Only Mine (Fool's Gold, #4)

May 15, 2011 Tam Herra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, family-series, small-town, sexy-subplot

Such a great sub-plot. Oh Stephen and Auriel ... they alone are worth the read. Some couples are perfect for subplot romance and these two were exactly that. They made the book for me.

In this book, we're seeing Susan Mallery do what she does best in this addition to the Fools Gold series. She gives us a more complex contemporary romance filled with relationships of all kinds and life distractions from which romances blossoms in the midst of all the chaos.

This story is more about the character's...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Susan Mallery added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Can't bring myself to give my own book a rating... but I have read it. :)

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Jul 26, 2011 TheBookVixen rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2011, c-b

3 and 1/2 stars.

Why I Read this Book: I am really enjoying the Fool’s Gold series. If it were an actual town, I’d move there! Only Mine is Dakota’s story, the first story of the Hendrix triplets.

What I Liked: I love the overall gist of Dakota and Finn’s story. Even though there were a few rough patches for these characters to get through, the ending totally made me swoon.

I liked Finn’s character. Yeah, there was some angst and overprotectiveness going on but he’s a responsible guy whose dedicati...more

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Jun 28, 2011 Cocktails and Books rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, netgalley

Let me start by saying I love Susan Mallery's books. LOVE THEM! She has that perfect combination of wit, humor, and romance to go with the character she develops for her books. This book, #4 in the Fool’s Gold series is set around Dakota Hendrix and Finn Andersson. Based on my statement 2 sentences ago, Finn Andersson has just topped the list of my favorite male character in this series!

When we meet Finn, he's fit to be tied because his twin 21 year old brothers decide to bail on their last seme...more Let me start by saying I love Susan Mallery's books. LOVE THEM! She has that perfect combination of wit, humor, and romance to go with the character she develops for her books. This book, #4 in the Fool’s Gold series is set around Dakota Hendrix and Finn Andersson. Based on my statement 2 sentences ago, Finn Andersson has just topped the list of my favorite male character in this series!

When we meet Finn, he's fit to be tied because his twin 21 year old brothers decide to bail on their last semester of college to participate in a dating reality show being filmed in Fool's Gold. He pleads with just about anyone connected with the show to find a way to make sure the twins don't get on. When he doesn't get what he wants, he storms away (which he does quite frequently...poor baby) or threatens. Finn is stubborn, hard-headed, and disinclined to acknowledge that someone else's opinion or assessment of a situation is better than his. Of course, having to raise his brothers for the past 8 years has probably caused him to react the way he does to situations that threaten his family. He does have his sweet moments and his dry sense of humor make him all the more adorable.

Dakota has her own set of issues. Coming from a large, close knit family hasn’t stopped her from feeling broken inside, especially after being diagnosed with two medical conditions that make her dreams of an ordinary family less of a reality. Add to that the fact that she’s never been in love or currently have any prospects and you have a woman ripe for a fling when she mets our dear Finn.
Finn and Dakota connect with each other (and not just on a sexual level) but the two tap dance around what’s happening because she’s looking forever and he’s looking for just until I leave for Alaska.

While Finn and Dakota try to figure out what they’re doing, we have the best secondary character romance I’ve read in a long time between Finn’s brother Stephen and Aurelia. They’re paired together in the reality show (which is another funny scene with Finn blowing his lid over Stephen getting paired with ‘the cougar’. After you meet Aurelia, you will understand just how far off base Finn is with that assumption) and so begins their story. He’s cute, she’s cute...they’re just so damn cute together. AWWWW!

We get to catch up with a few of the characters from previous Fool’s Gold books. Josh and Chastity’s baby is there (although Josh is absent). Pia and Raoul make an appearance (she’s seven months pregnant now with the twins). Dakota’s sisters, Nevada and Montana are very involved, along with their mother, Denise. Dakota’s sister-in-law, Liz Sutton, shows up briefly but no Ethan (BOOO!).
Great addition to the Fool’s Gold series. Can’t wait for Montana’s story next.

4 Cocktails(less)

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Jun 22, 2011 Steffi rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary-romance, part-of-series, net-galley

Another great addition to the Fool's Gold series!!

Hollywood has discovered Fool's Gold and a reality TV-show is supposed to bring love to the small town. Finn's twin brothers are two of the lucky contestants. Only, Finn doesn't see it that way. He'd much rather have them back home, in Alaska, going to college, living a responsible life.

