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"The book brims with quick-witted, good-natured characters... [the] romance grows poignantly and with chemistry to spare."
- Publishers Weekly on Chasing Perfect
"...an abundance of warmth, caring and romantic passion. Guaranteed to touch your heart!" - RT Book Reviews on Almost Perfect
Best Books of 2010! Finding Perfect was selected by Amazon editors as one of the Top Ten Romance Novels of 2010.
Susan Mallery is the New York Times bestselling author of contemporary romance and women's fiction novels with heart and humor. Her funny and sexy family stories have been named to Booklist's Top 10 Romance Novels lists of 2007, 2008, and 2009. Mallery's gift for writing humor and tenderness make all her books true gems. -Romantic Times Romance novels don't get much better than Mallery's expert blend of emotional nuance, humor and superb storytelling. -Booklist
"What's it going to take to get you to cooperate? Money? Threats? Either works for me."
Dakota Hendrix looked up from her laptop to find a very tall, stern–looking man standing over her. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. What's it going to take?"
She'd been warned there would be plenty of crazies hanging around, but she hadn't actually believed it. Apparently she'd been wrong.
"You have a lot of attitude for someone wearing a plaid flannel shirt," she said, standing so she was at least something close to eye–level with the guy. If he hadn't been so obviously annoyed, she would have thought he was pretty decent–looking, with dark hair and piercing blue eyes.
He glanced down at himself, then back at her. "What does my shirt have to do with anything?"
"It's plaid."
"So?"
"It's hard to be intimidated by a man wearing plaid. I'm just saying. And flannel is a friendly fabric. A little down–home for most people. Now if you were in all black, with a leather jacket, I'd be a lot more nervous."
His expression tightened, as did a muscle in his jaw. His gaze sharpened, and she had a feeling that if he were just a little less civilized, he would throw something.
"Having a bad day?" she asked cheerfully.
"Something like that." He spoke between clenched teeth.
"Want to talk about it?"
"I believe that's how I started this conversation."
"No. You started by threatening me." She smiled. "At the risk of sending your annoyance level from an eight to a ten, sometimes being nice is more effective. At least it is with me." She held out her hand. "Hi. I'm Dakota Hendrix."
The man looked as if he would rather rip off her head than be polite, but after a couple of deep breaths, he shook hands with her and muttered, "Finn Andersson."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Andersson."
"Finn."
"Finn," she repeated, being more perky than usual, simply because she thought it would bug him. "How can I help you?"
"I want to get my brothers off the show."
"Hence the threats."
He frowned. "Hence? Who says that?"
"It's a perfectly good word."
"Not where I come from."
She glanced down at the worn work boots he wore, then back to his shirt. "I'm almost afraid to ask where that is."
"South Salmon, Alaska."
"You're a long way from home."
"Worse, I'm in California."
"Hey, you're in my hometown. I'll thank you to be polite."
He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Whatever. You win. Can you help me with my brothers or not?"
"It depends. What's the problem?"
She motioned to the seat across from her small desk. Finn hesitated for a second, then folded his long body into a seated position. She took her chair and waited.
"They're here," he said at last, as if that explained everything.
"Here instead of back in South Salmon?"
"Here instead of finishing their last semester of college. They're twins. They go to UA. University of Alaska," he added.
"But if they're on the show, then they're over eighteen," she said gently, feeling his pain, but knowing there was very little she could do about it.
"Meaning I don't have any legal authority?" he asked, sounding both resigned and bitter. "Tell me about it." He leaned toward her, his gaze intense. "I need your help. Like I said, they're one semester from graduating, and they walked away from that to come here."
Dakota had grown up in the town of Fool's Gold and had chosen to return after she'd finished her schooling, so she didn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to live in town. But she would guess Finn was a lot more worried about his brothers' future than their location.
He stood. "Why am I even talking to you? You're one of those Hollywood types. You're probably happy they've given up everything to be on your stupid show."
She rose as well, then shook her head. "First of all, it's not my stupid show. I'm with the town, not the production company. Second, if you'll give me a moment to think instead of instantly getting angry, maybe I can come up with something that will help. If you're like this with your brothers, I'm not surprised they want to get a couple thousand miles away from you."
Given the little she knew about Finn from their thirty–second relationship, she half expected him to snarl at her, then disappear. Instead he surprised her by grinning.
