Week-End's Minis XXXVIII: Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery

Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery
published by Harlequin (HQN Books) in June 2013

Felicia Swift never dreamed she'd hear a deep, sexy voice from her past in tiny Fool's Gold, California. The last time Gideon Boylan whispered in her ear was half a world away...on the morning after the hottest night of her life. Her freaky smarts have limited her close friendships, and romance, but she came to Fool's Gold looking for ordinary. Gorgeous, brooding Gideon is anything but that.

Black Ops taught Gideon that love could be deadly. Now he pretends to fit in while keeping everyone at arm's length. Felicia wants more than he can give-a home, family, love-but she has a lot to learn about men...and Gideon needs to be the man to teach her.

As these two misfits discover that passion isn't the only thing they have in common, they just might figure out that two of a kind should never be split apart.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Fool's Gold, Book #11

What do you need to know? Let see... Our heroine, Felicia Swift, is a genius. At the age of four, her parents gave up their rights and Felicia was whisked away to an university where she studied in various fields. Later, she decided to join the military where she became a logistics expert. And now, she's settling in Fool's Gold because it is where her friend Justice Garrett is planning to open a bodyguard school along with a few buddies of theirs and because she's ready to tackle normal life.

Gideon Boylan was also part of the military, with the Special Ops. During a mission, his team got captured and he witnessed his comrades dying one by one. He's walked away physically intact, but plagued by nightmares. He's also settled in Fool's Gold, the proud owner of the radio station.

Felicia and Gideon share a past - a one-night stand that held a lot of meaning for each of them. They never expected to see each other again, especially not in Fool's Gold.  Gideon knows he's a bad bet and is not meant for long-term relationship...  but the attraction is still there, so why not enjoy each other's company? Things change though when Gideon's son - one he didn't know exist - shows up...

Why this book? As I mentioned in Breezing Through's New Releases post of June, I wanted to give this book a try because both Felicia and Gideon are newcomers to Fool's Gold and I thought it'd be an interesting perspective. Refreshing.

What did I like? I thought the beginning of Two of a Kind was really strong and showed a lot of potential for the story. I liked the characters and the fact that they had an history. Felicia's geekiness and social awkwardness were very endearing and understandable given how she grew up. She grew up in an university where everyone was older than her and obviously, she never experienced the normal rites of passage. So it was cute to see her being too blunt, blurb out facts and go on tangents. It was also fun to see her take in new challenges such as working as a barista or becoming the new festivals coordinator. Felicia really seemed to embrace life and enjoy every new experience and that was nice :) As for Gideon, his character was not as developed as Felicia, but still likable. I liked the way Gideon listened to Felicia, just listened :)

I think it would have been interesting if Felicia and Gideon didn't know each other prior Two of a Kind. Being both newcomers to Fool's Gold could have been an aspect that Ms Mallery could have focused on. However, it is not the route Ms Mallery took and the fact that they had an history also worked. They were an understanding between the two, a connection that made their romance believable and sweet.

What didn't work for me? As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed the beginning of Two of a Kind - the set up of the story. Unfortunately, while the beginning was strong, I feel the rest of the book was average. One of my biggest problems with this story was the apparition of Gideon's son, Carter. Don't get me wrong, I like kids in my romance and Carter was quite likable, but in Two of a Kind, I thought adding a son that Gideon didn't know about was an unnecessary subplot. I felt Felicia and Gideon each had enough issues to work through, they really didn't need a catalyst for their HEA ending to happen. By adding Carter, Ms Mallery suddenly derailed her set up and took the story in another direction :(

I had a few more issues such as I thought it unfortunate that Ms Mallery resorted to a cliché to rekindle Felicia and Gideon's relationship. I'm just tired of the cliché that everything with geeks turn into an experiment, especially finding love or getting into a relationship. It's really getting old and I think it's not the only way to solve social awkwardness. The ending was also a bit disappointing because of how Gideon's issues were resolved. I seriously doubt it would take only one talk with other ex-military guys for Gideon to believe he was no longer a bad long-term relationship bet. And finally, I thought there was too much sequel baiting in the series :( It's hard to find the right balance in long series about how much old characters to show, because you want the main characters to be the focus of the story. At the same time, it's annoying to know that every single character introduced over the age of 20 is a potential future characters. Let see, we already know that Ford Hendrix and Isabel Carlisle are getting their book, then there's Consuelo who's obviously going to be paired up with Kent Hendrix, Noelle Perkins - the new Christmas store owner and last of Felicia's trio, and you can be sure that all the owners of the new business in town, Score, will get their story... That's Taryn Crawford  with three ex-football players IIRC.  Oh wait, I forgot Angel, the last of the new bodyguard school's instructors! I count at least 6 other stories/books.... Sometimes, less is better. Seriously.