Dakota Hendrix is supposed to look out for the town's interests and be the contact person for the production company. When Finn comes storming into her office, h...more

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Sep 16, 2011 Harlequin Books added it · review of another edition

Shelves: harlequin_hqn, 2011

Miniseries: Fool's Gold

"This is book 1 of the Fool's Gold Romance trilogy that covers the love story of the three Hendrix sisters...triplets. Loved the story, Susan Mallery writes books that have characters you can relate to, both primary and secondary and it was a fast-paced book with various sub-plots – there's Finn and Dakota's story; the twins story; the reality show story; as well as Dakota's mom (Denise) re-entering the dating world...." From a review post by an Harlequin.com member, to re...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Booklover rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: baby-children, love, parents, part-of-a-series, pilot-business-man-politician, pregnancy-surrogacy, secrets-past-tragedy-abusive-childh, sibblings-best-friends

This was a good read,liked Dakota-Finn very much,absolutely understand how a tragedy changed his life he was grown overnight and had to take responsibilities of his brothers which he did and he raised his brothers really well but what really irritated me was his lack of trust in his brothers and his upbringing,he never listens what they want and keeps his expectations on them never listems what they want and their interest which makes them runaway and then he is also angry on them,they both are...more

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Jul 25, 2011 Maldivianbookreviewer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of contemporary romances in a small town setting.

Shelves: arcs, brooding-hero, brooding-heroine, commitment-phobic-hero, contemporary-romance, endearing-hero, endearing-heroine, family-drama, genius-heroine, harlequin-romances, haunted-by-the-past-hero, hot-as-sin-hero, hottest-first-kiss, hottest-sex-scenes-ever, laugh-out-loud-moments, not-yet-released, older-heroine, opposites-attract, part-of-a-series, pregnant-heroine, review-requests, secondary-romance, single-mother-heroine, sizzling-sexual-tension, small-town-setting, susan-mallery, sweet-reads, baby-adoption

If not for a request for review from Little Bird Publicity I would most probably have passed up on reading and acquainting myself with the wonderful and wholesome world that Susan Mallery seems to have created so well in her Fool’s Gold series. As I glided along into the 4th book of the series with no prior introduction into the first 3 books, I didn’t feel unwelcome but rather felt that I was amongst old friends whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, familiar and soothing in its own right that had...more

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Jun 06, 2011 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-out-do-yourself, 211-books-in-2011, june-2011, read-in-2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I really enjoyed returning to Fool's Gold. This is the story of Dakota Hendrix, one of Ethan's triplet sisters.

The story flowed well. Both Dakota and Finn were both fun characters. They really butted heads early on, but I never felt like they really had any animosity for each other. Mostly Finn was just frustrated by the situation with his brothers and taking it out on Dakota, which she understand. As the story progressed, so did their relationship. I like that they were friends first, then lov...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Ana rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: z-netgalley, z-read-in-2011, contemporary-romance, small-town-romance

Finn Anderssen came to Fool's Gold to stop his brothers from appearing in a reality show. They are adults, but why would someone leave colledge when they have only one semester left. One of the first people he meets is Dakota Hendrix.

Dakota's current job is keeping an eye on the producers of the said show. The town doesn't really want them to film it, but this way at least they can try to contain any potential damage. She's attracted to handsome Alaskan pilot, and luckliy he will eventually go h...more

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Aug 06, 2011 Judy & Marianne from Long and Short Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: contemporary, non-erotic

Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Overseeing a romance reality competition in Fool's Gold, CA poses big problems for Dakota Hendrix, but having two of the most eligible bachelors yanked off the contest by an angry elder brother—a very sexy elder brother—poses an even bigger problem. Especially when she finds herself drawn to the hunky Alaskan.

All the beautiful psychologist wants to do is the job for which she's paid—not screen eligible bachelors. But everyone in the...more Originally posted at: http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.c...

Overseeing a romance reality competition in Fool's Gold, CA poses big problems for Dakota Hendrix, but having two of the most eligible bachelors yanked off the contest by an angry elder brother—a very sexy elder brother—poses an even bigger problem. Especially when she finds herself drawn to the hunky Alaskan.

All the beautiful psychologist wants to do is the job for which she's paid—not screen eligible bachelors. But everyone in the town, from the mayor on down, convinces her she needs to give back to the community, so instead of designing math workshops, she herding hopeful contestants anxious to win the monetary prize.

Finn Anderssen storms into Fool's Gold in search of his younger twin brothers Sasha and Stephen who've abandoned their college studies one semester short of graduation to enter the competition. Finn is determined to drag his brothers back to South Salmon where he is partner in an air cargo transport business and knock some sense into them. Dakota warns him that tactic could end badly and convinces him to allow the twins to stay in the competition. Against his better judgment, he acquiesces, and agrees to pilot the contestants to various venues where they'll be filming. This gives him a chance to oversee their actions. Finn has cared for his brothers ever since their parents were killed on a flying mission, and he takes his duty seriously—to the point of smothering the young men with concern for their education and careers.

When the contestants are paired, Sasha's girl is a lovely young woman with a keen desire to be a television or film star—the same goal as Sasha's. Stephen, however, finds himself paired with Aurelia, a plain accountant nine years his senior. Aurelia has been goaded by her mother to try out for the competition, and even though she's reluctant, she longs for a chance to get out from under the thumb of her domineering mother and be able to buy a house. Stephen's goal has been simply to get away from his over-protective brother Finn.