The curve of his lips, the flash of teeth, wasn't anything unique, but it hit her in the stomach all the same. She felt as if all the air had rushed out of her lungs and she couldn't breathe. Seconds later, she managed to recover and told herself it was a momentary blip on her otherwise emotionally smooth radar. Nothing more than an anomaly. Like a sunspot.
"That's what they said," he admitted, returning to his seat with a sigh. "That they'd hoped being at college would be far enough away, but it wasn't." The grin faded. "Damn, this is hard."
She sat down and rested her hands on the table between them. "What do your parents say about all this?"
"I'm their parents."
"Oh." She swallowed, not sure what tragedy had brought that about. She would guess Finn was all of thirty, maybe thirty–two. "How long ago…?"
"Eight years."
"You've been raising your brothers since they were what? Twelve?"
"They were thirteen, but yes."
"Congratulations. You've done a good job."
The smile faded as he scowled at her. "How would you know that?"
"They made it into college, were successful enough to get to their final semester and now they're emotionally tough enough to stand up to you."
The scowl turned into a sneer. "Let me guess. You're one of those people who calls rain 'liquid sunshine.' If I'd done my job with my brothers, they would still be in college, instead of here, trying to get on some idiotic reality show."
There was that, Dakota thought. From Finn's perspective, nothing about this was good.
He shook his head. "I can't figure out where I went wrong. All I wanted was to get them through college. Three more months. They only needed to stay in school three more months. But could they do that? No. They even sent me an email, telling me where they were—like I'd be happy for them."
She reached for the files on her desk. "What are their names?"
"Sasha and Stephen." His expression cleared. "Is there something you can do to help?"
"I don't know. As I said, I'm here representing the town. The producers came to us with the reality show idea. Believe me, Fool's Gold wasn't looking for this kind of publicity. We wanted to say no, but were concerned they would go ahead and do it anyway. This way, we're involved and hope to have some kind of control over the outcome."
She glanced at him and smiled. "Or at least the illusion of control."
"Trust me. It's not all it's cracked up to be."
"I'm getting that. All the potential contestants were vetted thoroughly, background checks on everyone. We insisted on that."
"Trying to avoid the truly insane?"
"Yes, and criminals. Reality television puts a lot of pressure on people."
"How did the TV people hear about Fool's Gold if the town wasn't courting them?" he asked.
"It was just plain bad luck. A year ago a grad student writing her thesis on human geography discovered we had a chronic man shortage in town. The hows and whys became a chapter in her project. In an effort to bring attention to her work, she shopped her thesis around various media outlets, where the part about Fool's Gold was picked up."
He frowned. "I think I remember hearing about that. Didn't you get busloads of guys coming in from all over?"
"Unfortunately. Most of the reports made us sound like a town of desperate spinsters, which isn't true at all. A few weeks later, Hollywood came calling in the form of the reality show."
She flipped through the stack of applications of those who had made it to final selection. When she saw Sasha Andersson's picture, she winced. "Identical twins?" she asked.
"Yes, why?"
She pulled out Sasha's application and passed it to Finn. "He's adorable." The head shot showed a happy, smiling, younger version of Finn. "If he has a personality more exciting than that of a shoe, he's going to get on the show. What's not to like? Plus, if there are two of themÂ…" She set down the folder. "Let me put it another way. If you were the producer, would you want them on the show?"
Finn dropped the paper. The woman—Dakota—had a point. His brothers were charming, funny and young enough to believe they were immortal. Irresistible to someone looking to pull in ratings.
"I'm not going to let them ruin their lives," he said flatly.
"The show is ten weeks of filming. College will still be there." Her voice was gentle and hinted at compassion. Her dark gaze was steady. She was pretty enough—had he been looking for that kind of thing. All he cared about right now was getting his brothers back to college.
"You think they'll want to go back after all this?" he demanded.
"I don't know. Have you asked them?"
"No." To date he'd only lectured and issued orders— both of which his brothers had ignored.
"Did they say why they wanted to be on this show?"
"Not specifically," he admitted. But he had a theory or two about their thinking. They wanted to be out of Alaska and away from him. Plus, Sasha had been dreaming of fame for a long time.
"Have they done this sort of thing before? Run off against your wishes, given up on school?"
