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Accidentally Yours
-Single mom seeks billionaire's pocketbook to fund dying son's research cure. Will seduce if necessary. Blackmail is not out of the question. Miracles welcome.
-Cynical billionaire seeks working mom with a heart of gold for PR campaign to improve his standing in the community. Must be willing to attend social events. Anyone looking for love need not apply.
It seemed like the perfect match...until the unthinkable happened.
381 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2007
209 people are currently reading
2292 people want to read
About the author
Susan Mallery
864 books15.5k 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 270 reviews
November 16, 2009
5 stars – Contemporary Romance
Selfless, determined single mom Kerri Sullivan is in a desperate struggle to save her 9-year-old son Cody from a rare, debilitating, and progressive disease and vows to do anything and everything possible and impossible to find him a miracle, even masquerading as superhero Wonder Mom and blackmailing ice cold, ruthless, cynical, emotionless, power hungry, billionaire shark developer Nathan King into funding $15 million dollars for cutting edge research for a potential cure.
After losing his son Daniel to the same crippling disease, Nathan swore to never let anyone in his heart ever again and has erected an impenetrable stone wall facade to ensure that no one ever gets past his cold, hardened exterior. He never expected that a quirky, cute, generous, strong, loving, optimistic, poor, down to earth, and widowed hairdresser single mom would be the one to rattle his foundation, break down his defenses, and make him question his life’s priorities. Add a brave, funny, smart, and lovable kid fighting for his life into the relationship mix, and Nathan frankly doesn’t stand a chance.
The feisty, argumentative banter between Kerri and Nathan that progresses into unexpected friendship, mutual respect, explosive sexual attraction, and ultimately love is charming and old school romance at its best.
I’m not much of a kid person, especially in my romances, but the moments between Kerri and her son Cody are incredibly touching and their unbreakable bond is full of fun teasing, deep love and affection, and life-affirming humor.
It’s a syrupy sweet, emotional, sappy, sad, funny, moving, romantic, touching, and drama filled tearjerker that tugs the heartstrings. It made me smile, laugh, cry, and want to call my mom to tell her how much I love her. 5 stars!
Selfless, determined single mom Kerri Sullivan is in a desperate struggle to save her 9-year-old son Cody from a rare, debilitating, and progressive disease and vows to do anything and everything possible and impossible to find him a miracle, even masquerading as superhero Wonder Mom and blackmailing ice cold, ruthless, cynical, emotionless, power hungry, billionaire shark developer Nathan King into funding $15 million dollars for cutting edge research for a potential cure.
After losing his son Daniel to the same crippling disease, Nathan swore to never let anyone in his heart ever again and has erected an impenetrable stone wall facade to ensure that no one ever gets past his cold, hardened exterior. He never expected that a quirky, cute, generous, strong, loving, optimistic, poor, down to earth, and widowed hairdresser single mom would be the one to rattle his foundation, break down his defenses, and make him question his life’s priorities. Add a brave, funny, smart, and lovable kid fighting for his life into the relationship mix, and Nathan frankly doesn’t stand a chance.
The feisty, argumentative banter between Kerri and Nathan that progresses into unexpected friendship, mutual respect, explosive sexual attraction, and ultimately love is charming and old school romance at its best.
I’m not much of a kid person, especially in my romances, but the moments between Kerri and her son Cody are incredibly touching and their unbreakable bond is full of fun teasing, deep love and affection, and life-affirming humor.
It’s a syrupy sweet, emotional, sappy, sad, funny, moving, romantic, touching, and drama filled tearjerker that tugs the heartstrings. It made me smile, laugh, cry, and want to call my mom to tell her how much I love her. 5 stars!
March 11, 2011
Why,oh why was this book on the best cont. Romance list?
On the most basic level I can tell you that this was a typical tragedy-salvation-love-marriage book.
If you'rw starving for a hallmark moment...go watch hallmark and don't throw your money away on this chunk of *bleep*!
Th concept and plot by them selves were ok, but you know how the seen+predictable combination works,right?
It ruins a read because you always feel the whole book was in the summary.The in-betweens were just for show at the publisher office so the book would get printed.There is nothing important there.
Karri,the protagonist,is a sad,sad,sad single mom with lots of energy and fate!