While staying in town, Finn becomes attracted to Dakota. A dinner invitation to her house results in a night of superb sex for both of them. Finn has been too busy looking after his brothers for eight years to allow himself any relationships and Dakota feels men either aren't interested in her or the right man she could be interested in hasn't come along. Until Finn. The fact that he's only there temporarily allow her to have a no commitments relationship. She doesn't count on falling in love.

I loved this story. The premise was cute, but after I got to know the characters, I found myself rooting for each of them with no thought to the outcome of the competition. I loved the interaction between Dakota, her mother and her sisters as much as I did the town, which in itself was a character. (Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could all live in such a caring place?)

The developing relationship between Aurelia and Stephen was particularly touching and negated Finn's obtuseness about the role he should play in his brother's lives. Although he was a good and caring man, he went completely overboard in his role as guardian of two young men who were twenty-one. His learning to accept that his goals were not their goals was a touching thing to see and I cheered his character growth on this point and impatiently waited to see if he could get past his personal stumbling block to a satisfying relationship with Dakota.

This book grabbed me within the first three chapters and hung on right to the end. Pick up a copy for yourself and see if you don't agree that it's a satisfying and rewarding read.

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Aug 01, 2011 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Reviewed for my blog: http://acozyreaderscorner.blogspot.com

Only Mine is a charming, sexy and entertaining read! I love, Fool’s Gold, the town Susan has created for this series. The Fool’s Gold books keep getting better and better. Susan processes the ability to keep her series entertaining and original while leaving the reader both satisfied and wanting more. The idea of a reality TV show in Fool’s Gold, CA was brilliant. The issue of a man shortage was comical. After all, even if men are avail...more

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May 18, 2011 Amy Pfeiffer rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Another great addition to the Fools Gold series! While I was skeptical about the reality show idea, this was a great quick read.

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Jul 19, 2011 Brie C. rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors. I think I have read pretty much everything she has written and I get really excited when one of her new books is about to come out. When I saw this book was available on NetGalley I was very happy and even happier when they send it to me.

Only Mine is the first book of the new trilogy set on the town of Fool’s Gold. If you are a fan of Susan you know that this book is a continuation of the series that start...more Originally posted at Romance Around the Corner

Susan Mallery is one of my favorite authors. I think I have read pretty much everything she has written and I get really excited when one of her new books is about to come out. When I saw this book was available on NetGalley I was very happy and even happier when they send it to me.

Only Mine is the first book of the new trilogy set on the town of Fool’s Gold. If you are a fan of Susan you know that this book is a continuation of the series that started last year. I think you can start reading this one because there are no spoilers for the past books, but I think you should read the others first because that way you will know more about the town (and believe me, the town is a huge part of the book’s charm) and the people who lives there including this book’s heroine.

In this book Fool’s Gold is in the middle of an uproar. Word got out that the town was full of women but lacking on men and a hot-shot TV producer is hoping to bank on this by doing a Bachelor type reality show. The person in charge of representing the town during the taping of the show is our leading lady Dakota Hendrix, she is one of the triplets (each sister will have her own book) and sister of Ethan Hendrix the hero of Almost Perfect, book 2 of the original trilogy. She is on a turning point of her life, she wants to be a mom but some time ago she got bad news from her doctor and is now trying to adopt.

On the other hand we have Finn Anderssen, our hero. He came all the way from Alaska searching for his twin baby brothers who have enlisted on the show -and when I say searching I really mean hunting down because he is not happy about it-.

I liked Dakota a lot, she was charming and wasn’t afraid to fight for her dreams. I liked that instead of dwelling on her problems and on the life-changing bad news she just readjusted her dreams and went for it. She didn’t see her inability to have children as the end of the world, instead she accepted it and found an alternative. I also loved her interactions with her mom and sisters. I liked that even though they are identical triplets they are all very different from each other and can’t wait to read more about them.

I enjoyed the heroine but I adored Finn. My favorite part about him was that he spent almost the entire book angry. I liked that instead of a hero who was charming and suave we get this grumpy guy who just wants to get his brothers and go back to his life. I think he wouldn’t like me saying this, but I found him adorable. He had some hilarious inner-dialogue and I loved him. He also had good chemistry with Dakota who was his complete opposite with her sunny disposition and positive take on life. Of course there were more reasons for him to be that way but you have to read and see.

There was also a sweet secondary love story involving one of Finn’s brothers and a girl almost ten years his senior. I was a bit wary about the age difference, mostly because he was very young, but Susan made it work and I actually found myself rooting for them to get their HEA.

