Second Chance Girl - Susan Mallery (HQN - Oct 2017)

Series: Happily Inc (Book 2)

Mathias Mitchell's easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California -- the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his "no promises, no pain" lifestyle. Yet he can't stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.

Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she's not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising -- and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she'll always come first in his heart?

Good book with the added benefit of being a two-for-one romance, as both Carol and her sister Violet find their happy ever afters. Carol is the gamekeeper at the Happily Inc. Animal Preserve. She loves being outdoors and her work with the animals, especially the lonely giraffe, Millie. She's sweet, friendly, and has a big heart. Mathias is her closest neighbor, and she has had quite the crush on him for a long time. But she doesn't believe that the handsome, charming, and sexy Mathias would be interested in the nothing-special her. So she will be content with their friendship.

Mathias is one of the three Mitchell brothers who left Fool's Gold to get away from their horrible father. Like his father and brother Ronan, Mathias is a glass artist. He contents himself with making "useful" art, for reasons that made me ache for him. He's also a bit of a player, hooking up with bridesmaids who are there and gone, therefore not requiring any kind of commitment. His house overlooks the Animal Preserve and he derives a great deal of enjoyment from watching the animals - and Carol.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Carol and Mathias. They are good friends at the beginning. There is some pretty funny teasing back and forth about her herd. Mathias is surprised that he is so comfortable around Carol since she's nothing like the women he is usually interested in. That comfort allows him to relax when he's with her and escape the tension that he lives with every day. That comfort also leads him down an unexpected path of attraction, which disturbs him quite a bit, because he is a "no promises" kind of guy and Carol is a forever type of woman. Carol treasures the friendship between them, even as she sometimes dreams of there being something more. She's wary when Mathias begins spending more time with her, but when he offers to help her raise funds for more giraffes, she can't turn him down. The time they spend together on this project and helping plan his brother Del's wedding draws them even closer, and the sparks between them get hotter. Though their first encounter doesn't go quite as expected, there's no stopping the fire between them.

I also liked the deeper connection that developed between Mathias and Carol. As she gets to know him and learns more about his family dynamics, Carol senses the pain that he is in. I loved her protectiveness toward him; most notably in her conversation with Ronan and how she gave Mathias a sanctuary to escape his family drama. I liked how Mathias was equally protective of Carol. He understood the depth of her need to help Millie and went above and beyond in his efforts to help Carol make it happen. I ached for him as the depth of his growing feelings for Carol collided with his fears, causing him to pull away from her. That ended up reinforcing one of Carol's fears, leaving me wondering how they were going to get past it. Help came from an unexpected source, and one look made Carol realize that she had to fight for what she wanted. I loved their big moment at the end as they faced their fears and realized that they belonged together.

One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was getting to know Mathias better. His reasons for creating his "practical art" became clear as more of his relationship with his father came out, even as I sensed that he was capable of so much more if he would just believe in himself. I loved seeing how the relationship between Carol and Millie inspired him and was totally fascinated by the process of his project. I ached for him and Ronan as the fallout from their father's revelation has affected their feelings of who they are. I really hope that things will get better for them in Ronan's book. The arrival of the family for Del's wedding was just as stressful as I expected. The confrontation with his parents revealed a lot about why Mathias avoids relationships.

I can't talk about this book and not mention how much I detest Mathias's parents. His father is a selfish, egotistical man who can't stand to see anyone get more attention than he does. I hate the way he treats his sons. Though Carol's fundraiser benefitted from it, Ceallach's intrusion into the art auction was another example of his attitude. His denigration of his sons' artwork and talents was terrible. I also hated the way that their mother never stood up for them against their father. That a mother could stand by and listen to someone verbally abuse her sons, even if he was her husband, is inconceivable to me. Though I liked that she raised Ronan as if he were her own, and feel a bit sorry for her because of the rift, I also understand Ronan's feelings.

The second romance in the book was that of Carol's sister Violet. I love Violet and her unusual career. She is friends with an old lady in England who provides her with a supply of unique and unusual buttons. Unfortunately, the woman's son jumps to an unfounded conclusion about the packages that his mother sends to Violet, and when visiting the States pays a visit to Violet. He acts like a complete jackass and is rightfully told off by Violet. Underneath his anger is also an unexpected attraction. I loved his discovery of how wrong he'd been, and his apology was very well done. I enjoyed seeing the two of them connect, once they got past that issue. Ulrich's reluctance to go back to England was obvious, even though he knew he had responsibilities that required it. I loved the part that Millie had in ensuring he got to stay longer. I loved seeing he and Violet get to know each other and fall for each other. While there were some obstacles to their being together, they weren't insurmountable. I loved Ulrich's big moment at the end. It was romantic and sweet and completely perfect for them.

You Say It First - Susan Mallery (HQN - Aug 2017)

Series: Happily Inc (Book 1)

Sculptor Nick Mitchell grew up in a family of artists and learned from his volatile father that passion only leads to pain. As he waits on a new commission, he takes a day job as a humble carpenter at a theme wedding venue. The job has its perks -- mainly the venue's captivating owner, Pallas Saunders. Although he won't let love consume him, for ecstasy with an expiration date, he's all in.

