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Fool's Gold #14
Before We Kiss
New York Times bestselling sensation Susan Mallery returns to Fool's Gold, California, where it's true that sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs…
Former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge has notoriously bad luck with women—from cheaters to fame chasers. Still, the gorgeous brunette at the bar in Fool's Gold looks harmless—until she takes him home and he discovers a room devoted to securing a man, for life.
Dellina Hopkins never guessed that storing gowns from a friend's bridal boutique would chase away her first and only fling. After her parents died, she skipped her "wild youth" to raise her sisters. She doesn't want forever from Sam, but one night—all night—would've been nice.
His clean getaway gets messy when his firm hires Dellina to plan an event. As long hours lead to late nights, the two succumb to temptation again. Has Sam's luck finally changed? Or this time, will Dellina be the one to run?
Former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge has notoriously bad luck with women—from cheaters to fame chasers. Still, the gorgeous brunette at the bar in Fool's Gold looks harmless—until she takes him home and he discovers a room devoted to securing a man, for life.
Dellina Hopkins never guessed that storing gowns from a friend's bridal boutique would chase away her first and only fling. After her parents died, she skipped her "wild youth" to raise her sisters. She doesn't want forever from Sam, but one night—all night—would've been nice.
His clean getaway gets messy when his firm hires Dellina to plan an event. As long hours lead to late nights, the two succumb to temptation again. Has Sam's luck finally changed? Or this time, will Dellina be the one to run?
364 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 27, 2014
767 people are currently reading
4331 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 552 reviews
May 29, 2014
Somehow and i know i have said this before Susan Mallery keeps this series fresh. No idea how but she does. How she keeps track of everything and everyone. Again no idea. I think she must be the real life Mayor Marsha. She has to be. lol Anyway in this book we finally get a story for Dellina and Sam. Both have had interesting and in different ways difficult lives. Dellina had to finish raising her twin sisters when their parents passed away unexpectedly. Now they are grown and one married the other on the cusp of marriage. It's time for Dellina to do what she wants for herself. Sam on the other hand had a great football career and now this great job with his friends but his romantic life has always taken a hit. He can't seem to find the right woman and every woman he is interested in turns out to be his next relationship disaster. When Dellina and Sam hook up and Sam finds a room in her house filled with wedding dresses he doesn't even give Dellina two seconds to explain. He's dressed and out of there. Five months later after all of that time spent trying to avoid her he needs her party planning help for a big party for the PR firm he's a partner in. Since he waits til he's desperate to finally go to her he feels a little silly once she tells him why the gowns were there and what her expectations for them were. They start planning the party but it doesn't take long to figure out they are still attracted to each other and enjoy each others company in general. This is a fun story with one of Dellina's sisters trying to get her boyfriend to propose again and Sam's parents making an unexpected appearance. Not so unexpected when it's discovered that Dellina brought his mother in to be the speaker for the party they are planning. She didn't know she was his mother. Things get crazy. His parents are not your run of the mill parents and you'll find yourself waiting for what they might do next. The path to Sam and Dellina's HEA is fun and unexpected. Like i said above Susan Mallery keeps the series fresh. She sets us up with future characters in each book. You don't know where those characters are going to end up but it's interesting to see how she weaves the previous characters with the current ones. If you are like me i love to see the previous characters pop in here and there. We don't want to let them go. Why would we?
May 24, 2019
This is fourteenth in a series. Which is a lot. This is second in a new set of friends, though, so you should at least read When We Met first. Other characters from throughout the series crop up, though, so the more background you have the less you'll be wondering who all these people are.
This one continues the current trend of both leads having gobs of negative motivation* and the guy being particularly stupid. It's a real shame because the town is charming (which is quite a trick given how populated it is by past couples) and the characters are very well-suited to each other. This one does an awesome job of showing how well Sam and Dellina fit and how each complements the other.
The secondary romance in this one was tedious, however. Fayrene trying to manipulate Ryan got old at first hearing of it and you could smell the parallel lesson with accompanying epiphany coming a mile away. And there were sections that were entirely unrelated that made me wonder what their purpose was (besides venerating Mayor Marsha, which isn't an outright bad thing as I kind of like her).
I had hoped that Sam wouldn't . It's like Mallery thinks that's the only mode for her leading men and it's getting old. Can just one of these guys not have the exact. same. response. as all the others?
It's a good thing the rest of the relationship was as solid and entertaining as it was. This ended up a very weak three stars. But I suspect it even got that high through my talent of editing things in my head. I was able to give each main character some phantom motivations that patched some of the slow pacing over a bit.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. I really liked how Sam's mother (a sexpert) played into this and introduced a very fascinating parent-child dynamic regarding intimacy and boundaries while at it.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
This one continues the current trend of both leads having gobs of negative motivation* and the guy being particularly stupid. It's a real shame because the town is charming (which is quite a trick given how populated it is by past couples) and the characters are very well-suited to each other. This one does an awesome job of showing how well Sam and Dellina fit and how each complements the other.
The secondary romance in this one was tedious, however. Fayrene trying to manipulate Ryan got old at first hearing of it and you could smell the parallel lesson with accompanying epiphany coming a mile away. And there were sections that were entirely unrelated that made me wonder what their purpose was (besides venerating Mayor Marsha, which isn't an outright bad thing as I kind of like her).
I had hoped that Sam wouldn't . It's like Mallery thinks that's the only mode for her leading men and it's getting old. Can just one of these guys not have the exact. same. response. as all the others?
It's a good thing the rest of the relationship was as solid and entertaining as it was. This ended up a very weak three stars. But I suspect it even got that high through my talent of editing things in my head. I was able to give each main character some phantom motivations that patched some of the slow pacing over a bit.
A note about Steamy: There are two explicit sex scenes putting this in the middle of my steam tolerance. I really liked how Sam's mother (a sexpert) played into this and introduced a very fascinating parent-child dynamic regarding intimacy and boundaries while at it.
* Negative Motivations: I kind of hate that the term "negative motivation" isn't widespread, yet. Since it isn't, I'm going to save off this little jag to append to my reviews that feature the term. Jennifer Crusie blogged about it a bit back and it changed how I understand story. The problem with the term is that if you've never heard it before, you'd assume it meant motivations that are harmful or immoral. Not so. What it refers to is motivations not to do something. The thing is that many of us are motivated to not do things for a lot of different, perfectly valid and reasonable, reasons. The problem is that in a story motivations to not do things are a huge drag on the plot—particularly considering the fact that most negative motivations are overcome by the character simply deciding they don't care any more (or, rather, that they do care and are now motivated to do the thing). So not only do you have a counter to action but you also have a situation where to overcome it, all a character has to do is change their mind. Which means eventually, the reader is rooting for the character to get over him/herself already and do the thing we want them to do. Conflict drives story. Conflict between a reader and a main character drives readers away from story.
April 20, 2021
I've been slowly but surely trying to get the Fool's Gold series under my belt. I've managed to find some around my town but I just had never gotten the opportunity to grab them. It's so hard having so many good books around, how do you choose?! I picked this book up as one of my "grab a random book" challenges to switch up my reading flow. I wanted something light, fluffy and romantic so I figured this was the way to go. And I was right! It had a perfect dose of romance and comedy.
