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Fool's Gold #16
Hold Me
New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery's classic blend of lighthearted humor and intense emotional conflict works its magic on two newcomers to the California town of Fool's Gold, which Library Journal calls "a setting so real and appealing readers will want to start scoping out real estate."
Destiny Mills believes passion has its place—like in the lyrics of the country songs that made her parents famous. After a childhood full of drama and heartache, she wants a life that's calm. Safe. Everything that Kipling Gilmore isn't. Her temporary assignment with the Fool's Gold search and rescue team puts her in delicious proximity to the former world-class skier every day. Part of her aches to let go for once…the rest is terrified what'll happen if she does.
Though an accident ended his career, Kipling still lives for thrills—and a hot fling with a gorgeous redhead like Destiny would be a welcome diversion. Yet beneath his new coworker's cool facade is a woman who needs more than he's ever given. With her, he's ready to take the risk. But love, like skiing, is all about trust—and before you soar, you have to be willing to fall.
Destiny Mills believes passion has its place—like in the lyrics of the country songs that made her parents famous. After a childhood full of drama and heartache, she wants a life that's calm. Safe. Everything that Kipling Gilmore isn't. Her temporary assignment with the Fool's Gold search and rescue team puts her in delicious proximity to the former world-class skier every day. Part of her aches to let go for once…the rest is terrified what'll happen if she does.
Though an accident ended his career, Kipling still lives for thrills—and a hot fling with a gorgeous redhead like Destiny would be a welcome diversion. Yet beneath his new coworker's cool facade is a woman who needs more than he's ever given. With her, he's ready to take the risk. But love, like skiing, is all about trust—and before you soar, you have to be willing to fall.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 28, 2015
829 people are currently reading
3548 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 591 reviews
August 15, 2016
1 I can't.. I just can't stars
DNF! I quit! Page 189 and I can't read another damn word! OMG I can't fuckin' do this anymore. I am so fuckin' done! This series has been pure hell.
I have read over 1000 books in my lifetime and never once have I DNFed a book. I didn't think I had it in me. I have said this before in reviews, but I have OCD. Like diagnosed by a doctor, take Zoloft for it, ocd. When it comes to tv or books. I have to watch or read them all. I have never been able to quit no matter how much I hate something. But this series has truly broke me. I can't read anymore of this shit or I will lose it.
This series has driven me crazy since book 2 and I just don't have it in me to see it through. I tried because I know I will feel the nagging compulsion to pick this book back up and finish it and the other 3 books left in the series for weeks to come, until it drives me crazy, but there is just no way it could drive me more crazy then having to read another line in this damn book! I truly hate this series.
It's more torture reading it then to quit it. Every single fucking book in this series is the same. They are the same shit, just different names and it's driving me bat shit crazy.
Cowards are a huge pet peeve of mine next to cheating. The cowardly heroes in this series are just too damn much . I have read a ton of books where one of the main characters is scared and or damaged, and doesn't want a relationship, but they get over it in a timely fashion. Grow some balls and get the girl or guy and if they were a dick because of said fear they groveled. The heroes in this series aren't just scared they are cowards. Huge baby ass chicken dancing cowards.
Their fear is over the top and most of the time over normal ass problems that almost everyone in the world has dealt with. Losing someone they love, run of the mill shit parents, bad break up, cheated on, etc. And while I can understand them being reluctant after having to go through that shit the heroes in this series just run. The second the "L" word is said they run. They don't say a word just turn and walk away or they said super hateful shit and then run. They are gone for weeks, really hurting the heroine. Then at the very end of the book, like last page, they say a simple sorry and all is forgiven bam hea. Every single hero (minus Simon he rocked. He was scared too just he had a super good reason). No real groveling no real feelings of closure for me as a reader just a rushed sorry and hea!
Maybe it's because it was repeated over and over in every book that made it worse. As the series went on I got madder and madder. But really every hero? With each new book that I paid hard earned money for I got the same crap. It got old fast. When I wasn't burning with anger I was fighting boredom. You can only read the same shit so many times before it's old and busted and I need something fresh.
So with that lovely purging of my soul (or rant) I think I will stay far away from Susan Mallery's books. While she is a popular and talented author with most, her books rub me wrong. My very first ever DNF!!!!! I'm out!
DNF! I quit! Page 189 and I can't read another damn word! OMG I can't fuckin' do this anymore. I am so fuckin' done! This series has been pure hell.
I have read over 1000 books in my lifetime and never once have I DNFed a book. I didn't think I had it in me. I have said this before in reviews, but I have OCD. Like diagnosed by a doctor, take Zoloft for it, ocd. When it comes to tv or books. I have to watch or read them all. I have never been able to quit no matter how much I hate something. But this series has truly broke me. I can't read anymore of this shit or I will lose it.
This series has driven me crazy since book 2 and I just don't have it in me to see it through. I tried because I know I will feel the nagging compulsion to pick this book back up and finish it and the other 3 books left in the series for weeks to come, until it drives me crazy, but there is just no way it could drive me more crazy then having to read another line in this damn book! I truly hate this series.
It's more torture reading it then to quit it. Every single fucking book in this series is the same. They are the same shit, just different names and it's driving me bat shit crazy.
Cowards are a huge pet peeve of mine next to cheating. The cowardly heroes in this series are just too damn much . I have read a ton of books where one of the main characters is scared and or damaged, and doesn't want a relationship, but they get over it in a timely fashion. Grow some balls and get the girl or guy and if they were a dick because of said fear they groveled. The heroes in this series aren't just scared they are cowards. Huge baby ass chicken dancing cowards.
