Review~*~ Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery

Sister of the bride is a short Novella in the Anthology Summer Brides. It also has novellas by Susan Wiggs and Sherryl Woods. I was skeptical that two people could fall in love in 99 pages but it happened beautifully.

With Mallery's usual wit and charm Katie and Jackson have a whirlwind romance. Jackson is Katie's date to her sister's wedding. Both Jackson and Katie's mothers forced them to go together. Katie's sister was marrying Katie's ex-boyfriend and her mother didn't want Katie going to the wedding alone. Katie's family members were very worried about the fact that Katie was still single being the older sister. Hilarity and family squabbles ensue with Jackson taking it all in stride.

Jackson and Katie met when they were younger. Jackson was going by his first name of Howie and Katie thought he was a big geek. Jackson thought that Katie hated him. Their first meeting did not go over so well. When they get reacquainted at the hotel sparks fly. The novella brings them together and has them falling in love in the midst of the disaster that is Katie's sister's wedding. Her sister is spoiled and wants everything just right. Katie in the end gets what she deserves in Jackson.

I loved this novella. I was hoping to meet my own Jackson. I love geeky guys that know how to treat a lady right. I give the novella 5 out of babies.

Review ~*~ Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books (June 29, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373774907
ISBN-13: 978-0373774906

After reading Ethan and Liz's story I want to read all of the books I haven't read by Susan Mallery. I have fallen in love with the romance genre again because of Almost Perfect. It is a romance story of redemption and true love. I've been waiting for this story since the end of Chasing Perfect when Ethan spots Liz at the bike race.

Ethan and Liz have a history together they dated secretly and were in love before something led Liz to leave town. They share a child but Ethan didn't know about him. Liz is back in down to take custody of her brother's children who have been left behind in the house that Liz grew up in. A huge misunderstanding led to Ethan not knowing about Tyler. Ethan does not want Liz to take Tyler away from him again which causes a bunch of problems. Ethan and Liz do not have the greatest of friendships at the beginning of the novel but they work through their problems with ease.

I cried when Liz found out that people actually did care about her and what was done in her name without her knowing. She left Fool's Gold embarrassed and disillusioned with the town but comes back years later and falls in love with the town.

The reason I loved this book is because I love reading about people who have been in love with each other for years without really realizing it and coming to the epiphany that they truly do love each other. Ethan was not the nicest of guys when he dated Liz the first time but after a lot of soul searching he redeems himself fully. He is such a lovable character in that he puts his family first and works hard. He is of a dying breed of men that work hard to take care of their family and will do anything for them.

We get to hear about Pia, Jo, the triplets and Ethan's mother. We also mean Raoul who was a character in Sweet Spot. I love that we hear from all the characters and the sense of small town life comes through once again. I really want to pack my family and move to a small town like Fool's Gold. I just love how everyone is always there for each other and come together to help when it is needed.

I'm once again eagerly awaiting for the next Fool's Gold novel to come out. I've started reading her novels Sweet Talk, Sweet Spot and Sweet Trouble because I just can't get enough of her novels. I give this book a strong 5 out of babies because it will be a book I will read again. It will be one of those books I go back to when I need a book to read that makes me feel warm and fuzzy.

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme started by Breaking the Spine. It is a feature that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Almost Perfect is Susan Mallery's second novel in her newest series. I read the first one Chasing Perfect in a day and a half. I absolutely loved the characters and I can't wait to read about Ethan's story. He seemed like tortured soul in Chasing Perfect. I just love a tortured hero! June 29th won't get here fast enough!!

What's your "waiting on" pick this week?

Review ~*~ Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

Mass Market Paperback: 376 pages
Publisher: HQN Books; Original edition (April 27, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0373774524
ISBN-13: 978-0373774524

I will start off saying that I love Susan Mallery ! She is a kind hearted soul that loves her fans and I think that makes me enjoy her books so much more.

Her latest novel is the first in a new series set in Fool's Gold, California. A town not know for its abundance of men. The heroine in this novel is Charity Jones. She is looking to settle down in a small town and create a root system of friends and family. Something she never had growing up. She meets and falls for Josh Golden. However, along the way, they have many obstacles to overcome.

I really loved the character of Josh Golden. He was seen as the typical "bad boy" but really underneath the "Golden" persona was a great guy who really cared about people. He also wanted to settle down even if he didn't know it. His lifestyle as a world class cyclist left him wanting a low-key lifestyle. Josh, also, reminded me a lot of Lance Armstrong who I have had a huge crush on for years. His character may have been based on a typical bad guy but nothing about Josh was typical. He had a lot of things to work through. He was someone who you instantly liked because of the way he took the time to get to know people and take care of those he loved.

I enjoyed their love story because it was one that every girl would want to happen to them. We all hope to fall in love with someone like Josh. Someone who is not only super hot but has a lot of other qualities that will make a great husband. Charity, was also someone who is very likable. She is someone who doesn't try to be nice but just is. She hasn't had the easiest life at all and it is nice to see a female character that has had a rough upbringing make something of herself. She is something that has changed her life around.