My Grade? C+. That's the initial grade I gave Two of a Kind when I was done reading it and I did debate lowering to a C, but in the end, I'm going to stick with my gut feeling because I feel Felicia and Gideon and the strong start of the book do deserve some recognition :P

Review: A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

Two weeks ago, I wrote in a post that it'd be fun to review a Christmas-themed book each week till December 25 :) I missed last week because I was busy and didn't feel inspired, but I'm determined to keep it up from now on. I don't know about you, but this year, I'm really in a Christmas mood! :) I've been reading Christmas novels, feel like shopping, even feel like baking! LOL, I'm not because I'm not good at it... yeah, I'm feeling it this year :) And we just got our first snow yesterday, further reinforcing the feeling LOL. What about you? Are you excited for Christmas this year? If not, well perhaps this book will put you in the mood :)


A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery

published by Harlequin (HQN Books) in September 2012

The unrelenting cheer in Fool's Gold, California, is bringing out the humbug in dancer Evie Stryker. She learned early on that Christmas miracles don't happen, at least not for her. And this year seems like no exception. An injury has forced her to return to the family fold, no matter that they're estranged. She won't add to the awkward scenario by being seduced by the bad-boy charms of her brother's best friend, the last man she should ever want to date. Even when she's recruited to stage the Fool's Gold winter festival, she vows to do as promised, then move forward with her life anywhere but here.

Jaded lawyer Dante Jefferson is getting used to the backwater town he now reluctantly calls home, but the pounding of little dancers' feet above his temporary office is more than any man should have to take! When he confronts their gorgeous teacher, he's unprepared for the attraction that sears him down to the soul. Evie is his best friend's sister--off-limits unless he's willing to risk his heart. Dante has always believed that love is the most dangerous force in the universe, but that was before he had to reckon with the magic of a certain small town, where miracles do seem to happen...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Fool's Gold, Book #10

The Story: Evie Stryker is the black sheep of her family - not due to her attitude, but because of the circumstances of her birth. Her mother was newly widowed when she had an affair/one-night stand with a cowboy and Evie was the result. Because of their age differences, Evie was rarely included in the boys' activities and she also felt emotionally neglected by her mother. So when Evie was old enough, she left to pursue her dancing career and it somewhat naturally led to an estrangement with her family.

But things have changed in recent months. Her brothers and mother have all settled happily in Fool's Gold and the last loose end is Evie. As such, they all want a second chance with her to make amends and the opportunity shows up when Evie injures herself. Before she can protest, Evie is whisked to Fool's Gold where she ends up teaching dance and living next door to Dante Jefferson, her brother's business associate and best friend. Being new in town, the two quickly bond... especially when confronted to the town's Christmas enthusiasm. One thing leads to another and soon, Evie and Dante are a couple. But is there any future when neither plan to stay in Fool's Gold?

My Opinion: So, it's been a while since I've last read a book by Ms Mallery - almost a year!! - which is kind of surprising given how prolific the author is. The only explanation I have is the Fool's Gold books simply don't appeal to me. It's a combination of small town overdose - I mean, I've been mixing up the Fool's Gold and Lucky Harbor series and I'm usually really good at keeping characters and storylines straight - and the characters and blurbs not making me go "Ohhhh, I want to read this." Plus, it's been a while since Ms Mallery has really wowed me. The last two books of hers that I really enjoyed were Almost Perfect and Head Over Heels, that's not a lot given how much she's written... Anyway, I wasn't really planning to pick up A Fool's Gold Christmas, but then, I went ahead and read Brie's review and I don't know, thought the book had potential. And A Fool's Gold Christmas did indeed have potential, but I'm not sure if Ms Mallery completely delivered...

