Series: Fool's Gold (Book 10)
The unrelenting cheer in Fool's Gold, California,
is bringing out the humbug in dancer Evie Stryker. She learned early on
that Christmas miracles don't happen, at least not for her. And this
year seems like no exception. An injury has forced her to return to the
family fold, no matter that they're estranged. She won't add to the
awkward scenario by being seduced by the bad-boy charms of her brother's
best friend, the last man she should ever want to date. Even when she's
recruited to stage Fool's Gold's winter festival, she vows to do as
promised, then move forward with her life anywhere but here.
Jaded lawyer Dante Jefferson is getting used to the backwater town he
now reluctantly calls home, but the pounding of little dancers' feet
above his temporary office is more than any man should have to take!
When he confronts their gorgeous teacher, he's unprepared for the
attraction that sears him down to the soul. Evie is his best friend's
sister -- off-limits unless he's willing to risk his heart. Dante has
always believed that love is the most dangerous force in the universe,
but that was before he had to reckon with the magic of a certain small
town, where miracles do seem to happen...
Loved the book. Loved Evie and Dante. I have been waiting for their stories since I first met them in Summer Days, but never suspected at that point it would be their story. Evie was brought to Fool's Gold by her family after a devastating injury. She doesn't want to be there as she has always felt like an outsider in her own family. She was emotionally neglected by them, especially her mother, left home at seventeen and never looked back. Evie finds herself spending more time with her mother and has to decide if she wants to let go of her anger. Now she's marking time as a dance teacher until she can leave again. Then she gets the winter dance show dumped in her lap and is feeling overwhelmed. She is also not much in the holiday spirit and finds a like-minded soul in Dante, her brother's best friend and business partner. They form an alliance to get them through the holidays and discover that besides their developing friendship there is a growing attraction. Dante doesn't do relationships and makes it clear that if they start something there will be no commitment. Dante has his own issues in his past that have contributed to his attitude and acts the playboy to protect his heart and feelings. I liked the way that he helped Evie see that it was possible for her to have a new relationship with her family. He was also wonderful at being there whenever she needed any kind of support. You can see that he is falling for her, but that he doesn't want to admit it. There are a lot of great scenes where the nice guy in him shows through. There is also a wonderfully hilarious scene dealing with her brothers letting themselves into her house and not expecting Dante to be there. I loved the ending and how he finally comes through.
One of the best things about the Fool's Gold books is the sense of community and family. Being from the city, both Dante and Evie have no experience with the way that the town provides support. When Evie gets the winter dance program dumped on her she has no idea where to even start to make it happen. When she goes to Charlie for help, she can't believe that there are people who will just show up and do what is needed. I loved her surprise at how many people came to help with the sets. I also enjoyed the way that Dante made sure that her brothers were part of the group. I loved the way that people kept getting Evie involved in different activities and how much she ended up enjoying it. I loved the ladies' party when they all showed up to make Evie feel better. I like seeing the characters from previous books. Most make brief appearances, like running into a friend at the grocery store. Just enough to see what they're up to without getting bombarded with too much information. I'm looking forward to next year's books s lot.
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 9)
Former underwear model turned entrepreneur Clay
Stryker has loved, tragically lost and vowed that he'll never risk his
heart again. After making his fortune, the youngest of the rugged
Stryker brothers returns to Fool's Gold, California, to put down roots
on a ranch of his own. But he's frustrated to discover that even in his
hometown, people see him only for his world-famous…assets.
Firefighter Chantal (Charlie) Dixon grew up an ugly duckling beside her
delicately beautiful mother, a feeling reinforced long ago by a man who
left soul-deep scars. Now she has good friends, a solid job and the itch
to start a family -- yet she can't move toward the future while she's
haunted by painful memories.
Clay finds an unexpected ally, and unexpected temptation, in tomboyish
Charlie, the only person who sees beyond his dazzling good looks to the
real man beneath. But when Charlie comes to him with an indecent
proposal, will they be able to overcome their pasts and find a love that
lasts beyond one incredible summer?
Excellent book, my favorite of this trilogy. I loved seeing the personal growth in all the characters. Clay had come back to Fool's Gold to start a new stage of his life. He is done with modeling and is ready to put down roots. He has plans for a new business and is looking forward to getting it off the ground. He puts together a fantastic presentation about it that blows his brothers away, as they had spent years giving him no respect about his career. Then he took it to the town council who also liked it very much. His biggest problem is that people still look at him as the model, not a serious businessman. It is going to be an uphill battle for him to overcome what people think they know about him. When Clay met Charlie she was not impressed by him at all. She doesn't trust good looking guys, and Clay is well past good looking. But she gets a chance to get to know him and realizes that he is more than just a pretty face. She hears people talking about him as though his looks are all that there is to him. She has also had issues with people talking about her looks, but the other way. She is a tall woman, rather tomboyish, but well liked by everyone in town. Charlie also wants to settle down and have a family, but hasn't been able to get close to a man since college. She goes to Clay with a proposition - she'll help him with his image if he'll help her with her problem. I really loved Clay. He was a really nice guy throughout the whole book (except for one brief part at the end). I loved the way he was so careful and patient with Charlie, helping her learn to trust and be intimate. On the way they find that they really like each other and enjoy spending time together. I loved seeing Clay join the fire department as a volunteer, and the way Charlie accused her fellow firefighters of discrimination when they thought he wouldn't be serious about the job. I liked the way that they moved from the mutual assistance pact to actually dating each other. They got to know each other so well that when Clay was having problems with his business Charlie was able to get him some help with just a few words to some friends. It showed Clay how the people of Fool's Gold looked out for and supported each other. I also loved the way that Clay was there to support Charlie as she worked at getting to know her mother. I had some problems with her mom at first, but I really enjoyed seeing her grow as a mom. I loved the way she was there for Charlie at the end, and the way she helped both Charlie and Clay at the very end. I really like the way that the people of Fool's Gold seem so real, with real problems and logical solutions.