At fist glance she seems cool and a figure to admire.
Then she looks like an overachiever.
Super mom?Cool.Your kid thinks you really have superpowers at nine?
I'm sorry,but what is with the discrimination of a child intellect?His sick,not retarded!
:kicks something of all the anger she feels right now:-Man!Does this book freak me out or what?
And then when I taught there were no more bad surprises-BAM!I got hit by her issues for caring about men.
If she gets involved with a man her son dies.It is because she made a deal with God (Devil?). And she can't breach this deal since she believes in fate?
Ok,sacrilege aside,that is plain obsessive.She is as bad as his sister!If his sister doesn't wash her hands four times something bad will happen.With Kerrie? If she has sex her son will drop dead.
Talk about instant karma!
On the most basic level I can tell you that this was a typical tragedy-salvation-love-marriage book.
If you'rw starving for a hallmark moment...go watch hallmark and don't throw your money away on this chunk of *bleep*!
Th concept and plot by them selves were ok, but you know how the seen+predictable combination works,right?
It ruins a read because you always feel the whole book was in the summary.The in-betweens were just for show at the publisher office so the book would get printed.There is nothing important there.
Karri,the protagonist,is a sad,sad,sad single mom with lots of energy and fate!
At fist glance she seems cool and a figure to admire.
Then she looks like an overachiever.
Super mom?Cool.Your kid thinks you really have superpowers at nine?
I'm sorry,but what is with the discrimination of a child intellect?His sick,not retarded!
:kicks something of all the anger she feels right now:-Man!Does this book freak me out or what?
And then when I taught there were no more bad surprises-BAM!I got hit by her issues for caring about men.
If she gets involved with a man her son dies.It is because she made a deal with God (Devil?). And she can't breach this deal since she believes in fate?
Ok,sacrilege aside,that is plain obsessive.She is as bad as his sister!If his sister doesn't wash her hands four times something bad will happen.With Kerrie? If she has sex her son will drop dead.
Talk about instant karma!
June 23, 2011
Got 65% into the book but couldn't take the heroine one minute longer. I didn't like her, I could not see why Nathan was one bit attracted to her, and I didn't understand how she could treat billionaire Nathan with such contempt. BUT this became a solid wall banger when she keeps acting on her stupid disillusions that she has some cosmic control over her sons life if only she deprive herself of all things enjoyable. This broke the straw for me. I hate stupid ass heroines, and delusions such as her puts her solidly in that camp. Plus, the major points of the story was so predictable, no need to read the end as I'm sure I could guess anyway (and if I'm wrong, I really don't care.)
January 7, 2011
Don't let the cover fool you, this is not a lighthearted book! But don't let it deter you either as it's also a FANTASTIC story.
Kerri is a single mom with a son who is dying from a degenerative disease. She is desperate & running out of options to keep her little boy alive. She finds billionaire Nathan, a reportedly cold hearted man, & blackmails him into donating 15 million dollars to a lab & research to find the cure. She figured he would be more open to support considering his young son died of the same disease. He doesn't. However, he's a developer & is building condo towers that will be the pinnacle of his career - if they're approved. So, he gives her the money in exchange for her attendance at various events in order to bump up his public image. Obviously, they get more than they bargained for...
I loved Kerri's absolute devotion for her son, & reading about how bad he got & his plea near the end of the book broke my heart. Her strong personality could be interpreted as annoying, but I enjoyed it. She kicked Nathan's butt in gear & made him start living his life. Nathan connected to her son in the sweetest way & though the HEA was predictable, it didn't make it any less satisfying.
I'm still having issues with Mallery's transitions throughout the story, but her emotions were so vivid & easy to relate to, it wasn't difficult to overlook them.
This book is rife with passion, guilt, grief, hope, & love in so many ways. Not a light read, but 100% worth the time.
Kerri is a single mom with a son who is dying from a degenerative disease. She is desperate & running out of options to keep her little boy alive. She finds billionaire Nathan, a reportedly cold hearted man, & blackmails him into donating 15 million dollars to a lab & research to find the cure. She figured he would be more open to support considering his young son died of the same disease. He doesn't. However, he's a developer & is building condo towers that will be the pinnacle of his career - if they're approved. So, he gives her the money in exchange for her attendance at various events in order to bump up his public image. Obviously, they get more than they bargained for...