"No. That's what I don't get. They're so close to being finished. Why couldn't they suck it up for one more semester?" It was the responsible thing to do.
Until now, Sasha and Stephen hadn't given him much grief. There'd been the usual driving too fast, a few parties with friends and plenty of girls. He'd sweated bullets waiting to hear one of his brothers had gotten a girl pregnant. But so far that hadn't happened. Maybe his thousands of lectures about using birth control had gotten through. So them wanting to leave college for a reality show had stunned him. He'd always figured they would at least finish school.
"They sound like great kids," Dakota said. "Maybe you should trust them."
"Maybe I should tie them up and throw them in the back of a plane headed for Alaska."
"You wouldn't like jail."
"They'd have to catch me first." He stood again. "Thanks for your time."
"I'm sorry I can't help."
"Me, too."
She rose and circled the table so she was standing in front of him. "To repeat a cliche, if you love something, set it free."
He stared into her dark eyes. They were an interesting contrast to her wavy blond hair. "If it comes back, it was meant to?" He managed a smile. "No, thanks. I fall into the 'if it doesn't, hunt it down and shoot it' category."
"Should I warn your brothers?"
"They already know."
"Sometimes you have to let people mess up."
"This is too important," he told her. "It's their future."
"The key word being theirs, not yours. Whatever happens here isn't unrecoverable."
"You don't know that."
She looked as if she wanted to argue more. She wasn't a yeller, and he appreciated that. Her points were well thought out. But there was no way she could change his mind on this. Come hell or high water, he was getting his brothers out of Fool's Gold and back to college, where they belonged.
"Thanks for your time," he told her.
"You're welcome. I hope the three of you can come to terms." One corner of her mouth twitched. "Please remember we have a very efficient police force in town. Chief Barns doesn't take kindly to people breaking the law."
"I appreciate the warning."
Finn walked out of the small trailer. Filming or shooting or whatever they called it was due to start in two days. Which gave him less than forty–eight hours to come up with a plan to either convince his brothers to return to Alaska on their own or physically force them to do what he wanted.
"I owe you," Marsha Tilson said over lunch.
Dakota picked up a French fry. "Yes, you do. I'm a highly trained professional."
"Something Geoff doesn't appreciate?" Marsha, the town's sixty–something mayor, asked, her blue eyes sparkling with amusement.
"He does not. I have a Ph.D.," Dakota muttered. "I should make him call me doctor."
"From what I know of Geoff, I'm not sure that would help."
Dakota bit into her fry. She hated to admit it, but Mayor Marsha had a point. Geoff was the producer of the reality show that had invaded the town—True Love or Fool's Gold. After randomly sorting twenty people into couples, the pairs would be sent on romantic dates, which would be filmed, edited and then shown on television with a one–week delay. America would vote off the couple least likely to make it.
At the end, the last couple standing would receive $250,000 to share and a free wedding, if they were really in love.
From what Dakota could tell, Geoff didn't care about anything except getting good ratings. The fact that the town didn't want the show around hadn't bothered him at all. In the end, the mayor had agreed to cooperate on the condition that there be someone on his staff who was looking out for the interests of the good citizens of
Fool's Gold.
All that made sense to Dakota, though she still didn't know why she'd gotten the job. She wasn't a public relations specialist or even a city employee. She was a psychologist who specialized in childhood development. Unfortunately, her boss had offered her services, even agreeing to pay her salary while she worked with the production company. Dakota still wasn't speaking to him.
She would have turned down the assignment, except Mayor Marsha had pleaded. Dakota had grown up here. When the Mayor needed a favor, the good citizens agreed. Until the production company had shown up, Dakota would have sworn she would happily do anything for her town. And, as she'd told Finn a couple of hours before, it was only for ten weeks. She could survive nearly anything that long.
"Have the contestants been picked?" Marsha asked.
"Yes, but they're keeping it a secret until the big announcement."
"Anyone we need to worry about?"
"I don't think so. I've looked over the files and everyone seems fairly normal." She thought about Finn. "We do have a family member who isn't happy." She explained about the twenty–one–year–old twins. "If they're half as good–looking in person as they are in their pictures, they're going to be on the show."
"Do you think their brother will make trouble?"
"No. If the boys were still underage, I would worry that he would try to ground them. As it is, he can only worry and threaten."
