BEFORE WE KISS is Book sixteen in Susan Mallery's
wonderful "Fool's Gold" series. After reading the previous
book in this series, I was anxious to see what happens in
the lives of the other members of Score. BEFORE WE KISS
follows the romance that develops between Sam Ridge and
Dellina Hopkins. Sam is relatively new to the town of
Fool's Gold, while Dellina is a local. BEFORE WE KISS is
another emotionally powerful and character-driven story by
Susan Mallery.
For me, the central theme in this story is trust. Both Sam
and Dellina have major trust issues, although they deal
with it in different ways. Like Sam, Dellina suffered a
betrayal by a former lover. Although it wasn't quite the
extremely public betrayal like in Sam's case, it cut her
just as deeply and left her just as scarred. In Sam's case,
not only did his ex-wife write a humiliating tell-all, but
he has had some colossally bad additional experiences with
women. I think Sam has the most inner demons to calm before
he can make a healthy, long-term relationship with Dellina
work. His inability to trust makes him underestimate
Dellina and the town. I love when he finally gets to the
point where he realizes how much support he really has from
both. It's ironic that he can see how Dellina's sister
Fayrene is her own worst enemy and holding herself back
from being completely happy, but he can't see himself or
his relationship issues as clearly. Sam's parents coming to
town and their unique views on expressing themselves made
for some humorous scenes. Overall, I loved the sexy romance
between Dellina and Sam in BEFORE WE KISS, and Susan
Mallery's trademark strong characters and powerful
emotional punch.
I can't wait for the next book, since it's about Jack. I
also found the scenes with little Chloe talking to Kenny so
sweet & hope they end up as a family in the future -- it's
just too cute not to become a reality at some point. These
books are so well-crafted that I love this series and look
forward to more excellent Fool's Gold stories!
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?