows that this sassy spark that they have going will surely develop into more. That's the best part, knowing that they're meant for each other, even though they have some very rocky roads to go through to get there.

Fans of Susan Mallery's FOOL'S GOLD series will enjoy the cameo appearances of other characters from previous books. As someone who hasn't read the series, I found that the catch-up with the various characters toward the middle of the book slowed it down a bit for me. I had become very attached to Dante and Evie, so I was in a hurry to find out what happened next. That said, I didn't feel lost as the characters' relationships were explained; I was just anxious to read more about Dante and Evie.

An emotional story about family dynamics and forgiveness, A FOOL'S GOLD CHRISTMAS showcases the protective nature of family. Susan Mallery's characterization is fun-loving and addictive. You're sure to shed a tear before Evie allows her estranged family's love to enfold her, but the upbeat repartee will keep you smiling.

Book and Review courtesy of Romance Junkies.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ms. Mallery has cemented herself as one of my must read authors! Fans of her Fool’s Gold series are in for a delightful and funny treat this holiday season.

Evie Stryker is in Fool’s Gold against her wishes. Her family abducts…well coerces her into coming to Fool’s Gold while she heals from an accident. To say that being around her family is an understatement is being nice. She has always been the outsider and the close knit town is an additional stress for Evie. To pass the time, Evie decides to help the dance instructor for the town’s Christmas musical. When the dance instructor (a seventy year old woman) ups and leaves with a man, she is left to pull off one of the biggest events of the year.

Dante Jefferson is not thrilled to call Fool’s Gold his home. The small town may have charm but the lack of a 24 hour grocery store and the constant stomping on his head by tiny dancers is wearing thin. To make matters worst, the town is overcome with the holiday bug. The only thing that can save him this holiday season is the company of Evie.

Evie is in full panic mode and ask her soon to be sister-in law, Charlie, for a bit of help. Soon, the whole town and even Dante are helping her get this production started. Evie is not big on people but the more time she spends with Dante, the more she likes it. Her family is another issue. May Stryker had Evie after a one-night stand when her husband died. Evie has always felt that her mother didn’t love her and the fact that May and her brothers pushed her aside, didn’t help her.

Now May wants to spend as much time with Evie and make up for what she did to Evie as a child. The problem is that Evie doesn’t want to work things out and sees herself as the child in the situation. I loved the conversation where Charlie sets her straight.

“If she feels remorse and asks for your forgiveness, what will make you grant it? She can’t undo the past. So how do you find closure? How do you move on?”

“I don’t know,” Evie admitted. “I don’t think I want to forgive her.”

“So you’ll both always be in pain? That doesn’t sound very pleasant. Are you sure you want to live that way.”

“No, I don’t,” Evie said before could stop herself. “But why does she get a free pass?”

“Because in any other alternative, you have to pay, too. Aren’t you tired of that?”

Evie nodded slowly “I want normal,” she admitted. “I want to have a family who cares about me and whom I can care about.” She wanted so much more than she had.

"You either make it work with the family you have or go find a new one. I hate to break it you, but you’re kind of past the cute kid stage.”

Evie managed a smile. “You think? Because I look adorable in a tutu.”

The story is so hilarious. Evie and Dante have the best banter with one another that I’ve read in a long time. I liked that they caught on to one another’s jokes immediately. It makes the romance a bit lighter. The friends-to-lover trope is executed perfectly in this story.

Dante won me over. There is so much more to him than being a playboy. His background is revealed and my heart immediately broke for his younger self. I’m glad that he got a HEA with Evie. They both deserved it and her reconnecting with her family is a great bonus. I definitely got bitten with the holiday bug. I can’t wait to read more holiday romances :)

