Just One Kiss

The hero does run in this book but at least he had a good and real reason for it so I liked this one a lot better and the others!

I've liked some of the others in the series. Not this one. I got maybe a third of the way through before just losing all patience with both of them. Mostly Justice. You'd think he'd be irresistible, what with the tough-guy profession and obvious competence and all. Only, he's one of those idiots who think they're bad because of an awful parent; like DNA determines character. So he's spending the whole novel so far whining (in his head) about how "bad" he is for Patience because he can't trust himself to be a good guy. It's just tedious. The man is thirty-some years old. He should know by now if he's a bad guy or not. And since every single piece of outside evidence is that he's stable, protective, and kind—to the point that he protects people for a living, for heaven's sake—his whole "I'm bad" thing is just so much self-indulgent codswallop.<br /><br />Add that Patience has her own stupid thing going on in starting a relationship "against her better judgement" (on such little evidence—almost like the author is looking for an excuse to keep them apart) and you can see the train-wreck start already and it's all so by-the-script stupid that I just can't stand it. Also, the coffee shop plotline is an overdose of hopium. Opening a coffee shop in a small town that already has a Starbuck's? This is your dream? Really? And yet, we don't get that Patience has any particular passion about good coffee (she's forever drinking diet colas). And she's not really that gregarious... It's just so tacked-on hokey.<br /><br />So yeah, going to cut my losses on this one.

Full review posted here: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="http://thebookpushers.com/2013/05/27/review-just-one-kiss-by-susan-mallery/">http://thebookpushers.com/2013/05/27/...</a><br /><br />I love the Fool’s Gold series, it’s one of my favorite contemporary romance series, and I absolutely adore all things Susan Mallery.<br /><br />Patience loves living in Fool’s Gold, can’t imagine ever living anywhere else. She had a normal childhood, except for the time her best friend Justice suddenly disappeared without a word, or a trace. When Patience finds out Justice has returned to Fool’s Gold, and discovers his history in witness protection, they resume their friendship as if nothing had ever come between them. Except now, they are both adults and able to act on the attraction that has been simmering for years.<br /><br />Justice always loved Patience. As a boy, he loved her innocence and pure outlook on life. As a man, he can appreciate her personality, her beauty and everything else he remembered about her. As much as Justice wants to be able to keep Patience as his own, his past is one that he doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to outrun. But when life catches up with them both, love might be the only thing that can save them.<br /><br />I adored this story. I always worry that with long standing series like this, the books can start to get old and feel recycled. However, this book felt fresh and new and I am so excited about this new trilogy, especially since we’ve already met the heroes. After I finished this book, I wanted to forsake my TBR pile and glom onto the next two books in this series. <br /><br />I really liked the idea of Justice being in the witness protection program, and how that played such a huge role in this book, and his life. I loved that he became a bodyguard, and really devoted his life to saving others, like the US Marshall’s did for him. I just wish that Justice would have been able to see that his genetics didn’t make up the man he was. He really let his father determine who he was, how he identified himself. I hated that for him, because everyone else besides him was able to see just how incredible of a man he turned out to be.<br /><br />I thought Patience was wonderful. If I could choose the kind of best friend to have, it would be someone like Patience. She was so down-to-earth and fun and loyal. She loved Justice from the moment they first met, and she never really stopped. She was dedicated to her friends, standing behind them one hundred percent. Even when she wasn’t sure she wanted to make a new friend, she was able to look past the surface and see down into the individual. She is the kind of romance heroine I love reading about. Seemingly perfect in every way, and yet the kind of woman who didn’t let it go to her head, or make her any less loveable.<br /><br />The romance between these two was somewhat subdued. Their sexual relationship starts off with a bang, and although they both kid themselves that it’s just physical and nothing more, it was obvious to me that the two of them fell pretty much in love the minute they laid eyes on each other as adults. They beat around the bush and tried to convince themselves it wasn’t the real deal, and yet there was never a moment I didn’t believe these two wouldn’t make it.<br /><br />All in all this is another fabulous romance in the Fool’s Gold series. I love Mallery’s writing, and I think this installment is one of the better ones in the series as a whole. I am so anxious to read the next few books in the series, as I think the heroes are all going to be badasses, and the heroines sweet and fun. This book has rekindled my love for this series!<br /><br />I give Just One Kiss an A-

