ARC Book Review: Two of a Kind – Susan Mallery

Two of a Kind
Author: Susan Mallery
Series: Fool’s Gold #12
Genre: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Release Date: June 25, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Goodreads | Amazon | TBD

Summary:

 
First Sentence: Rational thought and a working knowledge of hand-to-hand combat were useless when faced with the villainous power of the American house spider.

I received an eARC through NetGalley. Thank you!

My Review:

I’ve been looking forward to reading Two of a Kind after I’ve read Just One Kiss. I wanted more Felicia and more Gideon. I wanted to read more about their past and how they eventually got together. Thank goodness Two of a Kind was on NetGalley so I didn’t have a long wait to read it.

Two of a Kind introduces an important new character about halfway into the book: Gideon’s son, Carter. Carter is thirteen years old and in my opinion, is fairly intelligent for his age. I wouldn’t be willing to travel across the country by myself now when I’m eighteen, and definitely won’t if I was thirteen, but Carter somehow managed it. I love reading the scenes where Carter appeared in; he’s hilarious and so simple.

I love Felicia; she is that one unique character you enjoy reading about that has her own cute quirks. Felicia is crazy smart, but at the same time, her smartness makes her so insecure. Felicia is straightforward, brutally honest, and entertaining to read about. I strongly felt for Felicia while reading Two of a Kind; I felt her struggle to fit in, to be normal, and to act normal. I felt her desire to have someone like her for who she is and get to really know her without judging her.

Felicia shook her head. “You don’t have to be nice to me. I messed up. I forgot the festival. I got caught up in my personal life and I forgot. I have no excuse other than carelessness. I deserve to be fired.” (ARC 334)

While I enjoyed reading about Felicia, Gideon was somewhat distant to me. He just went with the flow, trying to avoid every and any type of emotional feelings or attachment certain events might bring. I do understand that that was what the author was trying to do, showing us how Gideon preferred to be unattached and alone. However, as I read on, I grew to like Gideon more and more, specifically the moments when he slowly realized that he did indeed care deeply for Felicia and couldn’t let her go.

“Are you in love with someone else? Because if you’re not, Felicia’s awesome. She’s totally hot and she can cook and she’s very organized.”
Now it was Gideon’s turn to glare, but at his son rather than his friend. “What are you doing?” (ARC 340)

There’s a particular scene in Two of a Kind involving Felicia and Gideon’s son, Carter, that made me cry every time I read it. I’ve read it and re-read it four times and each time I’ve read it, I couldn’t help but cry. The scene tugged on my heartstrings and made me feel so bad for Felicia, what she’s going through, and what she was trying to do.

Like 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 whatever reason, changes his mind, then comes back to her. This happens again in Two of a Kind: Gideon leaves Felicia, then changes his mind, and comes back. I understand that authors want something major to happen at the end of their books, but to use the same type of ending in more than five different books in their series is just not a smart idea.

In the distance, she heard Angel’s voice coming from the speakers in Gideon’s truck. “This one is for a very special couple. Unless my friend is an idiot, which is a real possibility.” (378)

Two of a Kind had some scenes that helped build and prepare the readers for the next book in the Fools Gold series, Three Little Words. Three Little Words focuses on Ford and Isabel’s story, which I absolutely can’t wait to read about. The little moments Susan Mallery inserted: Isabel avoiding Ford, Ford’s mother Denise desperately searching for a wife for Ford, and the apartment Isabel’s parents had rented out (people who have read Two of a Kind will get what I’m implying) got me eagerly awaiting for the next book to come out.

Hopefully, Three Little Words would also focus on Consuelo’s story. I want to see and read about her happy ending – hopefully with Kent by her side. Kent appeared in one of the first books in the Fools Gold series and it’s about time he gets his own happy ending.

Overall, if you’re looking for a light, fun read that can also break your heart at times, definitely check out Two of a Kind, or more specially, Susan Mallery’s Fools Gold series. I’m addicted to reading every single book in her Fools Gold series; they are fun, fluffy, and a quick read.