What do you think?
Rate this book
Fool's Gold #3
Finding Perfect
When Pia O'Brian's best friend dies, Pia expects to inherit her cherished cat.
Instead, the woman leaves Pia three frozen embryos. With a disastrous track record in the romance department and the parenting skills of a hamster, Pia doesn't think she's meant for motherhood. But determined to do the right thing, Pia decides to become a single mother. Only to meet a gorgeous, sexy hunk the very same day.
A former foster-care kid now rich beyond his wildest dreams, Raoul Moreno runs a camp for needy children in Fool's Gold, California. After his last relationship, Raoul thought he was done with women and commitment. Still, he can't get sweet, sexy Pia out of his mind—and proposes a crazy plan. But can such an unconventional beginning really result in the perfect ending?
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 31, 2010
743 people are currently reading
4302 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mallery
862 books15.4k followers#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.
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.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews
May 25, 2017
4 Heart, Soul, and Balls Stars
I enjoyed this book a lot more than book 2. I am still totally butthurt over the shit Ethan pulled in that book. So I was glad I didn't have to deal with his ass in this book. I liked both Pia and Raoul. They were both sweet and a little damaged. I loved the whole Peter and embryo plot. I just wish that for once in this series the guy didn't act like a coward too scared to love and have to have all the towns people talk sense into him (or you know harass, bitch, or browbeat him) until he sees the light. Just sayin' I love a hero that knows what he wants and goes for it. The that isn't afraid of a little heartbreak because he's tough, he can rip his own heart out and drink his life's blood with nails. Oh sorry got carried away there. Had Raoul not did the chicken dance in this book I would have gave it 5 stars. Below I leave my favorite quote it's from the hero from book 1 Josh. I couldn't have said it better!
“I’d wondered if you’d caught that. You’re right. She loves you. Like most women, she’s not willing to settle. She wants it all. That’s what women specialize in—demanding every scrap of humanity we have. Our hearts, our souls and our balls. You can fight it, my friend, but I’ve learned it’s a whole lot smarter to hand it all over quietly. They’re going to win in the end and if you resist, you only end up having to beg more.” -Josh
I enjoyed this book a lot more than book 2. I am still totally butthurt over the shit Ethan pulled in that book. So I was glad I didn't have to deal with his ass in this book. I liked both Pia and Raoul. They were both sweet and a little damaged. I loved the whole Peter and embryo plot. I just wish that for once in this series the guy didn't act like a coward too scared to love and have to have all the towns people talk sense into him (or you know harass, bitch, or browbeat him) until he sees the light. Just sayin' I love a hero that knows what he wants and goes for it. The that isn't afraid of a little heartbreak because he's tough, he can rip his own heart out and drink his life's blood with nails. Oh sorry got carried away there. Had Raoul not did the chicken dance in this book I would have gave it 5 stars. Below I leave my favorite quote it's from the hero from book 1 Josh. I couldn't have said it better!
“I’d wondered if you’d caught that. You’re right. She loves you. Like most women, she’s not willing to settle. She wants it all. That’s what women specialize in—demanding every scrap of humanity we have. Our hearts, our souls and our balls. You can fight it, my friend, but I’ve learned it’s a whole lot smarter to hand it all over quietly. They’re going to win in the end and if you resist, you only end up having to beg more.” -Josh
October 29, 2015
Well the series took a turn for the worse, here. To be strictly fair, it was broadcast well-enough in advance—the problem I have with the novel, I mean. It's in all he cover copy but I held out hope that it wouldn't be so callus and irresponsible. I actually managed to get a third of the way through before realizing that it was going to be exactly as bad as I expected.
Here's the thing: children matter and so do parents. And every child deserves to have the best shot possible and that means having two parents working together to raise them. And while that's not always possible and life is messy and people need support to make the best of their various bad situations, it is wrong to make choices that you know in advance are going to be harmful to children. The central conceit of this novel is Crystal leaving Pia her frozen embryos in her will. And everybody seems to think "it's the right thing to do" for Pia to have those babies herself and raise them on her own. Pia even admits she has no idea how to care for children and is frightened, but that doesn't change the fact that it's somehow "the right thing to do". I'm sorry, but that just is not true. There are thousands of very worthy people looking for children and enough of those would be willing to go through IVF to get there. But no, it's somehow noble to roll the dice with the lives of children on some romantic notion that a single woman should have and raise them in apparent "honor" of her friend.
And yeah, it's a romance so you know it'll work out and the two main characters will make a loving home and raise them as their own and all that good stuff. And that would have been wonderful if they had gotten there before deciding to have the babies. But they don't. No, it's clear that Pia was planning to just dive in and figure it all out on the fly. It's irresponsible and immoral and it broke all sympathy I had for the character. Having children is important. And I find the casual disregard for their welfare chilling. I had a slim hope that the conflict would be Pia feeling bad about not having a strong enough family environment for the kids and with a three-year clock ticking that would provide the tension (with concomitant concern that the hero might not be a great father). But no, she didn't care enough to plan ahead or think of what their emotional needs would be, she was just going to do it because it's somehow magically "the right thing to do." Argh!
Here's the thing: children matter and so do parents. And every child deserves to have the best shot possible and that means having two parents working together to raise them. And while that's not always possible and life is messy and people need support to make the best of their various bad situations, it is wrong to make choices that you know in advance are going to be harmful to children. The central conceit of this novel is Crystal leaving Pia her frozen embryos in her will. And everybody seems to think "it's the right thing to do" for Pia to have those babies herself and raise them on her own. Pia even admits she has no idea how to care for children and is frightened, but that doesn't change the fact that it's somehow "the right thing to do". I'm sorry, but that just is not true. There are thousands of very worthy people looking for children and enough of those would be willing to go through IVF to get there. But no, it's somehow noble to roll the dice with the lives of children on some romantic notion that a single woman should have and raise them in apparent "honor" of her friend.
And yeah, it's a romance so you know it'll work out and the two main characters will make a loving home and raise them as their own and all that good stuff. And that would have been wonderful if they had gotten there before deciding to have the babies. But they don't. No, it's clear that Pia was planning to just dive in and figure it all out on the fly. It's irresponsible and immoral and it broke all sympathy I had for the character. Having children is important. And I find the casual disregard for their welfare chilling. I had a slim hope that the conflict would be Pia feeling bad about not having a strong enough family environment for the kids and with a three-year clock ticking that would provide the tension (with concomitant concern that the hero might not be a great father). But no, she didn't care enough to plan ahead or think of what their emotional needs would be, she was just going to do it because it's somehow magically "the right thing to do." Argh!