I am really torn about my feelings about this book. I enjoyed it but there were a quite a few things that really grated on my nerves. In this 11th full length Fool's Gold novel I have to wonder if they've run their course and the entire town should retire. On the other hand I truly love revisiting the quaint town. See, told ya', I'm torn.<br /><br />This particular venture into Fool's Gold just didn't work for me. The town took on a Stepford feel to it where the children are just precocious, the teens are all heading to college with the highest honors, Mayor Marsha seems to pop in at a moments notice, as if she's hiding behind bushes and billboards waiting to pounce and new business ventures never fail.<br /><br />Even Patience herself was irritating. Perfectly named, Patience was almost too kind and caring. When she did show some 'negative' feelings ie:jealousy, it seemed so out of character it tipped the scale toward shrew making her look petty and ugly.<br /><br />There were several plot threads woven throughout the story and all were wrapped up quickly in bright shiny convenient bows. Speaking of convenient, at one point Patience is telling Justice that she wants nothing more than to open up a coffee shop. She even has the name and logo picked out but she is lacking the funds to start such a venture. Next thing we know a Great Aunt Becky has died, leaving her a whopping sum. She was able to pay her mom's mortgage and open up her business. Never mind that Patience didn't even know who the woman was.There were a couple other 'too convenient' happenings too.<br /><br />I also had a problem with the ending. There were no hard feelings and all was forgiven by an 'I'm sorry' where there should have been massive groveling and some sort of wow factor to go along with the apology. At least the man should have brought flowers!<br /><br />All of that really prevented me from fully enjoying this book but it wasn't a total loss...<br /><br />The chemistry between Justice and Patience is sizzling and pretty awesome. I also appreciated that both characters were smart and prepared with condoms. In this day and age not having them mentioned is almost irresponsible.<br /><br />There are quite a few characters that are super intriguing too. Angel, Ford and Felicia for starters. These are the people helping Justice start up his business. Also, Noelle is interesting as is Gideon. Looking forward to more of them.<br /><br />Despite the many eye rolls I did during the reading of this book I still am a huge Mallery fan. Even with the issues I had with this particular book it still felt good getting back to Fool's Gold (even with the many shades of Stepford). These books are my comfort food and I'll continue reading them. I just wish I'd enjoyed this one more.<br /><br />I'd recommend this book to other Fool's Gold fans but keep in mind that you'll have to suspend your disbelief a lot. I would also recommend that readers new to Susan's work or just new to Fool's Gold might want to start with another one, perhaps starting at the beginning with Chasing Perfect.

Another fun romance set in Fool's Gold, California. This one did have some drama that brought the hero to his knees but he found his strength to give life another chance.