Dellina and Sam take the lead in this one. Sam, a former hot shot football player, and Dellina who is an event planner. What could possibly go wrong here? Maybe Sam's parents being travelling sex-perts/sex therapists? Maybe Dellina's room full of wedding dresses? Maybe a really cute dog? Maybe Sam's jerk of an ex? There's so much going on in this book, yet it doesn't feel too long! It feels just right.
This book moves at a fast enough pace to keep me interested. That can be a major downside for some romance books with me. I need the book to keep moving to keep me in check. This book did it and had me wanting more. I'll definitely be grabbing a few more Fool's Gold books when I get my hands on them.
I really like this book and series so far. You don't need to read any of the other books in the series to understand this one. If you're nervous, just grab one! It's an easy enough story to understand. Unless, you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to know all the background Easter eggs (I didn't care).
Four out of five stars.
Dellina and Sam take the lead in this one. Sam, a former hot shot football player, and Dellina who is an event planner. What could possibly go wrong here? Maybe Sam's parents being travelling sex-perts/sex therapists? Maybe Dellina's room full of wedding dresses? Maybe a really cute dog? Maybe Sam's jerk of an ex? There's so much going on in this book, yet it doesn't feel too long! It feels just right.
This book moves at a fast enough pace to keep me interested. That can be a major downside for some romance books with me. I need the book to keep moving to keep me in check. This book did it and had me wanting more. I'll definitely be grabbing a few more Fool's Gold books when I get my hands on them.
I really like this book and series so far. You don't need to read any of the other books in the series to understand this one. If you're nervous, just grab one! It's an easy enough story to understand. Unless, you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to know all the background Easter eggs (I didn't care).
Four out of five stars.
January 21, 2018
Entretenido, ligero pero con personajes interesantes. Tiene partes muy divertidas y engancha. Genial para desconectar un rato con algo ligero pero de calidad.
Seguiré con el siguiente
Seguiré con el siguiente
July 23, 2015
Sam has had more than a few disastrous relationships in the past and definitely got burned from his marriage, so didn’t believe women could be trusted and didn’t intend on getting caught again. Dellina had lost her parents at an early age and despite the fact she was only eighteen herself, she took responsibility and raised her fourteen year old twin sisters. As far as she was concerned she had already done the family thing and now only wanted to have a good time.
Before the book starts Sam and Dellina had hooked up one night and gone back to her place but he ended up running out of her house as fast as his legs could carry him. Dellina quickly works out what has him spooked and is willing to explain but Sam then goes out of his way to ignore Dellina for the next couple of months. The reason he freaked was actually quite funny but I could see his side and how he would interpret that, but then if he had spoken to Dellina about it then it would have saved him a lot of trouble.
Sam’s company is throwing a big weekend party for their clients/families. He has no choice but to approach Dellina as she is a party organiser and he needs her knowledge and expertise. Dellina quickly puts Sam out of his misery and explains what he saw on that night that he ran from her house practically naked. Once the air is cleared between them they start to work really well together but soon realise that attraction is still there.
Every time I see that a new Fool’s Gold book is nearing its release date I get excited as I always look forward to reading them and catching up with everyone and seeing how they all are and what has been happening in the town. Unfortunately, we don’t get a chance to catch up with everyone as there just wouldn’t be enough page space but we managed to see a few of the previous characters.
If you like contemporary romance and have not read any of Mallery’s work then Fool’s Gold is the place to start, but be prepared to be hooked ☺
ARC courtesy of Harlequin via Netgalley
Before the book starts Sam and Dellina had hooked up one night and gone back to her place but he ended up running out of her house as fast as his legs could carry him. Dellina quickly works out what has him spooked and is willing to explain but Sam then goes out of his way to ignore Dellina for the next couple of months. The reason he freaked was actually quite funny but I could see his side and how he would interpret that, but then if he had spoken to Dellina about it then it would have saved him a lot of trouble.
Sam’s company is throwing a big weekend party for their clients/families. He has no choice but to approach Dellina as she is a party organiser and he needs her knowledge and expertise. Dellina quickly puts Sam out of his misery and explains what he saw on that night that he ran from her house practically naked. Once the air is cleared between them they start to work really well together but soon realise that attraction is still there.
Every time I see that a new Fool’s Gold book is nearing its release date I get excited as I always look forward to reading them and catching up with everyone and seeing how they all are and what has been happening in the town. Unfortunately, we don’t get a chance to catch up with everyone as there just wouldn’t be enough page space but we managed to see a few of the previous characters.
If you like contemporary romance and have not read any of Mallery’s work then Fool’s Gold is the place to start, but be prepared to be hooked ☺
ARC courtesy of Harlequin via Netgalley
October 19, 2015
This series. As soon as I think I'm over it, I get sucked back in. But I really liked Sam and Dellina in this book and all the rest of this darn town. I'm not too thrilled with the introduction of Shelby and Kip but I get the author is setting us up for future books. Speaking of future books, I already have the next two in this series checked out on my phone because they deal with Jack (LARISSA!) and Kenny (BAILEY AND LITTLE CHLOE!), both of who loved in this book and in the previous once since Angel, Sam, Jack and Kenny are all friends so I met them in the prior one. I think the success of this author and why she can get away with SO MANY BOOKS for this series is that she does the books in batches. We had the Hendrix triplets, we had Heidi and her brother-in-law, Patience, Felicia and now this four NFL stars. She does just enough background and hints on the secondary characters in each book that you WANT them to get their own book and so when they do, you read them. It's annoying sometimes but oh, such a good marketing strategy. ;)
May 28, 2014
this was the dirtiest book I have ever read by this author.... and that is probably the only good thing I can say about this book. it was just ok, average, so-so, kinda boring. yes, for once, there was a hot sex scene, but other than that, this story left me cold and bored. my biggest problem was the main characters, they went from zero chemistry to totally cheesy romantic fools and that just did not work for me. the end just was so ridiculously roll-my-eyes cheesy that it almost ruined the whole book. if you are a fan of this series, you will enjoy this story as it revisits many characters you know and love. I will absolutely continue reading this series, this specific part of the fool's gold story just did not impress me.
August 5, 2014
This was easily my favorite of this summer's Fools Gold trilogy. Mostly because Sam and Dellina were so darn cute together. Add in Sam's TMI sexpert parents and it could have been a weird ride, but as motivations for keeping one's personal life personal go, they make a lot of sense. I also appreciated Dellina's backstory of feeling like she's already raised her family because of having had to raise her younger sisters. I would have been happier if Mallery had pushed the envelope all the way and had Sam and Dellina deciding to be happy together without mention of kids at all, but just acknowledging that her feelings exist in the world is a big deal in Romancelandia. So I'm cool with that. In addition to being a cute and sweet story, this also happened to be the hottest Mallery I've ever read, which was a good thing. I like it when favorite authors shake things up!
April 6, 2015
I wish I could give this one 3.5 stars. I really liked the heroine but again, as I said in my last review, I'm getting tired of the "I can never trust again" trope and so the hero wasn't quite as much of a win for me.
I did love the set up though. And talk about a way to kill a one night stand! A room full of wedding dresses? Hilarious.