March 7, 2018
Finding Perfect
Susan Mallery
FINDING PERFECT is the third book in the Fools Gold series and I can't believe I waited so long to read this collection of funny and romantic stories. There are forty three books in this series and I'm hoping to get to a huge batch of them read this year.
Pia O'Brien finds out that her recently deceased best friend has left her a gift she couldn't even imagine. She has left Pia her three frozen embryos. Pia had been taking care of Crystal's cat so she figured that is what she was getting. To say she was surprised about getting the embryos is the hugest understatement ever! FINDING PERFECT is also the story of Raoul Moreno who is a hunky ex football star who has decided to settle down in Fools Gold. As he gets to know Pia and how alone she really is, he decides he wants to become her pregnancy buddy! What?? Oh yeah, it's just a crazy story and both of them agree that their relationship will go no further than that. Okay sure, you know how that's going to go right?
Pia had a rough time when she was growing up. She was a very poplar but mean girl in high school, but then everything changed. Her father committed suicide and her mother left alone and moved to Florida. FINDING PERFECT will definitely pull at your heart strings and leave you wanting to reach in and give Pia a great big hug. She doesn't feel she is worthy of finding happiness or taking care of these babies. She hurt many people a long time ago and carries around a lot of guilt. While all of this is going on, Pia is still trying to find a way to bring more men to her beautiful town and end the man shortage once and for all.
Make yourself a yummy hot drink, get your favorite blanket and get on the couch. FINDING PERFECT is an awesome way to spend the afternoon or evening. I'm so excited to continue with the Fools Gold series and learn more about my new found friends. Once you start FINDING PERECT you won't be able to put it down and will find yourself cheering for Pia and Raoul as they try to navigate their way through a very different and unique situation. Susan Mallery will pull you in from the very first page and never let you go!
Susan Mallery
FINDING PERFECT is the third book in the Fools Gold series and I can't believe I waited so long to read this collection of funny and romantic stories. There are forty three books in this series and I'm hoping to get to a huge batch of them read this year.
Pia O'Brien finds out that her recently deceased best friend has left her a gift she couldn't even imagine. She has left Pia her three frozen embryos. Pia had been taking care of Crystal's cat so she figured that is what she was getting. To say she was surprised about getting the embryos is the hugest understatement ever! FINDING PERFECT is also the story of Raoul Moreno who is a hunky ex football star who has decided to settle down in Fools Gold. As he gets to know Pia and how alone she really is, he decides he wants to become her pregnancy buddy! What?? Oh yeah, it's just a crazy story and both of them agree that their relationship will go no further than that. Okay sure, you know how that's going to go right?
Pia had a rough time when she was growing up. She was a very poplar but mean girl in high school, but then everything changed. Her father committed suicide and her mother left alone and moved to Florida. FINDING PERFECT will definitely pull at your heart strings and leave you wanting to reach in and give Pia a great big hug. She doesn't feel she is worthy of finding happiness or taking care of these babies. She hurt many people a long time ago and carries around a lot of guilt. While all of this is going on, Pia is still trying to find a way to bring more men to her beautiful town and end the man shortage once and for all.
Make yourself a yummy hot drink, get your favorite blanket and get on the couch. FINDING PERFECT is an awesome way to spend the afternoon or evening. I'm so excited to continue with the Fools Gold series and learn more about my new found friends. Once you start FINDING PERECT you won't be able to put it down and will find yourself cheering for Pia and Raoul as they try to navigate their way through a very different and unique situation. Susan Mallery will pull you in from the very first page and never let you go!
August 28, 2010
I decided to quit reading this book because I am too intimately involved with IVF/embryo transfers. I was annoyed just at the beginning with Pia expecting that she would have triplets. The odds of that are very slim. In fact, with 3 frozen embryos, the odds of them all making it through the thaw is thin--most likely only 1 or 2 would make it (thaw rates are about 50%). And from that, most likely only one would take--if that. Also, no good reproductive doctor would advise transferring 3 "young" (harvested from a woman less than 40) embryos.
If all 3 embryos take and Pia gets pregnant with triplets, it would be a true fantasy and irritate someone like me who knows the odds and has lived it. It is belittling to someone who has lived it when IVF/embryo transfers are minimized to seem so easy.
More research could have made this a very good book. See basics:
Guidelines
ASRM Revises Guidelines
Risks of Muliples
Unfortunately, the premise of this book is just hurtful to me. I'm disappointed in one of my favorite authors. Just because it is fiction doesn't mean that it should perpetuate ignorance about IVF.
If all 3 embryos take and Pia gets pregnant with triplets, it would be a true fantasy and irritate someone like me who knows the odds and has lived it. It is belittling to someone who has lived it when IVF/embryo transfers are minimized to seem so easy.
More research could have made this a very good book. See basics:
Guidelines
ASRM Revises Guidelines
Risks of Muliples
Unfortunately, the premise of this book is just hurtful to me. I'm disappointed in one of my favorite authors. Just because it is fiction doesn't mean that it should perpetuate ignorance about IVF.
July 3, 2010
What can I say about a book that should have annoyed me at every turn, but ended up winning me over? When Pia learns that her friend Crystal, who just recently died of cancer, left her her three frozen embryos, I knew this was going to be a tough sell. Because it was pretty much a given that the book would involve Pia having the embryos implanted and then pregnancy/dating hijinks would ensue--and that's pretty much what happened. And yet, I found the relationship she formed with retired pro-football player, Raoul, incredibly sweet. What Mallery gives the reader is the old "another man's baby" plot from a different angle. And it works. For all that I found Pia's initial disclosure of her situation to Raoul problematic, once their partnership (he called himself her "Pregnancy Buddy") got going, it just worked. There were a couple of times when Pia's decisions stretched credibility (there seemed to be no real reason for her to go through with the implantation immediately besides the necessary timeline for the story) I found her to be an endearing and surprisingly strong heroine. And like the heroes in the two previous books in this series, Raoul tended toward the stubbornly foolish end of the hero spectrum, he was ultimately a likable alpha.
This trilogy has been my introduction to the writing of Susan Mallery (aside from a sheik book she wrote for Silhouette Special Edition) and I've come to expect interesting re-workings of traditional romance tropes in a quirky setting. Definitely worth putting her on my auto-buy list.
This trilogy has been my introduction to the writing of Susan Mallery (aside from a sheik book she wrote for Silhouette Special Edition) and I've come to expect interesting re-workings of traditional romance tropes in a quirky setting. Definitely worth putting her on my auto-buy list.
July 4, 2017
Well, I don't know if I will be rushing out to read any more of Susan Mallery's books any time soon. This was just another okay book for me. Something needs to change with her style or I don't think I will read any more.