The good news about A Fool's Gold Christmas is that I really liked Evie and Dante - as individuals and as a couple. They were likable characters with some interesting background stories. I admired Evie's strength and independence, and not only when it came to her family situation. I mean, to be told that you're not good enough to achieve your dreams (being a dancer), it's hard... and not having the support of your family during those times, even harder. Still, I feel Evie came through it, she overcame the circumstances and was living her life. She resented her mother and I thought that was really understandable, but she wasn't overly bitter and I thought that was mature. She didn't blame her misfortune, she assumed it and went on with her life and that's what I found admirable. As for Dante, I thought he was likable as well. In the blurb, he is described as jaded, but I don't think the right word was used. He might have been in whatever other books he appeared in, but in A Fool's Gold Christmas, I thought he was friendly and caring, ambitious and focused. And as I couple, I really liked them together. They had chemistry and were a good match for each other. I liked the teasing and how they bonded over being newcomers to the town and being overwhelmed with Fool's Gold Christmas' spirit. I liked how they became a couple, it worked :) What didn't work for me though was Dante's stupid lie at the end of the book to break off things, breaking Evie's heart in the process... and him coming back and being forgiven. Ugh. First, I'm really tired of any character walking away and coming back because they realize their mistake. Seriously, it's not romantic at all! I'd really rather they communicate their fear, their concern and work it out together like, I don't know, mature adults! Second, she took him back too easily without any groveling! I think she could have made him worked a bit for the broken heart she got.

Something else that didn't work too well for me was the Strykers' situation. As Christmas' spirit demands, the conflict between Evie and her family was resolved... and I'm not convinced on the sincerity of all parties. Actually, I would have loved to read about Evie and her family's conflict in another book, one that was not Christmas-themed. I think it would have allowed more focus and development on the conflict than what we got in A Fool's Gold Christmas. I felt that Evie's resentment and anger towards her family and especially her mother were entirely justified. All her life, nobody in her family really cared about Evie. And it's not simply Evie's imagination. There were actions and events that showed the lack of caring. I simply can't imagine living through what Evie has. It wasn't physical abuse, but in my mind, it was definitively some kind of emotional abuse and negligence... And I don't think years of that kind of abuse can be resolved in a few days, simply because the other parties - the brothers and the mother - want to. While I really disliked the mother for her selfish attitude, I did at least see some efforts made in the book. I can't say the same about the brothers... and I think they are as guilty as the mother. Yes, there was an age difference and they were kids themselves and probably took their cue from their mother, but they've been adults for a long time now. They should have cared more about Evie. Now they want a second chance, but I'm sorry, I didn't see their actions backing up their words. There was definitively a bond between Evie and Clay and they had kept in contact and all... But Rafe and Shane? Suddenly veto-ing Evie's new boyfriend is not enough. As for the mother, as I mentioned, she made some efforts... But in many instances, it felt like she was playing the victim. Asking Evie if she hated her... What is Evie supposed to answer to that? I liked that Dante brought a different POV to Evie, that life is short and she doesn't want to be estranged with her family forever. However, there was a big difference between Dante's mom and Evie's and that is Dante was always certain of his mother's love for him. Anyway, it's not that I didn't want the conflict to be resolved.... but the way it was done was too simple for the complexity of the situation and as a result, the feelings didn't feel genuine.

Other than that, A Fool's Gold Christmas was kind of cute, with all the activities, decorations and Christmas spirit. I say kind of because, well, I'm more like Evie and find the whole thing a bit overwhelming LOL. I do wonder if there really are towns that pull all the stops like that out there ^_^; In addition, we got to see a lot of previous characters, but without them overtaking the spotlight which was nice.

My Grade: B-. In the end, I'm glad I picked up A Fool's Gold Christmas because I liked Evie and Dante and their romance :)

Review: Only Yours by Susan Mallery

Hey everyone! I'm back and I had a great week-end :) It was fun to go away and to hang out with friends :) The week-end would have really been perfect though if I could have bought some books... but alas. And it wasn't from lack of trying!! Ah well, to make it up, I went to the bookstore yesterday LOL.