The thing that really bugged me about this book was the sister's relationship. I've read that book. I liked it a whole lot. (4, maybe 4.5 stars a lot) Which makes the subplot in Before We Kiss such a let down. There was just too much of it to be enjoyable and I was left wanting to shake that character until her teeth rattled.
But as always, Susan Mallery delivers an enjoyable read and I can't wait for Kenny's book.
I did love the set up though. And talk about a way to kill a one night stand! A room full of wedding dresses? Hilarious.
The thing that really bugged me about this book was the sister's relationship. I've read that book. I liked it a whole lot. (4, maybe 4.5 stars a lot) Which makes the subplot in Before We Kiss such a let down. There was just too much of it to be enjoyable and I was left wanting to shake that character until her teeth rattled.
But as always, Susan Mallery delivers an enjoyable read and I can't wait for Kenny's book.
February 4, 2016
3.5
A mi me gusta mucho esta serie,pero el anterior me aburrió muchísimo. Este estuvo mucho mejor,la pareja protagonica era más entretenida y sentí mucha química entre ellos y aunque salieron habitantes habituales del pueblo y futuros habitantes,no le quitaron la chispa a los protagonistas como sentí con el libro anterior.
La mamá de Sam me hizo reír un montón,esa señora estaba super loca y el perrito Caramel me encantó. veremos que tal sigue esta Saga que por lo visto tendrá como 20 novelas más.
A mi me gusta mucho esta serie,pero el anterior me aburrió muchísimo. Este estuvo mucho mejor,la pareja protagonica era más entretenida y sentí mucha química entre ellos y aunque salieron habitantes habituales del pueblo y futuros habitantes,no le quitaron la chispa a los protagonistas como sentí con el libro anterior.
La mamá de Sam me hizo reír un montón,esa señora estaba super loca y el perrito Caramel me encantó. veremos que tal sigue esta Saga que por lo visto tendrá como 20 novelas más.
April 14, 2022
Before We Kiss
2.5 Stars
Together with his fellow former NFL partners, Sam Ridge has come to Fool's Gold to establish his PR firm. Despite his success on the field and in business, Sam has notoriously bad luck when it comes to women. So, he isn't all that surprised when his initial encounter with local events planner, Dellina Hopkins, ends in disaster due to a misunderstanding. But when his firm hires Dellina to help plan a party for their clients, Sam is forced to admit that there is more to her than meets the eye. Will he be willing to take a chance?
The Fool's Gold series is turning into a hit-and-miss for me. Some of the books are an absolute delight while others fail to live up to their potential. Unfortunately, this installment falls into the latter group.
Dellina and Sam's disastrous one-night stand sets the stage for an excellent second chances romance, However, there is too much focus on the party planning and not enough on the romance. It is exceedingly difficult to engage with them as a couple as they have zero chemistry. Sam's parents are much more compelling despite their shenanigans and provide several moments of hilarity.
The secondary storyline focuses on Dellina's sister, Fayrene's attempts to get her boyfriend to propose. This is exceedingly irritating as she was the one who wanted to wait, but has since changed her mind. She expects him to "prove his continued love and devotion" by guessing that she wants to get married sooner rather than later. Her behavior is childish and petulant, and Ryan could seriously do better.
Nevertheless, the hints at future relationships for Sam's partners, Jack and Kenny, are intriguing and I also want to find out more about Kipling Gilmore and his sister, Shelby. Hopefully, these books will be better.
Finally, I really want to know how Mayor Marsh knows so much about everyone - is she psychic?
2.5 Stars
Together with his fellow former NFL partners, Sam Ridge has come to Fool's Gold to establish his PR firm. Despite his success on the field and in business, Sam has notoriously bad luck when it comes to women. So, he isn't all that surprised when his initial encounter with local events planner, Dellina Hopkins, ends in disaster due to a misunderstanding. But when his firm hires Dellina to help plan a party for their clients, Sam is forced to admit that there is more to her than meets the eye. Will he be willing to take a chance?
The Fool's Gold series is turning into a hit-and-miss for me. Some of the books are an absolute delight while others fail to live up to their potential. Unfortunately, this installment falls into the latter group.
Dellina and Sam's disastrous one-night stand sets the stage for an excellent second chances romance, However, there is too much focus on the party planning and not enough on the romance. It is exceedingly difficult to engage with them as a couple as they have zero chemistry. Sam's parents are much more compelling despite their shenanigans and provide several moments of hilarity.
The secondary storyline focuses on Dellina's sister, Fayrene's attempts to get her boyfriend to propose. This is exceedingly irritating as she was the one who wanted to wait, but has since changed her mind. She expects him to "prove his continued love and devotion" by guessing that she wants to get married sooner rather than later. Her behavior is childish and petulant, and Ryan could seriously do better.
Nevertheless, the hints at future relationships for Sam's partners, Jack and Kenny, are intriguing and I also want to find out more about Kipling Gilmore and his sister, Shelby. Hopefully, these books will be better.
Finally, I really want to know how Mayor Marsh knows so much about everyone - is she psychic?
June 27, 2014
Book #14 - and we finally get to hear about Sam and Dellina ☺
We already met them in the previous book/s and I was really looking forward to hearing their story.
It's summer in Fool's Gold!
Last Valentine's Day, Sam (who has the worst luck with women) meets Dellina in a bar (she never had a one-night-stand before - but this former football star would be totally worth it)
They go back to Dellina's place and spent some amazing hours together - but when Sam gets up to get something to drink he accidentally walks into the spare bedroom, which is full of wedding dresses and an erase board with notes about how to get a guy to propose! Oh no, not again, he thinks and runs away! He's been caught in the clutches of insane women before.
But of course it's not as it seems - Dellina just stores those dresses for her friend Isabel and the Proposal-Board is her sister's ☺
Now, 5 months later - after trying to ignore each other in town all that time - they have to work together to organize Simon's company's clients-retreat in 4 weeks time.
The attraction is still there - lots of sparks - but Sam's been hurt before - a lot - and Dellina doesn't want anything serious.
Next to Sam's and Dellina's romance we also read about Dellina's sister Fayrene and her not-yet-fiancé Ryan. She told him she wanted to wait 4 years to get married - but now she's changed her mind, but she doesn't know how to tell him - she wants him to propose, but he wants to respect her wishes to wait... a very frustrating situation for everybody ☺
Then there's the tiny little side-story of our Mayor Marsha travelling to New Zealand - and ski-pro Kipling Gilmore - who happens to be there too.... what does the Mayor want with him??? She probably has some intersting plans for him in Fool's Gold ☺
But of course the main focus of the book is about our really sexy Football-Kicker Sam and Event-Planner Dellina.....
There might be some kisses - but they both don't want more....
or do they??? ☺
WILL THE TWO OF THEM GET THEIR HEA???
NOPE..... I'm not telling you ☺
I don't want to spoil anything!!!
___________________________
I REALLY LOVED THE BOOK!!!
It's probably not a secret anymore that I loved all the Fool's Gold books - I would be happy to have a new Fool's Gold book every month for the rest of my life! ☺
And book #14 was just as great as all the others ☺
Sexy Sam and cute Dellina and all our old friends - and the new/future ones too ☺
Simon's family is amazingly funny too!!!! His mom is hilarious!!! Totally over-the-top sexually inappropriate ☺ I laughed sooo much!
