I'm so happy we finally got past all the "the man runs away so lets all have a get-drunk hen party." There's nothing wrong with that, but every man in the first few books ran away. It was never the woman who got cold feet. It got old. Glad to see Mallery moved past that trope. ( )

Kiss Me
5 Stars

Due to his younger brother's latest scheme, Zane Nicholson is forced to take a group of greenhorns on a cattle drive. Zane is none too thrilled to learn that his city girl step-sister and her friend, Phoebe Kitzke, will be joining for moral support. Kindhearted to a fault, Phoebe has sworn off helping people, but one look at the sexy, taciturn rancher and all bets are off. Can two lonely yet wary people find happiness together?

Well, it took 17 books, but there is finally a 5-star read for me in this series.

Phoebe is a lovely heroine. Yes, she is a bit of a Mary Sue whose kind-heartedness gets her into trouble (even the raccoons know she's a pushover), but she has a strong sense of self, and a profound resilience, which serves her in good stead.

On the surface, Zane is Phoebe's opposite - cold and unapproachable. Nevertheless, it soon becomes clear that his distant manner conceals a deep and abiding loneliness. His memories of his parent's relationship taught him that love is too painful to endure, and as such has dedicated his life to the ranch and to his family. Phoebe, with her innate goodness and desire to connect with others, is his perfect match as she brings out the best in him.

The secondary storylines revolving around the other participants in the cattle drive are excellent, especially the relationship between the foster couple and the kids, which had me tearing up a couple of times.

In sum, this is definitely the best book in the series and I hope that the next one focusing on Zane's step-sister, Maya, continues in the same vein. ( )

Phoebe Kitzke and Zane Nicholson don't know that a "fake" cattle drive will actually drive these opposite personalities together. Great story! ( )

So I have a Susan Mallery problem. I absolutely loved her Blackberry Island series. And one of my friends told me she doesn't think more books from that series are coming out. So I have read Fool's Gold here and there...and if you recall last year, I almost pulled my hair out reading books in this series, see

Not Perfect.

and If a Man Keeps Telling You How Horrible You Are, Run.

So I was reluctant to even pick up another book in this series but said damn it and bought it anyway. For me when I am not feeling well, romance novels are like a nice warm blanket and a cup of tea. I can read and know in the end the hero and heroine are going to get it together and have a HEA. However, this book just drove me nuts. There were too many sideplots to even work through and a laughably bad ending to one of the subplots and I didn't feel happy when I got to the finish line.

The heroine in this book, Phoebe, is suspended from her job as a real estate agent in Los Angeles. I can honestly say I am shocked people can get suspended from it, though it makes sense since you have to have a license to sell real estate or pass exams right? Phoebe's best friend Maya asks her to please go back home with her to her stepbrother's ranch in Fool's Gold. Her stepbrother Zane is having problems managing his younger brother Chase and when Chase does something 100 percent wrong, he calls in Maya to help him deal with Zane.

I liked both Phoebe and Zane though the insta-lust between them was a bit much. I mean I can't read pages and pages on how hot or attractive they found one another. I felt like I was reading a teen girl's diary at one point whenever we would go back to Phoebe thinking about Zane and how hot he is.

The character of Maya was a bit hard to like, because she seemed to just be determined to give Zane a hard time over Chase. And I really wanted someone to slap Chase upside the head. He does something illegal and then compounds it by doing something that causes Zane a lot of headache and work (advertising that the ranch is going to do a cattle drive). I guess I just can't stand teenage characters who act all put upon by having to do work and/or go to school and get good grades.

When we get the slow reveal about Zane and his parents I really did feel for him. You definitely find out that he is beating himself up over never being enough for his dead father. And at that point, I was fresh out of sympathy for anyone giving him any kind of crap at that point.

The characters we get introduced to during the cattle drive are not that memorable. Some of them were just plain awful. We get a side plot of a couple dealing with their inability to get pregnant, who agreed to take some foster children for the weekend though the wife is reluctant and is a straight up excuse my language bitch to the children. I could not stand this character at all throughout the book. Her 180 degree change towards the end was not enough to make me warm up to her at all.