Series: Fool's Gold CA (book 8)
Horse whisperer Shane Stryker is done with
passion. This time around, he’s determined to meet someone who will be
content with the quiet life of a rancher’s wife. And the fiery,
pint-size redhead who dazzles him at the local bar definitely does not
fit the bill.
Small-town librarian Annabelle Weiss has always seen
herself as more of a sweetheart than a siren, so she can’t understand
why Shane keeps pushing her away. Shane has formed the totally wrong
impression of her but only he can help her with a special event for the
next Fool’s Gold festival. And maybe while he’s at it, she can convince
him to teach her a few things about kissing on hot summer nights, too –
some lessons, a girl shouldn’t learn from reading a book!
Loved it. Annabelle is the quiet town librarian. She is getting ready for one of the festivals that will raise money for a bookmobile. In this festival there is a dancing horse and a dance of a happy virgin. She demonstrated the dance for her friends on the bar at Jo's. Shane just happened to see the dance and immediately thought the sexy redhead was just like his ex-wife who wasn't happy unless she was the center of attention. She also cheated on him many times. This left Shane with major trust issues. Annabelle doesn't ride, but has to learn in order to do the festival. Her friend Heidi sets her up with lessons from Shane, where they both feel the attraction. Shane fights it hard, still believing that Annabelle is the wrong type for him. Over the next few weeks they spend a lot of time together, not just with the horse but doing other things. They also give in to the passion. I loved Shane's patience with teaching Annabelle. He knew just what he needed to do to help her ride. I also loved the horse that everyone thought was so vicious, but was an absolute puppy dog around Annabelle. I also loved the way that Shane took care of his mom's animals and worked to help the elephant to find friends. Shane also came to Fool's Gold to set up his horse breeding business. He had no plans to become part of the community. But this is Fool's Gold and it just sucked him in. He soon finds himself giving riding lessons to little girls, going to baseball games with the other men, and getting strong armed by the mayor. When he makes a stupid mistake with Annabelle he finds himself on the bad side of nearly everyone in town - I loved the attitude he got from everyone. I loved the slow rise of the romance between Shane and Annabelle, and the hot love scenes. I loved seeing his brothers and the other men trying to explain things to him, and the utter confusion he was going through. The conclusion was fantastic. I can't wait for Charlie's story, and then Evie's.
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 7)
Locked in an unexpected land dispute, Rafe
Stryker is trapped in the one place he vowed never to return to -- the
Castle Ranch in Fool's Gold, California. He made millions facing
ruthless adversaries in the boardroom, but nothing could've prepared him
to go head-to-head against stubborn, beautiful Heidi Simpson. No one is
more surprised than Rafe to discover that he's finding Heidi -- and
life as a cowboy -- much more compelling than he wants to admit.
For Heidi, the Castle Ranch is the home she's always wanted. After a
life on the road, the vivacious blonde has finally put down roots. She
won't give that up without a fight, not even for a man whose late-night
kisses make her yearn to be a little less...wholesome.
As the two turn from passionate adversaries to passionate, period, they'll discover that summer love can last a lifetime.
Another excellent Fool's Gold book. I loved Heidi and her goats when I met them in the last book. After a life on the road with a carnival, she is more than ready for a real home. She put down a deposit on the ranch and moved in with her grandfather and her goats, where she is making a living selling cheese and handmade soaps. Her grandfather is a charming old rogue, who sold a part of the ranch to May Stryker to raise money for a friend with cancer. Problem is, it wasn't his to sell. Rafe has come to fool's gold to either get the land or the money back. He grew up poor and Fool's Gold and swore never to come back. Now a judge has said they must share the property until she can decide what to do. Soon May has she and Rafe moving into the ranch house with Heidi and Glen. Glen is putting the moves on May, and she has plans for the ranch that do include Heidi and Glen. Rafe is attracted to Heidi, but doesn't believe in love. He's looking for a business partnership type of wife. He also looks around at the land and sees prime development property for housing -- good for the bottom line. He also finds that as he is stuck on the ranch doing the work his mom wants done that he's enjoying it far more than he thought he would, and his San Francisco business is looking less appealing. When Heidi finds out about his plans for the land, she does something dishonest that she knows she shouldn't do, but does it anyway as a way to delay his plans. When it comes out, she's embarrassed and Rafe is angry. As the oldest when his father died, Rafe found himself (at the age of 10) being the man of the family and trying to take care of his mom and siblings. The people of the town helped also, but Rafe hated being an object of charity. Since then he has taken his job as oldest too far and been controlling and inflexible, alienating his two youngest siblings. Heidi had a friend who fell in love and was so badly hurt that she killed herself, plus her grandfather always claimed love didn't exist. Both of them have to confront their demons before they can find their HEA. I loved Heidi and how optimistic she usually was. Her goats were fantastic. I loved the scene where she came home drunk. I really liked Rafe too, especially once he started getting into the ranch life and spending more time with Heidi. He was also very good to his mother, even though she drove him nuts.
Series: Fool's Gold (Book 10)
