Bonus: Sweeter with You

Harlequin

Sweeter with You
Susan Mallery
2016

The Summary
"Ana Raquel's greatest passion is food:  she's a gifted chef with the experience to prove it.  Armed with an Airstream trailer-turned-mobile-kitchen, she's back in her hometown of Fool's Gold, California, ready to make her dreams of running her own kitchen come true.  There's just one problem--one tall, dark-eyed,utterly exasperating problem:  Greg Clary, her archnemesis.

"Greg has always one-upped her at everything.  he even has a restaurant in Fool's Gold that's wildly successful.  And when the mayor asks Ana to collaborate with Greg on a cookbook, she's forced to confront her unresolved feelings for him.  Ana can craft the most delicate souffle, but can she navigate the desire of her own heart?"

The Good
I've been a fan of Susan Mallery for a long time, and I've come to love her imaginary town of Fool's Gold.  I don't know why, but I've always been enchanted by her stories.  They're short and sweet, but (not often) foolishly romantic.  Sweeter with You is much the same of what I've come to expect.

Except shorter.  Much shorter.

It was fun.  I read it quickly (during lunch, I believe), and I enjoyed a short jaunt back to Mallery's idealistic little town.

The Bad
Honestly, Sweeter with You feels rushed.  I mean, it's only a novella, so I understand that a lot has to happen in a few pages for the story to progress and for the romance to happen.  And yet I still didn't feel very interested in the characters or as invested in the story.

It just wasn't quite the same, like it was missing something.  It probably could have used an entire novel to improve upon the development of the plot and the emotional evolution of the characters.  I might have preferred a longer novel in that regard.

Or I might have like to read it in the original cookbook format.

The Ugly
Nothing really.  It's very mild for a novella, especially for a Fool's Gold story.

Bonus: Finding Perfect

HQN Books

Finding Perfect
Susan Mallery
2010

The Summary
"When Pia O'Brian's best friend dies, Pia expects to inherit her cherished cat.  Instead, the woman leaves Pia three frozen embryos.  With a disastrous track record in the romance department and the parenting skills of a hamster, Pia doesn't think she's meant for motherhood.  But determined to do the right thing, Pia decides to become a single mother.  Only to meet a gorgeous, sexy hunk on the very same day.

"A former foster-care kid now rich beyond his wildest dreams, Raoul Moreno runs a camp for needy children in Fool's Gold, California.  After his last relationship, Raoul thought he was done with women and commitment.  Still, he can't get sweet, sexy Pia out of his mind--and proposes a crazy plan.  But can such an unconventional beginning really result in the perfect ending?"

The Good
I've had some experience with Susan Mallery's "Fool's Gold Romance" series.  So far, I've completed four books in the series (barely a dent considering there are nearly thirty books altogether), and I've found many of the same good qualities in each book.  Although I find the plot a bit predictable, I still enjoyed Finding Perfect.

Pia is a lovely character, who's faced with a difficult choice:  motherhood at the bequest of dying friend.  Given this strangely sweet request, she doesn't know what to do--and who can blame her?  Her decisions, however, reflect her growth as an individual as she dives into motherhood and struggles to balance her professional life with her love life.

I liked it.  It's one of many, which makes it something of a face in the crowd, but I liked reading it and that's really the only thing that matters.

The Bad
Reliable predictability.

Like most romance novels, Finding Perfect features a similar plot:  boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy and girl are driven apart by circumstances beyond their control and/or their inability to see eye to eye, boy and girl manage to live happily-ever-after.  Sometimes, it involves different circumstances--girl returning to her hometown, or girl recovering from some previous loss and learning she can love again, and etc.--but it's mostly the same.

That's what makes it a comforting.

The Ugly
Sure, motherhood is a beautiful thing.  But it can also be incredibly painful--and, well, scary.

There's so much that can go wrong and, for Pia, it's a heart-wrenching opportunity to relive a past loss that she never expected.  It squeezed at my heart unexpectedly and left me feeling a little breathless.

Bonus: Almost Perfect

HQN Books

Almost Perfect
Susan Mallery
2010

The Summary
"Back in high school, Liz Sutton was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks.  Then she'd stolen the heart of the most popular boy in town, and their secret romance helped her through the worst of times.  Until Ethan Hendrix betrayed her and everything they'd ever meant to each other.  Devastated and pregnant, Liz left Fool's Gold, California--forever, she thought...

"Now Liz must return to town and face the man who doesn't know of their son's existence.  And this time she won't have the option of making a quick getaway.  Ethan and Liz can't deny their passionate attraction, even after all these years.  But will their desire be enough to spark a second chance at love?"

The Good
I actually read Almost Perfect several years ago, but I decided to read it again after I started back into the Fool's Gold Romance series.  As the second in a long list of romance novels, Almost Perfect is still an enjoyable little novel.  Short and sweet, it packs an emotional wallop that I didn't remember--and, confidentially, didn't expect.

Maybe it's because I read it a second time, meaning I had the opportunity to really sink into the story and appreciate the tiny details I missed the last time around, but I really enjoyed reading Susan Mallery's novel.  Oddly enough, I liked it more than either Chasing Perfect or Finding Perfect.

Of the first trilogy, I find Almost Perfect more appealing.  Charity's romance is fairly straightforward, she has a complicated past but she manages to find herself a home and a fulfilling relationship; likewise for Pia, who manages to overcome her past tragedies and create a wonderful life with a man she loves.  Liz, on the other hand, has created a life in spite of her past and returns to confront her former hometown.