Again, it's left me with a lot of unanswered questions, incomplete characters, choppy scene changing. And another thing I've noticed, and despise - half open door/half closed door sex scenes. Just when things are getting really hot, and the writing up to this is great, she skips to the end. WTF? If you're going to get graphic and show me some, don't be a tease and skip the good stuff. It's really annoying. Also, I wanted more from Raoul's POV, in fact, this is a disturbing trend as well, most of the books have been mostly from the women's POV. Ethan was a little better, but I still feel like I'm not really getting to know the men in these books.
Also, the whole man shortage theme is getting old. The women of Fool's Gold are apparently all strong capable women, but all they do is talk about men as sexual objects, no wonder all the men have run.
I will probably read the rest of the series, as I hate to leave series unfinished, but for now, I think I'm done with Fool's Gold and Susan Mallery. She's not bad, but she's not great, yet. I think she has the potential, but I'm just not loving her yet. If anybody has another of her books they think is better, please let me know.
Again, it's left me with a lot of unanswered questions, incomplete characters, choppy scene changing. And another thing I've noticed, and despise - half open door/half closed door sex scenes. Just when things are getting really hot, and the writing up to this is great, she skips to the end. WTF? If you're going to get graphic and show me some, don't be a tease and skip the good stuff. It's really annoying. Also, I wanted more from Raoul's POV, in fact, this is a disturbing trend as well, most of the books have been mostly from the women's POV. Ethan was a little better, but I still feel like I'm not really getting to know the men in these books.
Also, the whole man shortage theme is getting old. The women of Fool's Gold are apparently all strong capable women, but all they do is talk about men as sexual objects, no wonder all the men have run.
I will probably read the rest of the series, as I hate to leave series unfinished, but for now, I think I'm done with Fool's Gold and Susan Mallery. She's not bad, but she's not great, yet. I think she has the potential, but I'm just not loving her yet. If anybody has another of her books they think is better, please let me know.
May 5, 2017
Welcome to Fool's Gold, California...And meet Pia O'Brian, town festival planner, and Raoul Moreno, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and Fool's Gold's newest resident...
A few months previously, Pia's friend Crystal died and left her three frozen embryos. Frightened by the prospect of having babies, Pia returns to work and proceeds to have a breakdown in the presence of the famous, attractive Raoul for their scheduled meeting. They decide to reschedule and he leaves, going over to the elementary school to give a speech to some of the kids. While he's there, a fire starts and burns down the school. In light of this development, Raoul offers his kids' camp as a location for the temporary school. At their rescheduled meeting, Pia and Raoul discover a previously unknown connection: Raoul had known Keith, Crystal's late husband, and was there when he died.
This revelation causes Raoul to offer to be Pia's "pregnancy buddy" and to help her with the babies. He takes her to doctor's appointments and has sex with her, per her doctor's recommendation. When the embryos are finally implanted, Raoul proposes to Pia, offering to be there for her and to be a real father to the babies, to make a life with her, and she accepts. A few weeks later, it is confirmed that the embryos all attached successfully and Pia is pregnant.
At this point, Pia still hasn't come to terms with the fact that she was going to be having triplets. Everything comes into crystal clear focus after a day out shopping for maternity clothes and furniture with Charity and after she miscarries one of the babies. In the hospital after the miscarriage, Pia and Raoul finally understand that the babies are not only Keith and Crystal's, but they are Raoul and Pia's babies, too.
As Pia and Raoul spend more and more time together, it becomes abundantly clear to Pia that she has fallen in love with Raoul. It's also painfully clear that Raoul is afraid to trust after the betrayal of his ex-wife. Faced with no choice, Pia breaks off the engagement because she realizes that she cannot marry a man who doesn't love her back.
After some stern talkings-to and snubs from people in town, Raoul finally has an epiphany: he loves Pia and his life is empty without her. Racing through town, he runs to express his love and propose to her for real. After she accepts, the two of them go find Peter, the orphaned boy that both had gotten close to over the past month or so, and tells Peter that they want to adopt him. All three of them finally have people to love and love them back, and they live happily ever after as a family.
I have been eagerly awaiting Finding Perfect ever since I finished Almost Perfect, and I definitely feel that the wait was worth it. While Almost Perfect is still my favorite novel of the Fool's Gold series, I was not disappointed in Finding Perfect. Susan Mallery has produced yet another winner, yet another book I will always love.
I have to say that I honestly had mixed feelings about Pia in the beginning of this book, due to the different impressions and stories about her from the previous two books. In Chasing Perfect, I loved her, she seemed like the best friend a girl could have and Charity was lucky to have her. In Almost Perfect, it was revealed that she was the mean girl in high school and she was even a little mean to Liz in the present time, and as Liz is my favorite heroine of the series, I got a little defensive on her behalf. So, I came into this not sure how I would feel about her. After having read Finding Perfect, I can say with confidence that I have reverted back to my opinion of her from Chasing Perfect. It was wonderful to see more sides of Pia and finally start to understand her. Just like everyone else, she has insecurities, some trust issues, complete loyalty, and her own morals. She's a complex person in her own way, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her grow into herself in this book, into a completely confident woman who believed she could do anything she set her mind to.
Unlike with Pia, I knew I was going to love Raoul from the beginning. I loved the good impression I'd gotten of him in Almost Perfect, and I remember reading about him in the Bakery Sister's series (even though I haven't read Sweet Spot, Hawk and Nicole's book, the one that Raoul actually plays a large role in). Like with Pia, I enjoyed seeing him finally grow into himself and see that he needed to finally trust someone with his heart. I was heartbroken when Pia broke their engagement because he wouldn't give himself to her completely, and I was on the verge of crying when he basically rejected Peter. The ending, where her finally becomes the man he's always wanted to be, was absolutely beautiful and left me wanting more.
I absolutely adored Peter. He was the cutest kid and his faith and dependence on Raoul was downright beautiful. I was smiling like a fool at the end when Raoul and Pia finally come and tell him that they want to adopt him.
I enjoyed seeing characters from other books like Charity, Liz, Marsha, and Josh. I wish that Ethan had actually had some kind of presence in the book, not just his name being mentioned here or there. I loved seeing more of Montana and Dakota in this book and hope that the two of them, and Nevada, will one day have their own books.
One thing I was not expecting with the plot of the story was that the house Raoul was showing Pia was the one she and her parents had lived in years before. Reading that, and learning about her past, was a touching, heartbreaking moment.
I love, love, loved that Hawk and Nicole came to visit Raoul in Fool's Gold. Ever since I read about him knowing them in the Bakery Sister's series, I was anticipating some sort of cameo from those two in Finding Perfect. Needless to say, I was very happy to have them prove me right!