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the book. Loved Evie and Dante. I have been waiting for their stories since I first met them in Summer Days, but never suspected at that point it would be their story. Evie was brought to Fool's Gold by her family after a devastating injury. She doesn't want to be there as she has always felt like an outsider in her own family. She was emotionally neglected by them, especially her mother, left home at seventeen and never looked back. Evie finds herself spending more time with her mother and has to decide if she wants to let go of her anger. Now she's marking time as a dance teacher until she can leave again. Then she gets the winter dance show dumped in her lap and is feeling overwhelmed. She is also not much in the holiday spirit and finds a like-minded soul in Dante, her brother's best friend and business partner. They form an alliance to get them through the holidays and discover that besides their developing friendship there is a growing attraction. Dante doesn't do relationships and makes it clear that if they start something there will be no commitment. Dante has his own issues in his past that have contributed to his attitude and acts the playboy to protect his heart and feelings. I liked the way that he helped Evie see that it was possible for her to have a new relationship with her family. He was also wonderful at being there whenever she needed any kind of support. You can see that he is falling for her, but that he doesn't want to admit it. There are a lot of great scenes where the nice guy in him shows through. There is also a wonderfully hilarious scene dealing with her brothers letting themselves into her house and not expecting Dante to be there. I loved the ending and how he finally comes through.

One of the best things about the Fool's Gold books is the sense of community and family. Being from the city, both Dante and Evie have no experience with the way that the town provides support. When Evie gets the winter dance program dumped on her she has no idea where to even start to make it happen. When she goes to Charlie for help, she can't believe that there are people who will just show up and do what is needed. I loved her surprise at how many people came to help with the sets. I also enjoyed the way that Dante made sure that her brothers were part of the group. I loved the way that people kept getting Evie involved in different activities and how much she ended up enjoying it. I loved the ladies' party when they all showed up to make Evie feel better. I like seeing the characters from previous books. Most make brief appearances, like running into a friend at the grocery store. Just enough to see what they're up to without getting bombarded with too much information. I'm looking forward to next year's books s lot.

[Lisa Filipe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great end to the Stryker Family saga within Fool's Gold. I was very curious to know what Susan had in mind for Evie and she certainly didn't let me down.

Evie Stryker, baby of the three Stryker brother's, is forced into Fool's Gold when she is injured while performing as an NFL Cheerleader. Evie has a lot of resentment towards her family, especially her mother, who has always treated her like an outcast, since she was conceived out of wedlock. Evie takes a position at the local dance studio, where it is left on her shoulders to produce the annual Christmas Recital. Since the dance studio is located above her brothers firm, she seems to run into her brother, Rafe's, best friend and business partner, Dante Jefferson, a lot.

Dante can't stand Fool's Gold, nor can he stand the little tapping feet that dance across his ceiling everyday. He decides to confront the teacher, and instead is struck silent by her beauty and elegance. Dante knows that getting involved with his best friends little sister is not a good idea, but the more time he spends around her, the more time he wants. But can he ever be what she really needs or will he be one more person in her life to disappoint her?

This was such a wonderful addition to the Fool's Gold series. I loved Evie and Dante. Susan Mallery sure knows how to pick the perfect mates for her heroes and heroines, and these two are a special pair. I loved the magic of the season, the sparks that ignite when Evie and Dante are together, and the romantic ending to a beautiful story. Dante might just be my favorite Fool's Gold hero!!

My readers know how much I adore the Fool's Gold Series, so I hope you have read them all, but I will definitely recommend this wonderful Christmas romance.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

[Jac (For Love and Books) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there a better place in the world to spend Christmas than Fool's Gold?? I think not!

Today I was having a rather blah day and I wanted to curl up with a book that I KNEW would be good. I surfed through my shelf, nothing. I looked at my Kindle. Nothing. I resorted to Netgalley and immediately found what I was looking for! I've said it a thousand times, Susan Mallery is my go-to for a feel good read! (My husband compares my bookshelf with her books to my childhood teddy bear, because when I pull both out? BEWARE! I'm probably in my baggy sweats and curled up with my BFF's Ben and Jerry!) Today was one of those days, and as always? Susan was there!

I dove back into Fool's Gold as if I'd never left, and all my beloved friends were there to welcome me. But, before I go farther? I must admit I was hesitant to read this one when I first saw it on Netgalley MONTHS ago. In Rafe's book? Dante just didn't do it for me. He was stiff, and obnoxious. But, of course? Susan Mallery surprises us! In fact, Dante may be my favorite Fool's Gold hero yet! I adored him for his many levels, and the fact that he and Evie keep things "real" between them. (Well, as real as you can get when you're falling in love, but telling yourself you don't want love!)