I hope to post a few more pictures in the next coming days - as soon as my friends send me some LOL. 9 persons, 7 cameras - I decided I could let my friends take pictures :) Of course, now, I need to harass them to get the pics...

So in the meantime, here's a review. Enjoy!


Only Yours by Susan Mallery
published by HQN Books in August 2011

Montana Hendrix has found her calling—working with therapy dogs. With a career she loves in a hometown she adores, she's finally ready to look for her own happily ever after. Could one of her dogs help her find Mr. Right… or maybe Dr. Right?

Surgeon Simon Bradley prefers the sterility of the hospital to the messiness of real life, especially when real life includes an accident-prone mutt and a woman whose kisses make him want what he knows he can't have. Scarred since childhood, he avoids emotional entanglement by moving from place to place to heal children who need his skillful touch. Can his growing feelings for Montana lead him to find a home in Fool's Gold, or will he walk away, taking her broken heart with him?

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Fool's Gold series, Book #5

The Story: Simon Bradley is a gifted surgeon who specializes in patients who have been burned. As a burnt victim, Simon knows first-hand the excruciating pain his patients are going through and the will needed to recover and that's what makes him good at his job. He also lives a nomadic life, dedicating all his energy and talent to a hospital for a short period of time before moving on to the next place, never getting emotionally attached to anyone. For the next three months, Simon is in Fool's Gold and the mayor wants him to stay... She thus enlists the help of Montana Hendrix to convince him.

Montana is a bubbly and enthusiastic young woman who has finally found her calling: working with therapy dogs. Her first meeting with Dr. Bradley is not a success as one of her dogs barge in the burn unit of the hospital... Still, Montana cannot refuse the mayor's request. Then, when Simon needs a therapy dog to help one of his patients, Montana is more than happy to help.

From the first moment, Simon is attracted to Montana in a way he cannot explain. However, Simon doesn't do relationship, doesn't get emotionally attached to anyone... but once he does, what will happen?

My Opinion: If you've been reading my blog for the past few years, you know that Ms Mallery's books have been hit and miss with me. There are some that I really, really enjoy such as Almost Perfect and Hot on her Heels and others that just didn't work for me. So from experience and from the first Fool's Gold trilogy, I decided to be a bit more selective when it came to this second Fool's Gold trilogy featuring the Hendrix triplets... and decided to skip Only Mine and go straight to Only Yours. My reasoning was that out of the three triplets, Montana was the one that I've liked the most based on their previous apparitions in the series and also, the storyline seems to be one that I'd enjoy as it's a bit of the "happy-go-lucky heroine thawing stuffy hero" theme. All in all, I think it was a good decision :)

I really liked the characters in Only Yours. I think both Montana and Simon were likable, nice and well-developed characters. I didn't completely get the "Montana has finally found herself/her vocation." And her projecting on Fluffy the dog was a bit extreme. I don't know, she appeared to be happy in previous books, always cheerful and smiley. Did it really matter if she didn't have a true calling? I don't think so, although it doesn't hurt of course. I guess she needed a bit of a conflict... As for Simon, my heart broke for him and his past really gives a good insight of the man he's become and his lifestyle.

What I liked most of Montana and Simon is that they complemented each other very well. They came from completely different backgrounds and have very different personalities, but it worked. They were cute together and I enjoyed reading those parts :) However, I do think their relationship was a bit rushed and precipitated. I guess it's because of the deadline - Simon only staying for three months. It just bothered me a little bit that Montana knew what she was getting into, basically a fling with a man that didn't do long-lasting relationship... and she wanted more. I understand falling in love and wanting more and everything... but after less than three months? In that case, why start this fling? Also, it'd be nice from time to time for a man and a woman wanting the same thing and evolving at the same rhythm in a romance. Just saying.

I also think that in Only Yours, Ms Mallery balanced the secondary characters well. She gave us a bit of the Hendrix family and a bit of the town. I especially liked seeing the Hendrix dynamics between the siblings. Especially when they were discussing their mother's past love LOL. That was cute. I think Kevin and his son returning to Fool's Gold is a nice addition and wonder what Ms Mallery has in store for them. Another part that I liked was when Simon was expecting everyone to treat him badly because he and Montana have broken up, but everyone at the end was nice. It surprised him and at the same time, it broke my heart. Shows us how little love Simon had in his life. Sigh.