And of course it was a bit frustrating - you always want to hit them all over the head with a blunt instrument!!! Why don't they see they belong together right at the start?? It always has to take them the whole book to get it right ☺ But I loved every page of that journey!
I wish someone would turn Fool's Gold into a TV-Series!!!
Should I ever be reborn when I die - I want to be a Festival in Fool's Gold ☺☺☺
A few pages of the book were not written in Sam & Dellina's POV - at first it was a bit weird - but then I got used to it - I was really interested in what Fayrene and Kipling had to say!
Can't wait to hear his story!!!
But the next book is about ex Quarterback Jack and his assistant Larissa ☺
I can't wait to see what they have in store for us ☺
GO AND BUY
BEFORE WE KISS - it's the perfect Romance:
with the right amount of SEXiness, Romance, FUN, frustrating scenes, moving moments ♥ like all of SUSAN'S books = JUST PERFECT ☺
May 28, 2014
My Review:
I absolutely LOVE the background story to this book with their one-night stand five months before. The idea of Sam freaking out about the wedding dresses and then dodging Dellina ever since is just a great start to this romance. It's such a guy thing to do and it just makes me giggle every time I think about it especially since all the women in town know about it and view it the same way. And this is also why I love Dellina. She's a tough, independent character who simply lets things roll off her back. A lot of women would let that kind of thing offend them or hurt their feelings, but she simply sees the humor in it and plans to give Sam as hard of time as she can about the situation.
And the rest of the book continues to stay just as fun and entertaining. Sam finally has to approach Dellina because he needs her help. As the only party planner in Fool's Gold, he needs her to help him plan a weekend retreat for his PR company's wealthy clientele. The entire book is set up around this weekend event and the four weeks leading up to it. And although their relationship starts with a one-night stand, I liked the fact that during that planning month of time, Sam and Dellina form a true friendship that eventually leads to more. Neither one think they are looking for a relationship so they can relax into their friendship and although they both know they have sizzling chemistry, they know they shouldn't do anything about it while they are working together. Shouldn't being the word that you should note here...hehe.
I do love this series and this book proved to be just as good as all the rest of the books have been. I love this little town of Fools Gold and love getting to see the many characters we've fallen in love with over the years. This particular edition though had some really intriguing scenes from New Zealand and Mayor Marsha. I will admit that story literally stole this book for me...I wanted more of this story line NOW. Not that the main story line wasn't good, because it absolutely was. It was just that one was so intriguing and is setting up to be a story that I know I'm going to LOVE. (Note...who was the 50 yo hottie???) There was also another side story with Dellina's sister trying to get her boyfriend to ask her to marry her that I also really loved. I especially loved it when Sam would give her advice about honesty and how that played into his and Dellina's situation also.
I love these football players and the company they've developed with Sport. They are an amazing addition to the town and I'm really looking forward to both Sam and Kenny's stories. We've seen glimpses of what may be to come for them and I think they are going to be just as good as all the rest. One thing I can count on with this series is that the books will be plain entertaining with characters I will love. Every single one has left me with a happy feeling after having read it and this series will always be up there at the top of my list for favorite contemporary small town reads.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review
I absolutely LOVE the background story to this book with their one-night stand five months before. The idea of Sam freaking out about the wedding dresses and then dodging Dellina ever since is just a great start to this romance. It's such a guy thing to do and it just makes me giggle every time I think about it especially since all the women in town know about it and view it the same way. And this is also why I love Dellina. She's a tough, independent character who simply lets things roll off her back. A lot of women would let that kind of thing offend them or hurt their feelings, but she simply sees the humor in it and plans to give Sam as hard of time as she can about the situation.
And the rest of the book continues to stay just as fun and entertaining. Sam finally has to approach Dellina because he needs her help. As the only party planner in Fool's Gold, he needs her to help him plan a weekend retreat for his PR company's wealthy clientele. The entire book is set up around this weekend event and the four weeks leading up to it. And although their relationship starts with a one-night stand, I liked the fact that during that planning month of time, Sam and Dellina form a true friendship that eventually leads to more. Neither one think they are looking for a relationship so they can relax into their friendship and although they both know they have sizzling chemistry, they know they shouldn't do anything about it while they are working together. Shouldn't being the word that you should note here...hehe.
I do love this series and this book proved to be just as good as all the rest of the books have been. I love this little town of Fools Gold and love getting to see the many characters we've fallen in love with over the years. This particular edition though had some really intriguing scenes from New Zealand and Mayor Marsha. I will admit that story literally stole this book for me...I wanted more of this story line NOW. Not that the main story line wasn't good, because it absolutely was. It was just that one was so intriguing and is setting up to be a story that I know I'm going to LOVE. (Note...who was the 50 yo hottie???) There was also another side story with Dellina's sister trying to get her boyfriend to ask her to marry her that I also really loved. I especially loved it when Sam would give her advice about honesty and how that played into his and Dellina's situation also.
I love these football players and the company they've developed with Sport. They are an amazing addition to the town and I'm really looking forward to both Sam and Kenny's stories. We've seen glimpses of what may be to come for them and I think they are going to be just as good as all the rest. One thing I can count on with this series is that the books will be plain entertaining with characters I will love. Every single one has left me with a happy feeling after having read it and this series will always be up there at the top of my list for favorite contemporary small town reads.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review
May 31, 2014
Ok, this settles it. I’m moving to Fool’s Gold! Mallery has developed this enchanting sound in such a vividly real manner that I feel like I’ve walked through the town. Although Mallery’s descriptions and narrative make everything vivid in the reader’s mind, the story itself remains firmly planted in reality. Everything is so easy to believe and immerse yourself in that you can’t help but fall in love with it. The storyline was also completely unique with twists and turns that I could have never imagined, yet that fit perfectly with the characters and their stories. I laughed so hard at times. Mallery writes real life at its best, but with the fairy tale ending that so many of us want in our own lives.
Mallery’s work has an underlying message of hope that makes you realise you’re not alone. The characters in this novel have real lives. Sure some may be wealthy beyond belief, but that doesn’t mean that they have a happy go lucky, easy life. Take the main characters that we come to know and love in previous novels in this series but who really shine in this instalment. We get to know them on a much deeper, more intimate level. We find out that what is on the surface isn’t necessarily exactly what’s inside.
I appreciate that Mallery’s story is about so much more than just the main couple. She brings this whole town to life. Because Mallery’s focus is wider than simply the two main characters you actually get to know them better. By reading about everything happening around them you feel like you’re part of their lives, not just seeing a snippit of it. You, along with the main characters, are also part of something larger.
Overall this was a brilliant addition to Mallery’s Fools Gold series as well as an intriguing standalone novel. It is an emotionally stimulating novel that will capture your heart and your mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others or to re-read it myself (and I’m not generally one for re-reads).
Mallery’s work has an underlying message of hope that makes you realise you’re not alone. The characters in this novel have real lives. Sure some may be wealthy beyond belief, but that doesn’t mean that they have a happy go lucky, easy life. Take the main characters that we come to know and love in previous novels in this series but who really shine in this instalment. We get to know them on a much deeper, more intimate level. We find out that what is on the surface isn’t necessarily exactly what’s inside.
