A review by laurenjodi
Before We Kiss by Susan Mallery
2.0
Before We Kiss
2.5 Stars
Together with his fellow former NFL partners, Sam Ridge has come to Fool's Gold to establish his PR firm. Despite his success on the field and in business, Sam has notoriously bad luck when it comes to women. So, he isn't all that surprised when his initial encounter with local events planner, Dellina Hopkins, ends in disaster due to a misunderstanding. But when his firm hires Dellina to help plan a party for their clients, Sam is forced to admit that there is more to her than meets the eye. Will he be willing to take a chance?
The Fool's Gold series is turning into a hit-and-miss for me. Some of the books are an absolute delight while others fail to live up to their potential. Unfortunately, this installment falls into the latter group.
Dellina and Sam's disastrous one-night stand sets the stage for an excellent second chances romance, However, there is too much focus on the party planning and not enough on the romance. It is exceedingly difficult to engage with them as a couple as they have zero chemistry. Sam's parents are much more compelling despite their shenanigans and provide several moments of hilarity.
The secondary storyline focuses on Dellina's sister, Fayrene's attempts to get her boyfriend to propose. This is exceedingly irritating as she was the one who wanted to wait, but has since changed her mind. She expects him to "prove his continued love and devotion" by guessing that she wants to get married sooner rather than later. Her behavior is childish and petulant, and Ryan could seriously do better.
Nevertheless, the hints at future relationships for Sam's partners, Jack and Kenny, are intriguing and I also want to find out more about Kipling Gilmore and his sister, Shelby. Hopefully, these books will be better.
Finally, I really want to know how Mayor Marsh knows so much about everyone - is she psychic?
2.5 Stars
Together with his fellow former NFL partners, Sam Ridge has come to Fool's Gold to establish his PR firm. Despite his success on the field and in business, Sam has notoriously bad luck when it comes to women. So, he isn't all that surprised when his initial encounter with local events planner, Dellina Hopkins, ends in disaster due to a misunderstanding. But when his firm hires Dellina to help plan a party for their clients, Sam is forced to admit that there is more to her than meets the eye. Will he be willing to take a chance?
The Fool's Gold series is turning into a hit-and-miss for me. Some of the books are an absolute delight while others fail to live up to their potential. Unfortunately, this installment falls into the latter group.
Dellina and Sam's disastrous one-night stand sets the stage for an excellent second chances romance, However, there is too much focus on the party planning and not enough on the romance. It is exceedingly difficult to engage with them as a couple as they have zero chemistry. Sam's parents are much more compelling despite their shenanigans and provide several moments of hilarity.
The secondary storyline focuses on Dellina's sister, Fayrene's attempts to get her boyfriend to propose. This is exceedingly irritating as she was the one who wanted to wait, but has since changed her mind. She expects him to "prove his continued love and devotion" by guessing that she wants to get married sooner rather than later. Her behavior is childish and petulant, and Ryan could seriously do better.
Nevertheless, the hints at future relationships for Sam's partners, Jack and Kenny, are intriguing and I also want to find out more about Kipling Gilmore and his sister, Shelby. Hopefully, these books will be better.
Finally, I really want to know how Mayor Marsh knows so much about everyone - is she psychic?