I loved Kerri's absolute devotion for her son, & reading about how bad he got & his plea near the end of the book broke my heart. Her strong personality could be interpreted as annoying, but I enjoyed it. She kicked Nathan's butt in gear & made him start living his life. Nathan connected to her son in the sweetest way & though the HEA was predictable, it didn't make it any less satisfying.
I'm still having issues with Mallery's transitions throughout the story, but her emotions were so vivid & easy to relate to, it wasn't difficult to overlook them.
This book is rife with passion, guilt, grief, hope, & love in so many ways. Not a light read, but 100% worth the time.
April 17, 2009
Starts out slow, and overall I found it 'meh'. The herione has a son dying from a degenerative disease, and she blackmails a billionaire into donating funds to work on the cure.
I didn't warm up to her much, as I found her pushy and silly. The billionaire was a cold jerk for 3/4 of the book.
There is a predictable HEA.
I didn't warm up to her much, as I found her pushy and silly. The billionaire was a cold jerk for 3/4 of the book.
There is a predictable HEA.
May 14, 2019
Kerri Sullivan is a great mom to her 9-year-old son Cody, who suffers from a debilitating disease that has no cure.
Her research has led her to a researcher who was close to developing a potential cure before his lab burned down, which stopped the research. Determined to do all in her power to keep her son alive, she seeks the help of a billionaire who lost his son to the same disease, hoping that he would provide the funds for a new lab.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned billionaire, Nathan King, is less than receptive to her offer and she has to resort to more extreme measures, forcing his hand. Less than happy with the developments, Nathan provides the funds but they come with some conditions of his own.
The two adversaries start developing unexpected feelings during the time they end up spending together, but they both have their own sets of issues to deal with before eventually getting their happily ever after.
While I really liked Kerri as a heroine in the beginning, admiring her for being an amazing mother and enjoyed her interactions with Nathan, she lost a major amount of points when .
Nathan dealt with the situation as best as he could, giving her space despite disagreeing with her, but by the time she got over her issues, the warm and fuzzies were gone for me.
Regardless, the story was engaging, even with the annoying parts, and ends with a satisfying happy ending that wrapped things up in a bow all neat and tidy.
Her research has led her to a researcher who was close to developing a potential cure before his lab burned down, which stopped the research. Determined to do all in her power to keep her son alive, she seeks the help of a billionaire who lost his son to the same disease, hoping that he would provide the funds for a new lab.
Unfortunately, the aforementioned billionaire, Nathan King, is less than receptive to her offer and she has to resort to more extreme measures, forcing his hand. Less than happy with the developments, Nathan provides the funds but they come with some conditions of his own.
The two adversaries start developing unexpected feelings during the time they end up spending together, but they both have their own sets of issues to deal with before eventually getting their happily ever after.
While I really liked Kerri as a heroine in the beginning, admiring her for being an amazing mother and enjoyed her interactions with Nathan, she lost a major amount of points when .
Nathan dealt with the situation as best as he could, giving her space despite disagreeing with her, but by the time she got over her issues, the warm and fuzzies were gone for me.
Regardless, the story was engaging, even with the annoying parts, and ends with a satisfying happy ending that wrapped things up in a bow all neat and tidy.
October 30, 2010
This was a nice little book that was probably a bit heavier on the emotional side for a contemporary romance.
The story's of a mother who's trying every means possible to find the funding for a research for a deadly desease that's slowly claiming her son. And her trials take her to the wealthy coldhearted businesman who's her last resort for the vast amount of money needed for the research. She practically blackmails him into 'donating' the money and in return he wants her to help him get the approval necessary to build great big tall towers that'll carry his name.
You can see the heroine's desperation to help her son as this research is her last chance to save her son before the illness claims his life. She's determined to do anything, even sleep with the hero and she points that out early in the book, even if not taking much seriously so. I could relate to that. I did see her frustration and determination, I liked her relationship with her son. And her son was a very sweet boy who sometimes sounded older than his age. A child should never sound older than his or her age, it's too cruel.
The hero, on the other hand, is considered as a heartless man. And not just in the business world, but everything about this man is cold and scary. He's used to power and he always wins. So when this mere hairdresser from a small town makes him bend over and give her money, his frustration is off the roof. He doesn't care about her or her child but we find out that comes from a tragedy of his own.