I appreciate that Mallery’s story is about so much more than just the main couple. She brings this whole town to life. Because Mallery’s focus is wider than simply the two main characters you actually get to know them better. By reading about everything happening around them you feel like you’re part of their lives, not just seeing a snippit of it. You, along with the main characters, are also part of something larger.
Overall this was a brilliant addition to Mallery’s Fools Gold series as well as an intriguing standalone novel. It is an emotionally stimulating novel that will capture your heart and your mind. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to others or to re-read it myself (and I’m not generally one for re-reads).
June 28, 2014
I stumbled upon this book because it was in the top 10 romance books in amazon (where my favorite books of 2014 - It Happened One Wedding and Once in a Lifetime by Julie James and Jill Shalvis, respectively, are included). I read the summary, it looked interesting and right up in my alley so I immediately downloaded a sample and then bought the whole book.
The book started off great... The hero and heroine were likable and they have chemistry.... However, there were just TOO MANY characters and sub-plots that we've lost focused on the two main characters of the story.
For example:
1) The heroine's sister's petty problem
2) The mysterious Mayor
3) Kipling Gilmore and her sister
4) Jack and Larissa
5) Kenny and the little kid, Chloe
I get that this is a series and the author needs to establish the connection of characters paired up in future books but this is ridiculous. Kip and her sister is not yet even in Fool's Gold - can't she do their backstory in their own books?! Because of this, I was more interested in Kenny and Bailey's story/book (WHICH IS A SHAME BECAUSE THEY APPARENTLY ONLY GET A NOVELLA -15.5?!?!) than Jack and Larissa which is the hero and heroine of the author's next book.
I also didn't like the last couple of chapters. I felt like the conflict resolution between the hero and heroine were rushed and cramped in two chapters that was lost between the cat crisis of another character!
So yeah, 3 stars only.
The book started off great... The hero and heroine were likable and they have chemistry.... However, there were just TOO MANY characters and sub-plots that we've lost focused on the two main characters of the story.
For example:
1) The heroine's sister's petty problem
2) The mysterious Mayor
3) Kipling Gilmore and her sister
4) Jack and Larissa
5) Kenny and the little kid, Chloe
I get that this is a series and the author needs to establish the connection of characters paired up in future books but this is ridiculous. Kip and her sister is not yet even in Fool's Gold - can't she do their backstory in their own books?! Because of this, I was more interested in Kenny and Bailey's story/book (WHICH IS A SHAME BECAUSE THEY APPARENTLY ONLY GET A NOVELLA -15.5?!?!) than Jack and Larissa which is the hero and heroine of the author's next book.
I also didn't like the last couple of chapters. I felt like the conflict resolution between the hero and heroine were rushed and cramped in two chapters that was lost between the cat crisis of another character!
So yeah, 3 stars only.
May 12, 2014
A Fools' Gold story that focuses on Sam Ridge, one of the three pro football players who run SCORE, and Dellina Hopkins, a party planner. Sam reluctantly, and after a 5-month delay, approaches her, desperate for her to help him out. SCORE wants to give a party to their clients as a special thank-you, but they're guys. Don't do parties. Dellina does. A no-brainer, right? Wrong. The previous Valentine's Day night, Dellina went to bed with Sam and both are now embarrassed about the one-night fling neither can quite forget.
Dellina agrees to plan the party, does a terrific job while fighting her attraction to Sam, but the complications that occur regularly in Fool's Gold tend to focus on Sam and his parents, sex therapists, who don't really pay attention to boundaries. He's freaked, with good reason. Dellina talks to his mother, but that isn't all. When Dellina finally tells Sam she loves him, he freaks again, absolutely certain what he wants with Dellina is going to end in disaster. Until he declares himself publicly, the kind of venue Dellina never expects.
Dellina agrees to plan the party, does a terrific job while fighting her attraction to Sam, but the complications that occur regularly in Fool's Gold tend to focus on Sam and his parents, sex therapists, who don't really pay attention to boundaries. He's freaked, with good reason. Dellina talks to his mother, but that isn't all. When Dellina finally tells Sam she loves him, he freaks again, absolutely certain what he wants with Dellina is going to end in disaster. Until he declares himself publicly, the kind of venue Dellina never expects.
February 23, 2015
Another successful book in the series. Well written, perfectly paced, introduced two complete new characters to arrive in town soon. I loved Sam's parents and at the same time cringed at all the right places. I enjoyed the secondary love story too.
December 31, 2015
Muy en la linea de la serie. Me he divertido mucho con el reparto coral, pero los padres de Sam han sido brillantes.
Tanto Dellina como Sam me han satisfecho y la historia de amor me ha gustado.
Muy bien.
Tanto Dellina como Sam me han satisfecho y la historia de amor me ha gustado.
Muy bien.
January 9, 2019
Touchdown für die Liebe von Susan Mallery ist der 14. Teil der Fool's Gold Reihe. Dellina ist Eventmanagerin und hatte einen One-Night-Stand mit Sam, dem Inhaber von Score. Dieser ist jedoch panisch abgehauen, als er die vielen Brautkleider und eine Liste mit Möglichkeiten einen Mann dazu zu bringen einer Frau einen Heiratsantrag zu machen. Als Score ein Event plant muss er jedoch wohl oder übel mit Dellina zusammenarbeiten. Und die Funken zwischen ihnen sprühen noch immer.
Das hier war auch ein tolles Buch. Dellina mag ich sehr gerne. Sie ist eine liebevolle und offene Frau. Sie will für jeden nur das Beste und stellt sich oft hinten an. Sam ist ein netter Kerl, der jedoch starke Bindungsängste hat. Wenn man seine Geschichte erfährt kann man das jedoch verstehen. Es war toll ihre Geschichte zu lesen. Wir haben auch Einblicke in das Leben der anderen bekommen und ich kann es schon kaum erwarten endlich Kennys Geschichte zu lesen. Auf diese freue ich mich besonders.
Es wurden auch zwei neue Charaktere eingeführt, die bestimmt noch wichtig werden. Die Bürgermeisterin von Fool's Gold ist etwas Übernatürliches! Ich wüsste gerne woher sie all diese Dinge weiß, von allem und jedem. Ich freue mich schon auf das nächste Buch!
Das hier war auch ein tolles Buch. Dellina mag ich sehr gerne. Sie ist eine liebevolle und offene Frau. Sie will für jeden nur das Beste und stellt sich oft hinten an. Sam ist ein netter Kerl, der jedoch starke Bindungsängste hat. Wenn man seine Geschichte erfährt kann man das jedoch verstehen. Es war toll ihre Geschichte zu lesen. Wir haben auch Einblicke in das Leben der anderen bekommen und ich kann es schon kaum erwarten endlich Kennys Geschichte zu lesen. Auf diese freue ich mich besonders.
Es wurden auch zwei neue Charaktere eingeführt, die bestimmt noch wichtig werden. Die Bürgermeisterin von Fool's Gold ist etwas Übernatürliches! Ich wüsste gerne woher sie all diese Dinge weiß, von allem und jedem. Ich freue mich schon auf das nächste Buch!
April 17, 2019
These two characters were perfectly matched. And the sex was steamy! I really enjoyed this installment in the series.
December 1, 2020
So funny!!