The romance scenes between Zane and Phoebe were hot though. And I do mean hot. I think at one point I fanned myself. That was enough to save the book for me besides me not really feeling the plots and some of the characters. Ms. Mallery does write great romance scenes.

There was some humor in this book that was very welcomed. However, for the most part it did drag in a lot of places. I was tired of so many characters having constant heart to hearts with each other.

The ending was so absurd I just kind of laughed to myself. We do get the HEA, it just felt like a lot of work to get there.


Characters who have only known each other for a few days fly down to Phoebe's court case was dumb. I think we were supposed to think how much she meant to everyone and Zane, but really it was surreal. If I go on vacation with strangers, I don't expect to see you again.

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4.5 stars.

In Kiss Me, the newest addition to the always fabulous and incredibly heartwarming Fool's Gold series, Susan Mallery takes an unusual approach by setting the novel on gorgeous cowboy Zane Nicholson's ranch instead of in Fool's Gold. This bold (and possibly risky) decision, coupled with the addition of several new characters, keeps this long running series fresh while guest appearances by beloved characters from previous installments will delight devoted fans of the series.

Phoebe Kitzke is a compassionate and kindhearted woman whose latest act of kindness almost lands her jail when she takes the blame for a mistake made by her boss. She is generous to a fault and genuinely helpful to those in need and although this tendency to help others often ends badly, she remains unfailingly optimistic and caring. Phoebe has many endearing qualities (such as conversing with animals)and she is also surprisingly intuitive, quite humorous and unexpectedly self-aware. Phoebe is absolutely marvelous and she is impossible not to like as she gamely agrees to join her best friend Maya Farlow on her ex-stepbrother's cattle drive.

The ex-stepbrother in question is none other than Zane, the taciturn and delectably sexy cowboy briefly mentioned in previous novels of the Fool's Gold series. Zane is beyond furious when he discovers his seventeen year old brother Chase set up a website offering tourists the chance to join in the ranch's yearly cattle drive. He is Chase's guardian and their relationship is precarious since Zane keeps trying to prevent Chase from making decisions that he will later regret. Zane carries tremendous emotional scars from his childhood and in an effort to avoid the heartache his father experienced after his mother's death, he keeps his entanglements light and emotion free.

Joining them on the cattle drive are a group of eclectic greenhorns who are fighting a few battles of their own. C.J. and Thad Swanson volunteer to bring Lucy and Tommy, two foster kids on the drive. While Thad is eager to bond with the children, C.J.'s disappointment and anger at what she has lost causes her to avoid them as much as possible. Audacious and fun-loving septuagenarians Eddie and Gladys are two of the series regulars who join the cattle drive. Although the pair once again provide comic relief with their zany antics, a very poignant discussion with Zane will make even the most stoic reader shed a few tears. Married couple Martin and Andrea round out the cast of secondary characters and they definitely add a little spice to the adventure with their dietary demands.

Phoebe and Zane are attracted to one another right from the start, but neither plan to act on it. Phoebe takes relationships seriously and this is something that Zane not only recognizes but respects. However, they do enjoy one another's company and they share many quiet (and a few passionate) moments together during the cattle drive. Zane thinks Phoebe is a little goofy but he surprisingly enjoys her little quirks. He also sees how open and giving she is and he appreciates her perceptive observations. Phoebe knows she is a little too trusting and while she vows to stop helping people, she eventually realizes that these traits are integral parts of who she is. However, she does learn to stand up for herself and not let others take advantage of her.

Kiss Me is another sweet, sexy and charming romance by Susan Mallery. The characters are multi-dimensional with believable flaw and realistic issues to overcome. The setting is unique and provides added interest to the overall storyline. This latest installment of the Fool's Gold series is an emotional yet highly entertaining novel of love and forgiveness that old and new fans are going to love.
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