I know we weren't supposed to like the hero, Nathan, from the very beginning and he really does come off as a cold bastard. But he grew on me faster than the heroine, Kerri. As much as I wanted to love her character from the start, there was a certain distance to her, it took me more than it did Nathan to connect with her.
Nathan had more room to grow. He had problems in his past, tragedies to get over and in the end he came off as the more dimensional character. He had more development than Kerri.
Since most of the book evolves around Kerri's son Cody's desease, perhaps one can argue the romance was a bit lacking. This was more like a drama that had a bit of romance in it. It was still a good read, but it wasn't as light as I expected.
The story's of a mother who's trying every means possible to find the funding for a research for a deadly desease that's slowly claiming her son. And her trials take her to the wealthy coldhearted businesman who's her last resort for the vast amount of money needed for the research. She practically blackmails him into 'donating' the money and in return he wants her to help him get the approval necessary to build great big tall towers that'll carry his name.
You can see the heroine's desperation to help her son as this research is her last chance to save her son before the illness claims his life. She's determined to do anything, even sleep with the hero and she points that out early in the book, even if not taking much seriously so. I could relate to that. I did see her frustration and determination, I liked her relationship with her son. And her son was a very sweet boy who sometimes sounded older than his age. A child should never sound older than his or her age, it's too cruel.
The hero, on the other hand, is considered as a heartless man. And not just in the business world, but everything about this man is cold and scary. He's used to power and he always wins. So when this mere hairdresser from a small town makes him bend over and give her money, his frustration is off the roof. He doesn't care about her or her child but we find out that comes from a tragedy of his own.
I know we weren't supposed to like the hero, Nathan, from the very beginning and he really does come off as a cold bastard. But he grew on me faster than the heroine, Kerri. As much as I wanted to love her character from the start, there was a certain distance to her, it took me more than it did Nathan to connect with her.
Nathan had more room to grow. He had problems in his past, tragedies to get over and in the end he came off as the more dimensional character. He had more development than Kerri.
Since most of the book evolves around Kerri's son Cody's desease, perhaps one can argue the romance was a bit lacking. This was more like a drama that had a bit of romance in it. It was still a good read, but it wasn't as light as I expected.
November 25, 2012
I'm going to preface this by saying that I normally love Susan Mallery books. However... this was not one of them.
Kerri Sullivan, the "heroine" of this story really annoyed the crap out of me. This book came so close to DNF for me. Yes, I get that people will do anything for their children but this is just ridiculous. Blackmailing a really rich man and playing on his emotions to try and save her son? And said billionaire going along with it. This book is just too twee. It doesn't deal with Nathan's emotions
Save your Susan Mallery reading for her Buchanan's or "Fool's Gold" series.
Kerri Sullivan, the "heroine" of this story really annoyed the crap out of me. This book came so close to DNF for me. Yes, I get that people will do anything for their children but this is just ridiculous. Blackmailing a really rich man and playing on his emotions to try and save her son? And said billionaire going along with it. This book is just too twee. It doesn't deal with Nathan's emotions
Save your Susan Mallery reading for her Buchanan's or "Fool's Gold" series.
October 7, 2012
Was quite surprised by this book. Do not be fooled by the description. It made it seem like she was being seeked out, which was completely not true. In fact, don't bother reading it at all. I thought it was going to be a fun and light-hearted read but didn't quite turn out that way.
Kerri Sullivan is a single mother with a nine-year old boy fighting a fatal disease. She has devoted her life to her son and will do anything to save him including scheming billionaire Nathan King into 'donating' 15 mil to a research lab that could possible cure the disease. She thinks he is a good target because his son died of the same disease but turns out he's cut off all emotion after his son's death. They make a deal, he gives the money and she help soften his image in the publics' eye to get zoning approved for his new building.
Nathan starts falling for Kerri and admires her tough, takes no crap demeanor, but his unsure of her intentions. He doesn't know if she really does like him or is just being nice for giving up the money. She, on the other hand, doesn't know why his is being so nice- doing more things then was requested in their deal, but he keeps trying it's cause of the deal.
The story was an emotional roaster and would recommend with reservation to anyone who's lost a loved one. This was a work of fiction so miracles did happen, not like in real life, but it is always nice to have hope.