Their fear is over the top and most of the time over normal ass problems that almost everyone in the world has dealt with. Losing someone they love, run of the mill shit parents, bad break up, cheated on, etc. And while I can understand them being reluctant after having to go through that shit the heroes in this series just run. The second the "L" word is said they run. They don't say a word just turn and walk away or they said super hateful shit and then run. They are gone for weeks, really hurting the heroine. Then at the very end of the book, like last page, they say a simple sorry and all is forgiven bam hea. Every single hero (minus Simon he rocked. He was scared too just he had a super good reason). No real groveling no real feelings of closure for me as a reader just a rushed sorry and hea!
Maybe it's because it was repeated over and over in every book that made it worse. As the series went on I got madder and madder. But really every hero? With each new book that I paid hard earned money for I got the same crap. It got old fast. When I wasn't burning with anger I was fighting boredom. You can only read the same shit so many times before it's old and busted and I need something fresh.
So with that lovely purging of my soul (or rant) I think I will stay far away from Susan Mallery's books. While she is a popular and talented author with most, her books rub me wrong. My very first ever DNF!!!!! I'm out!
May 29, 2019
This is sixteenth in a series. Which is a lot. They aren't getting any better, either. This one is the start of a new grouping, so you don't really need to read the others first. Characters from previous books are very present so you'll do better with back story and it can be fun to see prior couples living their HEA. But it's not necessary.
Maybe I need to give Mallery a rest. This book has both leads sporting flaming piles of negative motivation* of the moronic "bad people claim to have been in love so love must be bad" variety. Destiny then adds a steaming lot of stupid on the pile of idiotic with a bunch of denial about music and suppressing her talent because bad people have been musicians so all musicians must be bad. And then the two of them have a conversation about sex and relationships and I can't continue. Such a bunch of ignorant twaddle by Destiny and Kip's shallow response isn't any better. Kip is essentially the paraplegic offering to carry the quadriplegic Destiny up a set of stairs. In other words, they both need help and turning to each other isn't going to do the job.
* 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.
Maybe I need to give Mallery a rest. This book has both leads sporting flaming piles of negative motivation* of the moronic "bad people claim to have been in love so love must be bad" variety. Destiny then adds a steaming lot of stupid on the pile of idiotic with a bunch of denial about music and suppressing her talent because bad people have been musicians so all musicians must be bad. And then the two of them have a conversation about sex and relationships and I can't continue. Such a bunch of ignorant twaddle by Destiny and Kip's shallow response isn't any better. Kip is essentially the paraplegic offering to carry the quadriplegic Destiny up a set of stairs. In other words, they both need help and turning to each other isn't going to do the job.
* 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.
July 10, 2015
I normally really enjoy Susan Mallery novels. I did not care for this one so much. I found the two lead characters kind of one dimensional and I did not feel the spark between them. I did enjoy the sisters part of the story.
February 2, 2016
Hold me by Susan Mallery is a 2015 HQN publication.
This book is the sixteenth in Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series. I have not read all the books in the series and have followed it in an erratic fashion, popping in and out from time to time. I picked this one up from my overdrive library hoping to catch up with the series a bit because I signed on to read and review an upcoming release.
Kipling, an Olympian who suffered a career ending accident, is putting his life back together now, and is the leader of the local search and rescue team as well as the owner of a new bar- The Man Cave.
Destiny is in Fool’s Gold to test out her STORMS system that aids in search and rescue operations, which means Kipling is one of the first people she meets. She is also the sole guardian of a half-sister, Starr, a fifteen year old girl she had never met.
Kipling is a good guy and gives Destiny a shoulder to lean on and patiently listens to her problems. Destiny’s biggest fear is to fall in love, or lose control over her reasoning power, which is something her famous parents have done time and time again. This fear also keeps Destiny from embracing her talent as a singer, and from taking risks in life. But, Kipling challenges all that, which causes Destiny to lose her battle against falling in love. But, does Kipling feel the same way? What will happen when Destiny’s job ends and it is time for her move on?
As is often the case with a long running series, one book will come along that doesn’t have the same polish and shine as the others. This one falls into that category. While there are some emotional moments in the story, the chemistry between Kipling and Destiny is more like a dull butter knife than a razor sharp blade.
I liked Kipling right away, even if he was a little over confident, but I nearly lost all respect when he visits a doctor in one of the most ridiculous scenes I’ve ever read. It was funny on one hand, but irritating in another, and highly, highly, improbable. Then there were his reasons for holding back is feelings for Destiny, which didn’t make a lot sense if you really get to thinking about it and so as the book progressed I ended up with mixed emotions about him.
I’ve read several novels that delved into the lives of the children of famous rock stars, all of them painting a grim, sad picture of the effects of fame. Destiny and Starr bear the scars as children abandoned by their parents, who put career first, and were so self-absorbed they didn’t even know their own child’s birthdate. This area of the story was the most compelling, I thought. Being responsible for a teenager who desperately needs a foundation and suffered the same disappointments she did, was an eye opening experience for Destiny who began to mature in ways she never would have imagined.
Destiny’s character development was the strongest area in this story, with the romance taking it on the chin a little bit. Naturally, there is a HEA and the story is enjoyable enough, and has merit, it’s just not on par with the other books I’ve read in this series.
3 stars
This book is the sixteenth in Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series. I have not read all the books in the series and have followed it in an erratic fashion, popping in and out from time to time. I picked this one up from my overdrive library hoping to catch up with the series a bit because I signed on to read and review an upcoming release.
Kipling, an Olympian who suffered a career ending accident, is putting his life back together now, and is the leader of the local search and rescue team as well as the owner of a new bar- The Man Cave.
Destiny is in Fool’s Gold to test out her STORMS system that aids in search and rescue operations, which means Kipling is one of the first people she meets. She is also the sole guardian of a half-sister, Starr, a fifteen year old girl she had never met.