Pallas adores Weddings in a Box. But if she can't turn the floundering business around, she'll have no choice but cave to her domineering mother and trade taffeta for trust funds working at the family's bank. Then when a desperate bride begs Pallas for something completely out of the box, her irresistible new hire inspires her. Nick knows she doesn't belong behind a desk, and she knows in her heart that he's right -- where she really belongs is in his arms.

Terrific start to the new series. Happily Inc. is a small town on the edge of the desert in Southern California. Just as Fool's Gold is known for its festivals, Happily Inc. is a mecca for destination weddings. (I loved the explanation of how that happened.) Nick and his brothers, Ronan and Mathias, are recent transplants from their hometown of Fool's Gold. They were introduced in Thrill Me and Best of My Love, including the family drama that caused their departure. Nick is a successful artist who needs something to occupy his time while he waits to hear about a possible (probable?) overseas commission. So he answered an ad for a handyman at Weddings in a Box.

Pallas is the new and still stunned owner of the wedding business, which was left to her by a very good friend. Pallas has always expected to go to work for her mother at the family bank, which is why she got her degree in finance. But her relationship with her mother is strained, as Pallas has always felt that she has failed at earning her mother's love and respect. Libby constantly denigrates Pallas and her wedding business while putting pressure on her to work at the bank. Pallas can't quite bring herself to sell the business, as it calls to something inside her. She has given herself a few months to make a final decision, as she struggles to make the business a success.

The first meeting between Pallas and Nick had me laughing out loud. Pallas was short a soldier for a Roman-themed wedding when Nick arrived for his interview. When her first words are "I need you to take off your shirt," you know it is going to be a fun book. Nick is surprised but willing to play along. He's a little wary about taking the job after that, as playacting isn't his thing, but when he spots the incredible set of wooden panels that will be his project, he can't say no. I loved how he displayed his reverence for the workmanship and what it would mean to work on them. I think that Pallas probably started to fall for him then and there. There were certainly sparks of attraction between the two of them, but a relationship isn't in either's plans. Pallas believes that love only comes when it's earned, that it doesn't just happen. Nick flat-out doesn't do relationships. In his opinion, passion consumes and creates pain, thanks to the example shown by his parents. He refuses to allow himself to feel anything that deeply.

I loved the development of Nick and Pallas's relationship. It started slowly, more as friends, as Nick found himself drawn into the wedding planning activities. Pallas was frequently cautious and tentative at the beginning, without much confidence in her own creativity. I loved how Nick encouraged her by showing her how she could expand on her ideas. As they spent time together over wedding plans, the attraction between them continued to grow. I loved Nick's sensitivity as he waited for Pallas's mind to catch up with her desire, knowing that rushing things would be a mistake. I also enjoyed his protectiveness when he witnessed Libby's attitude toward Pallas. At the same time, Pallas is incredibly understanding about Nick's attitude toward love and passion. She doesn't agree with him and tells him so, but she also doesn't try to change his mind. I loved seeing how the two of them grew and changed over the time they were together, though none of it came easily. I cheered when Pallas made her final decision about the business and stood up to Libby. I wanted to shake Nick when he allowed his fears to come between him and Pallas. I cried when she told him "I love you. You don't have to love me back. I wish you would but if you don't, I'm going to be okay. I get it now. I get what loving someone is supposed to mean. It's a gift. You can accept it or not. That's up to you. It doesn't have to be earned and there's no time restriction. It just is. Whatever happens, whatever you decide to do, I hope you're happy. I hope you find what you're looking for." Nick's lightbulb moment was terrific and I loved that he didn't waste a moment finding her and telling her. His big moment at the end was sweet and romantic and perfect for them.

As the first book in the series, there was a lot of time spent building the world of Happily Inc. Fortunately, Pallas's wedding business was the perfect vehicle to do so. Each of Pallas's friends is unique in character and profession. Carol is the one who runs the local animal preserve (zebras!). Violet, Silver, Wynn, and Natalie are also there for whatever Pallas needs, whether it's moral support and help pull together an awesome wedding. There was also Alan, who had been with the business since its beginning. He's a colorful character who always seems to know just what to do to avert a crisis. The business was a character in itself, and I loved the behind the scenes looks at the weddings. I also enjoyed watching it change and grow along with Pallas. The big gamer wedding was the event that showcased the talents and attitudes of all those involved. I liked seeing more of Mathias and Ronan and get more of what they are going through since their father's revelations. The tensions and attitudes are believable and left me ready to shake both of them, while at the same time I wanted to hug their hurts away. Pallas also had a fair amount of drama in her family, her mother being the largest instigator of said drama.  Her grandpa Frank was a fun guy, and I liked it when he stood up for Pallas. The contrast between the way that her mother treated Pallas and how she treated her twin brother, Cade, made it even harder to like her. We only saw a little of Cade, but I liked what was there. I suspect That he will eventually get his own story.  I liked Pallas's cousin Drew for his support of her, but he also has an unpleasant history with her friend Silver. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with them.