Kerri Sullivan is a single mother with a nine-year old boy fighting a fatal disease. She has devoted her life to her son and will do anything to save him including scheming billionaire Nathan King into 'donating' 15 mil to a research lab that could possible cure the disease. She thinks he is a good target because his son died of the same disease but turns out he's cut off all emotion after his son's death. They make a deal, he gives the money and she help soften his image in the publics' eye to get zoning approved for his new building.
Nathan starts falling for Kerri and admires her tough, takes no crap demeanor, but his unsure of her intentions. He doesn't know if she really does like him or is just being nice for giving up the money. She, on the other hand, doesn't know why his is being so nice- doing more things then was requested in their deal, but he keeps trying it's cause of the deal.
The story was an emotional roaster and would recommend with reservation to anyone who's lost a loved one. This was a work of fiction so miracles did happen, not like in real life, but it is always nice to have hope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2009
After I got into this book and found out that it was about a Mom fighting for her sons life (he is sick with a fatal disease), I wasn't sure if I was going to like it. I usually have to gear up for those kind of books. But this one had me hooked and I couldn't let go. But don't fear, it all turns out okay.
I liked the characters a lot. Kerrie the heroine is funny and smart mouthed. The hero is tall dark and quiet. I liked that they each had to start to see each other differently before they could be freinds and eventually lovers. Their mutual love for her little boy is sweet and touching. I didn't like that things got quickly solved in the end. I thought it was too abrupt. But I give this one an over all 4 out of 5. Worth the read.
I liked the characters a lot. Kerrie the heroine is funny and smart mouthed. The hero is tall dark and quiet. I liked that they each had to start to see each other differently before they could be freinds and eventually lovers. Their mutual love for her little boy is sweet and touching. I didn't like that things got quickly solved in the end. I thought it was too abrupt. But I give this one an over all 4 out of 5. Worth the read.
March 25, 2013
It's a love story... they all end the same. I like this one because I wanted to find out what happened. I was either going to have tears because I was happy, or I was going to have tears because I was sad.
It was always just Kerri and her son Cody, just the two of them. Cody has a degenerative illness that will take his life. Kerri is determined not to give up. She needs money in order to help the Dr. do research that will find a cure for what Cody has. In walks Nathan...hot millionaire. It's a race against time. Will the doctor find the cure in time to save Cody, or won't he?
I'm not telling... you'll just have to read.
It was always just Kerri and her son Cody, just the two of them. Cody has a degenerative illness that will take his life. Kerri is determined not to give up. She needs money in order to help the Dr. do research that will find a cure for what Cody has. In walks Nathan...hot millionaire. It's a race against time. Will the doctor find the cure in time to save Cody, or won't he?
I'm not telling... you'll just have to read.
December 22, 2023
Of course the moral tone of the book isn't the best...blackmail, extortion, bribery...The whole pretense is far fetched at best and Kerri is not the sweet, innocent, heroic mother Mallery wants you to believe she is. She blackmailed a billionaire among other things! Boy was her moral compass off! And what billionaire is going to cave to it. People don't become billionaires by giving in to bribery and blackmail! Ludicrous!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 20, 2014
Two-haiku review:
Her son is dying
She blackmails him to donate
Millions for research
Loved this heroine
Unrealistic, still good
Fabulous ending
Her son is dying
She blackmails him to donate
Millions for research
Loved this heroine
Unrealistic, still good
Fabulous ending
December 17, 2010
A powerful story about the love of a mother and second chances.
Widowed single mom Kerri Sullivan is trying to find a cure for a degenerative disease her 9-year old son, Cody is suffering from. Her husband died before they even realized they were pregnant and has been working odd-jobs mostly as a hairstylist to support her and Cody.
Billionaire Nathan King, also a widow, lost his 5-year old son from the same disease. Little does he know that the love, determination of a mother will cross his path and eventually changing it.
The story was very powerful and very realistic. There are heartbreaks and true determination and Susan Mallery helps us see how much Faith and the power of a mother's love (as well as true love) can change your life if you let it and continue to believe in it.
Widowed single mom Kerri Sullivan is trying to find a cure for a degenerative disease her 9-year old son, Cody is suffering from. Her husband died before they even realized they were pregnant and has been working odd-jobs mostly as a hairstylist to support her and Cody.