Kipling is a good guy and gives Destiny a shoulder to lean on and patiently listens to her problems. Destiny’s biggest fear is to fall in love, or lose control over her reasoning power, which is something her famous parents have done time and time again. This fear also keeps Destiny from embracing her talent as a singer, and from taking risks in life. But, Kipling challenges all that, which causes Destiny to lose her battle against falling in love. But, does Kipling feel the same way? What will happen when Destiny’s job ends and it is time for her move on?
As is often the case with a long running series, one book will come along that doesn’t have the same polish and shine as the others. This one falls into that category. While there are some emotional moments in the story, the chemistry between Kipling and Destiny is more like a dull butter knife than a razor sharp blade.
I liked Kipling right away, even if he was a little over confident, but I nearly lost all respect when he visits a doctor in one of the most ridiculous scenes I’ve ever read. It was funny on one hand, but irritating in another, and highly, highly, improbable. Then there were his reasons for holding back is feelings for Destiny, which didn’t make a lot sense if you really get to thinking about it and so as the book progressed I ended up with mixed emotions about him.
I’ve read several novels that delved into the lives of the children of famous rock stars, all of them painting a grim, sad picture of the effects of fame. Destiny and Starr bear the scars as children abandoned by their parents, who put career first, and were so self-absorbed they didn’t even know their own child’s birthdate. This area of the story was the most compelling, I thought. Being responsible for a teenager who desperately needs a foundation and suffered the same disappointments she did, was an eye opening experience for Destiny who began to mature in ways she never would have imagined.
Destiny’s character development was the strongest area in this story, with the romance taking it on the chin a little bit. Naturally, there is a HEA and the story is enjoyable enough, and has merit, it’s just not on par with the other books I’ve read in this series.
3 stars
May 20, 2015
I have enjoyed the Fool's Gold series, but there was so much NOT to like about this entry. Spoilers ahead.
The story in this book is about Destiny and Kipling. Kipling is recovering from a accident that left him unable to ski professionally. He is heading up the rescue squad for FG. Destiny writes and maps the software bought for this project. She has two famous parents that didn't care for her right when she was growing up, and is taking care of a half sister she's just met. Destiny believes sex is the root of all evil. Long story short, she gets over that, they fall in love, the end. Along the way she decides she's pregnant- I say decides because she never takes a pregnancy test or visits a gyno before the book ends.
The thing that outraged me most about this book was a subplot about Kipling's bar. Kipling, along with several men in town, opened a bar for those men that didn't feel comfortable at Jo's Bar, which famously caters to women, what with the bright colors and tvs on the shopping network and all. FG, a city that according to a population sign Destiny notes, has 125000 people plus tourists, should easily be able to support two bars, right? NOPE. Jo gets all bent out of shape and then gets the women to get their men to pull out of the men's bar, which they do because they are total pussies. Jo later tells Kipling he should have discussed his business with her before opening. WTF is that about? REALLY?? Does this town just have one of everything? And shouldn't the all knowing all powerful Mayor Marsha have stopped this before it started?
Ugh. I'll read the next book because I am curious about Zane, but if he turns out to be a whipped wimp I quit.
The story in this book is about Destiny and Kipling. Kipling is recovering from a accident that left him unable to ski professionally. He is heading up the rescue squad for FG. Destiny writes and maps the software bought for this project. She has two famous parents that didn't care for her right when she was growing up, and is taking care of a half sister she's just met. Destiny believes sex is the root of all evil. Long story short, she gets over that, they fall in love, the end. Along the way she decides she's pregnant- I say decides because she never takes a pregnancy test or visits a gyno before the book ends.
The thing that outraged me most about this book was a subplot about Kipling's bar. Kipling, along with several men in town, opened a bar for those men that didn't feel comfortable at Jo's Bar, which famously caters to women, what with the bright colors and tvs on the shopping network and all. FG, a city that according to a population sign Destiny notes, has 125000 people plus tourists, should easily be able to support two bars, right? NOPE. Jo gets all bent out of shape and then gets the women to get their men to pull out of the men's bar, which they do because they are total pussies. Jo later tells Kipling he should have discussed his business with her before opening. WTF is that about? REALLY?? Does this town just have one of everything? And shouldn't the all knowing all powerful Mayor Marsha have stopped this before it started?
Ugh. I'll read the next book because I am curious about Zane, but if he turns out to be a whipped wimp I quit.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2016
Antes De La Boda narra la historia de Kipling y Destiny, personajes de la serie Fool´s Gold creada por la autora Susan Mallery.
Este libro y Cuando Nos Conocimos son los mas flojos de la saga, la trama sigue siendo ligera pero por alguna razon a mi este libro se me hizo un poco pesado, sobre todo el comienzo, sentia que la trama no terminaba de arrancar, aunque tambien es cierto que a partir de la mitad en adelante se hace mas fluido.
La pareja protagonista tampoco me parecio la octava maravilla, no senti demasiada quimica entre ellos, quizas si Destiny no hubiera estado tan " obsesionada " con su matrimonio razonable me hubiera caido mejor, ademas al finalizar la lectura te das cuenta de que realmente no llegas a conocer a los protagonistas.
En conclusion, no es una historia totalmente horrible pero tampoco tiene esa " magia " que tienen algunos de los libros de la serie Fool´s Gold.
2 Estrellas!
June 5, 2015
I think it is time for this series to end. I didn't care much for this book. there was zero chemistry between the two main characters. the biggest problem I had was that I waited literally for the entire book for this couple to figure it out and be together... and when it finally happened, the book ended. when I say that, I mean there was literally one sentence left in the entire book after they decided to be together. WTF? are you kidding me? ugh. I am so disappointed.