Now, as you can see there were a lot of things that I liked about the book, but there were some things that bothered me a lot. I can’t really say what those things were without giving away the plot so please just skip this paragraph if you don’t want to know. (SPOILERS)(view spoiler)(END OF SPOILERS)

Having said that I can tell you that overall I liked the book. It wasn’t my favorite and I really think that it could have been much better without some aspects, but it was fun and entertaining and I think that if you are a fan of Susan’s books or a fan of contemporary romance this is a good choice for a quick light read.
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Jul 14, 2011 Caroline The HEA Lover rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, arc, e-book, romance

(this review was originally posted on Book Lovers Inc)
Only Mine is the 1st book I read by this authors, and even though I hadn't finished it yet that I was already ordering other books in this series. I'm very happy I got to read this book for review, it's exactly what I needed right now.

Only Mine is 4th book in the Fool's Gold series, it's the 1st book about the Hendrix triplet. The story takes place in the small town Fool's Gold. This town has made the national media news because of its chroni...more (this review was originally posted on Book Lovers Inc)
Only Mine is the 1st book I read by this authors, and even though I hadn't finished it yet that I was already ordering other books in this series. I'm very happy I got to read this book for review, it's exactly what I needed right now.

Only Mine is 4th book in the Fool's Gold series, it's the 1st book about the Hendrix triplet. The story takes place in the small town Fool's Gold. This town has made the national media news because of its chronic shortage of men. Dakota has been assigned by the town to keep an eye on the new reality show being filmed in the city. Some producer decided it would be a good idea to have a reality show where men from everywhere could try and find love in this city full of women.

Finn tracked down his young twin brothers from Alaska to California. He's decided to do anything to bring them back to finish college. I really loved Finn as a character. He's responsible and he loves his brothers. He's been taking care of them for years and he doesn't want to fail them. He's strong-minded and sometimes a bit quick to anger. When Dakota and Finn meet, I just couldn't stop laughing. Dakota always has the good come back. She's very funny and down-to-earth.
Their relationship starts as a friendship and it naturally moves on to a friends-with-benefits status. I think what I liked the most, is that it was 'uncomplicated'. I don't mean there weren't complications, but it felt like there were no strings attached, no regrets, no expectations. Love was completely unexpected for them. They both knew they wanted very different things in life.

This is a very cute story, I felt good while reading it. It has a spark, something that makes your heart beat a little faster, something that makes you want to read a bit faster. It is cute but it's also pretty hot too. *g* Finn pushes all my buttons, I can't tell you how without spoiling things so let's just say, I'd really love to have a man like Finn. Add a good dose of humor and you have the perfect mix. I loved the secondary characters' story. I was rooting for them from the start.

I won't lie, the story was a bit predictable at some points but even so it was a pleasure to read it. I loved that it felt like I was in Fool's Gold too for a few hundred pages. I'm already impatiently awaiting the next book. (and I'll be slowly reading all the previous books too *g*)

Only Mine is a sweet summer romance about growing up, finding one self and finally letting go. You'll probably want to move to Fool's Gold after reading it. If you love hot and cute romance then this is definitely for you.

I give Only Mine 4 Bookies(less)

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May 25, 2011 Darcy rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, e-book, net-galley-books, romance

This book is back to the charming center that I really liked in the first book. We weren't beaten over the head about the town, people were treated good, and we saw a lot of our old characters.

This book is centered around Dakota. We even learned what set her off in the last book, which I am glad for. In that book it seemed so random and I was wondering what the heck was going on. I understand why Dakota wanted to keep this a secret, she is the type of person that had to deal with things on her o...more This book is back to the charming center that I really liked in the first book. We weren't beaten over the head about the town, people were treated good, and we saw a lot of our old characters.

This book is centered around Dakota. We even learned what set her off in the last book, which I am glad for. In that book it seemed so random and I was wondering what the heck was going on. I understand why Dakota wanted to keep this a secret, she is the type of person that had to deal with things on her own and once she has a plan in place she will share her problems. While this seems sudden to everyone else, she has all things covered.

I thought the idea of the reality show was an asinine idea. For a tv show there really couldn't be a more boring place to have a show. It seemed like the show wanted to cash in on some of the notoriety of the "man" shortage. The only good thing about the show was that it brought Finn to town by way of his wayward brothers.

I didn't care for Sasha at all. He came off as a spoiled brat, the man/boy who is fighting growing up. I did love what happened to him and thought it was apropos. Stephen was more sweet. You can just see how he tagged along with his brother just because. His pairing on the show came as a big surprise and I hope that his big plans work out.

As for Finn, what a delicious guy he was. I loved how from the start Dakota gave him crap and tried to talk some sense into him. He really needed to cut those apron strings. Finn's awkwardness at first with Dakota was cute, he was so bumbling it added to his charm.

I was surprised at how once their romance started things heated up really fast. It was also interesting on how some of their dates were interrupted, welcoming phones calls with terrific surprises, and Denise dropping by. I had a feeling that things would happen just how they did at the end. In a way I was glad to see that it did because it forced both of them to realize 100% just what they wanted.