I have to say, I wasn't crazy about the whole town getting involved in Montana and Simon's relationship. The insinuation about how Montana should convince Simon to stay in town. Another thing that bothered me was the "miracle" near the end. Throughout the book, Simon is taking care of a young girl who's been severely burned... and at the end, she crashed. Well seriously, I think Ms Mallery should have let her die. I don't mean to be heartless, but one minute her condition worsens and the next, she's all right. I thought it was unnecessary drama. Either you let her recover nicely in which case, she doesn't crash at all... or she crashes and dies. It's a bit like in Only Mine where the chances of Dakota getting pregnant are almost null and thus, she decides to adopt... and suddenly, voila, she's pregnant! Yes, this is fiction, but there is just so many times you can do this. At least, there is no pregnancy in Only Yours which makes it "refreshing" LOL.

Oh by the way, the dogs were a nice touch to the book :) They made me smiled and I loved how Simon got attached to Cece. So cute :)

My Grade: B-. Overall, I enjoyed Only Yours. Not ground-breaking, but it was still a nice romance :)

Review: Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery

Disclaimer: I've received Finding Perfect as an eARC from NetGalley

Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery
published by HQN Books in August 2010

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 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?

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Fool's Gold series, Book #3

The Story: Finding Perfect starts off with Pia discovering that instead of inheriting Crystal's cat, Jake, like she expected, she got Crystal's three frozen embryos. To say it's a shock is an understatement and it leaves Pia in a difficult situation. Pia has serious doubts about her abilities as a mother, but at the same time, these embryos are Crystal's children and she can't ignore that. In the end, Pia decides to go ahead with the procedure and lucky for her, she has Raoul Moreno - talk, dark and handsome retired football player.

Raoul longs for children, but after his failed marriage, is wary of being in love. Seeing Pia's predicament, Raoul first proposes to be her "pregnancy buddy," but later offers her a marriage of convenience where he'll be able to help her take care of the babies. Knowing that she'll need all the help, Pia accepts... but what happens when love is involved?

My Opinion: When I read the blurb of Finding Perfect, I was very wary of the plotline. I wasn't sure I really wanted to read the story of a woman who inherited frozen embryos, of all things ^_^; In the end, I decided to give Finding Perfect a chance because of a few factors: 1) curiosity - I wondered how Ms Mallery would pull this off, 2) I really enjoyed Almost Perfect and 3) Raoul Moreno. Raoul was a great teenager in Sweet Spot and I wanted to see what a great man he became.

Overall, I thought that Finding Perfect was a bag of mixed results. The writing was good and the characters were likable, although perhaps a bit two-dimensional. There were also some comical moments, what with the sudden influx of men and the women of Fool's Gold putting up a talent show to impress them ^_^; What didn't really work with me though was the whole frozen embryos plotline. The idea of leaving someone her frozen embryos is very unusual, but it wasn't a bad one per se. In vitro fertilization is a contemporary subject and has become more and more common and is somewhat connected to romance. What I didn't really like was the circumstances.

Seriously, we've read books where the heroine or hero was named guardian for kids without warning and that was pretty bad. Leaving your frozen embryos to someone without telling her is WAY WORST!! I know that Crystal had faith in Pia and believed she would be a good mother and so did everyone else. However, it doesn't change the fact that she put Pia in a very difficult situation. Pia finds herself with embryos - the last remnants - of her friend. If she has the babies, it'll be a part of Crystal coming back to life... if she doesn't, she'll be the one responsible for it... It's a horrible situation to be in, especially when you never really considered motherhood. I thought that Crystal was incredibly selfish and took advantages of Pia's goodness. If at least, she had discussed it with Pia, prepared her for it... but no, this is all dump on Pia and she doesn't really have anyone to talk to. Everyone around her are all so happy - easy for them, they're not in the situation.