Again, Finding Perfect was a fantastic book and I believe it deserves every star I gave it. Also, I am really hoping that there are going to be more Fool's Gold books in the future, especially since this wonderful little tidbit can be found inside the book: "And look for more of Susan Mallery's fantastic stories set in Fool's Gold, coming in 2011!" I hope this is true and I look forward to more books starring the people of this wonderful town!
A few months previously, Pia's friend Crystal died and left her three frozen embryos. Frightened by the prospect of having babies, Pia returns to work and proceeds to have a breakdown in the presence of the famous, attractive Raoul for their scheduled meeting. They decide to reschedule and he leaves, going over to the elementary school to give a speech to some of the kids. While he's there, a fire starts and burns down the school. In light of this development, Raoul offers his kids' camp as a location for the temporary school. At their rescheduled meeting, Pia and Raoul discover a previously unknown connection: Raoul had known Keith, Crystal's late husband, and was there when he died.
This revelation causes Raoul to offer to be Pia's "pregnancy buddy" and to help her with the babies. He takes her to doctor's appointments and has sex with her, per her doctor's recommendation. When the embryos are finally implanted, Raoul proposes to Pia, offering to be there for her and to be a real father to the babies, to make a life with her, and she accepts. A few weeks later, it is confirmed that the embryos all attached successfully and Pia is pregnant.
At this point, Pia still hasn't come to terms with the fact that she was going to be having triplets. Everything comes into crystal clear focus after a day out shopping for maternity clothes and furniture with Charity and after she miscarries one of the babies. In the hospital after the miscarriage, Pia and Raoul finally understand that the babies are not only Keith and Crystal's, but they are Raoul and Pia's babies, too.
As Pia and Raoul spend more and more time together, it becomes abundantly clear to Pia that she has fallen in love with Raoul. It's also painfully clear that Raoul is afraid to trust after the betrayal of his ex-wife. Faced with no choice, Pia breaks off the engagement because she realizes that she cannot marry a man who doesn't love her back.
After some stern talkings-to and snubs from people in town, Raoul finally has an epiphany: he loves Pia and his life is empty without her. Racing through town, he runs to express his love and propose to her for real. After she accepts, the two of them go find Peter, the orphaned boy that both had gotten close to over the past month or so, and tells Peter that they want to adopt him. All three of them finally have people to love and love them back, and they live happily ever after as a family.
I have been eagerly awaiting Finding Perfect ever since I finished Almost Perfect, and I definitely feel that the wait was worth it. While Almost Perfect is still my favorite novel of the Fool's Gold series, I was not disappointed in Finding Perfect. Susan Mallery has produced yet another winner, yet another book I will always love.
I have to say that I honestly had mixed feelings about Pia in the beginning of this book, due to the different impressions and stories about her from the previous two books. In Chasing Perfect, I loved her, she seemed like the best friend a girl could have and Charity was lucky to have her. In Almost Perfect, it was revealed that she was the mean girl in high school and she was even a little mean to Liz in the present time, and as Liz is my favorite heroine of the series, I got a little defensive on her behalf. So, I came into this not sure how I would feel about her. After having read Finding Perfect, I can say with confidence that I have reverted back to my opinion of her from Chasing Perfect. It was wonderful to see more sides of Pia and finally start to understand her. Just like everyone else, she has insecurities, some trust issues, complete loyalty, and her own morals. She's a complex person in her own way, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing her grow into herself in this book, into a completely confident woman who believed she could do anything she set her mind to.
Unlike with Pia, I knew I was going to love Raoul from the beginning. I loved the good impression I'd gotten of him in Almost Perfect, and I remember reading about him in the Bakery Sister's series (even though I haven't read Sweet Spot, Hawk and Nicole's book, the one that Raoul actually plays a large role in). Like with Pia, I enjoyed seeing him finally grow into himself and see that he needed to finally trust someone with his heart. I was heartbroken when Pia broke their engagement because he wouldn't give himself to her completely, and I was on the verge of crying when he basically rejected Peter. The ending, where her finally becomes the man he's always wanted to be, was absolutely beautiful and left me wanting more.
I absolutely adored Peter. He was the cutest kid and his faith and dependence on Raoul was downright beautiful. I was smiling like a fool at the end when Raoul and Pia finally come and tell him that they want to adopt him.
I enjoyed seeing characters from other books like Charity, Liz, Marsha, and Josh. I wish that Ethan had actually had some kind of presence in the book, not just his name being mentioned here or there. I loved seeing more of Montana and Dakota in this book and hope that the two of them, and Nevada, will one day have their own books.
One thing I was not expecting with the plot of the story was that the house Raoul was showing Pia was the one she and her parents had lived in years before. Reading that, and learning about her past, was a touching, heartbreaking moment.
I love, love, loved that Hawk and Nicole came to visit Raoul in Fool's Gold. Ever since I read about him knowing them in the Bakery Sister's series, I was anticipating some sort of cameo from those two in Finding Perfect. Needless to say, I was very happy to have them prove me right!
Again, Finding Perfect was a fantastic book and I believe it deserves every star I gave it. Also, I am really hoping that there are going to be more Fool's Gold books in the future, especially since this wonderful little tidbit can be found inside the book: "And look for more of Susan Mallery's fantastic stories set in Fool's Gold, coming in 2011!" I hope this is true and I look forward to more books starring the people of this wonderful town!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2019
Finding Perfect
2 Stars
On the day she learns that she has inherited her BFF's frozen embryos, Pia O'Brian meets sexy ex-quarterback Raoul Moreno. Considering that she can't even take care of a cat, Pia struggles with the idea of becoming a single mother, and her inconvenient attraction to Raoul isn't helping, especially as he has suggested becoming her "pregnancy buddy".
Oy! This has got to be the most ridiculous, plot hole ridden storyline ever.
Why would Crystal leave her unborn children to a woman she knows doesn't have a maternal bone in her body? Why does Pia insist that having the babies is the right thing to do? Since when is having children out of a sense of obligation appropriate? Why would a man with as many trust issues as Raoul be willing to take on a ready made family?
Add in to the mix the fact that Pia and Raoul have zero chemistry and this book is a recipe for disaster.
Hopefully the next book will be better.
2 Stars
On the day she learns that she has inherited her BFF's frozen embryos, Pia O'Brian meets sexy ex-quarterback Raoul Moreno. Considering that she can't even take care of a cat, Pia struggles with the idea of becoming a single mother, and her inconvenient attraction to Raoul isn't helping, especially as he has suggested becoming her "pregnancy buddy".
