Sweet Success by Susan Mallery

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SWEET SUCCESS
Author: Susan Mallery
Source: Personal Purchase

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Pocket; Reprint edition (May 1, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0743405951
ISBN-13: 978-0743405959

SUMMARY:

The free-spirited owner of a booming chocolate emporium in Santa Magdelana, California, Allison Thomas is out to save the world — one truffle at a time. Everyone adores Ali — who wouldn’t love a lady who sneaks midnight chocolate deliveries to the local health spa? And even if a string of crumbled relationships have put romance on hold, Ali’s perfectly content with her life and her high-flying career. That is, until the mysterious Matt Baker stirs up her world….New to town, Matt quickly gets under her skin and leads her into temptation. But neither love nor chocolate seems to melt Matt’s icy heart. Now, in a unique setting where luscious desserts, sweet wine, and fresh ocean breezes intoxicate the soul, it may prove impossible for either of them to resist this seductive recipe for a wondrously indulgent passion!

MY THOUGHTS:

Whenever I need a feel good romance book, I always find myself turning to the books by Susan Mallery.  The author never lets me down when I need a heart fluttering love story that ends with a happily ever after that we all love in a romance story.

Allison Thomas is the daughter of a famous movie star with a chocolate shop nestled in Saint Magdelana, California.  She loves sharing her sweet creations with the town, and in the process helping those in need of a second chance in life.  She has a big heart that has always been her downfall in relationships.  She always seems to find men who need something instead of a relationship.  When Matt Baker arrives at her store to do some construction, she finds herself trying to fix him as well.  She can tell that something is haunting him from his past, but Matt is not the type to share it.

As the two work together on fixing her store room and other items on her to do list, we see each of them slowly do the dance of falling for each other and opening up about their pasts.  Is the story predictable? Yes. Do we know that they are going to be a couple that has a happily ever after? Yes.  What makes it enjoyable though is the story in between.  Each of the characters have flaws that they need to work through before we get to that point, but in the end making it worth it for both of them.  With a “small” surprise that enters the picture later in the book, it made it even more enjoyable.

I also enjoyed the secondary characters, and found myself wanting to learn more about them than the main characters at times.  Rick, Ali’s brother, was witty and full of laughter. I loved how he was always there to cheer Ali up when she needed it.  Charlotte Elizabeth–Ali’s mother–was an enigma of her own with a pudgy pig as a pet that she treated like a child. Every time she showed up with Miss Sylvie in tow, I laughed with the mental image the author created!

While this isn’t one of my favorite books by this author, it is a book I would reread again for that feel good moment we enjoy in reading romance books.  Another great read by a fabulous author who never lets me down!

MY RATING:


Very Good! I would recommend this book! 4 STARS
 

CHASING PERFECT by Susan Mallery

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CHASING PERFECT
A Fool’s Gold Romance #1
Source: Purchased at store
  • Mass Market Paperback: 376 pages
  • Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (April 27, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0373774524
  • ISBN-13: 978-0373774524
SYNOPSIS:

Welcome to Fool’s Gold, California, a charming community in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. There’s lots 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 it’s 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.

MY THOUGHTS:

As regular readers of my blog,  you know I love this author’s writing! She is an auto-buy for me when she has new books being released. When this book was released, I immediately bought it! 

Welcome to Fool’s Gold!  The way the author set up the town was amazing. I instantly felt like I was part of the town.  The characters were enjoyable and the writing was great! Charity is an independent woman who gets a new job as city planner in a town that is lacking men. She is introduced to Josh, who is a retired world-class cyclist trying to lay low in his hometown. 

Yes, it’s the typical girl meets boy, girl falls for boy, they fall madly in love kind of story, but there is so much more that is involved in the story that you forget about the basic principles of the romance genre.  It has suspense in the form of a thief, side characters that will keep you laughing and curious to read their stories in future books, and romance that will leave your heart fluttering.

I so enjoyed visiting Fool’s Gold and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. If Fool’s Gold were a real town, I would be moving there in a heartbeat!
MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!

Author Interview with Susan Mallery

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Today on My Overstuffed Bookshelf I am pleased to share an interview with you with best selling author Susan Mallery!  As you can tell, if you have been reading my blog, I have been reading and reviewing her books for you alot lately.  Her books are such wonderful books, that I asked her if she would be willing to do an interview and she agreed to one! WOOHOO! So lets get started!


1.  Can you tell us a little about yourself?

I’m a romance writer and a romance reader. One of the fundamental truths in which I believe is that love exists, and it can last forever. So I write stories about the courtship period that every happy couple goes through when they first get together. And it never, never gets old. The first heated glance, the first kiss… they still make my breath catch in my throat.



2.  Can you tell us a little about what your next book is about?

Chasing Perfect is the first book in my new Fool’s Gold series and will be released on April 27. Fool’s Gold is a Sierra Nevada winery town in California. The town has everything – quaint boutiques, a fascinating history, some of the most beautiful scenery in the world.