Marsha nodded sympathetically. Dakota knew the mayor's only daughter had been something of a wild child, then had gotten pregnant and run away. It couldn't be easy, raising a child. Or in Finn's case, two brothers. Not that she knew about being a mother.
BookaholicTracy
Posted July 28, 2011
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This was a great read. The writing is so beautiful, the story wonderful. I can't wait for the next book to come out.
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Jenn3128
Posted July 26, 2011
In this sweet and charming 4th installment to the Fool's Gold series we return to meet Dakota Hendrix. She's coming out of her shell and including family in on her deeply hidden secret. In walks Finn Andersson, he's not happy to be in Fool's Gold. The reality show filming in the small town with a shortage of men has called for auditions and picks his identical twin brothers to be on the show. Finn of course, would rather they come home and finish college.
As usual, Ms. Mallery has written very likeable characters. I loved being taken back to the town and having glimpses of previous characters. I would have liked to see more interaction with Dakota & Finn. At times the story dealt too much with the reality show and I felt that took something away from our two love birds. It was an easily predicted ending, but one that I did enjoy.
4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.CharlotteS
Posted July 27, 2011
Susan Mallery has done it again!! Within the town of Fool's Gold Dakota one of the triplets has a story to tell. Susan brings the town together and makes you laugh, cry and go through many emotions when reading her books. The sisters in this book have a relationship we all envy and a family unit to die for. Only Mine is a page turner that will have you looking for more when you finish. ONLY YOURS AND ONLY HIS will be out later this year. There are three books based in Fool's Gold prior to this one. Susan Mallery is an INCREDIBLE person and writer....
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.AllThingsRomance
Posted July 26, 2011
Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series just gets better and better! ONLY MINE, the 4th book in the Fools Gold Series, is a perfect combination of humor and heart. I enjoyed Dakota's sense of humor and could relate to Finn's devotion to his family. Readers will easily be able to relate to the trials that both Dakota and Finn go through while finding their true happiness. I laughed, I cried and I loved the happy ending! Susan Mallery is one of my all time favorite Romance Writers and ONLY MINE is a perfect example of why she is!
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted September 6, 2011
I've read many of Susan Mallery's books, and they are good, quick reads for anyone who enjoys a good romance. However, I'm starting to get bored by her books. Only Mine was extremely predictable and just didn't hold my attention.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 6, 2011
A wonderful, heartwarming read that is a "can't put down book". Dakota thinks she can't have the family she longs for and with no man in her life she adopts Hannah and becomes a single Mom.. But a Mother and child does not a family make and when Finn drops in town to keep his twin younger brothers from going on a reality TV show Dakota finds a "fling" that turns out to be a lot more for her. But Finn has a life and a business in Alaska and although he is smitten by Dakota and Hannah too he is running from any more responsibility. The family ties and the town of Fool's Gold that embraces its residents makes a wonderful setting for this continuing story. If you haven't read books 1, 2 and 3 I suggest you read them in order because while each story is a stand alone you won't want to miss one step of the journey. I could not put any one of the series down and can't wait for the next two.. Hopefully more will follow.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Melly82
Posted August 3, 2011
The 4th book in the Fools Gold series Only Mine is a story that grabs you from the first page. The sparks that are flying catch your attention and you just can't put it down. The instant connection you can feel jump from the pages between Dakota and Finn is amazing. You fall for them both in this story of loyalty, love, family, drama, and fun. Dakota Hendrix is a psychologist. She is also one of six children and one of three triplets. She lives in the small town of Fools Gold, CA. In this story we see her go through trials and tribulations of sadness and hurt while continuing to want the family she's always dreamed of. Finn Anderssen is a responsible and driven brother and pilot from a small town in Alaska. He has spent 8 yrs doing the right thing and raising his twin brothers after their parents passed away in a plane crash. He is very ready to have the boys finish college and start their lives so he can go back to his carefree life he left behind. Finn's brothers decide they are going to try out for a reality show filming in none other than Fools Gold. Finn is very unhappy with this and flies down to drag them back kicking and screaming to finish college. When he meets Dakota she catches him off guard with her sympathy and cheerful attitude and decides to stay to keep an eye on the boys. Dakota is roped into helping with a reality show that has come to town and becomes a production assistant. In storms a tall gorgeous man with a flannel shirt and an attitude. She's got smart mouthed comebacks and he's got irritation. We see how their friendship and casual dating escalates with an ending to mach Susan Mallery's greatness. I absolutely loved this book and all it had in it. There were just the right amount of steamy loves scenes and lots of fun to go with them.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted August 2, 2011
Ive been waiting for the triplets' stories and SM doesn't disappoint. I can't wait to hear nevada,mintana and hopefully denise's story as well. ( possibly montana's max and the tattoo denise has of a max?? ) ;)
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Review:
Only Mine is a charming, sexy and entertaining read! I love, Fool's Gold, the town Susan has created for this series. The Fool's Gold books keep getting better and better. Susan processes the ability to keep her series entertaining and original while leaving the reader both satisfied and wanting more. The idea of a reality TV show in Fool's Gold, CA was brilliant. The issue of a man shortage was comical. After all, even if men are available, what woman hasn't felt s shortage in men at one point in her life?