Oy! This has got to be the most ridiculous, plot hole ridden storyline ever.
Why would Crystal leave her unborn children to a woman she knows doesn't have a maternal bone in her body? Why does Pia insist that having the babies is the right thing to do? Since when is having children out of a sense of obligation appropriate? Why would a man with as many trust issues as Raoul be willing to take on a ready made family?
Add in to the mix the fact that Pia and Raoul have zero chemistry and this book is a recipe for disaster.
Hopefully the next book will be better.
August 17, 2013
Written for: Beyond Reading
I was excited to read Finding Perfect - I'd read Sweet Spot and liked Raoul as well as I had liked Chasing Perfect and Almost Perfect. It's not very often I come across a storyline as unique as this one; A deceased friend leaving 3 fertilized embryos for Pia to birth, so I gathered Susan Mallery put a lot of work into this story to pull it off well. I'm glad that she (Susan Mallery) allowed her characters to feel some annoyance towards Crystal because, deceased or not, Crystal's actions were questionable. Pia's character was fun and honest; a breath of fresh air, I found myself chuckling many times during her witty monologue. I liked Raoul's kind nature, as well, he was very generous and pretty much like the 18 year-old I read about in Sweet Spot. Fool's Gold provided a warm backdrop for the story, I enjoyed the people and the real family feel, Mallery didn't spend half the novel describing the town, yet I could see it in my mind's eye. What I didn't like was that Pia freaked out over motherhood a bit too much and so much of the book had lapsed before she decided to go through with the implanting; I wish we'd seen her give birth. Overall, the novel was warm and I had no desires to put it down at any point; a third success in the series.
I was excited to read Finding Perfect - I'd read Sweet Spot and liked Raoul as well as I had liked Chasing Perfect and Almost Perfect. It's not very often I come across a storyline as unique as this one; A deceased friend leaving 3 fertilized embryos for Pia to birth, so I gathered Susan Mallery put a lot of work into this story to pull it off well. I'm glad that she (Susan Mallery) allowed her characters to feel some annoyance towards Crystal because, deceased or not, Crystal's actions were questionable. Pia's character was fun and honest; a breath of fresh air, I found myself chuckling many times during her witty monologue. I liked Raoul's kind nature, as well, he was very generous and pretty much like the 18 year-old I read about in Sweet Spot. Fool's Gold provided a warm backdrop for the story, I enjoyed the people and the real family feel, Mallery didn't spend half the novel describing the town, yet I could see it in my mind's eye. What I didn't like was that Pia freaked out over motherhood a bit too much and so much of the book had lapsed before she decided to go through with the implanting; I wish we'd seen her give birth. Overall, the novel was warm and I had no desires to put it down at any point; a third success in the series.
August 1, 2015
Ok, I’ll admit it. Mallery had me crying crocodile tears with this one. This is definitely the most emotional novel in the series to date. She tackles so many touchy subjects from cancer to foster children to not-so-natural disasters in a manner that makes you realise that they really are part of everyday life. I really like how Mallery jogs our memory about past stories. When the characters from previous novels come up in a pertinent way she quickly gives the key points of their stories and then moves on, just enough to remind you who’s who in Fool’s Gold.
I loved Pia more than I ever thought I would. I knew her before & well after this novel, but right now she's unforgettable & unstoppable. And she grows a backbone. She also becomes easier to understand as more of her background & personality comes to light. I was completely floored as to how Mallery pulled it all off. Raoul's droolworthyness is definitely helping the story out as well. Seeing him reckoncile who he is with what he believes was quite enlightening. All the while, Mallery treats readers to a fantastic budding romance that makes you want to move to Fool’s Gold.
I do feel like this is the most emotional novel in the series, to date anyways. I loved every aspect of it and wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend it to others, or to re-read it again & again.
I loved Pia more than I ever thought I would. I knew her before & well after this novel, but right now she's unforgettable & unstoppable. And she grows a backbone. She also becomes easier to understand as more of her background & personality comes to light. I was completely floored as to how Mallery pulled it all off. Raoul's droolworthyness is definitely helping the story out as well. Seeing him reckoncile who he is with what he believes was quite enlightening. All the while, Mallery treats readers to a fantastic budding romance that makes you want to move to Fool’s Gold.
I do feel like this is the most emotional novel in the series, to date anyways. I loved every aspect of it and wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend it to others, or to re-read it again & again.
January 21, 2011
Misinformation about reproductive issues is one of my biggest romance pet peeves, so I was surprised not to hate this book. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of... serious implausibility, to say the least, and I can see how it could seem like a slap in the face to any woman who’s actually undergone IVF. But it wasn’t quite as totally off base as I was expecting, and I did feel that Mallery got some of emotional truths about the situation right. (Especially Pia’s guilt about an event from her past; it might seem ridiculous to anyone who hasn’t been there, but it’s spot on.)
I liked how Mallery turned the fairy-tale elements of the plot around at the end, for a far more meaningful theme. And though overall I didn’t find it very romantic, it was just a good story and kept my interest.
I liked how Mallery turned the fairy-tale elements of the plot around at the end, for a far more meaningful theme. And though overall I didn’t find it very romantic, it was just a good story and kept my interest.
May 14, 2023
This series is just getting better and better.
Some graphic sex and a small amount of profanity.
Some graphic sex and a small amount of profanity.
June 2, 2017
This is the eighteenth romance I have read by Mallery. Of all the romance writers I read, I may have read the most by Mallery. However, it has been three years since I read one of her novels. This does not mean I stopped liking her writing. It just means that there are so many good romances out there.
I think this was a good dish of chocolate ice cream. Not the best book I ever read, but who turns down chocolate ice cream?
I think this was a good dish of chocolate ice cream. Not the best book I ever read, but who turns down chocolate ice cream?
April 9, 2023
I didn’t love this book, for me it was just okeyish. I love Susan’s novels but this was felt a little flat. I think the characters did not have a lot of chemistry and it just wasn’t very deep to make up for this. Also in my opinion, Susan’s later novels show a lot of progress in her writing, and subject matter. This was ok, not great but ok.
March 30, 2023
I don’t know why I kept reading,
2.5 rounded up to 3
2.5 rounded up to 3
November 8, 2020
***1/2
May 2, 2010
Pia O’Brian finds herself in a complicated situation. Her best friend Crystal recently died and on top of the heartache, Crystal left her three frozen embryos to Pia. Never being one to commit to anyone, Pia finds herself at a cross road with a huge decision. How can she turn her back on her friend’s babies? Just when things get bad, it gets even more complicated when Mr. Right strolls right in her life.