November 10, 2015
I have been a follower of Ms Mallery for years and have loved this series and look forward to each new one so it pains me to give this such a low rating.....As much as I love catching up with the residents of Fool's Gold I think the time has come for me to say goodbye :((
April 28, 2015
Book #16 - and finally Kipling's story - we've been waiting for him to come to town, ever since out Mayor went flying around the world to find him ☺
He's a former Ski-Superstar / Olympic Gold Medal winner ... who's unfortunately had to end his career because of a bad accident - he almost ended up in a wheel-chair :(
But now he's in our favorite town, running the newly formed HERO - Search & Rescue unit.
And Destiny - she's in town for a few months to get the HERO software up and running...and then she'll leave again. That's what she always does. Work at one place for a while and leave. But this time things might be different. Not only because she's horribly attracted to Kipling (but she's SO NOT starting something with an adrenaline junkie!!! - at least that's what she's telling herself - she wants a quiet and safe and nice man.)
But there's also her new half-sister. Not really new - Starr is already 15, but they never met before. And now she lives with Destiny. And the kid will probably need a safe place to live....and she seems to like it in Fool's Gold.
And even if Destiny might admit to herself to like the town and its people.... she doesn't believe in love...
She had a rough childhood. With famous country-singer-parents who were divorced and married a million times ... she never had a safe place to live until her grandma took her away from Nashville into the mountains to live with her.
But she still has some Nashville left in her...she needs music...to listen to it - to create and play it - and to even sing it - but she only does all that in the privacy of her bedroom.....
Will Kipling - with his fix-everyone-who-needs-fixing gene - be able to pull her out of her denial and get her to believe in love and life??
Could this gorgeous guy and this lovely town, probably be her - ha-ha - Destiny??? ☺
What will happen to Destiny & Kipling?
Will there be a HEA?
Nope - I'm not telling you ☺
______________________________
Ugh - I just LOVE Fool's Gold and it's people - I would be happy to have a new Fool's Gold book every month for the rest of my life! ☺
I was sooo looking forward to finally find out what Mayor Marsha had in mind when she went to New Zealand to get Kipling ☺ Now we know....
He's so cute and funny and sexy and it's really admirable how he dealt with the loss of the love of his life: skiing.... He misses it like crazy, but he knows he needs to start the next phase of his life....and not only will the HERO unit be part of it - he's also hoping that Destiny will be the most important part of it....
But of course he doesn't know that in the beginning - he's happy that she'll leave again in a few months...he's not looking for something serious...poor guy ☺
Just like every single Fool's Gold Romance, HOLD ME was just as great...
Of course we already meet or at least hear about, some new guys & girls - who will find their HEA in the up-coming books...can't wait!!!
GO AND BUY HOLD ME - it's another amazing Mallery Romance that has it all: The town of Fool's Gold with all its amazing inhabitants - a hot Ski-God - Love - Moving & adorable moments & romantic sexiness ♥ like all of SUSAN'S books = JUST PERFECT ☺
May 18, 2015
Sweet romance. My only complaint is that there should be a cast of characters & a map in every Fools Gold novel as I can no longer remember who's who.
August 28, 2017
En la línea de la serie. No hay ninguna novela que destaque sobre otra.
March 4, 2018
I enjoy reading the Fool's Gold series. Love the small-town setting. Destiny and Kipling are solid protagonists. They've both been through a lot. This town and each other may be just what they need for a fresh start.
April 28, 2015
My Review:
I've really been looking forward to this book, ever since Susan Mallery introduced Kipling while he was injured in New Zealand. And while it was pretty good, I was hoping for a bit more angst and drama. It just didn't seem to pan out as well as I'd hoped it would with the possibilities of this great story line. But even with that tiny complaint, I did still enjoy this book. Although I was surprised to find that it was really more of Destiny's story rather than Kipling's.
Destiny grew up in the shadow of her country star parents who dragged her out on the road with them and through all the drama of their many high's and low's. As a result, she wants nothing to do with the music business although the music literally flows through her. She just chooses to ignore that side of herself. She also doesn't believe in love...a hard lesson she learned by watching her parent's many, many mistakes. She's a pretty stoic girl. She works hard to stay on a very even keel, but between Kipling and her new fifteen year old sister who she suddenly has to care for, that ability is getting heavily challenged. I thought the sisters story line was very well written and really enhanced the story of Destiny's own issues with both her parents and music.
Then there is Kipling. He knows he should stay away from Destiny...he's not a long-term kind of guy and it's obvious she doesn't have a whole lot of experience, but he can't seem to help himself. I have to admit there is one point in this novel that is VERY unlike the way most scenes like this go in romance novels. I loved that Susan Mallery went there and the entire situation kept me laughing and giggling as it ALL played out over the course of the book. I loved that little bit of unexpected and applaud her for going there.
I've enjoyed all the Fool's Gold series. And while this one doesn't rank up there at the absolute top of my favorites, I did really enjoy it. I LOVE that we have a new bar in town, too. While I love Jo's. I'm happy that the guys have someplace to go too...and karaoke? Oh yeah, I hope we see lots of this bar in the future installments in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
I've really been looking forward to this book, ever since Susan Mallery introduced Kipling while he was injured in New Zealand. And while it was pretty good, I was hoping for a bit more angst and drama. It just didn't seem to pan out as well as I'd hoped it would with the possibilities of this great story line. But even with that tiny complaint, I did still enjoy this book. Although I was surprised to find that it was really more of Destiny's story rather than Kipling's.