The only thing Fool’s Gold doesn’t have is enough men. And it’s City Planner Charity Jones’s job to attract more men to town. One of the few men who did stick around was world-famous cyclist turned local businessman Josh Golden. The mayor asks him to help Charity, but he’d be a lot more helpful if he weren’t so sexy, and his kisses weren’t so… distracting.

3.  In your Bakery sisters series, you featured a character that was deaf? I have a daughter who is deaf and I was wondering if you based this character on somebody in real life?

Yes, I do have a family member who is deaf. While the character isn’t based on that person, she was inspired by our relationship.

4.  When you sit down to write, what are 3 things that you must have?

An extensive outline, my computer, and… honestly, I can’t think of a third thing. And the computer is debatable because I would write longhand if I didn’t have the computer. I suppose the third thing could be silence. I’m not a writer who can work with music or TV in the background. In order for me to focus on my characters, I need to be able to block out the world.

5.  Do you have any websites that fans can keep up with you and your books? Twitter?

My website is www.SusanMallery.com, and I would love to invite fans to join the Members Only area. It’s free, and it takes about 30 seconds to join. Anyone can go to the site to read free excerpts of my books, but Members get to read two chapters for free instead of just one. Members also get to play games, do puzzles, and they’ll receive an email when I have a new book out or I’m in their area for a book signing.

I’m also very active on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SusanMallery

) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/SusanMallery). If you fan me or follow me, please take a minute to say hi! The best part of my day is hearing from readers!

Happy reading!
Susan

New York Times Bestselling Author
www.SusanMallery.com

Come to Fool’s Gold, the Land of Happy Endings!

Chasing Perfect, May 2010
Almost Perfect, July 2010
Finding Perfect, September 2010

Join my Members Only area for free games, excerpts, and sneak peeks into upcoming books. www.SusanMallery.com
www.Twitter.com/SusanMallery
www.Facebook.com/SusanMallery

TEMPTING by Susan Mallery

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TEMPTING (The Buchanans : Book 4)
Source: Contest Win
  • Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: HQN Books; Reissue edition (February 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0373775210
  • ISBN-13: 978-0373775217
SYNOPSIS:
After three romantic flame-outs in a year and a restaurant career going nowhere, Dani Buchanan needs a fresh start. She goes looking for her biological father, but never expects to find a senator running for president. As his long-lost ‘love child, ‘ Dani could seriously derail the election– something his handsome campaign manager Alex Canfield isn’t going to let happen. Dani isn’t about to let Alex run her life, no matter how tempting she finds him–and Alex isn’t going to allow Dani to melt his cynicism, no matter how close he has to get. The last thing either of them wants is love, especially with scandals brewing and family trouble on the way. But Dani and Alex are forced to trust each other, and when trust turns to passion, the potential for disaster is only a tabloid scandal away.
MY THOUGHTS:
First of all, Dani rocks! She has been through so much in the last three books! She deserved some much needed happiness.  She finally found it in Alex.  They are both strong and independent but both of them have a soft and touching side to them. I was even more surprised by the turnaround with Gloria in this book.  All of the characters came together in this final book and made a loud bang!  This book gave the readers that final climatic story we wanted. The author has truly out done herself with this series.  You will find yourself crying, laughing, and cheering for each character page after page. 
MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!

SIZZLING by Susan Mallery

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SIZZLING (The Buchanans : Book 3)
Source: Contest Win
  • Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: HQN Books; Reprint edition (February 1, 2010)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0373775199
  • ISBN-13: 978-0373775194
SYNOPSIS:
Reid Buchanan was always a fan favorite on the baseball diamond. But between the sheets? 
A spiteful article about the former pitcher and current playboy questions his talent in the bedroom. And the newspaper’s just the first bad news. Reid’s grandmother Gloria’s broken hip means she needs constant care-but Reid hired Nurses 1 and 2 for their bedside manner with him. So for Number 3 he chooses Lori Johnson, the first candidate who seems immune to his brand of charm.
Lori’s never wasted her time with amoebas like Reid Buchanan. So why are her well-fortified defenses starting to crumble under the force of his sexy smile-and the kindness he shows her at every turn? There’s only one explanation for the feelings flaring between them-chemistry. Chemistry so hot, it’s sizzling!
MY THOUGHTS:
The author did a wonderful job with giving this book the title Sizzling.  The between the sheet action with Reid and Lori is not only hot and sexy, but it is touching and romantic.  
At first, the impression I got of Lori was cold and stiff. Reid came across as egotistical and selfish.  I quickly changed my mind about both of them though when they came together as a couple. They both had a knack of getting on each others nerves and not backing down from the witty remarks.  I also loved Gloria in this book.  She is one of those characters you love to hate.  As the story progresses though, Gloria changes and starts to grow on you.  
We still get to see the rest of the family in the book and I loved that! I love how Ms. Mallery made sure to include them in it.  I will say though to have some tissues handy for the last half of this book. It has a tear-jerker snuck in there and will leave you with tears in your eyes.  A great book that could be read as a stand alone book, but it is better to read the others first to get a feel for the family. 

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading!