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ARC Book Review: Just One Kiss – Susan Mallery


justonekissJust One Kiss
Author: Susan Mallery
Series: Fool’s Gold #11
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

He won’t hesitate to put his life on the line…but will he ever risk his heart?
Falling for Justice Garrett was a high point in Patience McGraw’s otherwise awkward adolescence. Even after he disappeared, Patience never forgot the boy who captured her heart. Now, he’s back in Fool’s Gold, California, and her passion for him is as strong as ever. But how can she trust that he won’t abandon her again – and her daughter, too?
When bodyguard Justice Garrett was a young man, witness protection brought him to this idyllic town and he never forgot its warmth, or the sweet beauty of his childhood friend. He’s returned to open a defense academy, and the Patience he once knew is all grown up. He can’t resist her smile, or her curves. But Justice’s past doesn’t make him husband, or father, material.
Patience and Justice think they’ll succumb to just one kiss…Then one more…Okay, just one night together. But they might learn that falling in love is beyond anyone’s control.

 
First Sentence: Patience McGraw couldn’t breathe.

I received an eARC through NetGalley. Thank you!

My Review:

I’m amazed at how fast Susan Mallery writes. I mean, five books a year?! How could she write that fast? Not to mention, the most amazing thing about her books is there are absolutely no plot holes or spelling errors I can find in them every time I read one of her books. It’s amazing. She most either be an amazing writer or have an amazing editor.

When Susan Mallery left us with that sort-of cliffhanger regarding Justice in All Summer Long, which is Charlie’s book, I immediately headed to goodreads, hoping that Susan Mallery would write a book in the future focusing on Justice and whoever he wanted to meet again, but was too afraid to meet. There was. The book was called Just One Kiss and would be focused on Justice and Patience, a character readers met if they had read All Summer Long, the book before Just One Kiss. I was excited to read Just One Kiss, especially when I discovered that Just One Kiss would be on NetGalley. I immediately requested it and after a day of waiting, I got accepted and began to read it.

The Patience he called had been all attitude and blunt talk. It looked as though that hadn’t changed. (ARC 22)

While I was reading Just One Kiss, which alternates between Patience and Justice’s point of views, I was more into reading about the other characters in the book: Felicia, Isabel, Gideon, Ford, etc. Patience and Justice’s story didn’t capture my attention as much as the other characters did. Yes, Patience and Justice’s love story is definitely cute and sweet, but if you compare their story to the other characters’ lives, Patience and Justice’s story definitely pales in comparison.

I feel let down by the major scene towards the ending of the book. I won’t go into the details because it would be a somewhat huge spoiler (although people who’ve read the book could easily guess which scene I’m talking about), but I felt that there wasn’t enough build-up for that particular scene. I was already expecting that particular scene to happen because I’m very good at guessing what would happen next in books, and when what I suspected would happen did happen, it lacked the suspense and terrified feeling that readers were supposed to feel. To me, the scene fell flat; I just wanted it to be over already.

“I don’t understand.”
Patience didn’t know how many times she’d said the words, but they remained the truth. She didn’t understand. How could she? Things like this didn’t happen in real life. (ARC 345)

If Just One Kiss was a decent read, then why did I only give it a rating of three stars out of five stars? Simple. So far, I’ve read every single book in the Fools Gold series, not counting the prequels, and more than five of them have very similar endings: the guy decides to leave or end the relationship for whatever reason and then has a change of heart, going back to the girl. This happened in Just One Kiss too. The endings of Susan Mallery’s Fools Gold series is starting to get very predictable.

He wanted to tell her how he’d been wrong to leave, how he’d been so damned scared of hurting her and Lillie. He wanted to explain he hadn’t had faith. (ARC 373)

I can’t wait to read Two of A Kind, the next book in the Fools Gold series. It focuses on Felicia’s story, a character we met while reading Just One Kiss. To be honest, Felicia was the highlight of Just One Kiss, I loved her funny dialogue and how smart she is. If there was a person like Felicia in real life, I’ll love to befriend her.

Overall, I will recommend Just One Kiss for people who are in the mood for fluffy sweet love stories. In fact, if you love reading fluffy sweet love stories, then you should definitely read the Fools Gold series. The Fools Gold series is a guilty pleasure read for me; it’s fun, sweet, and quick to read about. Some books even tugged on my heartstrings so much that it made me cry.

three

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-Kelly

Posted by Kelly on 5-05-13 · 10 Comments
Categories: 2013 book, book review Tagged: 3 star

« Stacking the Shelves [31]
ARC Book Review: Dare You To – Katie McGarry »

Speak Your Mind

  1. The Book Momster says

    6-03-13 at 9:24 PM

    I loved this book and I too can’t wait to finally get Gideon’s story. Felicia was a hoot in this book and it should be interesting to watch her fall in love and try to make it logical with her intelligence.

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      6-04-13 at 12:15 PM

      I think Two of A Kind is still on NetGalley.
      But yep, Gideon and Felicia were so cute together! :D
      Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Book Featuring Travel In Some WayMy Profile

      Reply
  2. Maida @ Literary Love Affair says

    7-22-13 at 11:57 PM

    This sounds really interesting! I love the sound of the characters! Glad you enjoyed this! Great review! :D

    ~ Maida
    Literary Love Affair 
    Maida @ Literary Love Affair recently posted…Release Day Blitz: Charmed by Cambria Hebert – Excerpt & GiveawayMy Profile

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      7-23-13 at 6:26 PM

      Thank you Maida! (:
      Kelly recently posted…Top Ten Words/Topics That Will Make You NOT Pick Up A BookMy Profile

      Reply
  3. Fatma Shahin says

    9-13-13 at 6:20 PM

    |Not really my type of book but great review! love the cover of it :)

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      9-14-13 at 2:36 PM

      This is normally not my type of book either, but it’s so cute and fluffy that I just can’t help but read it.
      I love the cover too. ;D<3
      Kelly recently posted…Stacking the Shelves [50]My Profile

      Reply
  4. Cali W. says

    10-07-13 at 4:06 PM

    Great review! This book feels like a nice light read and I like POVs that go back and forth with different characters <3

    Reply
    • Kelly says

      10-07-13 at 9:07 PM

      Thanks Cali! :D
      Just One Kiss is definitely a light, fun read. If you’re in the mood to read a fluffy book, then this one is definitely the one for you Cali. ;D
      Kelly recently posted…Judge A Book By Its Signature: Just One Day – Gayle FormanMy Profile

      Reply
  5. Emma says

    2-13-14 at 1:35 AM

    JUST ONE KISS – SUSAN MALLERY wonderful review.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. ARC Book Review: Two of a Kind – Susan Mallery says:
    5-12-13 at 5:12 PM

    […] I said in my earlier review of Just One Kiss, I am a little tired of the similar endings the Fools Gold series has: the guy leaves the girl for […]

    Reply

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