Dante and Evie are two beautiful and successful people, who are broken from mistakes in their past. They unite over a dislike for the Christmas holiday and commiserate with their family drama! (And there is one incredibly hilarious scene that involves the three Stryker brothers and nudity!!! Seriously - you'll LOVE it!)

Without gushing too much, I'll just leave it to this... read this one! (Preferably in your pajamas, on your couch, with a big mug of hot cocoa!)

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Susan Mallery delivers a sweet small town romance that is packed with her trademark wit and humor. Emotion backs this story up, making it more than just a sweet interlude between two people. As Dante and Evie help each other through their emotional issues, A FOOL'S GOLD CHRISTMAS becomes a story celebrating support and love.

It took me a little time to warm up to Evie's character because she was introduced as a shrieking, stressed-out mess. But once more of her personality shone through, I found that she was the perfect match for Dante.

A FOOL'S GOLD CHRISTMAS is a great escape for readers wishing for an uplifting romance and a fun, entertaining read!

Read this review in its entirety at Fresh Fiction

[Mayda · Rating 2 out of 5]

There’s nothing special about this trite romance set during the Christmas season. Evie Stryker is an injured dancer who falls in love/lust with bad-boy lawyer Dante Jefferson. Not wanting to give away what plot there is, suffice it to say that more than once I wished Evie would quit whining, put on her big girl panties and grow up.

[Connie N. · Rating 4 out of 5]

#9.5 in the Fool's Gold romance series

Evie is the younger daughter of May (and younger sister of Rafe, Shane, and Clay). She has always been on the outside of the family, looking in, because of the circumstances of her birth. But after an injury, she finds herself in Fool's Gold, teaching at a dance studio. When the manager leaves, Evie is overwhelmed with responsibilities, not the least of which is the Dance of the Winter King, a major holiday performance. At the same time she starts a "fun" relationship with Dante, Rafe's business partner. Through struggles to come to terms with her family and their previous rejection of her, she works hard to get ready for the major dance production after the studio's manager leaves suddenly. She can't help but fall in love with Dante, but that doesn't work out too well since he's more of the leaving kind rather than the marrying kind. Lots of interaction with previous characters in Fool's Gold books, plenty of holiday activities, and some warm and loving attention from a homeless cat. Sweet and warm. I got involved in all of Evie's hectic schedule and was impressed with her calmness in the face of so much to do. Well read, as usual, by Tanya Eby.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Fool’s Gold Christmas
Fool’s Gold, Book 9.5

I Picked Up This Book Because: #WinterGames TBR

Media Type: Audiobook
Source: Scribd
Dates Read: 12/14/23 - 12/18/23
Stars: 4
Narrator(s): Tanya Eby

The Characters:

Evie Stryker
Dante Jefferson
various other townspeople

The Story:

I’m really falling in love with this little town. Everyone is so supportive. I need to spend more time here in the future.

The Random Thoughts:

[Anna Drenick · Rating 2 out of 5]

That’s right folks, were starting off the Holiday season with another Fool’s Gold book, and it’s just as terrible as the rest of them. But they’re fun, predictable, and I’m going to read at least one more before Christmas. This one was not my favorite. The characters did not have nearly enough tension or tragic enough backstories.

[Monique Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could actually picture the little girls preparing for their dances. I knew these two were going to be able to help each other and I love the way it ended. Love and healing and the best Christmas gifts. Romantic and heartfelt story.

[Rheathebookwormdreamergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Actual Rating 4.5*

I really enjoyed reading this book. This was the first book by Susan Mallery that I ever read. I will be reading more of her books. I really enjoyed it. I thought it was cute, and it made me smile. The chemistry is super believable and I love that!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evie (dance teacher) and Dante (lawyer).
Ballet bits. Pet adoption parts very good.
Family history hurt to work thru. And lots of people !