Chasing Perfect is a novel of people finding love when they least expect it. Their love heals a lot of wounds that have been open and raw for a long time. Together they will be able to heal and become whole. It is a novel of great surprises as well. It was great to read a book about great friendships and how small towns can make a newcomer very welcome. The twist and turns were well thought out.

This novel is one you should read if you like sweet romances between two lost souls. Any Mallery fan will love this novel and will be counting down till the next novel in the series comes out. It was a great first novel in a series. It was neat to meet all the secondary characters that we will read about their love stories in future books. The development of the secondary characters was well thought out. I would love to have friends like Pia, Jo and Crystal. Pia's character cracked me up. We all have a friend like Pia who loves to organize parties. Not all make a career out of it like she does but like Charity, Pia has a heart of gold. Mallery's second novel in the series comes out June 29th, 2010.

Mallery has made a website for Fool's Gold that is a great way to promote the novels as well as interact with her fans. As a Mallery fan you should check the website out at Fools Gold

I will give the novel a 5 out of babies because it was a great start to a series that left me wanting to read the next novels ASAP. I could not put the novel down once I started it and left my house a bit messy while I zipped through the novel.

Teaser Tuesday (6)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading Anyone can play along! Just do the following:


* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author ,too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

Last night was burned into her brain. She couldn't believe what had happened, what she'd done.

pg 195 Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery

Please comment on what you are reading with a teaser quote as well.

It's Monday! What are you reading! meme (6)

This is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey through a world of Books.

Books Completed Last week:
Welcome to Serenity by Sherryl Woods
Bad Attitude by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Books I'm currently reading/listening to:
Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione ~ still on the reading list!
Summer on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber ~ started it but so many books to read!
Lover Awakened by JR Ward
Chasing Perfect by Susan Mallery
Home in Carolina by Sherryl Woods
Risk no Secrets by Cindy Gerard

What's up next:
Night World No. 1 by L.J Smith
Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake
Poison Study by Maria V Sndyer
- still the same!

What's up next often changes because I will think its up next but get a need to read something else.

Thoughtful Thursday ~ Aubrey's Musings on books

Unfortunately I have no pretty graphics. Computers and I don't get along very well but I hope you would still enjoy my incessant prattle about books without them.

Today will be mismatch of things that are on my mind about books at the moment. I hope that people would give me suggestions or I'll start coming up with a weekly topic. I'm very new in the book blogging community. At first, I was just plain scared to start one because I did not want to fail at it. But, after, reading many people's blogs; I knew that you really couldn't fail as long as you kept at and posted often.

I'm really enjoying the whole process of book blogging. Reading other blogs, twitting about my blog and re-twitting for other book bloggers and interacting with authors. Its been quite an experience, so far and I love that I'm always learning new things everyday. I feel that I've joined a community of people that get me. That understand the thrill of finding that perfect book or waiting for your favourite author to publish something new. What made you decide to become a book blogger? What are your tips for new book bloggers?

I learned something new today about NY Times and their book best seller stats. The wonderful Susan Mallery helped me out on this tidbit! Did you know that if you find a book out earlier than its official release date it doesn't count to their NY Times Stats. This is what Susan Mallery (Check out her fb fan page. She's awesome! Lots of fun questions and the chance to interact with her directly. She always answers my questions and I love it!) responded to my question on her facebook fan page

Hi, Aubrey! Thanks for your question. I would never want to discourage someone from buying the book whenever it works best into your schedule, but yes, to count toward the NYT statistics for the week it opens, the book must be purchased after the offical release date. In the case of CHASING PERFECT, that's April 27.

I know that in the scheme of things that one book won't make a difference but it felt a lot like voting to me. I want my purchase of her new book to count so I will wait till the 27th to buy it. I find that some books come out earlier in Canada than they do in the United States. From now on I will wait to the official release date.

I love learning things such as this and hope that through blogging and the interaction with bloggers and authors I will gain confidence in myself to start writing my own romance novels. I have notebooks with ideas but haven't built up enough gumption to start the actual writing process. I love how some authors do not make themselves unapproachable or uninterested in their fans. To me, it makes reading so much better when I know the author is such a laid-back and engaging person.

Books have always been so important to me that this new adventure has opened up new reading adventures. I have some silly book buying quirks. I can't have a mix of hardcover and paper back in a series. They have to be all paper back. I can't read hardcover often because of the weight of them. I do, however, take hardcover out from the library waiting for the paper back version to come out. I don't read reviews of books till I have finished the novel myself. I don't want other people's reviews to take away from my reading pleasure. I cannot read a book mid series even if the author states they can be read as stand-alone novels. What are your reading quirks?

I hope you have enjoyed my first Thoughtful Thursday and will read many more!

Posted by ~*AUBREY*~