Book Review: Before We Kiss by Susan Mallery

Before We Kiss
Author: Susan Mallery
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 15)
Publication: HQN; Original edition (May 27, 2014)

Description: New York Times bestselling sensation Susan Mallery returns to Fool's Gold, California, where it's true that sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs…

Former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge has notoriously bad luck with women—from cheaters to fame chasers. Still, the gorgeous brunette at the bar in Fool's Gold looks harmless—until she takes him home and he discovers a room devoted to securing a man, for life.

Dellina Hopkins never guessed that storing gowns from a friend's bridal boutique would chase away her first and only fling. After her parents died, she skipped her "wild youth" to raise her sisters. She doesn't want forever from Sam, but one night—all night—would've been nice.

His clean getaway gets messy when his firm hires Dellina to plan an event. As long hours lead to late nights, the two succumb to temptation again. Has Sam's luck finally changed? Or this time, will Dellina be the one to run?

My Thoughts: This was another entertaining episode in the Fool's Gold series starring Dellina Hopkins and Sam Ridge.

Dellina is a party planner. She was orphaned at seventeen and at eighteen took custody of her younger sisters. Now all of them are grown. One sister is a professional chef and married. The other is Fayrene who is a girl-of-all-work and in a secure relationship. Though Fayrene is obsessing about getting her boyfriend to propose after she'd told him that she wanted to wait a couple of years to marry. Dellina isn't looking for a relationship. She feels she's already done the parent thing and doesn't really want to take any emotional risks.

Sam Ridge is a famous football player who has had bad luck with women. His high school girlfriend turned into a stalker. And his ex-wife wrote a scathing tell-all about him after their divorce. Raised by parents who didn't recognize any barriers, Sam has become a very private person who really believes that any woman he falls in love with will undergo a personality change after marrying him and betray him.

When Sam's company decides to throw a three-day party for their customers, Dellina is the only game in town for party planning. But he had a one-night stand with her and fled the house when he saw she had a room full of wedding gowns and a whiteboard listing ways to get a man to propose. Note: She was storing the gowns for a friend and the whiteboard belonged to her younger sister Fayrene.

Now, thrown together to plan this big party, they get a chance to really get to know each other and fall in love. But their Individual hang-ups don't make the path to true love run smoothly. Luckily, Fool's Gold is just the place to help them get their lives in order. 

Favorite Quote:

In the scheme of things, he had it easy. His big complaint was that his family loved him too much. And his parents had sex on the brain. Poor, poor him.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.