This leads me to something I thought very unbelievable. I was totally surprised that it took Pia less than a month to come to her decision and get the implantation. Really? She still has doubts about motherhood and even with Raoul's offer of help - which at first, was only to be her "pregnancy buddy," it will change her entire life as it is... and she just goes ahead, just like that. Also, we're not talking about one baby, but the possibility of triplets!! There was no hurry for Pia - Crystal paid for storage for three years. I would think a woman faced with this situation would take her time, starts changing her life before doing something so big... As a result, I don't think it was very believable :( The reason that was given for Pia acting so fast is so she wouldn't change her mind.... but this is so big. It's true that, would Pia has taken more time, she would still probably have gone ahead with the procedure, still. In the end though, what bothered me the most is that Pia kept referring to the babies as "Crystal's children." Lady, you're going to give birth to them!!! True, they'll have Crystal's DNA... but they'll be much more your children than Crystal's!

There was another thing in Finding Perfect that didn't make sense to me and that is the side story. In the side story, Raoul befriends a little boy who's in foster care and Raoul suspects the boy is being abused. In the end, we find out that he's not abused, but neglected. Raoul successfully gets him out of that foster home and everyone expects Raoul to take in the little boy, but Raoul refuses, saying that it was never his intention... All he wanted was to be sure the little boy was safe. This part totally puzzles me. I mean, Raoul was a foster kid who was lucky to be taken in by his high school football coach, Hawk. Nowadays, he tours school and talk to kids about motivation and tells them that what changed his life was Hawk becoming his mentor and if they can, to find one. Also, add the fact that Raoul wants kids and he doesn't care whether they're his or not - I mean, he's ready to adopt Pia's, right? So, why did he turn down the little boy?!? He didn't have to adopt him - he could just have taken him in. Raoul knows what it is to be a foster kid and finding someone who cares for him... He went through it and here, he can do it for a little boy. It's not much different taking a little boy in then taking responsibility for 3 newborns! Or is it only me?

Okay, so aside from those two issues, the book was okay. Like I mentioned earlier, Pia and Raoul were likable characters... although, I thought they were a bit under-developed. I didn't really get a sense of who Pia and Raoul really were. Pia is the busy bee in Fool's Gold, in charge of one event after another. She works hard at it and is very nice and sociable. She has a pretty bad past and I guess, it is meant to showcase her strength and determination. However, I'm not sure such a past was really necessary. Ah well. As for Raoul, I don't know. I feel we missed a huge chunk of his life, actually the most important years of his life. The transition from what we knew and what he became were just words, I didn't feel the connection. Same thing with Hawk and Nicole, the H/H of Sweet Spot, when they visited him. I guess I just expected a bit more connection to Sweet Spot, more mention of his past, more ties... instead of just stating facts.

Finally, there is a lot going on in Finding Perfect with the frozen embryos and the side story and it kind of overshadows the romance. I didn't really feel the chemistry between Pia and Raoul :( The romance was really fast and I'm not sure they really got to know each other. Attraction, yes. Lust, yes. Love, not sure. It also doesn't help the romance that the conflict is the same as the two previous books - marriage proposal without love.

My Grade: From this review, it's obvious that I had issues with Finding Perfect; however, it doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it. I thought Finding Perfect was quite interesting with the moral question it brought up. I liked the feel of it. I've read books by Ms Mallery where I was so frustrated by the characters that it left a bad taste in my mouth... However, Finding Perfect was nice. I also enjoyed the side story, I liked seeing Raoul interact with the little boy. So really, Finding Perfect was not a perfect read, but not a complete disaster either. It gets a C+ for me.

Review: Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery

Disclaimer: I've received Almost Perfect as an eARC from NetGalley

Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery
published by HQN Books in June 2010

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?

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: Fool's Gold, Book #2

The Story: When Liz was 18 years old, she was secretly dating Ethan who was back from college for the summer. That lasted till Ethan denied their relationship in company of his friends, saying that she wasn't worth his time. Liz packed her bags and left... and then found out that she was pregnant. She came back to inform Ethan, but he was in bed with someone else.

She tried to tell him again a few years later, but there was a misunderstanding and she walked away believing that Ethan didn't want to know his son or even lay eyes on them. As a result, Liz swore not to set foot again in Fool's Gold. Now a successful writer, Liz has carved out a life for her son, Tyler, and herself in San Francisco. However, when she receives news that her 2 teenage nieces are on their own through her fan mail, Liz does not hesitate to move back to Fool's Gold in order to access the situation... and quickly discovers that Ethan was not aware of Tyler's existence and he's not happy to have missed his son's childhood...