I look forward to seeing the other triplets stories!(less)

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Jul 17, 2011 Taylor rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Only Mine by Susan Mallery is a wonderful story about finding identity and a place to call home in the one you were meant to be with. As readers we get to see more Fool’s Gold characters shine through in this series and become more invested in their lives as this story focuses on Dakota Hendrix (one of the triplets) and how she finds her path in life. We also get to meet a newcomer in town named Finn and let me just say he is very much one of those fictional guy characters every girl wishes she...more

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Jul 19, 2011 Jenn3128 rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

In this sweet and charming 4th installment to the Fool’s Gold series we return to meet Dakota Hendrix. She’s coming out of her shell and including family in on her deeply hidden secret. In walks Finn Andersson, he’s not happy to be in Fool’s Gold. The reality show filming in the small town with a shortage of men has called for auditions and picks his identical twin brothers to be on the show. Finn of course, would rather they come home and finish college.

As usual, Ms. Mallery has written very l...more

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Nov 27, 2012 Patty rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: overdrive, 2012, contemporary-romance, romance, family, mothers-and-daughters, fiction, women-writers, pregnancy, california, fool-s-gold-series, adoption, sisters, alaska, brothers, television

I have to hand it to Susan Mallery. By inventing the small California town of Fool's Gold she has created a gold mine for herself. Fool's Gold is a place where the women outnumber the men for some unknown reason. This gives Mallery plenty of opportunity to write about romances set in an interesting, caring community. There are ten novels so far and at least three more already planned. I like the links created by having the characters interact across stories.

I started this series with a short sto...more

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Apr 07, 2012 Star (The Bibliophilic Book Blog) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

Welcome to Fool's Gold - a town where the women outnumber the men by a large margin. A enterprising TV producer has decided to hold a reality TV show to bring romance to Fool's Gold and Dakota Hendrix is the town liaison to the producer. Enter Finn Anderssen, who is trying to keep his brothers off the show and back in college. As Dakota and Finn's worlds collide, the heat is intense.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story about a tight-knit small town and its people. The romanc...more

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Oct 24, 2011 willaful rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fertility-or-reproduction-issues, pet-peeve, older-woman-younger-man, he-s-just-not-that-into-you, springfield-syndrome, free-to-be-a-family, eye-roller, mayberry-syndrome

I started this wanting a light, easy but not frothy book as a break from some intense reading and I pretty much got it. It was so much what I was in the mood for that even though it hit a lot of my pet peeves/least favorite plot lines, I was thoroughly enjoying it until the very end. Alas, it then delivered the kiss of death.

Dakota, sister of the hero of book 2, is on temporary assignment with a reality show set in the town of Fool’s Gold. When she meets Finn, on a rampage to rescue his twin bro...more

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Oct 16, 2011 Heather Bokon rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This is book 4 in Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series. I'm new to Ms. Mallery, in fact, the Fool's Gold series is all I've read by her, but I'll pick up some of the others; she's that good.

Only Mine was not my favorite of the 4 so far. I really liked Dakota, but I didn't like Finn very much. I understand that he was unhappy about his brothers being on the reality show (how could I not understand, he beat everyone he met over the head with it). Threatening the producer, yelling at everyone when t...more This is book 4 in Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series. I'm new to Ms. Mallery, in fact, the Fool's Gold series is all I've read by her, but I'll pick up some of the others; she's that good.

Only Mine was not my favorite of the 4 so far. I really liked Dakota, but I didn't like Finn very much. I understand that he was unhappy about his brothers being on the reality show (how could I not understand, he beat everyone he met over the head with it). Threatening the producer, yelling at everyone when they suggest that maybe he let his adult brothers make their own decisions. Yes, they made stupid decisions, but their big brother charging in and yelling orders certainly wasn't going to change anyone's mind.

The subplots involving his brothers were great, though. I really liked Sasha and Stephen. Stephen's relationship with Auriela was so much fun to watch unfold. Except for Finn thumping around, blustering about her being a cougar and trying to take advantage of his baby brother. (Side note, I can see objecting to the age difference, but cougar? Really? What was she after, exactly? He was a 21 year-old college dropout with nothing. What exactly was Finn concerned she was going to take advantage of????)

The unprotected sex was a big, big negative for me, and was responsible for the loss of one star in the review by itself. The sex itself doesn't bother me, but to just go at it with no protection, not even discussing it until 2 days later when Finn shows up and the conversation is roughly "So, about that no protection, we're cool, right, you're on the pill, right?" "Nope, but I'm infertile, so that's ok." "Oh, good, then. Because the only possible consequence of unprotected sex is that you may get pregnant, and we can't have that."