Raoul Moreno is an ex-football player, taking residence in the small town of Fool’s Gold. Escaping from the fame and the fast life, he’s looking to make some roots and he is slowly becoming a small town hero, giving local golden boy, Josh (from Chasing Perfect) a run for his money. Raoul re-opens the camp and settles on building it up for the summer but when the local school has a fire, he extends his help and uses the camp as a temporary school for the children. Meanwhile, every time he tries to meet with Pia she’s having a breakdown but once he learns of her dilemma, he steps in to help her through it.
Pia comes from a broken background. She was once a popular “mean girl” in high school but when her father committed suicide and her mother left her alone in Fool’s Gold, her fears of commitment heightened. She knows from the past that people leave and she’s not willing to take the chance of getting hurt by Raoul no matter how nice, gorgeous, or how great his butt looks. I was leery about Pia because I loved her in Chasing Perfect and found out she was a mean girl in Almost Perfect, so I didn’t know how I would gage her in her own story. Surprisingly my heart immediately went out to her. She had a complication thrown at her and she was scared and vulnerable. She shown that the mean girl had evolved and she became loveable.
Raoul was such a sweet guy that I had a problem with really connecting with him. He kept stepping in to save the day. The hero complex was a bit too much for me. Though it was clearly stated that he was not always the nice guy and he had a rough background, I was tired of his niceness. Finally at the end, when faced with some hard decisions he didn’t rush to be anyone’s hero and I loved it. I saw his character as a human being for the first time. I was just annoyed with the town’s people because they became too involved with the decisions that Pia and Raoul struggled with.
I also found myself distracted by the “baby” factor. The story does revolve around Pia’s decision to have or not have the babies. I just found it distracting that there was so much talk of babies. Charity (Chasing Perfect) was pregnant and then there were the school kids and the embryos. I just wanted more romance and not a connection between the main characters because children were involved. For the better part of the story the H/H felt more like friends than lovers. The only time I felt the romantic aspect of the story was while reading the love scenes or towards the end.
The love scenes were steamy and passionate. Pia and Raoul’s sexual connection leaped off the pages.
“She held in the whimper and gave herself over to the kiss. Everything about this moment felt right. Hunger filled her, burning hard and hot, making her want to get closer, to touch him and be touched.”
“Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance. Then he moved to neck, as he had before. The man had skills, she thought dreamily, feeling every part of her heat and melt. When he took her earlobe into his mouth and sucked, she had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying out. When she felt the weight of him as he stretched out next to her, it was all she could do to keep her legs from falling open in a shameless invitation. She wanted him…all of him…on top, inside, pleasuring them both into madness.”
Fans of the residents of Fool’s Gold will be ecstatic to read about Pia and Raoul and learn what happens with the town’s people. I can bet that there will be plenty of more stories to come and I can’t wait!
Raoul Moreno is an ex-football player, taking residence in the small town of Fool’s Gold. Escaping from the fame and the fast life, he’s looking to make some roots and he is slowly becoming a small town hero, giving local golden boy, Josh (from Chasing Perfect) a run for his money. Raoul re-opens the camp and settles on building it up for the summer but when the local school has a fire, he extends his help and uses the camp as a temporary school for the children. Meanwhile, every time he tries to meet with Pia she’s having a breakdown but once he learns of her dilemma, he steps in to help her through it.
Pia comes from a broken background. She was once a popular “mean girl” in high school but when her father committed suicide and her mother left her alone in Fool’s Gold, her fears of commitment heightened. She knows from the past that people leave and she’s not willing to take the chance of getting hurt by Raoul no matter how nice, gorgeous, or how great his butt looks. I was leery about Pia because I loved her in Chasing Perfect and found out she was a mean girl in Almost Perfect, so I didn’t know how I would gage her in her own story. Surprisingly my heart immediately went out to her. She had a complication thrown at her and she was scared and vulnerable. She shown that the mean girl had evolved and she became loveable.
Raoul was such a sweet guy that I had a problem with really connecting with him. He kept stepping in to save the day. The hero complex was a bit too much for me. Though it was clearly stated that he was not always the nice guy and he had a rough background, I was tired of his niceness. Finally at the end, when faced with some hard decisions he didn’t rush to be anyone’s hero and I loved it. I saw his character as a human being for the first time. I was just annoyed with the town’s people because they became too involved with the decisions that Pia and Raoul struggled with.
I also found myself distracted by the “baby” factor. The story does revolve around Pia’s decision to have or not have the babies. I just found it distracting that there was so much talk of babies. Charity (Chasing Perfect) was pregnant and then there were the school kids and the embryos. I just wanted more romance and not a connection between the main characters because children were involved. For the better part of the story the H/H felt more like friends than lovers. The only time I felt the romantic aspect of the story was while reading the love scenes or towards the end.
The love scenes were steamy and passionate. Pia and Raoul’s sexual connection leaped off the pages.
“She held in the whimper and gave herself over to the kiss. Everything about this moment felt right. Hunger filled her, burning hard and hot, making her want to get closer, to touch him and be touched.”
“Their tongues tangled in an erotic dance. Then he moved to neck, as he had before. The man had skills, she thought dreamily, feeling every part of her heat and melt. When he took her earlobe into his mouth and sucked, she had to bite her lower lip to keep from crying out. When she felt the weight of him as he stretched out next to her, it was all she could do to keep her legs from falling open in a shameless invitation. She wanted him…all of him…on top, inside, pleasuring them both into madness.”
Fans of the residents of Fool’s Gold will be ecstatic to read about Pia and Raoul and learn what happens with the town’s people. I can bet that there will be plenty of more stories to come and I can’t wait!
August 5, 2024
I’d forgotten how much I love Fool’s Gold. This installment had me laughing and relating. This is a fun read that isn’t heavy and a nice change from what I’ve been reading lately.
July 24, 2010
A lot of people feel pretty strongly about their dislike for Ethan in Almost Perfect (Fool's Gold #2), but Ethan and Liz's story remains my favourite in this series, so far. I liked how the story of Chasing Perfect (Fool's Gold #1) developed better than the one for Finding Perfect (Fools Gold #3) but I found I got bored with Chasing Perfect. So, if I was to rank the books so far I would say the order from most favoured to least is: Almost Perfect, Finding Perfect, Chasing Perfect.
You just read the condensed version of my thought process, and the fact that I am thinking so much about this series is a great thing. There is something to talk about with this series!
Finding Perfect was not what I expected. It was an interesting concept but I can't say that I agree with the characters choices all the time (I hate when people propose for a no-good reason). I also found it incredibly weird that the town was telling the hero that he loved the heroine not because they saw the love, but because she was so lovable. That isn't exactly how love works. We can't choose who to love because they are loveable! Even though the hero did love the heroine, I personally wouldn't have been swayed by those town people's tactic in trying to convince him!