Billionaire Nathan King, also a widow, lost his 5-year old son from the same disease. Little does he know that the love, determination of a mother will cross his path and eventually changing it.
The story was very powerful and very realistic. There are heartbreaks and true determination and Susan Mallery helps us see how much Faith and the power of a mother's love (as well as true love) can change your life if you let it and continue to believe in it.
November 8, 2011
This book rocked me to my core! It was so heartfelt and the writing was so moving! I loved the dynamics between all of the characters, Nathan and Kerri, Kerri and Cody, Nathan and Cody, Nathan and Frankie. They were all woven together so beautifully and I loved every moment of it. This book drew laughter, smiles and tears from me. Definitely worth the read!
August 9, 2013
what can I say ... it was cute and easy to read :)
HOWEVER, can we not cut the HEA so frikkin close to the end because I was having heart failure and hyperventilating from crying ..... just sayin ;-)
HOWEVER, can we not cut the HEA so frikkin close to the end because I was having heart failure and hyperventilating from crying ..... just sayin ;-)
August 22, 2016
Loved it.
August 3, 2020
Didn't love it, didn't hate it.
The romance was good. A solid story. I enjoyed how they worked together, how they fought, how they both brought some pretty severe issues to the relationship so it wasn't just one of them having baggage. Their conversations were good and the romance itself was believable. So for all that, definitely thumbs up. My star rating would be higher if the book was just them.
It was mainly the side stories that brought this down. There was too much going on and it was all over the place.
Nathan's sister was a very uncomfortable character to read. I get that Mallery was trying to be sympathetic, but it came across more as "oh no, a dangerous crazy person!". Maybe the side story of a romance is not the place to try and tell the story of someone dealing with mental illness.
Same with Abram, the Doctor. His story with Linda just felt off. I have no idea what Mallery was trying to do with that, but it was really confusing and frustrating, and not much fun to read.
And of course we have the perfectly behaved sick child who has wisdom beyond his years as he deals with his situation in life with more grace than the adults around him. Yeah, that was a little much.
So a solid 3 I guess.
Oh! Have to edit in one of my big Mallery pet peeves - guys who just jump in there and kiss women without asking. The main character does it but it wasn't too bad. Felt ok in the context.
But then about the middle of the book somewhere, a stunt guy who is helping Kerri with a special effect asks her out, gets turned down, and then he just kisses her! Apparently this is normal in Mallery's world because in real life he should have gotten slapped, or yelled at, or hey, fired (which Nathan offered to do when he thought the guy was just asking her out - but YES fire him for non-consensual kissing of A CLIENT while on the job). But in this book, she just laughs it off and uses this assault to think about how she really is into Nathan because the other guys kiss didn't turn her on.
Yuck.
The romance was good. A solid story. I enjoyed how they worked together, how they fought, how they both brought some pretty severe issues to the relationship so it wasn't just one of them having baggage. Their conversations were good and the romance itself was believable. So for all that, definitely thumbs up. My star rating would be higher if the book was just them.
It was mainly the side stories that brought this down. There was too much going on and it was all over the place.
Nathan's sister was a very uncomfortable character to read. I get that Mallery was trying to be sympathetic, but it came across more as "oh no, a dangerous crazy person!". Maybe the side story of a romance is not the place to try and tell the story of someone dealing with mental illness.
Same with Abram, the Doctor. His story with Linda just felt off. I have no idea what Mallery was trying to do with that, but it was really confusing and frustrating, and not much fun to read.
And of course we have the perfectly behaved sick child who has wisdom beyond his years as he deals with his situation in life with more grace than the adults around him. Yeah, that was a little much.
So a solid 3 I guess.
Oh! Have to edit in one of my big Mallery pet peeves - guys who just jump in there and kiss women without asking. The main character does it but it wasn't too bad. Felt ok in the context.
But then about the middle of the book somewhere, a stunt guy who is helping Kerri with a special effect asks her out, gets turned down, and then he just kisses her! Apparently this is normal in Mallery's world because in real life he should have gotten slapped, or yelled at, or hey, fired (which Nathan offered to do when he thought the guy was just asking her out - but YES fire him for non-consensual kissing of A CLIENT while on the job). But in this book, she just laughs it off and uses this assault to think about how she really is into Nathan because the other guys kiss didn't turn her on.