But, as much as I didn't like Finn, I didn't like him because Mallery is so good at drawing characters. I really like Dakota's sisters and can't wait until I get to their books. Even Lani, Sasha's partner on the game show was great. Characterization is one of Susan Mallery's greatest strengths and the reason I'll find as many of her books as I can to read. Even the characters I don't like are real enough to make me not like them. (less)

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Oct 12, 2011 Beccie rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reviewed

SPOILER ALERT

Susan Mallery is my favorite contemporary romance author. Susan’s writing brings this fictional town and its people to life. I found the story line of the main characters, Dakota and Finn, predictable and reminiscent of some of Susan’s earlier books. The one-in-a-million chance pregnancy, Finn doesn’t want kids and when Dakota tells him she’s pregnant he flees, but in the end they find their happy ever after with true love. I knew as soon as Dakota thought she couldn’t get pregnant...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Maria rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: romance

I like that the characters are so realistic and grounded. Dakota almost never responds to situations the way I would expect. She is much more sensible than I have come to expect of most romance heroines as are Aurelia and Stephen as subplot characters. Finn, on the other hand, is hard to get a handle on. He doesn't talk much and when he does, it is usually exaggerated by anger. Also, I have never seen a reality show and based on this book I hope I never do. They seem downright silly, but then 90...more

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May 30, 2012 Shwetika rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: leanable

I really really enjoyed this book .. Yeah it's a love story and I know I was suppose to say that "GOD! why on the earth I wasted my time on this " but it's a story in a middle of a choas so hr' lot more than romance in it and that's what kept me going ....
Okay now who am I kidding .. It's a love story and now I'm becoming a sucker for them so I guess time to admit that . It's still a story in b/w a chaos but the bottom line is it's quite good
anyways so Dakota’s , the first story of the Hendrix t...more

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Apr 10, 2012 Kimberly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Review Written for www.books-n-kisses.com

Another great book from Susan Mallery. But then I expect nothing less from her!

We first met the Hendrix triplets in the first of the Fool’s Gold books (Chasing Perfect). And the next three books in the series (#4-6) are dedicated to them. Only Mine is Dakota’s story. Finn comes to town to get his twin younger brothers to come home instead of appearing in a new reality show based in Fool’s Gold, Calif. When Finn and Dakota meet they mutually agree to just...more Review Written for www.books-n-kisses.com

Another great book from Susan Mallery. But then I expect nothing less from her!

We first met the Hendrix triplets in the first of the Fool’s Gold books (Chasing Perfect). And the next three books in the series (#4-6) are dedicated to them. Only Mine is Dakota’s story. Finn comes to town to get his twin younger brothers to come home instead of appearing in a new reality show based in Fool’s Gold, Calif. When Finn and Dakota meet they mutually agree to just have fun knowing Finn will be heading back to Alaska soon. Dakota has recently found out she can not have children and is in the process of adopting and having a fling will keep her mind off her troubles. Dakota wants a family any way she can get it. Finn wants his brothers to graduate college so his responsibilities will be complete. How will two people with such different ideas for the future deal with the present?

As with all of the Fool’s Gold series from Mallery this book is set in a town that everyone would love to live in. And the Hendrix family is one of the best around. I did miss catching up with Ethan (Almost Perfect) though since nothing was mentioned of him. And Pia/Raoul (Finding Perfect) were mentioned and Pia is 8 months pregnant with twins in this book. This book did focus mainly on Dakota/Finn as well as Finn’s twin brothers, Stephen/Sasha. *On a personal note I really appreciated Mallery’s mention of PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) because this is a little known condition that really should have more of a spotlight on it. I have suffered from this condition for decades and having a favorite author write about it made me feel like I am not alone in the world.*

You will never ever regret picking up one of Mallery’s books and especially not her Fool’s Gold series. She writes books that make you want to curl up on a couch or porch swing and never want to put the book down. Mallery is a delight to read and I have never found a book of hers I would rate lower than 4 Stars. Pick it up and enjoy... you will not be disappointed! (less)

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Aug 06, 2012 Jo rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone who likes a gentle romance, but thinks they don't like the small-town concept

Shelves: 2012

3.5 stars. If you'd told me I'd properly enjoy a small town romance I would not have believed you, but Susan Mallery has pulled off what Robyn Carr and others have tried and failed to do: win me over.

It was the concept of this book that attracted me, but I was quickly and pleasantly surprised with the humour and even happier to find the book a celebration, and sometimes commiseration, of the relationships women have with each other. I've not read another pure romance book that had these relation...more

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Sep 01, 2011 Tia Bach rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Probably closer to a 4.5, but I digress.. I don't know what rock I've been hiding under, but I had never heard of Susan Mallery. Granted I don't read a lot of romance. Then I read a glowing review on A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews. I looked up Susan Mallery online and found her all over social media. She's open and loves engaging her readers. Plus, the enthusiasm for Mallery's books on GoodReads is overwhelming. Impressed, I picked up a copy.