Destiny grew up in the shadow of her country star parents who dragged her out on the road with them and through all the drama of their many high's and low's. As a result, she wants nothing to do with the music business although the music literally flows through her. She just chooses to ignore that side of herself. She also doesn't believe in love...a hard lesson she learned by watching her parent's many, many mistakes. She's a pretty stoic girl. She works hard to stay on a very even keel, but between Kipling and her new fifteen year old sister who she suddenly has to care for, that ability is getting heavily challenged. I thought the sisters story line was very well written and really enhanced the story of Destiny's own issues with both her parents and music.
Then there is Kipling. He knows he should stay away from Destiny...he's not a long-term kind of guy and it's obvious she doesn't have a whole lot of experience, but he can't seem to help himself. I have to admit there is one point in this novel that is VERY unlike the way most scenes like this go in romance novels. I loved that Susan Mallery went there and the entire situation kept me laughing and giggling as it ALL played out over the course of the book. I loved that little bit of unexpected and applaud her for going there.
I've enjoyed all the Fool's Gold series. And while this one doesn't rank up there at the absolute top of my favorites, I did really enjoy it. I LOVE that we have a new bar in town, too. While I love Jo's. I'm happy that the guys have someplace to go too...and karaoke? Oh yeah, I hope we see lots of this bar in the future installments in the series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in return for an honest review.
May 30, 2015
Perhaps I'd think differently if I started Mallery's series with book 1, rather than jumping in at book 16. But to me, the friendly California town of Fool's Gold seemed like my idea of hell on earth. Sharply drawn gender lines (there's a bar for women, and a bar for men, called The Man Cave, ugh!); our new-to-town heroine is immediately invited into the club with the heroines of most of the previous books in the series, and, despite being an introvert loner, strikes up friendships immediately; women hanging out only with other women, and talking about their hunky husbands/boyfriends ad nauseum, while the men hang out together, too; major panic over 15 year-olds kissing (my lord, how old do your kids have to be before you'll allow them to date??); and tough alpha husbands who give in when their wives get angry. Never mind the category-romance-type plotline, with a emotionally stunted virgin heroine who gets drunk, has unprotected sex, and of course gets preggers. Or the wealth of telling rather than showing.
Perhaps that's the key to Mallery's success? That she writes category-type Harlequins, but they're just a little longer, giving her space to include lots of gender-inflected interactions between girlfriends as well as predictable romance storylines?
In any case, definitely NOT my cup of tea.
Perhaps that's the key to Mallery's success? That she writes category-type Harlequins, but they're just a little longer, giving her space to include lots of gender-inflected interactions between girlfriends as well as predictable romance storylines?
In any case, definitely NOT my cup of tea.
November 24, 2022
Hold Me
1 Star
Destiny Mills has come to Fool's Gold to work with its search and rescue team headed by former Olympic skier, Kipling Gilmore. For Destiny, a lifetime of her infamous parents' intense emotions has made her wary of passion and romance. Likewise, Kipling, who has come to town to recuperate both in body and spirit after a horrific accident, is reluctant to risk his heart. Can these two lost souls find each other?
The compelling introduction of Kipling's character several books prior had me eager to read his book. Unfortunately, this book does not live up to expectations.
Kipling and Destiny have both been damaged by their parents' behavior, and their issues are not conducive to a healthy relationship. Moreover, not only do they have zero chemistry, but Kipling's actions are reprehensible and completely undermine the romance.
The minor conflict focusing on the rivalry between Kipling and Jo's bars is contrived and ridiculous. The town is more than large enough to support two bars catering to such different clientele, and the way in which Jo and the other women react does not present them in a positive light.
Overall, this book does neither Fool's Gold nor Susan Mallery any favors.
1 Star
Destiny Mills has come to Fool's Gold to work with its search and rescue team headed by former Olympic skier, Kipling Gilmore. For Destiny, a lifetime of her infamous parents' intense emotions has made her wary of passion and romance. Likewise, Kipling, who has come to town to recuperate both in body and spirit after a horrific accident, is reluctant to risk his heart. Can these two lost souls find each other?
The compelling introduction of Kipling's character several books prior had me eager to read his book. Unfortunately, this book does not live up to expectations.
Kipling and Destiny have both been damaged by their parents' behavior, and their issues are not conducive to a healthy relationship. Moreover, not only do they have zero chemistry, but Kipling's actions are reprehensible and completely undermine the romance.
The minor conflict focusing on the rivalry between Kipling and Jo's bars is contrived and ridiculous. The town is more than large enough to support two bars catering to such different clientele, and the way in which Jo and the other women react does not present them in a positive light.
Overall, this book does neither Fool's Gold nor Susan Mallery any favors.
April 5, 2015
I really like the Fool's Gold community, so I always look forward to reading this series. Sometimes when newcomers are added in it leaves thing lacking, but this one didn't do that.
I liked Kipling and Destiny from the start, but it did get a bit old that their issues kept coming up. It seemed like everyone kept saying how Kipling was a fixer and I hated how Destiny kept turning her back on her history. Both things had a big effect on them both. They did work together as a couple if they both can ignore things and just be.
I liked how we got to see Destiny be with her sister Starr, how she went from finding comfort with Grandma Nell to be pushed into Grandma Nell's role. It was also great to see the town's women welcome Destiny into their fold.
I did find myself laughing at Kipling and his effort in the Man Cave. While I agree that the town needed a place like that, Jo very clearly let it be known she was not to be trifled with. It was great!
I did like that both Kipling and Destiny were able to get past their issues and find their own HEA.
I liked Kipling and Destiny from the start, but it did get a bit old that their issues kept coming up. It seemed like everyone kept saying how Kipling was a fixer and I hated how Destiny kept turning her back on her history. Both things had a big effect on them both. They did work together as a couple if they both can ignore things and just be.
I liked how we got to see Destiny be with her sister Starr, how she went from finding comfort with Grandma Nell to be pushed into Grandma Nell's role. It was also great to see the town's women welcome Destiny into their fold.
