Readers have fallen in love with the town and people of Fool's Gold in Susan Mallery's New York Times bestselling series. Meet her latest couple in this special Fool's Gold novella!
Fayrene Hopkins may be only twenty-four years old, but she runs her own business and has big plans--plans that don't involve falling in love yet. She's determined to make her mark on the world before settling down.
She thinks she's got life all figured out--until she meets Ryan Patterson on her latest job. Fayrene senses his interest in her, and she has to admit he gets her pulse racing. Luckily, starting a relationship with Ryan is safe--he's leaving Fool's Gold when his work contract is up.
Ryan has goals of his own and a job waiting for him in Texas. He doesn't expect to get waylaid by a sassy blonde and cozy town. But what started out as temporary is starting to look like the real thing. If only he can convince Fayrene that some plans are made to be broken.
Return to Fool's Gold in Just One Kiss, Two of a Kind and Three Little Words. Plus, look for the entire Fool's Gold series--and dozens of other memorable titles by Susan Mallery--available now from Harlequin HQN.
#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.
It was cute but SO short for a pay for novella. Potential was great but it really fell short for me. But I'm really looking forward to the full length books and still love Susan Mallery. But this should have been a freebie.
Why I Read this Book: Fool’s Gold fan here! I gobble up each new installment as soon as possible.
What I Liked: Ryan and Fayrene were great leads. Both were pretty straightforward and blunt with one another so there was no game-playing between them. I like angst and tension in my romance but sometimes it’s nice to read an easy going romance every once in a while. Fayrene is my kind of girl – she’s a planner. She has flaws but not only does she admit to them, she owns them. They make her who she is. Ryan is a thoughtful and caring kind of guy. He pays attention to even the smallest of details when it comes to Fayrene. He’s understanding about her concerns and wants to work them out with her, one by one. And offers a compromise that makes her feel comfortable.
Dellina and Ana Raquel, Fayrene’s older sister and twin sister respectively, were interesting characters and I would like to read both of their stories. The possibility of Ana Raquel and this “annoying” Greg Clary from the 2nd grade would make from a great and interesting coupling. Speaking of secondary characters, I love how the author drops little hints about characters that have a book coming up. Gideon, I’m looking at you. I cling to these nuggets of information and try to figure out who their happy-ever-after match will be.
What I Didn’t Like: My only gripe is that Halfway There was more of a ‘happy for now’ instead of a ‘happy ever after’ story. I am hoping I will see Ryan and Fayrene’s relationship grow over the course of the Fool’s Gold series. But I wish their HEA had been completed in this book.
Overall Impression:Halfway There works for series fans, like myself, and people who haven’t read a single Fool’s Gold book. It didn’t attest to the small town life as much as the other novels have but it’ll give you an idea of the town and its residents.
Novellas don't allow time for relationships to develop or for much interaction between the players, so I usually avoid them, but I wanted to fill in some of the Fools Gold stories I had missed, so I am reading them. Barely into the story, it quickly wraps up and finishes, leaving you wanting more. Stil not a fan of novellas. Fayrene and Ryan are interesting enough characters to have a bigger story.
We meet Ryan, a wind-turbine expert working for Ethan, when he moves to town. He, in turn, meets Fayrene, a budding entrepreneur, who has a strict "plan." They're immediately attracted to each other and share in the fun of Fool's Gold's festivals. He's a safe bet for her since he's only working here temporarily, and he won't interfere with her life plan. But soon those plans change, and it's takes some adjustment. Everything comes together quickly (a little too quickly, in my opinion), and suddenly the novella was done, with a HEA. Sweet, nice, but (as always), the female character is too quick to jump to conclusions and spends way more time worrying than seems warranted. But nicely narrated by Tanya Eby.
Aller Liebe Anfang ist ein Kuss von Susan Mallery ist eine weitere Kurzgeschichte der Fool's Gold Reihe. Hier geht es um Fayrene, welche einen Vierjahresplan erstellt hat, in dem keine Liebesbeziehung Platz hat. Als sie jedoch Ryan trifft ist sie sich gar nicht mehr so sicher. Er will jedoch nicht lange in der Stadt bleiben, worin Fayrene dann eine Chance sieht.
Dieses Buch hat mir leider nicht sehr gut gefallen. Es ist wieder eine Kurzgeschichte und man kann in solchen nicht so in die Tiefe gehen. Fayrene ist mir etwas zu panisch und durchgeplant. Sie kommt mir überhaupt nicht realistisch vor. Ryan ist ein netter Kerl und läuft nicht davon, was ein Wunder bei diesen Büchern ist. Es gibt auch keinen sofortigen Heiratsantrag.