My Opinion: Ms Mallery is a hit and miss author for me. I love her writing and settings, which is why I keep reading her, but sometimes, I really have issues with the characters. Chasing Perfect, the first book in the trilogy, was a bit of a disappointment for me as I felt Ms Mallery was setting patterns in her series... However, I'm glad to say that Almost Perfect was a hit and that I greatly enjoyed it :)

What really made this book enjoyable for me was Liz' character. Liz is a great mom, a great aunt and a great woman. She raised Tyler alone and has a great relationship with him. You can see the love between mother and son, their connection. I loved the fact that she did not lie to him. Instead, whenever Tyler asked about Ethan, she would say that she did not want to discuss it. She tried to contact Ethan in order to provide Tyler a father and that took a lot of courage and guts. I also liked the fact that she did not hesitate packing her stuff and rushing to her nieces' aid when they contacted her. It's really a big step considering that Liz' family has never been close to each other. However, it was realistic because Liz didn't fly to their rescue, but instead, went to assess the situation. See what would be best for the girls - whether she should take them in or someone else could. In the end, she became a great mother figure for them :) There is one instance when she catches her oldest niece, Melissa, stealing money and while shocked, Liz does not get mad at Melissa and instead, asks her niece how much would make her feel safe. I really liked that scene because it showed how understanding Liz is. She hasn't gone through exactly the same thing, but she knows how it feels. I also really appreciate the way Liz dealt with the whole situation of Ethan's learning about his son and everyone passing judgment on her actions, from Ethan's mother to strangers. Liz was reasonable and rational and she always had Tyler's best interest in mind. She never tried to make it difficult for Ethan or deny the father and son relationship. She was honest with both of them and herself. I'm telling you, a truly amazing and good woman.

The kids were also a great element in this book. They were very realistic in their behaviors. For those who don't like children in their books, I still think you should give Almost Perfect a chance. None of the children are babies anymore. There is no baby talk, not precocious 5 years old. Instead, we're talking about two pre-teens and a teenage girl who act their age :) They really added to the story; in fact, they were central to Almost Perfect and were great characters.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of Ethan. I understand that Ethan is angry at Liz and at the missing years. However, I felt he was too selfish. It was too much of "me, me, me." I wished he would consider the whole situation from Liz' point of view. Liz tried twice to tell him and she truly believed the second time around that he didn't want anything to do with them. She has suffered rejection from him once so it was not far-fetched to believe he was rejecting her a second time and as a result, I don't feel she was obligated to try again. I'm sure she wanted to spare her son the same feeling. Ethan kept saying how it was unfair that he had to forgive Liz for not telling him about Tyler, but that Liz would not forgive him for not acknowledging their relationship all those years ago... But life is unfair. The biggest issue is that he rejected Liz and really broke her heart. He did not try to go after her, to find her... he just let her go. That moment shaped their lives and Ethan has to take responsibilities. I was really happy that Ethan jumped in fatherhood, that he really wanted to know Tyler... but I felt at time, he was not level-headed enough and that led to some poor decisions ^_^;

The romance in Almost Perfect also wasn't the best. I didn't feel the chemistry between Ethan and Liz. It was really hard to believe they still love each other after so many years. Perhaps if they haven't fell into bed again so quickly, if they had spent more time getting to know the new Liz and Ethan, it would have been more believable. I mean, the situation is complicated and they're not really feeling lovey dovey towards each other, but they'll still succumb to lust? Hmm, I don't think so. In addition, I think the ending was too abrupt - I liked Ethan's grand gesture, but I don't like that the book ended on it. A few more pages or an epilogue would have helped the romance in my opinion.

Something that I really liked about Almost Perfect is how it could be a stand-alone. There's very little connection to Chasing Perfect. It allowed the story to focus on the current characters and plot, instead of catching up on previous characters :)

The Grade: B. I really enjoyed Almost Perfect. As I said, Liz really was the star of this book and made it good. It's unfortunate that Ethan and the romance did not measure up :(