I did find myself laughing at Kipling and his effort in the Man Cave. While I agree that the town needed a place like that, Jo very clearly let it be known she was not to be trifled with. It was great!
I did like that both Kipling and Destiny were able to get past their issues and find their own HEA.
May 14, 2015
I normally adore Susan Mallery's books, but this one was not my favorite. The whole thing felt pretty rushed and clunky. It skipped around without really going anywhere. I didn't feel like there was really any real romance between Destiny and Kipling, it was more like she was super grateful that he was helping to solve the problems between her and her step-sister because "that's what he does"-- he's a problem solver (and it's not like that was mentioned about 500 times or anything)!
Plus, **SPOILER ALERT** if you make it to your late 20s without realizing that if you have unprotected sex, even if you were a virgin, you may get pregnant (THERE'S NO FREE PASSES FOR YOUR FIRST TIME, DUMBASS), you might be too stupid to live. No thank you.
Plus, **SPOILER ALERT** if you make it to your late 20s without realizing that if you have unprotected sex, even if you were a virgin, you may get pregnant (THERE'S NO FREE PASSES FOR YOUR FIRST TIME, DUMBASS), you might be too stupid to live. No thank you.
March 6, 2016
Kipling rapes Destiny. There's no way around that. She's drunk. It's rape.
Beyond that they have no chemistry. They're both very messed up people and emotionally stunted. I didn't like Kipling. I found him too annoying. He's a fixer. Not necessarily a bad thing but it's such a big part of the plot it goes start to irritating. We get it. He likes to fix stuff. Stuff that really isn't his business. He's also generally not that interesting of a person. We never really get anything about him.
Beyond that they have no chemistry. They're both very messed up people and emotionally stunted. I didn't like Kipling. I found him too annoying. He's a fixer. Not necessarily a bad thing but it's such a big part of the plot it goes start to irritating. We get it. He likes to fix stuff. Stuff that really isn't his business. He's also generally not that interesting of a person. We never really get anything about him.
July 30, 2015
Two-haiku review:
She avoids passion
He wants short relationship
Can he convince her?
Each one has issues
Characters well drawn but I
Just didn't feel it
She avoids passion
He wants short relationship
Can he convince her?
Each one has issues
Characters well drawn but I
Just didn't feel it
May 29, 2019
I was frustrated by Destiny's insistence on being practical, but it was fun watching it unravel. I really liked Kipling. Virgin stories often over emphasize the importance, while I found this book to be more realistic in how she reacted. Though waiting as long as she did was bit ridiculous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2017
Overall, Susan Mallery has long been one of my favorite romance novel authors, but after this book I may be over her and anything else she writes.
The story is about a skier who has had a terrible accident and the daughter of famous people who does not want what her parents had. They are working together to create the HERO program which will help find people who are lost in the wilderness. Kipling is the manager of the program while Destiny is responsible for implementing the computer software and training the members of the program.
Kipling has a terrible complex where he feel like he needs to fix everything. Destiny feels that sex and emotions are the root of all evil because her parents lived their lives by emotion and that altered Destiny’s view on it.
All in all, the story was nothing new, but I don't read these books for cutting edge stories I read them as pallet cleansers between more intense books. They are simple, easy to digest and don't take much thought.
The reason this one was so bad was because Kipling is basically a toxic male who, in a way, rapes Destiny.
Destiny is having a major freak out, goes to his bar, gets smashed, sings, and all together has a mini mental breakdown. She has music that flows through her but denies it until it builds up, bursts from her, and makes her not the composed calculated person she strives to be. Kipling sees this, enables her and then has sex with her on a table in his bar after it closes. Destiny frequently says she does not know how much she has drank, he notes that her eyes are “glazed over”, and the next day she does not remember it happening. Not only is this the most basic definition of rape possible, he also takes her virginity, does not use protection and gets her pregnant.
At this point I was done. I was angry and hurt that Susan Mallery would write this and put it in a series like this. I was also mad that it was published in a way that normalized it. This is not how a woman should be treated. Alas; I kept reading.
Destiny acts as if all is okay. Kipling frequently thinks about how he needs to fix Destiny by giving her an orgasm. He mocks her desire to have a sexless marriage because he knows that once she has the big "O" she will want more. In short, Kipling does not realize that what she thinks and feels might be legitimate but instead he sees her as broken and in need of fixing.
When she finds out she is pregnant his response was that “he knew how to fix this problem” and marries her. . . a few days later. . . to which she describes feeling emotionally and physically numb. Beforehand, they have this conversation:
Destiny: you're going to want sex, aren't you?
Kipling: Yes, I am.
Destiny: A lot?
Kipling: It depends on your definition of a lot.
Destiny: I'm not going to like it, but you can do whatever you want. I won't say no.
This is literally marital rape.
On the wedding night she is dreading even the thought of it and tells him that she is not excited to do this, but she does it anyway. He gives her the necessary, in his mind, orgasm and suddenly she can’t get enough.
All in all, this book does a great job at reinforcing rape culture and ignoring basic consent culture. If I could give it no stars I would. I hope that Susan Mallery takes a long hard look at her books and tries to stop making the culture for women worse by presenting this as romantic.
The story is about a skier who has had a terrible accident and the daughter of famous people who does not want what her parents had. They are working together to create the HERO program which will help find people who are lost in the wilderness. Kipling is the manager of the program while Destiny is responsible for implementing the computer software and training the members of the program.
Kipling has a terrible complex where he feel like he needs to fix everything. Destiny feels that sex and emotions are the root of all evil because her parents lived their lives by emotion and that altered Destiny’s view on it.