Leider nicht so mein Geschmack. Dennoch freue ich mich auf die nächsten Bücher!
I guess I didn’t realize or forgot that this was a novelette, Fool’s Gold #9.75 to be exact… I was saving it to read for my Climb-the-stairs challenge. It is a cute story. Fayrene Hopkins’ parents were killed in an accident when she and her twin were young and they were sent to live with their grandparents in Arizona, along with their older sister. Fayrene has a plan and that plan is to be a successful entrepreneur within 5 years, she’s just about got year one under her belt and doesn’t want anything to get in the way of her goals. Then, while on a temping job and pet sitting a pregnant cat, she meets Ryan Patterson. She feels an attraction to him but tamps it down as she doesn’t have time for a relationship while working on her plans for success. While temporarily working as a contractor for an engineering firm, Ryan is amused to be confronted by a near-hysterical woman running around the office yelling about someone about to give birth. It turns out that the “someone” is Missy the cat that she is pet sitting while manning the receptionist desk in the offices where Ryan is working. Not off to the most auspicious of beginnings, Ryan can’t help his attraction to Fayrene. Will Fayrene find time in her schedule to have a short fling with Ryan since he’ll be moving on to Texas and a full time job and won’t upset her goals? Or will Ryan find a reason to stick around and maybe see if this “thing” between them is worth pursuing?
Fay is one year into her 5 year plan. She plans to have a successful business and secure future before she has a relationship, marriage and family. But sometimes the best laid plans go awry!! Fayrene meets Ryan at the office she's working in while he is temporarily staying in Fool's Gold. Fay and Ryan definitely notice each other and feel that spark! Fay is determined to keep Ryan at a distance, the last thing she wants is a relationship that is going to interfere with her 5 year plan! But the more she sees him, the more she wants him...and having a temporary fling might just work for her and her plan! Is that what will work for Ryan and Fay? Will they be able to let go when Ryan leaves? This was a great, fast read. I was so happy to be back in Fool's Gold! I Loved both Fay and Ryan. I liked that they were so honest with each other from the start. They made me laugh and at the same time my heart hoped they could find some way to be together. I liked that they were so honest with each other from the start. Susan Mallery does not disappoint with Halfway There! I recommend this for a quick romantic read and visit to Fool's Gold, whether you've been there before or not! :)
First book in the Fool's Gold series that I so thoroughly disliked. Making the story longer wouldn't have helped at all.
The first chapter kind of ticked me off and the rest of the book wasn't good enough to overcome that.
The idea anyone would open up a business for pet sitting and end up running around panicked because a cat is giving birth just irritated me. She has a degree in business. Great. That means you should have known to do research on things like, oh I don't know, about taking care of animals since that's what you're supposed to be doing. That includes pregnancy. And even if that's not the normal pet you planned to take care of, as a responsible business owner, shouldn't you have at least researched that once it was a situation you were in?
And what kind of pet sitting service wouldn't know the local vet's phone number? Who doesn't plan for emergencies in the long run?
The main female character just came off like a complete airhead and nothing later in the book really had me rethinking that.
Halfway There es una de las muchas novelas cortas dentro de la saga Fool´s Gold creada por la autora Susan Mallery y tiene como protagonistas a Ryan y Fayrene ( una de las hermanas gemela de Dellina. ) Siempre que leo novelas de este tipo ( con menos de 100 paginas ) no se que decir en la reseña, principalmente porque son tan cortas y sencillas que no puedo decir demasiado sin dar spoilers, lo que si puedo decir de Halfway There es que me sorprendio como novela, fue ligera, tierna y tan bien escrita como las demas historias de la serie, solo me hubiera gustado mas si tuviera mas paginas, aun asi es perfecta como lectura intermedia ( entre libros mas complejos ).
I absolutely love Susan Mallery's Fools Gold series and can't wait to read her next one, coming out the end of this month. But I didn't care too much for this one (Halfway There) it was way too short and felt rushed. Definitely NOT one of my favorites! However it was still a very cute story!
Since I wanted to read a tiny story, I chose this and 6.2 from Fool's Gold series. The stories are easy to read, simple and sweet. I'll be going back to read the series. I like the people, their friendly nature, and the Parades. In this one though, I like the cat. ;)
I always enjoy returning to Fool's Gold, but this seemed too short and hurried. I didn't feel like I got enough time to connect with the characters. It just felt too rushed.
Okay, so there's a lot to like about this: a career-minded, focused, successful woman, sisters who are obviously closely bonded, a man willing to compromise so that the woman he loves can have a career and stick to her plan. All good things! I like Fayrene a lot, and I like that we, however briefly, get to see her and Ryan having an actual relationship. I love the Hopkins sisters! (I remember really liking Ana Raquel's story, and I'm excited to read that next.) I do NOT like Eddie and Gladys, because it sickens me how their gross hella inappropriate harrassment is always played for laughs. But my main beef with this story is the end-- just when you think things are going to work out well, we get this gem: "We'll date exclusively for three years, then I'll propose, then we'll get married after a year." "You would do that for me?"