March 21, 2018
I’m enjoying the Fools Gold series. Yes, it’s predictable how it’s going to end but I like reading about each couples background. How things began, how things were in their past.
September 20, 2014
Poor Sam just cannot catch a break when it comes to women. As a pro football player he had his pick, and managed to get losers every time. Even the woman he married was just interested in his fame and what he could do for her. When they divorced, she wrote a terrible tell-all book about their marriage. For a man who values his privacy it was a horrible betrayal. He's given up on finding his dream woman and having his own family, convinced that any relationship will go down in flames. When he meets Dellina at a bar on Valentine's Day they really click and he's looking forward to some hot one on one time with her. And he gets it, until he gets up in the night and discovers a room full of wedding gowns and a detailed plan on getting a man to propose. Panicked, he runs and has avoided Dellina ever since.
Dellina has always been the responsible one in her family. She put her life on hold to raise her younger sisters. She doesn't want a permanent relationship and family, as she considers herself as having "been there and done that." Taking Sam home that night was a step toward going after what she does want. She would have liked more time with him, but the memory of what they did have wasn't going to fade any time soon. She has a pretty good attitude about what happened and I really enjoyed the way she tormented him about it later.
Sam has to face Dellina when he needs her professional help planning a weekend long event for his company. Once they clear the air about what happened that night they are able to work well together. It doesn't take long at all for them to figure out that the attraction between them is as strong as ever. But they are determined to keep their relationship professional and not give in to the heat between them. It's a losing battle, but I loved watching them try. One of the things I liked best was watching them get to know each other and become friends.
Dellina quickly comes to understand Sam and his issues with privacy and his personal life. Sam dreads hearing that his parents, who are known for their lectures on sexuality, are coming to town and Dellina thinks that he's exaggerating what they are like. Once they arrives she discovers that they are every bit as outrageous as he claims. Oh the things that came out of his mother's mouth! Her heart is in the right place, and she loves him dearly, but she has no filter. As bad as I felt for Sam and his embarrassment, I have to say it was hysterically funny. I also loved how Dellina had his back, and supported him through the visit. Sam also has to deal with his ex-wife coming to town and wanting to do a sequel to the book she wrote. I loved how that turned out, though Sam did rather screw up with Dellina there.
Dellina loves spending time with Sam. The sparks between them are intense. She is determined to keep things between them light because the thought of opening herself up to love is too scary. She has learned over time that caring comes with a price and she's not willing to pay that price. But Sam works his way into her heart anyway and she finally realizes she wants it all. All she has to do is convince Sam that he can have it too.
As always, I love the town of Fool's Gold and catching up with the characters from previous books. A secondary story here is Dellina's sister Fayrene, whose story was in Halfway There. Though she and her boyfriend had agreed to wait four years until they marry, she has changed her mind. Throughout the book she is trying various ways to get Ryan to propose, and both Sam and Dellina try to tell her she's going about it the wrong way. We also have Mayor Marsha going all the way to New Zealand to recruit another person for one of her projects. That woman is seriously spooky with the way she knows things about people. I'd love to know her secret.
Dellina has always been the responsible one in her family. She put her life on hold to raise her younger sisters. She doesn't want a permanent relationship and family, as she considers herself as having "been there and done that." Taking Sam home that night was a step toward going after what she does want. She would have liked more time with him, but the memory of what they did have wasn't going to fade any time soon. She has a pretty good attitude about what happened and I really enjoyed the way she tormented him about it later.
Sam has to face Dellina when he needs her professional help planning a weekend long event for his company. Once they clear the air about what happened that night they are able to work well together. It doesn't take long at all for them to figure out that the attraction between them is as strong as ever. But they are determined to keep their relationship professional and not give in to the heat between them. It's a losing battle, but I loved watching them try. One of the things I liked best was watching them get to know each other and become friends.
Dellina quickly comes to understand Sam and his issues with privacy and his personal life. Sam dreads hearing that his parents, who are known for their lectures on sexuality, are coming to town and Dellina thinks that he's exaggerating what they are like. Once they arrives she discovers that they are every bit as outrageous as he claims. Oh the things that came out of his mother's mouth! Her heart is in the right place, and she loves him dearly, but she has no filter. As bad as I felt for Sam and his embarrassment, I have to say it was hysterically funny. I also loved how Dellina had his back, and supported him through the visit. Sam also has to deal with his ex-wife coming to town and wanting to do a sequel to the book she wrote. I loved how that turned out, though Sam did rather screw up with Dellina there.
Dellina loves spending time with Sam. The sparks between them are intense. She is determined to keep things between them light because the thought of opening herself up to love is too scary. She has learned over time that caring comes with a price and she's not willing to pay that price. But Sam works his way into her heart anyway and she finally realizes she wants it all. All she has to do is convince Sam that he can have it too.
As always, I love the town of Fool's Gold and catching up with the characters from previous books. A secondary story here is Dellina's sister Fayrene, whose story was in Halfway There. Though she and her boyfriend had agreed to wait four years until they marry, she has changed her mind. Throughout the book she is trying various ways to get Ryan to propose, and both Sam and Dellina try to tell her she's going about it the wrong way. We also have Mayor Marsha going all the way to New Zealand to recruit another person for one of her projects. That woman is seriously spooky with the way she knows things about people. I'd love to know her secret.
August 27, 2016
3.5
Former football-kicker Sam Ridge has terrible luck with women. One ex slept with both of his best friends right under his nose while another published a book, delineating their entire relationship after they broke up. Gaining Sam's trust is not easy, that is, until Dellina Hopkins comes into the picture. Dellina had to step into the parental role after the death of her own parents, meaning she grew up way too fast and had to take care of her sisters. She definitely isn't looking for commitment and wants to have fun after having given up her "youth" to play grown-up. After their seemingly unsuccessful but pleasurable fling, Dellina is sure that she and Sam are done. But after he hires her to plan an event, what re-started as a professional relationship becomes something extremely tempting.
This was borderline ridiculous but absolutely hilarious. Sam runs out of Dellina's house after spending the night together after he comes across a room filled with wedding dresses and has a list of ways to "get him to propose." I was literally clutching my stomach throughout the entirety of this book. Also, Sam's parents? They totally remind me of Ben Stiller's parents in Meet the Fockers. Dellina is sweet and I can understand her need for independence and desire to do more for herself after practically raising her two younger sisters. I didn't feel a real strong connection with her, but I thought she was an okay leading lady.
I wasn't a huge fan of the sub plots. Fayrene is pretty darn annoying with her whole getting-Ryan-to-propose scheme. And I wasn't sure where Mallery was going with the whole Kipling debacle, but it just proves that Mayor Marsha is just as shady as I thought her to be (in a good way...but still a little creepy). But I was really happy to find out that Kipling is an Olympic skier as I read this during the Summer 2016 Olympics. I kept wondering when she was going to include some sort of Olympic athlete into a story! I mean Golden boy Josh will always have a special place in my heart, but he wasn't an Olympian.
Susan Mallery definitely keeps the Fool's Gold series fresh with each passing story. After so many tales of heartbreak, betrayal, and forgiveness, I couldn't imagine what else she could possibly write to keep me holding on. I definitely feel like the stories started to steer away from 'romance/drama' and lean toward the 'rom-com' genre after the first 2 volumes. Which is just fine, but I think that the earlier books have a tighter hold on my heart than the latest stories do.