Yuck.
July 2, 2020
Wonder Mom Kerry Sullivan will do anything to find a cure for her 9 year old son’s Gilliar’s Disease. It is a particularly painful and nasty disease that takes its victims young. At 9, Cody has already beat the odds, but is now entering the most painful degenerative stage of the illness. An accident in a Gilliar’s research facility a few years ago killed staff and shut down the lab. Kerry learned from the primary researcher that it would take $15 million to see the project through.
She determines that she will find a way to get the funding. Her latest effort is to get a job as a waitress, ambush billionaire Nathan King whose son died from Gilliar’s, and convince him to provide the needed money. He refuses and gets her fired. She fakes a letter and announces that he agreed to provide the money. Now Nathan can either go along or appear to be a rich, cold-hearted bully. The latter will endanger zoning approval for a massive development Nathan wants. They finally agree to work together. Romance ensues.
Mallery has created a hard-working, loyal, witty woman, a brave, loving son, a handsome man who has been emotionally isolated after the death of his own son, and a raft of warm, supportive friends. The plot includes conflicts and deals with God. This is a life affirming romance. Recommended.
Readalikes:
Francine Rivers – The Masterpiece; Fern Michaels – Perfect Match; Emily Giffen – Heart of the Matter; Steve Martin – The Pleasure of My Company; Diana Palmer – Merciless; C.D. Reiss – Bombshell; Susan Elizabeth Phillips – It Had to be You; Robyn Carr’s Sullivan Crossing novels; Susan Wiggs’ Lakeshore Chronicles; Samantha Chase’s Montgomery Brothers and Shaughnessy Brothers romances; Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series.
Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Well-developed; strong women;
Story: Character-driven
Writing style: Engaging; witty
Tone: Upbeat; steamy; interpersonal tension; moving
Frame: Seattle WA area; contemporary
Theme: Opposites attract
She determines that she will find a way to get the funding. Her latest effort is to get a job as a waitress, ambush billionaire Nathan King whose son died from Gilliar’s, and convince him to provide the needed money. He refuses and gets her fired. She fakes a letter and announces that he agreed to provide the money. Now Nathan can either go along or appear to be a rich, cold-hearted bully. The latter will endanger zoning approval for a massive development Nathan wants. They finally agree to work together. Romance ensues.
Mallery has created a hard-working, loyal, witty woman, a brave, loving son, a handsome man who has been emotionally isolated after the death of his own son, and a raft of warm, supportive friends. The plot includes conflicts and deals with God. This is a life affirming romance. Recommended.
Readalikes:
Francine Rivers – The Masterpiece; Fern Michaels – Perfect Match; Emily Giffen – Heart of the Matter; Steve Martin – The Pleasure of My Company; Diana Palmer – Merciless; C.D. Reiss – Bombshell; Susan Elizabeth Phillips – It Had to be You; Robyn Carr’s Sullivan Crossing novels; Susan Wiggs’ Lakeshore Chronicles; Samantha Chase’s Montgomery Brothers and Shaughnessy Brothers romances; Sharon Sala’s Blessings, Georgia series.
Pace: Fast-paced
Characters: Well-developed; strong women;
Story: Character-driven
Writing style: Engaging; witty
Tone: Upbeat; steamy; interpersonal tension; moving
Frame: Seattle WA area; contemporary
Theme: Opposites attract
August 1, 2023
It took a little while before I could get into this book then I enjoyed it. However I was not expecting it to be as sad as it was; Nathan, Kerri, Frankie, and Cody are all dealing with a lot of very heavy, sad stuff. I realize that most readers want the happily ever after ending (and I usually do as well) however I think it would have been a better ending if Cody had passed and went to be with his dad. I didn't buy the amazing last minute cure that was found and even more unrealistically administered to Cody. The cure would have had to go through years of testing and govt approval, etc. Also, Cody was so close to death that's the cure most likely wouldn't have worked on him; but again we're suspending reality to get the happily ever after. Yes it would have been a sadder ending but most of the book was on the sadder side and Nathan & Kerri were helping each other through it all. Kerri & Cody had said their goodbyes and made piece with his death so I felt would have been a better ending than the miraculous last minute cure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2016
Almost 5 stars
This book almost got 5 stars from me. I love an alpha male character and he had a great transformation into a lovable guy. Keri on the other hand annoyed me with her back and forth. I know she was going through a lot but one minute she was thanking him and the next she was pissed off again. The book only had one sex scene which was good but I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more relationship development. Book is mainly about her love for her son which was nice. The love story was more on the back burner.