All in all, the story was nothing new, but I don't read these books for cutting edge stories I read them as pallet cleansers between more intense books. They are simple, easy to digest and don't take much thought.
The reason this one was so bad was because Kipling is basically a toxic male who, in a way, rapes Destiny.
Destiny is having a major freak out, goes to his bar, gets smashed, sings, and all together has a mini mental breakdown. She has music that flows through her but denies it until it builds up, bursts from her, and makes her not the composed calculated person she strives to be. Kipling sees this, enables her and then has sex with her on a table in his bar after it closes. Destiny frequently says she does not know how much she has drank, he notes that her eyes are “glazed over”, and the next day she does not remember it happening. Not only is this the most basic definition of rape possible, he also takes her virginity, does not use protection and gets her pregnant.
At this point I was done. I was angry and hurt that Susan Mallery would write this and put it in a series like this. I was also mad that it was published in a way that normalized it. This is not how a woman should be treated. Alas; I kept reading.
Destiny acts as if all is okay. Kipling frequently thinks about how he needs to fix Destiny by giving her an orgasm. He mocks her desire to have a sexless marriage because he knows that once she has the big "O" she will want more. In short, Kipling does not realize that what she thinks and feels might be legitimate but instead he sees her as broken and in need of fixing.
When she finds out she is pregnant his response was that “he knew how to fix this problem” and marries her. . . a few days later. . . to which she describes feeling emotionally and physically numb. Beforehand, they have this conversation:
Destiny: you're going to want sex, aren't you?
Kipling: Yes, I am.
Destiny: A lot?
Kipling: It depends on your definition of a lot.
Destiny: I'm not going to like it, but you can do whatever you want. I won't say no.
This is literally marital rape.
On the wedding night she is dreading even the thought of it and tells him that she is not excited to do this, but she does it anyway. He gives her the necessary, in his mind, orgasm and suddenly she can’t get enough.
All in all, this book does a great job at reinforcing rape culture and ignoring basic consent culture. If I could give it no stars I would. I hope that Susan Mallery takes a long hard look at her books and tries to stop making the culture for women worse by presenting this as romantic.
May 3, 2015
I really enjoyed the beginning of Hold Me, and my apologies for using a completely overused cliche - Kipling and Destiny have a witty repartee from the very beginning. Kipling is very comfortable in his own skin, and Destiny's outlook on life and love, albeit a bit screwed up, sets the stage for some fun interactions between Kipling and Destiny throughout the book. Both of them have strong feelings about relationships, influenced strongly by their childhoods, but in both cases they have taken it too far. What may initially seem as divergent relationship goals and personalities are actually very similar. From the very beginning, I loved how Destiny intrigues Kipling and he makes no apologies for his interest in her, albeit only in a "serial monogamy" kind of way. He sees her temporary residency as perfect to meet his goals.
Destiny has an innocence about her that is really quite endearing. Her background has left her both "wise to the ways of the world" and "innocent to the realities of love and emotion." Her views on life and love are really quite mixed up, and perfect for Kipling, who is a fixer. He doesn't even realize he's doing it half the time, but his interest in Destiny is partly due to his need to fix what he sees needs fixing. Destiny sees her views as protecting herself from what she saw as an lonely childhood. Everything she does in life is about what she believes is protecting herself from being emotionally hurt, up to and including her desire for a "sexless marriage".
In true "Fools Gold" fashion, the strong women in town influence the happenings, and I laughed as we see Kipling's partners in the "Man Cave" succumb to their wives desires with regards to the bar. I could literally see in my mind each of them looking sheepish as they explain the hold their wives had over them. And Kipling's completely baffled by this reaction. The gaggle of women that meet at Jo's bar were so welcoming to Destiny and Starr, and even Shelby (Kipling's sister), it makes me want to join them for a margarita-filled lunch one day! Hold Me is a great return to Fools Gold for 2015!
Destiny has an innocence about her that is really quite endearing. Her background has left her both "wise to the ways of the world" and "innocent to the realities of love and emotion." Her views on life and love are really quite mixed up, and perfect for Kipling, who is a fixer. He doesn't even realize he's doing it half the time, but his interest in Destiny is partly due to his need to fix what he sees needs fixing. Destiny sees her views as protecting herself from what she saw as an lonely childhood. Everything she does in life is about what she believes is protecting herself from being emotionally hurt, up to and including her desire for a "sexless marriage".
In true "Fools Gold" fashion, the strong women in town influence the happenings, and I laughed as we see Kipling's partners in the "Man Cave" succumb to their wives desires with regards to the bar. I could literally see in my mind each of them looking sheepish as they explain the hold their wives had over them. And Kipling's completely baffled by this reaction. The gaggle of women that meet at Jo's bar were so welcoming to Destiny and Starr, and even Shelby (Kipling's sister), it makes me want to join them for a margarita-filled lunch one day! Hold Me is a great return to Fools Gold for 2015!
November 7, 2015
Title: Hold Me
Series: Fool's Gold #16
Author: Susan Mallery
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
Heat Level: 2 out of 4 flames
Overall Star Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kay the Snitch Bitch
I have been an avid reader of almost anything of Susan Mallery's. I have loved the Fool's Gold series with an unhealthy passion. True, some more than others, but still, I enjoyed them. The town, the townspeople, the friendships, the humor, the sex, the story arcs, the desire of the town to help it's own citizens and most of all, the way it made me happy while reading.
This installment had none of that. Examples are as follows:
The alpha males in town became pussies. A bunch of scared, whiny, bitching pussies. Nothing attractive about that, at all!
The women that I have grown to love over this series became a group of overbearing harpies. Bullies. To try to ruin someone's business because he didn't ask a woman business owner in town before he opened his business? Get your heads out of your vaginas! Again, nothing attractive about that either.