Former football-kicker Sam Ridge has terrible luck with women. One ex slept with both of his best friends right under his nose while another published a book, delineating their entire relationship after they broke up. Gaining Sam's trust is not easy, that is, until Dellina Hopkins comes into the picture. Dellina had to step into the parental role after the death of her own parents, meaning she grew up way too fast and had to take care of her sisters. She definitely isn't looking for commitment and wants to have fun after having given up her "youth" to play grown-up. After their seemingly unsuccessful but pleasurable fling, Dellina is sure that she and Sam are done. But after he hires her to plan an event, what re-started as a professional relationship becomes something extremely tempting.
This was borderline ridiculous but absolutely hilarious. Sam runs out of Dellina's house after spending the night together after he comes across a room filled with wedding dresses and has a list of ways to "get him to propose." I was literally clutching my stomach throughout the entirety of this book. Also, Sam's parents? They totally remind me of Ben Stiller's parents in Meet the Fockers. Dellina is sweet and I can understand her need for independence and desire to do more for herself after practically raising her two younger sisters. I didn't feel a real strong connection with her, but I thought she was an okay leading lady.
I wasn't a huge fan of the sub plots. Fayrene is pretty darn annoying with her whole getting-Ryan-to-propose scheme. And I wasn't sure where Mallery was going with the whole Kipling debacle, but it just proves that Mayor Marsha is just as shady as I thought her to be (in a good way...but still a little creepy). But I was really happy to find out that Kipling is an Olympic skier as I read this during the Summer 2016 Olympics. I kept wondering when she was going to include some sort of Olympic athlete into a story! I mean Golden boy Josh will always have a special place in my heart, but he wasn't an Olympian.
Susan Mallery definitely keeps the Fool's Gold series fresh with each passing story. After so many tales of heartbreak, betrayal, and forgiveness, I couldn't imagine what else she could possibly write to keep me holding on. I definitely feel like the stories started to steer away from 'romance/drama' and lean toward the 'rom-com' genre after the first 2 volumes. Which is just fine, but I think that the earlier books have a tighter hold on my heart than the latest stories do.
December 28, 2015
Review copy provided via NetGalley
3½ stars
Why I Read this Book: Ever since Sam and his associates from Score PR firm came to Fool’s Gold, I’ve been waiting for each of their books.
What I Liked: The best part of this book was Sam's parents, mainly his mother. She reminded me of Greg’s mother from Meet the Fockers (played by Barbra Streisand), who’s a sex therapist. Every scene that involved Sam’s mother was absolutely hilarious! She had no filter, no respect for personal boundaries, and totally overshared. Couples who attend her seminars “get the opportunity to make love in front of us so we can offer suggestions”!! And most likely because of Sam’s outlandish parents, Sam and Dellina are probably the most sexually adventurous couple in Fool’s Gold yet!
What I Didn’t Like: As much as I enjoyed Sam’s mother’s presence in the book, I found it awkward for Dellina to say “Your mother is amazing” to Sam post coital. Who wants to think about their mother right after having sex?
Fayrene and her tactics frustrated me in this book. She wanted Ryan to be a mind reader, when all he was doing was honoring her wishes.
It ain’t a Fool’s Gold novel unless a kiss is “met stroke for stroke”. I think that phrase is used in just about every novel in this series. I look for it now and it’s distracting.
Mayor Marsha is getting weirder by the book. At first her premonitions were cute. Now they’re popping up in every book to either fix a conflict between that book’s hero and heroine, or set the stage for the next (or future) book in the series. She comes off very persistent, almost always in a bribing way.
Memorable Moment:
Overall Impression: As much as I love the small town of Fool’s Gold and its habitants, I'm getting burned out on this series. I want the author to shake things up for this town, to do something unexpected.
3½ stars
Why I Read this Book: Ever since Sam and his associates from Score PR firm came to Fool’s Gold, I’ve been waiting for each of their books.
What I Liked: The best part of this book was Sam's parents, mainly his mother. She reminded me of Greg’s mother from Meet the Fockers (played by Barbra Streisand), who’s a sex therapist. Every scene that involved Sam’s mother was absolutely hilarious! She had no filter, no respect for personal boundaries, and totally overshared. Couples who attend her seminars “get the opportunity to make love in front of us so we can offer suggestions”!! And most likely because of Sam’s outlandish parents, Sam and Dellina are probably the most sexually adventurous couple in Fool’s Gold yet!
What I Didn’t Like: As much as I enjoyed Sam’s mother’s presence in the book, I found it awkward for Dellina to say “Your mother is amazing” to Sam post coital. Who wants to think about their mother right after having sex?
Fayrene and her tactics frustrated me in this book. She wanted Ryan to be a mind reader, when all he was doing was honoring her wishes.
It ain’t a Fool’s Gold novel unless a kiss is “met stroke for stroke”. I think that phrase is used in just about every novel in this series. I look for it now and it’s distracting.
Mayor Marsha is getting weirder by the book. At first her premonitions were cute. Now they’re popping up in every book to either fix a conflict between that book’s hero and heroine, or set the stage for the next (or future) book in the series. She comes off very persistent, almost always in a bribing way.
Memorable Moment:
“Darling, I know a much better brand of condom,” his mother called. “And where is that pink vibrator I sent you last Christmas? The one that’s shaped to reach a woman’s G-spot. I don’t see it anywhere.”
Overall Impression: As much as I love the small town of Fool’s Gold and its habitants, I'm getting burned out on this series. I want the author to shake things up for this town, to do something unexpected.
October 10, 2014
This Fools' Gold story is about Sam Ridge who is one of the three ex-pro football players who run a PR company called SCORE and Dellina Hopkins who is a party planner. Sam’s company is throwing a big party for their clients and their families which is to take place over an entire weekend. Sam is not getting far with the plans so he has to ask Dellina for help which he now needs fast. He doesn't want to talk to Dellina because he had a one-night stand with her and hasn't talked to her since. However, he is desperate so asks for her help with the party. Dellina agrees to plan the party and does a great job of it. The SCORE clients and their children have a wonderful time. During the planning Sam and Dellina realize they are still attracted to each other but Dellina tries to fight it so she can concentrate on doing a good job with the party.
I liked the way both Sam and Dellina fought their attraction and the reasons for this. Sam's relationships always ended badly so he doesn't do relationships any more. Dellina raised her 14 year old twin sisters after their parents died so she feels like she has already had the family and doesn't want to do it again.
This was a great story and the character development was perfect. I did feel sorry for Sam and the hard time he had with women but it was so funny when he ran out on his one night with Dellina because he accidentally walked into the wrong room at her place which was filled with wedding dresses. Of course he did the typical guy thing and ran. Dellina was perfect for Sam since she was a strong, independent woman who didn't let anything bother her. While I liked Dellina she did a couple of dumb things for being such a smart business woman. I could understand leaving your cell phone on mute and forgetting about it once but not twice - especially when she was running a business where keeping in touch with people is so important.
You gotta love Fool's Gold and the people who live there, especially Mayor Marsha. I would love to move there.