The characters are wonderful. I love how Mallery creates a sexy and desirable "hero" in the story. She met my expectations while throwing in a few surprises along the way. I loved the quirky yet humorous personalities of the characters. They work well together, it felt natural. The characters are realistic. I loved this aspect. It helped me to feel as if I was a part of the town rather than reading a story.
It seems easy to make everything seem perfect in a story that promises a happy ending yet Mallery focuses on keeping her books believable. While I knew the happy ending would come about, I had my moments of doubt. Only mine had its share of turmoil, complications, disappointments and real life drama that kept me glued to the pages. I wondered how the happy ending would find its way to the loveable characters and found myself cheering them on. I really enjoyed this aspect of the book. I don't like to be handed a happy ending on a silver platter in an unrealistic manner. Only Mine didn't do that. I look forward to Only Yours and Only His. I have already pre-ordered my copies. It was incredibly hard to find Only Mine in the stores since its debut. Reader's everywhere have been scoffing them up! I can understand why..
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Only Mine is an amazing edition to the Fool's Gold series! I was excited to read about the first of the Hendrix triplets and I was not dissapointed with Dakota! From the very begining Dakota and Finn have great chemistry and I couldn't wait to read more about them! Susan Mallery writes some of the most real characters that I have ever read, and she puts them in real day to day situations that the average person can relate to. Then she weaves in some of her magic and your left with a book that will keep you up till the wee hours of the morning while you read "just one more page!"
If your a fan of Susan Mallery and/or the Fool's Gold series you will NOT want to miss out on Finn and Dakota's story, and if you have never read Susan's books before I can not think of a better introduction!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.I'm normally a huge Susan Mallery fan. I own a huge amount of her books, and what I don't own I've borrowed from the library. First I had a difficult time wanting to read the book. It was a slow, boring start. There were a few witty lines that I enjoyed, but that really was about it. The way certain ideas are stressed in the book made it extremely predictable. I knew withing the first few pages what was going to happen. The leading male's lead, while he had family values and a stand up guy was not a likable guy and nothing written about him would make me think he was really into the lead female or really cared. The romance was forced, choppy and again predictable. Everything felt rushed, there was too many conflicting scenes and it was just boring. I normally devour a book in a day, but it took me over a week to read this book and that was only because I forced myself to do it. It read like a really bad Lifetime movie. I know others enjoyed this book, but it felt really rushed as if it were written just to be written. I won't be reading any of the other books in this series.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KrittersRamblings
Posted July 28, 2011
A mixed review for me on this book - on one hand I fell completely in love with the characters and the story, but the pages and pages of love scenes was at times uncomfortable and hard to read. Call me a prude, but I would have loved this book even more with a few pages omitted.
The story of an unlikely pair that from the beginning the sparks were flying, but they couldn't see them was written with such heart and truth. I became intrigued to hear more about this town full of women and the reality TV show that invaded it at every spot. The switching between characters to kept the story moving, but added depth.
Maybe I am a little naive or like my books to be a little PG13, but the sex in this book was very explicit and at times made me a little uneasy - I emailed my mom with a warning that you went in the bedroom and the characters' minds in this book.
