Susan Mallery

2022 Advent, Day 12: Today's book was an extraordinarily predictable narrative that his been done to death by the likes of hallmark traditional movies and made for TV specials and whole shelves of the book shop seasonal display.

I am here for it!

I think so many people go through life thinking that they have to read "good" books. They read what "everyone"/ culture thinks they should and try to like classics that, let's be honest, are simply not very likable to most. I'm here to tell you to show more read the trash books. Read the predictable and derivative and simple and charming. Read whatever it is that makes you happy. These sorts of books will never win any prizes and are generally considered "bad" but you know- when the mood strikes they can be such a source of joy. I would have never got this book for myself but I was so happy to have it today. It brought me joy. I hope whatever you read next does the same for you (regardless of what anyone else thinks) show less

Really good book. Tanner and his security firm are hired to rescue Madison from those that have kidnapped her. Tanner just wants to get her out, return her to her family, and move on. To him, she's just another useless rich woman. That all changes once the rescue happens. Madison was actually kidnapped by her ex-husband, who needs the ransom money for his own nefarious purposes. She knows he was behind it, and that if she is sent back she will end up dead. However, convincing the cynical show more Tanner isn't easy.

I really liked Madison a lot. She freely admits that she used to be the spoiled and useless rich girl that Tanner accuses her of being. However, her marriage opened her eyes and she made the conscious decision to make changes in her life. She also had an uphill battle with her father and husband, both of whom believed that she was weak and likely to suffer the same mental illness as her mother. She was much stronger than even she believed, and I loved seeing her stand up for herself against Tanner's prejudices.

Tanner was a bit harder to like at the beginning. His refusal to look beyond his own beliefs about Madison was really irritating. Even when she told him the truth about her kidnapping he didn't want to believe her. He earned some points back when he checked out some of what she told him and found out she was telling the truth, so he promised to protect her until he was certain of everything.

I enjoyed seeing the relationship develop between them. The sparks were there from the beginning, though they were antagonistic at the start. I loved seeing Madison push back against Tanner's attitude instead of just taking it. In spite of his attitude toward her, she felt safe with him. Tanner was fighting his own attraction to her, which caused him to overreact to something he found on her computer. What he did then was wrong on so many levels, and I really liked that she told him so when she recovered. He did redeem himself when he admitted that he was wrong, and his attitude toward her started to changed at that point. His protectiveness became personal rather than professional, and that scared him. When everything was over, he told her that her feelings were because of the danger they had been in, not for real. That if she still felt that way in six months, they'd talk. It was hilarious to see the way that she didn't sit back and take that, but kept trying to reach him. The ending was great as he finally faced his fears. I loved their big moment at the end.

The suspense of the story was great, with Tanner and Madison working together to bring down her ex-husband Christopher. What he was doing was definitely scary, as it had a touch of realism to it. I will admit to some frustration with Madison toward the end, as Christopher pulled some really underhanded tricks to get what he wanted. Unfortunately, he knew Madison well enough to know what buttons to push, which caused her to do something really stupid. Of course, Tanner comes through to save her yet again.

I absolutely loved one of the secondary characters in the book. Tanner's friend and coworker, Angel, is the team sniper. He also seems to be the second in command, and is Madison's point of contact at the end when she's trying to get to Tanner. I loved the friendship they built and Angel's part in bringing them back together. Angel gets his very own story in When We Met, a Fool's Gold book that takes place years later. show less

I saved this one for closer to Christmas to get me in the holiday mood. I am a BAH HUMBUG. But I do love a good Christmas read!

Julie Parker’s kids are her greatest gift. Still, she’s not exactly heartbroken when they ask to skip a big Christmas. Her son, Nick, is taking a belated honeymoon with his bride, Blair, while her daughter, Dana, will purge every reminder of the guy who dumped her. Again. Julie feels practically giddy for one-on-one holiday time with Heath, the (much) younger man show more she’s secretly dating.

These characters are fantastic and I enjoyed the family drama and all the little quips! Don’t we all have family drama on one of the best days of the year! 😜.

Susan Mallery weaves an adorable Christmas tale full of Christmas cheer…well at the end of the story!

Need a family drama to get you in the fighting (ugh…Christmas) spirit…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review. show less

This book is what makes me a fan of Susan's writing. She writes characters that you will be drawn to...good or bad. In this case, the bad is Jax's ex-husband.

We see the sister relationship as Jax and Ryleigh navigate life and love. Jax has a big heart, and it shows with her sister and her ex's new fiancé as well. I felt bad for her as her ex was acting like a man child. Jax found love herself and it is real.

Sorry not sorry but the star of this story is Ramon. He is Jax's parrot. I love show more him so much. His personality. Every time that he made an appearance, he stole the scene. The diaries are a nice touch to the story. If you are a long-time reader of Susan's (like me) or a new reader, you will enjoy this book. show less