Only Mine is Book 4 of the Fool's Gold series. Fool's...more Probably closer to a 4.5, but I digress.. I don't know what rock I've been hiding under, but I had never heard of Susan Mallery. Granted I don't read a lot of romance. Then I read a glowing review on A Cozy Reader's Corner Reviews. I looked up Susan Mallery online and found her all over social media. She's open and loves engaging her readers. Plus, the enthusiasm for Mallery's books on GoodReads is overwhelming. Impressed, I picked up a copy.

Only Mine is Book 4 of the Fool's Gold series. Fool's Gold is a California town gaining notoriety for its high female to male ratio. So much notoriety that a television crew comes to town to film a romantic reality competition show. Dakota Hendrix is the mayor's choice to supervise the crew and make sure Fool's Gold doesn't get misrepresented. She, along with her other two triplet sisters and mother, is facing a lot of uncertainty and disappointment in her life.

Sasha and Stephen are twins cast on the show, both looking to change their lives. Sasha wants fame and a shot in Hollywood, while Stephen is just searching. Their older brother and guardian, Finn Anderssen, follows them to Fool's Gold intent on bringing them back home and to his version of what their lives should be.

Finn and Dakota come together, hot and heavy. She's reeling from the news that having children will be difficult and looking to adopt. He's beside himself with worry about his brothers. They need an escape and find it in each other.

The story takes the reader through the twists and turns of the reality television show and Finn and Dakota's budding romance. Full of wit and humor, Only Mine doesn't disappoint on the happy ending, but most romance novels don't.

I loved the character of Dakota. She is dealing with devastating news and heads eyes wide-open into the fling with Finn. But life throws her some unexpected curveballs, as it always does. I was rooting her on the entire story and applauded her courage and ability to step back and assess a situation. Finn was just the opposite, balls-out and full steam ahead. Their passion was only the beginning.

My only complaint was how quickly they jumped in. I'm an old-fashioned gal, I guess, because I wanted a little more will they or won't they build. But there was nothing sweeter than seeing Finn's softer side come out as his relationship with Dakota shifted and deepened.

I really enjoyed the story and the characters. I knew Mallery was writing Books 5 and 6 centered around Dakota's sisters before I started, but it was more obvious after reading the books. The Hendrix family, as well as the whole community, have a lot more story to tell.

My biggest problem with romance novels... there's rarely new territory explored. It's girl meets boy, girl wants boy, boy is afraid to commit, but boy and girl get together in the end. This story follows that formula down the line, but it was entertaining and emotion-filled from start to finish. Thus, the four stars.

I love to escape reality as much as the next gal, and Only Mine definitely satisfied that desire. Anyone who counts the romance genre as a favorite will enjoy the dessert that is Only Mine.(less)

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Feb 24, 2013 Jm Les-livres rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Dakota est l'une des triplées de la famille Hendrix. Elle travaille pour Raoul Moreno, héros du tome 3. En attendant que soit lancé le projet de son patron concernant un centre pour enfants, Dakota a été recrutée par la ville pour apporter son aide (et garder un œil) sur l'émission de télé-réalité qui va avoir lieu à Fool's Gold. D'ailleurs, c'est dans son bureau sur le lieu du tournage qu'elle voit débouler Finn Andersson, le grand frère des jumeaux qui se sont inscrits à l’émission "Pour trouv...more Dakota est l'une des triplées de la famille Hendrix. Elle travaille pour Raoul Moreno, héros du tome 3. En attendant que soit lancé le projet de son patron concernant un centre pour enfants, Dakota a été recrutée par la ville pour apporter son aide (et garder un œil) sur l'émission de télé-réalité qui va avoir lieu à Fool's Gold. D'ailleurs, c'est dans son bureau sur le lieu du tournage qu'elle voit débouler Finn Andersson, le grand frère des jumeaux qui se sont inscrits à l’émission "Pour trouver l'âme sœur". Il souhaite les ramener chez eux en Alaska pour qu'ils terminent leurs études. Dès les premiers instants de la rencontre entre Dakota et Finn, l'humour est au rendez-vous, tout comme l'alchimie.

Ce quatrième tome est le meilleur de ceux déjà parus. On retrouve l'ambiance de la ville même si l'ingérence des habitants dans la vie de nos deux personnages principaux est beaucoup moins forte. Dakota et Finn sont attirés l'un par l'autre mais ils ont choisi de passer du temps ensemble, sans s'impliquer dans une vraie relation. Dès que l'émission sera terminée, Finn rentrera chez lui et Dakota retournera à sa vie. Mais peu à peu, on les voit se rapprocher l'un de l'autre et quand Dakota a besoin d'aide et de soutien, Finn se propose très naturellement. Sous nos yeux, ils deviennent un couple sans vraiment s'en rendre compte et on se réjouit de leur ping-pong verbal.
Ce n'est pas une histoire d'amour extraordinaire mais elle a le mérite de nous faire rire et de nous embarquer pour un voyage à Fool's Gold. On redécouvre les femmes de la famille Hendrix et on voit à l'œuvre la générosité et l'entraide dont cette ville est capable.