So if you can handle the bedroom scenes, this book has a wonderful story of how life can take you down a different path, if you will only let it.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 28, 2011
Won't be buying the rest of the trilogy
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.BookNerdJac
Posted July 27, 2011
I love reality TV (Anyone else addicted to The Bachelorette?) And the Fool's Gold series by Susan Mallery is at the top of my list of favorite series reads! (If Fool's Gold was a real town? I'd move their in a heartbeat!) So I'm sure you can imagine how excited I was for book #4 in the series! This is the first book featuring the Hendrix Triplets - Dakota, Nevada and Montana. I have enjoyed their characters in previous books and was looking forward to their feature books! Dakota most definitely did not disappoint. In the opening pages, her personality grabbed me! Her humor is something that I could relate to, including one of her opening cracks to Finn about his choice of a plaid shirt. I think on a personal level I related to Dakota more than any of the other Women in Fool's Gold, her humor being the main connection. I loved watching the relationship between Dakota and Finn bloom, and I found them to be one of the more realistic couples in romance novels. He was hot tempered (making me think of my own husband at times) and she had a natural way of talking him back down, much thanks to her background with a PhD in Psychology. Another great element to this book was the subplots. Finns twin brothers, Sasha and Stephen were entertaining. Although to be honest, I didn't have much use for Sasha's character or his part in the reality show. But Stephen and his counterpart - Aurelia? I couldn't get enough of them!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 26, 2011
Another win for the Susan Mallery category. I have been a fan of Susan Mallery's books for a little while now. I loved this book. This story is captivating and heartfelt. It was funny and witty and kept me wanting more. Even after the book was done...
Dakota is strong willed, stubborn, and amazing at the same time. She isn't afraid to speak her mind and do what she feels is right. Finn is the kind of man we all dream of ending up with. The protector, but just has bullheaded as Dakota.
I want to move to Fool's Gold.... I can't wait for September!!!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted July 26, 2011
I had so much fun with this book!! I finished it in a few hours--staying up late, because I just couldn't put it down! What can I say? It was FUN! And yet, there's deep emotions within the story that just grab your heartstrings. I laughed and cried, sometimes on the same page! The dialogue is snarky and witty. Now, Dakota is ready to settle down and start a family. Finn is most definitely not. He's ready to move on after raising his two younger brothers and finally live his life for him. I'm sure we all know this age old conflict. But, Susan takes it to a different level. She addresses Dakota's infertility, her desire to adopt and all the emotions she goes through. I loved her strength of character. No whiny female!! Finn is just ready to make decisions that only involve him. He's waited for this day for nine years and now that it's finally here... what's he going to do with himself? We're pulling for these characters from the beginning, knowing if their lives had been different, they'd be perfect for each other. Susan doesn't rush us to the end of the story, or just suddenly go... "eh, everything's all right". Instead, she takes us on a journey into their lives, fears and we have great fun along the way. I can't wait for the next two in the series.... Only His and Only Yours with Nevada and Montana.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.LASR_Reviews
Posted July 26, 2011
Overseeing a romance reality competition in Fool's Gold, CA poses big problems for Dakota Hendrix, but having two of the most eligible bachelors yanked off the contest by an angry elder brother-a very sexy elder brother-poses an even bigger problem. Especially when she finds herself drawn to the hunky Alaskan.
All the beautiful psychologist wants to do is the job for which she's paid-not screen eligible bachelors. But everyone in the town, from the mayor on down, convinces her she needs to give back to the community, so instead of designing math workshops, she herding hopeful contestants anxious to win the monetary prize.
Finn Anderssen storms into Fool's Gold in search of his younger twin brothers Sasha and Stephen who've abandoned their college studies one semester short of graduation to enter the competition. Finn is determined to drag his brothers back to South Salmon where he is partner in an air cargo transport business and knock some sense into them. Dakota warns him that tactic could end badly and convinces him to allow the twins to stay in the competition. Against his better judgment, he acquiesces, and agrees to pilot the contestants to various venues where they'll be filming. This gives him a chance to oversee their actions. Finn has cared for his brothers ever since their parents were killed on a flying mission, and he takes his duty seriously-to the point of smothering the young men with concern for their education and careers.
When the contestants are paired, Sasha's girl is a lovely young woman with a keen desire to be a television or film star-the same goal as Sasha's. Stephen, however, finds himself paired with Aurelia, a plain accountant nine years his senior. Aurelia has been goaded by her mother to try out for the competition, and even though she's reluctant, she longs for a chance to get out from under the thumb of her domineering mother and be able to buy a house. Stephen's goal has been simply to get away from his over-protective brother Finn.