The best part of this book is how it sets up Fools Gold for future stories. Thankfully this isn't a family series, so there is the potential for an endless number of novels based in Fools Gold. This book allowed the reader to become better aquainted with other members of the community. I am particularly excited for Dakota'a and Jo's stories (I hope we see stories about these two). I also wish there were smaller plots to go along with the larger lover stories (secondary love stories). Maybe we'll see that in future Fool's Gold books, but we can't always get what we want in life.
The bottomline: Not my favourite book, but it's in what is shaping up to be a very promising series, so it's a must read in my opinion!
You just read the condensed version of my thought process, and the fact that I am thinking so much about this series is a great thing. There is something to talk about with this series!
Finding Perfect was not what I expected. It was an interesting concept but I can't say that I agree with the characters choices all the time (I hate when people propose for a no-good reason). I also found it incredibly weird that the town was telling the hero that he loved the heroine not because they saw the love, but because she was so lovable. That isn't exactly how love works. We can't choose who to love because they are loveable! Even though the hero did love the heroine, I personally wouldn't have been swayed by those town people's tactic in trying to convince him!
The best part of this book is how it sets up Fools Gold for future stories. Thankfully this isn't a family series, so there is the potential for an endless number of novels based in Fools Gold. This book allowed the reader to become better aquainted with other members of the community. I am particularly excited for Dakota'a and Jo's stories (I hope we see stories about these two). I also wish there were smaller plots to go along with the larger lover stories (secondary love stories). Maybe we'll see that in future Fool's Gold books, but we can't always get what we want in life.
The bottomline: Not my favourite book, but it's in what is shaping up to be a very promising series, so it's a must read in my opinion!
September 2, 2010
Really liked this. I liked Pia a lot from the first 2 Fools Gold books and loved Raoul from a previous series. Pia was smart and sassy. Raoul was sweet and kind. The aspect of the story with the little boy Peter was very touching. This is another good series from Susan, she just keeps churning them out!
There was some set up for the Hendrix triplets in this book and I can't wait to get their upcoming stories. They are all very interesting girls. That also means I will get to catch up on the first 3 Fools Gold couples. I love that.
If you've never read Susan Mallery before, you definitely need to get in the ball. I've read all of her series and they're all awesome. Highly recommended.
There was some set up for the Hendrix triplets in this book and I can't wait to get their upcoming stories. They are all very interesting girls. That also means I will get to catch up on the first 3 Fools Gold couples. I love that.
If you've never read Susan Mallery before, you definitely need to get in the ball. I've read all of her series and they're all awesome. Highly recommended.
September 7, 2010
I'm torn. My rating is more like 2 1/2 stars. There were some parts of this book that I loved and I certainly loved getting Raoul's story (he was a favorite of mine from one of Susan's earlier books). BUT, there were also several times in the book that I had to skim through pages because I was getting tired of hearing Raoul's speeches about how to succeed and the logistics of Pia's party planning. It just felt like stuff that could have been left out. We knew enough of each of their backgrounds that we didn't need to keep having the point driven home for us. So, while I definitely liked parts of the book, I can't rate it very high because the parts I didn't like really dragged it down.
September 9, 2010
This was a fairly good middle of the road read. Pia was amusing and had some fairly funny dialog. I didn't really care for the "not enough men in this town" theme. It was just unrealistic that all the firefighters and police and the mayor etc., were female. No matter the demographics of the town that wouldn't be true. Especially not the cops and firefighters. I'm not saying that there wouldn't have been some women in those jobs just that any existing men would have gravitated to those jobs and guys looking for jobs from out of town would have moved for a job. Some of the guys in my family are in small town law enforcement and they go where the vacancies are.
September 15, 2011
Oh my god this was the best book of the series. I couldnt put it down tonight.
I have always had a soft spot for Pia. I think that she and Raoul were perfect for each other. I have to admit the last sentence of the book had me sobbing like a baby. Oh what a perfect way to end this wonderful story.
I now have to get to the book store to get the next three Fool's Gold books!
I have always had a soft spot for Pia. I think that she and Raoul were perfect for each other. I have to admit the last sentence of the book had me sobbing like a baby. Oh what a perfect way to end this wonderful story.
I now have to get to the book store to get the next three Fool's Gold books!
September 20, 2010
I love it when a character comes back from another book in a seemingly unrelated series. Good to see Raoul again. Good to see Pia's story.
Mallery explores the familiar themes of family and children again. I'm glad to know more about the town and really can't wait for the sister's books next year, especially Dakota.
Mallery explores the familiar themes of family and children again. I'm glad to know more about the town and really can't wait for the sister's books next year, especially Dakota.
August 12, 2015
Susan Mallery es una de esas autoras que saben crear una historia sencilla, bonita y romántica. Lo necesario para pasar un buen rato leyendo.
Simplemente perfecto ha sido una gran lectura. Sin muchas pretensiones, su puntito pasteloso, y mucho encanto. Una historia tierna, bonita y muy romántica.
Ha sido breve, pero la he disfrutado mucho, la verdad. Era justo lo que necesitaba.
Simplemente perfecto ha sido una gran lectura. Sin muchas pretensiones, su puntito pasteloso, y mucho encanto. Una historia tierna, bonita y muy romántica.
Ha sido breve, pero la he disfrutado mucho, la verdad. Era justo lo que necesitaba.
February 28, 2016
That was a really emotional book. With everything that happened to Pia and in Raoul's past and that last line really got me to.
August 25, 2019
Enjoyed this story.
September 23, 2015
Author: Susan Mallery
First published: August 2010
Length: 20 chapters
Setting: Contemporary. Smalltown (Fool's Gold).
Sex: Explicit and then door-closes in your face.
Hero: ex-star quarterback
Heroine: Event coordinator
Honestly, this has to be one of the most ridiculous premises I have ever seen.
Loving couple freezes three embryos before he deploys. Not sperm. Embryos.
He dies.
She decides to have the embryos implanted but discovers, during physical, that she has cancer.
After she dies she wills her embryos (3) to her very single BFF, without pre-warning her.
Not while fighting cancer she uses her BFF as a surrogate so she'll get some time with these future children. Oh no. She's going to leave them to her friend, so her friend can have and raise her children alone, never to meet their now-dead parents, with all the guilt and responsibility that implies.
Seriously.
And for my BFF I leave all my hopes and dreams wrapped up in these three potential children.
And what happens if none of the embryos take? Live with that guilt, girlfriend!