?????????? WHY IS DATING FOR THREE YEARS BEFORE GETTING MARRIED A THING SOMEONE HAS TO DO "FOR" YOU???? DATE SOMEONE FOR A WHILE BEFORE MARRYING THEM, FOR CHRIST'S SAKE. This is something I straight up cannot get over in contemporary romance novels-- most women who write them ARE married, AND I FUCKING ASSUME THEY DATED THEIR HUSBANDS FOR OVER A YEAR BEFORE DOING SO??? WHY ARE THEY WRITING BOOKS WHERE THAT'S SUCH A GODDAMN ANOMALY!! JESUS CHRIST!!! Especially for people in their EARLY TWENTIES, HOLY GOD. I cannot believe that that's how this ends!! It makes me so angry!!! Where are all the normal humans in contemporary romancenovellandia!!!!
Uh, anyway, this would almost certainly have been four stars were it not for that, so realistically it's probably closer to four than three. But GODDAMN, DOES THIS MAKE ME MAD.
This is part of the fools gold series. It tells a story with an ending of sorts. As reviewer Brianna pointed out, the ending is more of "a happy for now" than a "happy ever after". This book could stand alone. The series is connected by the town and common characters. Some of the secondary characters in this story were prominent in the earliest books, such as Ethan, Charity and Josh. Fayrene has two sisters who show up much later in the series (numerically). #14 Before We Kiss, which I haven't read, is about Dellina and appears to include more about Ryan and Fayrene.
This is practically a short story. It progresses quickly and without much nuance. I've said elsewhere that 300 plus page romances get a bit long, but this is a bit short. Fayrene is an interesting woman and a bit quirky. Her thinking and dialogue are probably the attractive part of this story.
Mature themes: Fayrene thinks a lot about sex with Ryan but there is not an actual sex scene beyond kissing.
The story was cute, but very short. It is definitely a novella. It starts with a startling announcement and goes right into introducing the two main characters. The rest of the story is much more laid back. The characters are realistic and engaging and the storyline is intriguing. I would have liked to hear more about his plans for improving wind turbines, but that is the science geek in me and probably not what others would want to see! Get it for a cute quick read and enjoy!
This is a filler book in this series by Susan Mallery. This was a short one, and in my opinion just ok. We meet a couple of new characters, who of course are tied to the other characters we have met so far in Fool's Gold. It was a cute story, they both like each other but know or think it's a temporary fling. But of course Ryan gets a job offer to stay. Which Fayrene automatically assumes means that her plans for the next few years are out the window. But of course Ryan says he will wait for her. On to the next one!
2 1/2 stars. Good story, but quite short with a slightly unsatisfactory and unrealistic ending. Fayrene Hopkins and Ryan Patterson are new characters in the series: Fayrene a life-long (or almost) resident, and Ryan temporarily working for Ethan Hendrix, designing and improving wind turbines. Their friendship has an expiration date, since Ryan has a job offer in Texas, but when Ethan offers Ryan a full-time position, will his acceptance derail Fayrene’s four-year career plan?
It was an ok short story but I wasn't a big fan of the heroine so didn't make it really good for me. Fayrene needs to chill out a bit and even after finishing the book, I still have no idea what her big business plan is. A business to do general stuff no one else wants to do or has time for (she was a temp receptionist & a cat sitter)?? Made little to no sense to me.
What a cute novella this was to add to the amazing series of Fool's Gold. These were two characters that I don't believe have been mentioned before, Fayrene and Ryan. I really enjoyed both characters and thought their quick little love story was sweet.
Fun summer read - almost a short story- likable characters who seem to feel the need to define their future before getting in a relationship. Of course human nature brings them together, but can they overcome their fears or achieve their professional and business goals.
Let me say this first… nooooooo! 😝 That ended way too quickly. A fantastic quick story but I really wanted this one slow and drawn out. I hope to meet her sisters and that they have stories of their own. Hopefully we’re involved in their next 4 year plan too! Mallery rocked this one!
This book was okay, it was my first time reading about this series. I found the romance quite rushed and there’s no indication of how long Fayrene and Ryan have known each other.
That being said, I am interested in the rest of the series and I’m looking to give that ago!
Shockingly short. Didn’t even realize I was a page away from the end until it hit me in the face. I liked it mostly but wish more had been put into the story. It didn’t really add anything to the Fools Gold story?