Liz's story feels much more complex, because it factors in her past, her complicated relationship with Ethan (both past and present), her son, and her newly discovered nieces.  I like that it's much more complicated, and I like that she has a history with Ethan Hendrix--that she has to contend with her attraction to him.  She has to think about self-preservation, she has to think about her son, and she has to balance all these things, which makes her story feel more real.

Because real life is never simple.

The Bad
Although I enjoyed reading Almost Perfect more than I expected (and although I appreciated the plot complexity, especially after having read it a second time), I still found the usual amount of predictability.

The Ugly
Almost Perfect is a sweet, sentimental novel; however, I should point out that plenty of terrible things happen--and Liz Sutton endures more than her fair share.  She was frequently abused by her alcoholic mother and routinely bullied by others at her school, she had her heart broken by the only man she'd ever loved, and she endured the rejection of the entire town.

Her history with Fool's Gold--and Ethan--leaves a dark blemish on an otherwise sweetly simple and romantic novel.

Bonus: Chasing Perfect

HQN Books

Chasing Perfect
Susan Mallery
2010

The Summary
"Welcome to Fool's Gold, California, a charming community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada.  There's lost to do and plenty of people to meet, especially women.  Because there's just one tiny problem in Fool's Gold:  the men don't seem to stick around.  Maybe its the lure of big-city life, or maybe it's plain old bad luck, but regardless of the reason, the problem has to be fixed, fast.  and Charity Jones may be just the city planner to do it.

"Charity's nomadic childhood has left her itching to settle down, and she immediately falls in love with all the storybook town has to offer - everything, that is, except its sexiest and most famous resident, former world-class cyclist Josh Golden.  With her long list of romantic disasters, she's not about to take a chance on another bad boy, even if everyone else thinks he's perfect just the way he is.  But maybe that's just what he needs - someone who knows the value of his flaws.  Someone who knows that he's just chasing perfect."

The Good
It's a sweet little romance where two people meet and fall in love, where two people find the support and stability--and love--they've always craved.  Chasing Fool's Gold is sure to give a few good tugs at your heart as Charity and Josh build their relationship and gradually surmount their distrust of commitment, as well as each other.

Although Charity's discovery of an unexpected family connection in Fool's Gold was a little too convenient for my taste, I did enjoy the plot and the characters.  It's a decent romance with fair character development, an enjoyable pace, and a delightful romance that builds nicely from the very beginning.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Mallery's first book in the Fool's Gold series.  It was interesting enough to keep me reading, and it was quick enough that I was able to finish it within a day.  It was a nice little break from zombies and tragedy and werewolves and sundry other things.

The Bad
Same as most romances:  predictability.

It's part of the charm, I suppose.  You always know what's going to happen and, no matter what troubles arise for the lovers, you always know they'll live happily ever after.  It's cheesy, yes, but it's rather reassuring.

The Ugly
Heartbreak.

(Like it's really that unexpected.)

Bonus: Just One Kiss

Harlequin

Just One Kiss
Susan Mallery
2013

The Summary
"He won't hesitate to put his life on the line...but will he ever risk his heart?

"Falling for Justice Garrett was a high point in Patience McGraw's otherwise awkward adolescence.  Even after he disappeared, Patience never forgot the boy who captured her heart.  Now, he's back in Fool's Gold, California, and her passion for him is as strong.

"When bodyguard Justice Garrett was a young man, witness protection brought him to this idyllic town and he never forgot its warmth, or the sweet beauty of his childhood friend.  He's returned to open a defense academy, and the Patience he once knew is all grown up.  He can't resist her smile, or her curves.  But Justice's past doesn't make him husband, or father, material.

"Patience and Justice think they'll succumb to just one kiss...then one more...Okay, just one night together.  But they might learn that falling in love is beyond anyone's control."

The Good
I've read other books in the Fool's Gold series starting with the second book and bouncing around to different books at different times, not really realizing it all fell into place in one tiny town in California.  Like Almost Perfect and Chasing Perfect and Finding Perfect (and approximately 20 other novels), Just One Kiss is a sweet little romance with nicely depicted characters - who are perfectly imperfect, like most in the Fool's Gold series - and adequate amounts of suspense.

I liked falling back into Fool's Gold.  It's a quirky little town with a cast of characters that runs a mile long, but I imagine it's not a bad place to live.  I liked Justice and Patience, because they seemed like genuinely nice people, and I liked their story.  It wasn't the best romance I've ever read, but it was an enjoyable trip into their world.

It wasn't bad; it wasn't great.  It falls somewhere in between, becoming a quick escape into a mostly perfect world - and, honestly, it's nice to see good things happen for a change.  (Unlike in A Game of Thrones.)

The Bad
Like most romance novels, Just One Kiss follows a familiar plot:  boy and girl meet, boy and girl fall in love, boy and/or girl believe they can't remain in love, boy or girl leaves but then realizes their mistake and quickly returns.  Granted, circumstances and names and plot points will change - Justice Garrett, for instance, was in witness protection; his dad was the reason he couldn't stay; and Patience is a single mom - but, at it's core, Mallery's novel has a similar plot.

However, I enjoyed Just One Kiss regardless.  It's familiarity was comforting, it's story was interesting enough to hold my attention, and it was easy to finish in a matter of hours.  Maybe it fell into the same rut as many romance novels, but I still enjoyed it.

The Ugly
Families aren't perfect:  sometimes, parents make mistakes - and, sometimes, Dad is a criminal who plots his revenge against the child who testified against him in court.