Mini Reviews: Only Mine; Only Yours; Only His – by Susan Mallery

I decided 2014 is the year for me to catch up in the Fool’s Gold series.

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• Title:  Only Mine
• Series:  Fool’s Gold #4
• Author:  Susan Mallery
• Narrator:  Tanya Eby
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  July 2011 – Brilliance Corporation
• Source:  Purchased

Synopsis:  Her town’s lack of men may make headlines, but it isn’t news to Dakota Hendrix. The beautiful blonde has bigger problems to deal with, such as overseeing the romance reality competition filming in Fool’s Gold. Screening eligible bachelors is a difficult enough task, but Dakota hits an unexpected snag when a sexy stranger comes to town. Finn Anderssen will do anything to keep his twin brothers — the perfect contestants — off the show. Despite Dakota’s better judgment, she finds herself drawn to the mysterious outsider. Like her, Finn knows about heartbreak and how a family can fall apart, so she doesn’t dare to hope for anything more than a fling. After all, even in the Land of Happy Endings, finding true love is never as easy as it looks on TV. (publisher)

My take:  The synopsis tells you what you need to know about Only Mine. I liked Dakota and Finn’s story a lot. They are a good match. Life has forced the two to give up on certain dreams. Can they find even better dreams together? I enjoyed finding out! The minor characters had fun story lines which made the book even more entertaining. As usual, Tanya Eby did a nice job with the narration.  Her performance always adds to the story.

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• Title:  Only Yours
• Series:  Fool’s Gold #5
• Author:  Susan Mallery
• Narrator:  Tanya Eby
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  August 2011 – Brilliance Corporation
• Source:  Purchased

Synopsis:  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?  (publisher)

My take:  The mayor of Fool’s Gold wants Montana Hendrix to convince Dr. Simon Bradley to put down roots in Fool’s Gold. The hospital needs more good specialists like him but he has no interest in staying in one place for long. He wants to travel the world performing surgery on children who wouldn’t normally have access to world-class care.  He’s also running from any emotional attachments and will not let the likes of Montana Hendrix become a reason to stay. They hit it off but then it becomes more serious and Simon is scared by his feelings for her. Will he be willing to rethink his future? I thought Susan Mallery wrote a touching story and Tanya Eby’s performance was just right.

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• Title:  Only His
  
• Series:  Fool’s Gold #6
• Author:  Susan Mallery
• Narrator:  Tanya Eby
• Genre:  Contemporary Romance
• Published:  August 2011 – Brilliance Corporation
• Source:  Purchased

Synopsis: Wedding bells are ringing in Fool’s Gold, but not for Nevada Hendrix. Her triplet sisters are engaged, and even her mother has a more active love life than she does. Determined to make a fresh start, she applies for her dream job, only to discover that her new boss is her first love. Maybe she could overlook the fact that they’ve seen each other naked, but she’ll never forget the way he broke her heart.

Tucker Janack agrees to Nevada’s “business only” ground rules. After all, love is a trap that the construction millionaire has avoided his whole life. But when great business partners turn out to be so much more, every rule gets broken. Will either of them be willing to try again…or will their past get in the way?

My take:  This book was all over the place but nonetheless entertaining. I enjoyed Nevada and Tucker’s story. They have an uncomfortable history but are intent on getting past that. The connected story lines were interesting (Jo’s secret is revealed) and wacky (Cat, the artist who was Tucker’s former lover). Add to that Nevada’s mother who reconnects with her old boyfriend and you’ve got an entertaining book. Tanya Eby’s narration was spot on with all the voices.