This book almost got 5 stars from me. I love an alpha male character and he had a great transformation into a lovable guy. Keri on the other hand annoyed me with her back and forth. I know she was going through a lot but one minute she was thanking him and the next she was pissed off again. The book only had one sex scene which was good but I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't more relationship development. Book is mainly about her love for her son which was nice. The love story was more on the back burner.
July 1, 2020
Somewhat zany but delightfully so, Kerri meets Nathan by posing as a waitress. She wants fifteen million dollars for Gilliar's Disease research. Her nine-year-old son is dying from it, and Nathan's son had died from it years before. The Super Mom thing was a bit much, but it did demonstrate that Kerri is determined to do anything possible to save her son, including believing that Nathan is human under his cold exterior. Fun and funny, gut-wrenching and frustrating, this book gets to you on many levels. Plus the supporting cast is wonderful.
June 4, 2021
Kerri single mother with a very sick son, seeks a billionaire Nathan to donate millions to a research factory to cure her son. This story was okay, not very exciting or fun to read, the premise a bit outlandish leading to romance and happy endings. It was not easy to be pulled in to this story, A big contributing factor could be the numerous voices of supporting characters and their point of views along with underdeveloped sub plots that made it more challenging to connect with the main charters Kerri and Nat. The books was being to ambitious that it failed in creating a lasting impression.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2024
This is a fun, flirty, and very emotional story. Kerri is a single mom, fighting for her son's life against a deadly disease. Nathan is rich and powerful -- and fighting himself for the guilt he feels for losing his family. Mallery does a good job of showing how they both try to resist their growing attraction and how they ultimately help to save each other.
June 28, 2024
I'll say it for sure, this book was icky as fuck. Like so so icky. I was so done with it but I read it. There is transphobia in this or like a couple of times that it makes really weird comments about "switching sex". I thought it was gross how the plot used a sick child to make them connect. This was just icky.
May 1, 2025
Not for me
Why did I finish this? I kept thinking I should DNF it, but kept reading, hoping to get to the part that made so many readers give it high ratings. I found the FMC’s personality to be too over the top and snippy. I did’t feel invested or connected to the secondary characters. So…I usually like Susan Mallory’s books but just couldn’t connect with this one.
Why did I finish this? I kept thinking I should DNF it, but kept reading, hoping to get to the part that made so many readers give it high ratings. I found the FMC’s personality to be too over the top and snippy. I did’t feel invested or connected to the secondary characters. So…I usually like Susan Mallory’s books but just couldn’t connect with this one.
December 24, 2018
Worth the tears
Beautiful story with the emphasis on the strength of love not just between mother and child but between a man and a woman.
The beauty of how love brings us all together no matter the circumstance.
Beautiful story with the emphasis on the strength of love not just between mother and child but between a man and a woman.
The beauty of how love brings us all together no matter the circumstance.
June 13, 2019
Cody and Kerri learned to accept Nathan
Kerri was so consumed with Cody's disease that her life centered around him. Thanks to Nathan a cure was researched to fix Cody's enzymes. So he can live a more normal life. Kerri and Nathan are living too .
Kerri was so consumed with Cody's disease that her life centered around him. Thanks to Nathan a cure was researched to fix Cody's enzymes. So he can live a more normal life. Kerri and Nathan are living too .
June 21, 2019
I read this book several years ago. I thought it was a very good book. It was lighthearted and easy to read. I love how the characters slowly fall for each other, when they only wanted a business arrangement. It was a super fast read.
February 7, 2022
Miracles happe
This was a great book but a little hard to read, emotionally. It he a really powerful book to make me cry, and this one fills the requirements. I cried, I laughed and I believed.
This was a great book but a little hard to read, emotionally. It he a really powerful book to make me cry, and this one fills the requirements. I cried, I laughed and I believed.
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