Dakota est une jeune femme surprenante qui, grâce à quelques mots, réussit à dompter le grognon et légèrement tyrannique Finn. Malgré les épreuves qu'elle vit, elle est là pour l'aider et le soutenir. Lui c'est un peu un ours, mais un ours qui a dû prendre soin de ses jeunes frères et qui a du mal à les laisser voler de leurs propres ailes. Il trouve en Dakota une personne avec qui parler et en même temps une jeune femme qui n'a pas peur de lui dire ce qu'il doit entendre, même si ça ne lui plaît pas. On suit également les histoires des deux frères de Finn en parallèle et on voit l'évolution dans la relation entre les trois frères.
Susan Mallery nous offre une belle petite comédie romantique et on est impatient de découvrir les aventures de la prochaine sœur Hendrix, Montana.(less)

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Sep 14, 2011 Shelly rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook-version, romance-contemporary, set-in-usa-california

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I'll try to keep this short and respectful, but no promises. There's undoubtedly something about this author that people love as her popularity continues to grow and I see lots of great reviews for her. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be one of the loyal readers. It's nothing against the writer or her views, but for my personal tastes I like books that do more than skim the surface of emotions and are less like a chick-lit book or one of those ridiculous self-help books that speak in rational...more I'll try to keep this short and respectful, but no promises. There's undoubtedly something about this author that people love as her popularity continues to grow and I see lots of great reviews for her. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be one of the loyal readers. It's nothing against the writer or her views, but for my personal tastes I like books that do more than skim the surface of emotions and are less like a chick-lit book or one of those ridiculous self-help books that speak in rational tones and tell the reader they only have to be calm in dealing with emotions. I feel like I'm being lectured to or that the characters are just too flat and two-dimensional. I can't figure out if it's one or the other, but this style or writing is not working for me. In the last half of the book, which I listened to this morning had no less than 6-7 fluffy cliches, an 'embarrassment of riches' if you will. This airheady quality is bad enough on it's own to make me stop reading the author, but if that wasn't bad enough there was some bad, bad, terrible junk happening right from the beginning that should be a HUGE no-no in romancelandia. First, books that deal with fertility issues should come with some kind of warning, especially ones that blow reality out of the water. Dakota, the heroine has been diagnosed with PCOS and endometriosis, and told her chances of conceiving a child without medical intervention are slim to none. I have no real issue with this, except maybe since it's so close to my own life, I'm not real crazy about reading about it in a book that's to have a HEA. But if the diagnosis wasn't bad enough, Dakota and Finn have unprotected sex on their first date. No one thinks of the ramifications, and Finn doesn't even have a second thought about getting her pregnant (he doesn't know about the supposed infertility) or STD's. Not until two days later, and they only discuss the possibility of pregnancy, when she tells him it's 'virtually' impossible. Not completely impossible, just highly unlikely. It's just too irresponsible for words. And when, of course, Dakota ends up pregnant, because Finn must have 'really strong swimmers' he's actually upset with her. First, he's a responsible adult, at least that's what we're told since he raised his two younger brothers, then why was he so irresponsible with birth control. He didn't know Dakota! Second, let's look at the fact that two whole serious fertility issues were thrown out the window because of the magic of his sperm. Sure, there are miracles, but seriously, to take such a personal issue as infertility and casually sweep it under the rug like, 'Oh, well, the man's magic sperm can cure this' was just plain insulting. That's not how it happens in real life, and again, a disclaimer would have been nice. Infertility is a deeply emotional and personal issue, 5 years ago this book would have made me so upset in a different way, I would have been balling my eyes out at the unfair way a character in a book can get pregnant with the odds stacked against her, but I can't, even with medical interventions. Now, it just pisses me off for being irresponsible with the facts and emotions that go with infertility. But since Finn has magic sperm, he and Dakota will live on HEA with 'lots' of babies, because it's all fixed now. I should be okay with that, right? If the author had not used the secret baby plot, and taken this in a different, more complex direction, say, Finn didn't want to have commitments, and Dakota adopting Hannah was too much, or maybe Finn does want a family and fears being with Dakota would leave him without his own children would have been better. But no, Dakota gets pregnant and it's what ties them together, not the love. Never mind that Finn seemed completely incapable of a rational thought or thinking of others feelings, or having a normal discussion with anyone who didn't share his ideals, because that's a whole separate issue. If you have no problems reading about fake fertility issues, Finn's asshatness should be enough to deter you, because dude is a complete jerk. If you like light and fluffy, cliches and a general 'everyone together, be happy' sort of kumbiya (sp?) effect, you'll probably really like this. If you're like me and want some angst, some heat, some passion to your characters and more believable plots, skip it and just go have a drink with some girlfriends for some chick-lit love.(less)

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Only Mine (Fool's Gold #4)

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