Name: Before We Kiss
ISBN: 9780373778812

Susan Mallery

Party planner Dellina Hopkins finds herself forced to work with former pro-football kicker Sam Ridge, whom she has avoided since their aborted one-night stand, when his firm hires her to organize an event.

Before We Kiss

Briar's Reviews

I've been slowly but surely trying to get the Fool's Gold series under my belt. I've managed to find some around my town but I just had never gotten the opportunity to grab them. It's so hard having so many good books around, how do you choose?! I picked this book up as one of my "grab a random book" challenges to switch up my reading flow. I wanted something light, fluffy and romantic so I figured this was the way to go. And I was right! It had a perfect dose of romance and comedy.

Dellina and Sam take the lead in this one. Sam, a former hot shot football player, and Dellina who is an event planner. What could possibly go wrong here? Maybe Sam's parents being travelling sex-perts/sex therapists? Maybe Dellina's room full of wedding dresses? Maybe a really cute dog? Maybe Sam's jerk of an ex? There's so much going on in this book, yet it doesn't feel too long! It feels just right. 

This book moves at a fast enough pace to keep me interested. That can be a major downside for some romance books with me. I need the book to keep moving to keep me in check. This book did it and had me wanting more. I'll definitely be grabbing a few more Fool's Gold books when I get my hands on them.

I really like this book and series so far. You don't need to read any of the other books in the series to understand this one. If you're nervous, just grab one! It's an easy enough story to understand. Unless, you REALLY, REALLY, REALLY want to know all the background Easter eggs (I didn't care).

Four out of five stars.

Jennifer Eggleston 

Susan Mallery doesn't dissappoint. I love reading about the townspeople of Fool's Gold. I truly forget about reality as I indulge.

Alexandra Mellas

I received a copy of Before We Kiss from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

I had fun with my introduction to the Fools Gold series. The romantic leads, Dellina and Sam, were charmingly flawed and the secondary romance, between Fayrene and Ryan, was amusing and sweet.

Dellina has lived her whole life in Fool’s Gold, suffering a tragedy and faced with raising her young twin sisters; now her sisters are happy, her business is flourishing and her friends are everything she could hope for. Dellina doesn’t think she wants more, until she is forced into close quarters with the sexy Sam – one-time one night stand and her latest client.

Sam has bad luck with women. An ex-football star, his first girlfriend stalked him, his ex-wife published a tell-all book and his mother is a sex guru. Sam knows the minute he gets too close, a relationship with Dellina will fail – but he can’t stand to stay away from her.

The story is a sweet one. There are no villains, tragic events or horrors to be faced in this book – although Sam’s ex-wife is a giant bitch – this is just the story of Sam and Dellina and the commitment fears of two people who have faced tragedy or betrayal. I enjoyed Dellina’s honesty, with herself and with Sam. She is true to herself and isn’t afraid to follow her own advice. Sam takes longer to come to terms with his changing reality – he struggles to face it on his own but trusts the people he cares about to steer him in the right direction.
Mallory has created a charming (and steamy!) story and I definitely want to go back and read the first 13 books and their companions; the background characters really shone through the story and left me wanting to know more! The next book will be Jack and Larissa’s story and I can’t wait to see how that goes!