Pages later, the annoying Denise Hendrix points out the obvious:
""You don't just leave someone embryos without talking to them first. It's wrong. She should have talked to you, made sure this was what you wanted, too. She was asking a hell of a lot, and she didn't give you the chance to say no."" loc.13530
... how about the sub-plot of a town with significantly less men so women are constantly man-hungry and talking about marriage?!?
Apparently the women of this town are so desperate to have children they'll have anyones!
"Raoul felt like a cartoon character. He wanted to shake his head to make sure he was hearing right. Assuming he was, he was pretty sure his eyes were about to bug out.
"Excuse me?" he asked, standing and staring down at her.
Pia sighed. "Do you want to have sex? With me. The doctor mentioned it. Not that it was important for the implantation procedure, because it isn't. Her point was I'm about to be pregnant and then I'll have babies and little kids and it's probably going to be a long time before a guy finds me the least bit desirable, assuming that even ever happens again. So, having sex now, sort of a last fling, makes sense."" loc.11591
No. No it doesn't.
*grumble* *grumble*
And yet it has the moments of sweetness and joy, a light narrative and interesting characters that makes an enjoyable contemporary beach fiction.
As long as you don't think too much about the story and/or Mallery's apparent views on gender roles. She tries, but it's half-hearted at best. Women can be firefighters, but they have to want husbands. Women and men can't just be *friends* and exist in the same locations, they need man-caves vs reality tv playing in the local woman-friendly bar.
I want to like this series. I want to find out what happens to the triplets, how past characters get on, where it all goes.
But I don't like how Mallery expresses it all.
1.5 stars rounded down. Overall, it annoyed me and I didn't enjoy it. I skipped paragraphs of cogitations and spent a long time being frustrated at the whole scenario.
Fool's Gold series:
Book 1 Chasing Perfect - Charity Jones and Josh Golden
Book 2 Almost Perfect - Liz Sutton and Ethan Hendrix
Book 2.5 (novella) Sister of the Bride - Katie McCormick and Howard Jackson Kent
Book 3 Finding Perfect - Pia O'Brian and Raoul Moreno
References:
Author's website: www.susanmallery.com
Fool's Gold website: www.Foolsgold.ca
(Read in Fool's Gold Collection Volume 1)
-CR-
First published: August 2010
Length: 20 chapters
Setting: Contemporary. Smalltown (Fool's Gold).
Sex: Explicit and then door-closes in your face.
Hero: ex-star quarterback
Heroine: Event coordinator
Honestly, this has to be one of the most ridiculous premises I have ever seen.
Loving couple freezes three embryos before he deploys. Not sperm. Embryos.
He dies.
She decides to have the embryos implanted but discovers, during physical, that she has cancer.
After she dies she wills her embryos (3) to her very single BFF, without pre-warning her.
Not while fighting cancer she uses her BFF as a surrogate so she'll get some time with these future children. Oh no. She's going to leave them to her friend, so her friend can have and raise her children alone, never to meet their now-dead parents, with all the guilt and responsibility that implies.
Seriously.
And for my BFF I leave all my hopes and dreams wrapped up in these three potential children.
And what happens if none of the embryos take? Live with that guilt, girlfriend!
Pages later, the annoying Denise Hendrix points out the obvious:
""You don't just leave someone embryos without talking to them first. It's wrong. She should have talked to you, made sure this was what you wanted, too. She was asking a hell of a lot, and she didn't give you the chance to say no."" loc.13530
... how about the sub-plot of a town with significantly less men so women are constantly man-hungry and talking about marriage?!?
Apparently the women of this town are so desperate to have children they'll have anyones!
"Raoul felt like a cartoon character. He wanted to shake his head to make sure he was hearing right. Assuming he was, he was pretty sure his eyes were about to bug out.
"Excuse me?" he asked, standing and staring down at her.
Pia sighed. "Do you want to have sex? With me. The doctor mentioned it. Not that it was important for the implantation procedure, because it isn't. Her point was I'm about to be pregnant and then I'll have babies and little kids and it's probably going to be a long time before a guy finds me the least bit desirable, assuming that even ever happens again. So, having sex now, sort of a last fling, makes sense."" loc.11591
No. No it doesn't.
*grumble* *grumble*
And yet it has the moments of sweetness and joy, a light narrative and interesting characters that makes an enjoyable contemporary beach fiction.
As long as you don't think too much about the story and/or Mallery's apparent views on gender roles. She tries, but it's half-hearted at best. Women can be firefighters, but they have to want husbands. Women and men can't just be *friends* and exist in the same locations, they need man-caves vs reality tv playing in the local woman-friendly bar.
I want to like this series. I want to find out what happens to the triplets, how past characters get on, where it all goes.
But I don't like how Mallery expresses it all.
1.5 stars rounded down. Overall, it annoyed me and I didn't enjoy it. I skipped paragraphs of cogitations and spent a long time being frustrated at the whole scenario.
Fool's Gold series:
Book 1 Chasing Perfect - Charity Jones and Josh Golden
Book 2 Almost Perfect - Liz Sutton and Ethan Hendrix
Book 2.5 (novella) Sister of the Bride - Katie McCormick and Howard Jackson Kent
Book 3 Finding Perfect - Pia O'Brian and Raoul Moreno
References:
Author's website: www.susanmallery.com
Fool's Gold website: www.Foolsgold.ca
(Read in Fool's Gold Collection Volume 1)
-CR-
April 26, 2020
I started this book in 2015, got about half way through and then set it down. Yep, that's right, I never picked it back up until April of 2020. 5 years!
I really enjoy this series and have been missing it. I was so happy to dive back into the Fool's Gold world again. Pia and Raoul were perfect for each other. They both had a tendency to way over think every single detail of their lives. Raoul was also stubborn and a bit too stupid than he needed to be, but in the end it worked out.
That last line, last paragraph actually, in the book. Gah! It broke and put my heart back together all at the same time. I don't know that, that short of a paragraph has ever made me cry before! That made the book totally worth reading!
I really enjoy this series and have been missing it. I was so happy to dive back into the Fool's Gold world again. Pia and Raoul were perfect for each other. They both had a tendency to way over think every single detail of their lives. Raoul was also stubborn and a bit too stupid than he needed to be, but in the end it worked out.
That last line, last paragraph actually, in the book. Gah! It broke and put my heart back together all at the same time. I don't know that, that short of a paragraph has ever made me cry before! That made the book totally worth reading!
August 7, 2018
Damn! I was really hoping for an extended epilogue on this one! I love Pia and Raul. I love the "mean girl goes good." I love her decision and her leap into it. I want to see what happens next with these two. They need a second story!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 549 reviews