Love (and reality TV) are in the air in Fool’s Gold and Finn Andersson is NOT happy that his twin brothers have joined in the fun. He’s flown down to the small California town, determined to save his younger siblings from themselves, then get back to his newly free life. After raising his brothers, Finn is ready to start the next chapter his life, free of responsibility for anyone but himself. That’s why a fling with sexy Fool’s Gold resident Dakota Hendrix is the only thing he’s prepared to deal with while he waits to drag his brothers home.

Dakota Hendrix has grown up in a town with few romantic options. While Finn is sexy and surprisingly sweet, he’s not interested in being tied down. Which is fine with Dakota. On top of being shanghaied into helping with the reality dating show that’s taken over her town, Dakota’s decided to start a family now rather than waiting around for Mr. Right.

When Dakota’s familial plans are sped up by the advent of a bouncing baby girl from Kazakhstan, she’s surprised how helpful Finn is. Despite his protests to the contrary, the handsome pilot is pretty darn good at playing house with Dakota and her new daughter. But it’s up to Dakota to convince him that happily ever after is better with someone than on his own.

Finn and Dakota were everything that Ms. Mallery has led us to expect in her hero and heroine. Independent, intelligent, and attractive with sizzling chemistry between them. I really liked the trajectory of their relationship and the tension between them.  Ms. Mallery never fails to deliver on those counts. I also adore the quirky cast of characters she’s populated Fool’s Gold with. It’s nice to see familiar faces and catch up with the previous heroes and heroines; that’s always been my favorite part of this series. The subplot felt odd and sort of unnecessary, but it was still sweet.

I enjoy all of Susan Mallery’s books, but this was not one of my favorites. I’ve LOVED the Hendrix triplets in previous Fool’s Gold stories, but this one felt a little flat and overly formulaic. But at the same time, it was so formulaic that it became original and unusual because of how many elements she tossed in from other books. I’m all for accidental baby stories and men bonding with women through their kids, but I think Ms. Mallery might need to take a break from them for a bit. That being said, this was a fun summer read and I’m looking forward to the next two books in this trilogy. The cookie crumbs dropped were tantalizingly hopeful!

~ Taylor