I liked the way both Sam and Dellina fought their attraction and the reasons for this. Sam's relationships always ended badly so he doesn't do relationships any more. Dellina raised her 14 year old twin sisters after their parents died so she feels like she has already had the family and doesn't want to do it again.
This was a great story and the character development was perfect. I did feel sorry for Sam and the hard time he had with women but it was so funny when he ran out on his one night with Dellina because he accidentally walked into the wrong room at her place which was filled with wedding dresses. Of course he did the typical guy thing and ran. Dellina was perfect for Sam since she was a strong, independent woman who didn't let anything bother her. While I liked Dellina she did a couple of dumb things for being such a smart business woman. I could understand leaving your cell phone on mute and forgetting about it once but not twice - especially when she was running a business where keeping in touch with people is so important.
You gotta love Fool's Gold and the people who live there, especially Mayor Marsha. I would love to move there.
April 15, 2014
Review will be posted at www.books-n-kisses.com .
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 4 3/4
REVIEW:
Poor Sam. He has had his share of bad luck when it comes to woman. A little gun shy now with who he trust the last thing he ever expected when moving to a sleepy little town of Fool’s Gold would be Dellina. But of course he had to go and screw that up too.
Dellina had to grow up fast when her parents were killed and she took over the raising of her little sisters. While she would like to have a man in her life the last thing she needs or wants to something permanent. But when Dellina is with Sam all those thoughts get thrown out the window. Now only if she can get him to trust her.
Oh I so love visiting Fool’s Gold. I love the people, I love the town and I love that there is always a happily ever after. I love the world that Susan has created. But let me tell you when it comes to Sam’s parents. WOWZA!! I am not sure where Susan got the idea for them or who were her role models but let me tell you Sam’s parents are.... Well for a better word interesting. I was seriously dying every time his mom opened her mouth. :D
If you are a Fool’s Gold fan you will love this book. If you are new to the series. You need to take a trip to Fool’s Gold. But bewarned once you get here you will not want to leave. Can’t to jump into Jack’s story :)
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley & Harlequin in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
March 28, 2014
This is the 14th book in the series and features Sam and Dellina. Sam is one of the football players who has come to Fool's Gold. Dellina is a party planner that has been hired by Sam's company. Unfortunately, Sam and Dellina already know eachother and Sam has been doing his best to avoid Dellina ever since. Now that they might have to work together, they both have to try to move on and get along with one another.
I liked the plot of this book and found the situation between Sam and Dellina really amusing. I thought there might have been something between them from what we see in the previous book but to find out what actually happened was priceless. I wasn't totally in love with Sam, but I LOVED his mother and father. The idea of having a family like that was just hilarious to me. And everytime they were in a scene I just couldn't stop laughing. They definitely made the book IMO. Dellina was great and I wish I had her planning abilities. She made everything work did it with style.
I didn't really like the side plots in this one, especially the plot with Dellina's sister. I found that whole thing really annoying. I am interested in what was happening with the Mayor and I wonder where that will lead for future books. But the combination of that plot and Dellina's sister was too much and it distracted from the main storyline. I would have been happy with just the mayor's storyline.
Thank you to netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
I liked the plot of this book and found the situation between Sam and Dellina really amusing. I thought there might have been something between them from what we see in the previous book but to find out what actually happened was priceless. I wasn't totally in love with Sam, but I LOVED his mother and father. The idea of having a family like that was just hilarious to me. And everytime they were in a scene I just couldn't stop laughing. They definitely made the book IMO. Dellina was great and I wish I had her planning abilities. She made everything work did it with style.
I didn't really like the side plots in this one, especially the plot with Dellina's sister. I found that whole thing really annoying. I am interested in what was happening with the Mayor and I wonder where that will lead for future books. But the combination of that plot and Dellina's sister was too much and it distracted from the main storyline. I would have been happy with just the mayor's storyline.
Thank you to netgalley and Harlequin for providing me with a copy of this book to read and review.
May 23, 2014
I’ve enjoyed other Susan Mallery books, however, this one didn’t quite work for me.
Before We Kiss is about Sam and Dellina, months after a one-night stand, they're tasked with planning his company party. There’s a couple subplots, too, one involves a world-class skier and his abused sister, the other features Dellina’s sister who expects her boyfriend to read her mind about marriage.
Caramel the dog was a cuddly little sweetie, and I always appreciate supportive friendships and siblings, but the romance is where this went flat for me.
Sam and Dellina were likeable, I just never fell in love with them, I didn’t feel an urgency for them to be together. The majority of their interactions were either bogged down by party planning details, or made uncomfortable by his mom’s interest in/influence over his sex life. I thought it was great to see an older woman so in touch with her sexuality, but it wasn’t so great that she’s so in touch with her son’s sexuality that Sam and Dellina referred to her techniques during what should have been a steamy night.
Between so much more party talk than flirty talk, and a mom all but in the bed with them, sparks didn’t really have room to fly.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Before We Kiss is about Sam and Dellina, months after a one-night stand, they're tasked with planning his company party. There’s a couple subplots, too, one involves a world-class skier and his abused sister, the other features Dellina’s sister who expects her boyfriend to read her mind about marriage.
Caramel the dog was a cuddly little sweetie, and I always appreciate supportive friendships and siblings, but the romance is where this went flat for me.
Sam and Dellina were likeable, I just never fell in love with them, I didn’t feel an urgency for them to be together. The majority of their interactions were either bogged down by party planning details, or made uncomfortable by his mom’s interest in/influence over his sex life. I thought it was great to see an older woman so in touch with her sexuality, but it wasn’t so great that she’s so in touch with her son’s sexuality that Sam and Dellina referred to her techniques during what should have been a steamy night.
Between so much more party talk than flirty talk, and a mom all but in the bed with them, sparks didn’t really have room to fly.
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
June 2, 2014
Before We Kiss features former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge and party planner Dellina Hopkins. Things are getting hot in Fool’s Gold; Susan Mallery added extra fervor to this installment. Witnessing these two fall in love was amazing – I love when fate takes over.
Poor…Poor *shakes head* Sam – he has the worst luck when it comes to women. This is a guy that seems destined to end up alone. His notoriously bad luck has even followed him to Fool’s Gold. A one-night stand with the gorgeous, independent, Dellina seems harmless enough until he makes a surprising discovery in her spare bedroom. I was very impressed with the complexly of Dellina’s character. These two are perfectly matched set.
Ms. Mallery tosses in extra little specks of humor by exposing (pun intended) readers to Sam’s parents, who are most likely to get arrest for performing lewd acts in a public place.
I thought the ending was slightly hokey - but Highly Recommended for contemporary readers.
Poor…Poor *shakes head* Sam – he has the worst luck when it comes to women. This is a guy that seems destined to end up alone. His notoriously bad luck has even followed him to Fool’s Gold. A one-night stand with the gorgeous, independent, Dellina seems harmless enough until he makes a surprising discovery in her spare bedroom. I was very impressed with the complexly of Dellina’s character. These two are perfectly matched set.
Ms. Mallery tosses in extra little specks of humor by exposing (pun intended) readers to Sam’s parents, who are most likely to get arrest for performing lewd acts in a public place.
I thought the ending was slightly hokey - but Highly Recommended for contemporary readers.
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