While staying in town, Finn becomes attracted to Dakota. A dinner invitation to her house results in a night of superb sex for both of them. Finn has been too busy looking after his brothers for eight years to allow himself any relationships and Dakota feels men either aren't interested in her or the right man she could be interested in hasn't come along. Until Finn. The fact that he's only there temporarily allow her to have a no commitments relationship. She doesn't count on falling in love.
I loved this story. The premise was cute, but after I got to know the characters, I found myself rooting for each of them with no thought to the outcome of the competition. I loved the interaction between Dakota, her mother and her sisters as much as I did the town, which in itself was a character. (Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all live in such a caring place?)
The developing relationship between Aurelia and Stephen was particularly touching and negated Finn's obtuseness about the role he should play in his brother's lives. Although he was a good and caring man, he went completely overboard in his role as guardian of two young men who were twenty-one. His learning to accept that his goals were not their goals was a touching thing to see and I cheered his character growth on this point and impatiently waited to see if he could get past his personal stumbling block to a satisfying relationship with Dakota.
See the full at the Long and Short of It Roman
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.KLM418
Posted July 25, 2011
Susan Mallery returned to Fools Gold with a splash in Dakota Hendrix story in Only Mine. For those who have read any of the previous Fools Gold stories you will love the continuation and for visiting the Land of Happy Endings for the first time will be able to dive right in and enjoy. We revisit the characters who made us fall in love the first time and meet new ones like Finn Anderson and his younger twin brothers who make us fall in love all over again. An overly protective big brother, Finn is blindsided by Fools Gold's resident child psychologist Dakota Hendrix of the Hendrix triplets. Dealing with a plethora of her own issues, Dakota still finds time to fall for the Alaskan pilot. The obstacles they face along the way are both amusing and touching. Their story, and that of the secondary characters, are unique, well thought-out and compelling. Can't wait to see what is up for Montana in the next story!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.redwink
Posted July 24, 2011
Fool's Gold is a small town with a unique problem - there's a man shortage. Now you might think they'd be overjoyed to have a reality show come to town and publicize this, but think about it. Would you want your home turned into a ratings ploy? Dakota Hendrix is the town's representative on the production crew, trying to manage the experience in a way that benefits the town. That's where she meets Finn Andersson. Like her, he's not thrilled with the reality show - his brothers have signed up despite his wishes. He wants them back in college and back on the life track he's picked for them.
This is a romance, a genre I love. The overall story arc is predictable - girl meets boy, conflict arises, conflict is overcome, they live happily ever after. But Susan Mallery is adept both with the characters and with the conflicts that arise. She adds some twists that surprised me (happily so). And Fool's Gold is a charming setting, full of women who care about each other...and the men who love them. It's perfect summer reading! I was drawn in from page 1 (I lucked into an advance copy), laughed several times along the way, and stayed up later than I should have because I just had to find out what happened next!
I heartily recommend Only Mine. After you indulge yourself, you'll want the next books in the series. Only Yours will be out in late August and Only His hits the shelves at the end of September. While you wait, go back and read the first three books Chasing Perfect, Almost Perfect, and Finding Perfect. You won't regret it!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.ReaderGirl87
Posted July 18, 2011
The latest story to come from the town of Fool's Gold focuses on Dakota Hendrix - one of the Hendrix triplets. From the creative mind of Susan Mallery we find Dakota at a crossroads in her life: she's on hiatus from her regular job and having to oversee a romance/reality show being set in her beloved town of Fool's Gold that she is not thrilled with, she's dealing with having to tell her family of a recent health crisis she's had to recently deal with and on top of it all, she has to deal with a sexy, yet irate, older brother of two of the show's contestants.
Finn Anderssen's life is in South Salmon, Alaska and the last place he wants to be is Fool's Gold figuring out how he is going to convince his two younger brothers to leave their brush with fame and fortune and return with him. Battling with Dakota, however, takes a little of the edge off.
This is a great addition to the Fool's Gold series and a must for any Susan Mallery fan. With characters we can all relate to, an interesting story and some great sub-plots, you will not be able to put this book down. Well done, again, Susan!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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