A teen in town gets caught kissing another teen. He's asked by the hero of the book, to leave the house. The hero's house. The teen refuses but in the end does leave. Only to run home to his dad and tell that the hero yelled at him. The father then races over to the hero's home to possibly assault him for yelling at his son. Even after the situation is out in the open, he doesn't apologize. He expected the hero to apologize to his disrespectful brat. Hello, parent your son, dickhead!
I wish I could find something positive to say about this book but I can't. The above things ruined not only the book but the series for me. Shame on the author for ruining a perfect series and fictional town that I used to enjoy visiting. I sincerely hope you turn it around and bring the series back to what it once was. But I will no longer be a part of it.
Series: Fool's Gold #16
Author: Susan Mallery
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Pages: 304
Heat Level: 2 out of 4 flames
Overall Star Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Reviewed by Kay the Snitch Bitch
I have been an avid reader of almost anything of Susan Mallery's. I have loved the Fool's Gold series with an unhealthy passion. True, some more than others, but still, I enjoyed them. The town, the townspeople, the friendships, the humor, the sex, the story arcs, the desire of the town to help it's own citizens and most of all, the way it made me happy while reading.
This installment had none of that. Examples are as follows:
The alpha males in town became pussies. A bunch of scared, whiny, bitching pussies. Nothing attractive about that, at all!
The women that I have grown to love over this series became a group of overbearing harpies. Bullies. To try to ruin someone's business because he didn't ask a woman business owner in town before he opened his business? Get your heads out of your vaginas! Again, nothing attractive about that either.
A teen in town gets caught kissing another teen. He's asked by the hero of the book, to leave the house. The hero's house. The teen refuses but in the end does leave. Only to run home to his dad and tell that the hero yelled at him. The father then races over to the hero's home to possibly assault him for yelling at his son. Even after the situation is out in the open, he doesn't apologize. He expected the hero to apologize to his disrespectful brat. Hello, parent your son, dickhead!
I wish I could find something positive to say about this book but I can't. The above things ruined not only the book but the series for me. Shame on the author for ruining a perfect series and fictional town that I used to enjoy visiting. I sincerely hope you turn it around and bring the series back to what it once was. But I will no longer be a part of it.
May 4, 2015
Perhaps Fools Gold has finally jumped the shark!
I was incredibly disappointed in this book, especially after Girls of Mischief Bay (Mallery's latest non-Fools Gold book) was so very good.
There was very little to like about either of the main characters. Destiny was kind of a judgmental bitch. I never believed the whole, "music is in me and I have no control" story. She simply lacked any real passion. Sure her parents kind of sucked, but her grandma was great. Life is hard, grow up! Kipling was just not very interesting.
Starr was supposed to be 15 but seemed more often like she was ten.
Why does the whole world come unglued because two 15 year old kids kiss?
Nothing much happens until over 200 pages in, and then it's all wrapped up and sunny in one chapter. What I consider the ultimate insult to romance readers. Thanks for plodding through my book, here is your completely out of the blue happy ever after because you expect it and I don't know what else to write. I expect so much more from a Mallery book and I refuse to give it five stars simply because I have a soft spot for the author.
I was incredibly disappointed in this book, especially after Girls of Mischief Bay (Mallery's latest non-Fools Gold book) was so very good.
There was very little to like about either of the main characters. Destiny was kind of a judgmental bitch. I never believed the whole, "music is in me and I have no control" story. She simply lacked any real passion. Sure her parents kind of sucked, but her grandma was great. Life is hard, grow up! Kipling was just not very interesting.
Starr was supposed to be 15 but seemed more often like she was ten.
Why does the whole world come unglued because two 15 year old kids kiss?
Nothing much happens until over 200 pages in, and then it's all wrapped up and sunny in one chapter. What I consider the ultimate insult to romance readers. Thanks for plodding through my book, here is your completely out of the blue happy ever after because you expect it and I don't know what else to write. I expect so much more from a Mallery book and I refuse to give it five stars simply because I have a soft spot for the author.
May 26, 2016
This was a good beach read, and I actually read it on the beach ;) I really enjoyed the chemistry between Destiny and Kipling. Destiny is the daughter of two mega star singers whose relationship was filled with drama from the start. Her parents split and both divorced and remarried others over and over leaving Destiny with numerous half siblings. She grew up feeling sex was the root of all evil and just doesn't want any part of it nor a deep committed relationship. Enter Kipling, a handsome and former Olympic gold medal skier who really enjoys sex, of course, and sets out to change her mind on the subject. Destiny also has just been awarded custody of a fifteen year old half sister she has just met, which certainly adds an extra dimension to the story. I enjoyed the secondary characters of the book as well. All around it was enjoyable with good dialogue. I will be reading more by Susan Mallery!
June 5, 2015
HUH?? I am all about the Fool's Gold books and the thing about Fool's Gold is that there are few men in the town. All of a sudden, this book has a ton of men that we have never heard of and every chapter introduces/mentions these men that have appeared out of nowhere. I have read all of the Fool's Gold books in order, so it isn't like I missed a book or something, this one starts and is just very confusing!
April 29, 2015
3.5 stars. I love this series but something about this book didn't strike the usual chief with me. My favorite parts were guest appearance from secondary characters. While this story wasn't my favorite this is a series I will never tire of.
April 28, 2015
This was my first time reading a Susan Mallery book and I am looking forward to reading more by her. I really loved the story. The characters were interesting and it was easy to really care about what was happening with them. A true heartwarming love story! I highly recommend this book.
May 14, 2015
Like all the rest of the books in the series this one is so good. Mallery knows how to write the characters we love alone with a heart-warming story.
September 19, 2021
Another fun read in this series. Very enjoyable.
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