I love small town romances and the Fool's Gold books are among the best. This is the first of this summer's trilogy and focuses on Patience and Justice. They had been friends for a year back in high school. Patience had a crush on him and was about to tell him her feelings when he disappeared without a trace, leaving her heartbroken. Now he's back and their feelings are becoming even stronger. But can they overcome their pasts and make a future together?<br /><br />I loved Patience. As a teenager she had been a very good friend to Justice, who always seemed to be a little bit withdrawn from everything around him. When he disappeared she worried about him and never forgot him. She married young when she got pregnant, then her husband left them. She has lived in Fool's Gold all her life and can't imagine living anywhere else. She cuts hair for a living but dreams of opening her own coffee shop. When Justice comes back into her life they resume their friendship as though they'd never been apart. But there is also an attraction between them that she is somewhat wary of. After being abandoned both by her father and her husband, she worries that Justice could disappear again, destroying her heart completely. I loved seeing their friendship continue and grow into love. Patience had a way of seeing the vulnerable man under the loner exterior and providing the caring that he needed but wouldn't admit. I loved the way that she refused to accept his statement that he wasn't a good man. <br /><br />Justice had never forgotten Patience, who had been the one bright spot in his time in the Witness Protection Program. Now that he is back in Fool's Gold he finds that his connection to her is even stronger. He still tries to maintain an emotional distance from those around him but it just doesn't work. Not only do Patience and her family make him part of their lives, but the people of Fool's Gold also won't allow it. There's a great scene where Denise Hendrix welcomes him back and puts a totally panicked look on his face. The more time that he spends with Patience the more he wants her in his life permanently. But he is fighting the demons of his past and is not convinced that he won't turn into a man like his father, even though everyone else can see just how wonderful he is. When his past catches up to him and puts his future in danger it only reinforces his feelings. I loved it when he finally realized what an idiot he had been.<br /><br />Besides the story of Justice and Patience and their romance, I also enjoyed the story of Patience's mom Ava. She also has her own romance that happens, overcoming her health issues and the identity of her sweetheart. I loved her quiet strength and the support that she gives Patience in everything.<br /><br />One of the greatest "characters" in the book is the town of Fool's Gold. Previous heroes and heroines make appearances in perfectly logical ways, not just thrown into the story willy nilly. I loved Mayor Marsha's freakily perfect timed appearances and interferences. The Fool's Gold community participation in things like the work party for Patience's coffee house was ideal small town life. I also love their welcoming attitude toward new people such as Felicia, who is endearing and scary at the same time. I also love the friendships between Patience and the other women and how they support each other through good and bad. I'm really looking forward to the next book.

<br /><br />I have tremendous love for the Fool's Gold series. Mallery's brings a fresh outlook to each book that keeps the series from getting stale as some long running series often do. I'm just saying that I've enjoyed each new book but Just One Kiss is one of the best of the bunch. It had the perfect element of suspense without overwhelming the romance and I really enjoyed that. Cause you know it's all about the love for this gal. <br />This wasn't Justice Garrett's first time around the block in the town of Fool's Gold. He'd lived in town for a while. I got that impression when he first showed up as bodyguard to the stars in All Summer Long. Turned out that I was right, as usual, and he had a past in the quaint little town. Now, he's back to open a defense academy along with one of the town's prodigal sons. <br />Well informed readers know that the town has a shortage on hot guys so they pretty much get snatched up as soon as they hit town. So it came as no surprise when Justice hooked up with his old school friend, Patience McGraw. They'd been close and she'd had a crush on him before he disappeared so suddenly all those years ago. FYI : He was in the witness protection agency and had to cut and run when the heat got too hot. The two are still drawn to each other and inevitably begin a romantic relationship. But they've both got some issues with committment that stand in the way. She is afraid to fall in love only to be abandoned again. He is afraid that the sins of the father will revisit him and in a way he was right. The truth is that they were both scared to be hurt anymore, I'm thinking. <br />Just One Kiss is as good as it gets in the contemporary romance genre. Charming characters, engaging plot and the wonderful hometown setting that I've come to love in regards to this series. An superbly written story that hooked my interest and kept it right up until the ending. Even better is that it kicks off the newest trilogy and gives me something to look forward to reading this summer. I love how Mallery releases this amazing series in trilogies and doesn't make me wait a year in between them. Cuts down on the withdrawals. <br />I'm giving Just One Kiss four flying stars. I loved it and happily recommend it to all. <br /><br />ARC received courtesy of the publisher, HQN, and Netgalley.

Tomorrow has finally arrived in Fools Gold, but will it be too late for Justice and Patience?<br /><br />When Justice left Fools Gold he took a piece of Patience's heart with him. She never knew what had happened to him or whether she would ever see him again, but when given a choice in where he will settle down the memories of that year in Fools Gold draw him back to the only place that ever felt like home and the one woman whom he's never forgotten! Can Patience forgive him for disappearing on her so many years ago? Do those old feelings still exist for them? Can Justice see beyond the demons that haunt him and trust his heart to Patience.<br /><br />These hot bodyguards are settling down in Fools Gold for the long haul. The town may never be the same, as the hearts start racing and even the older women in town take notice. So grab your copy of Just One Kiss, a glass of wine and a quiet corner and settle in for a great day or night of reading. As usual Susan Mallery pulls us in and makes us a part of the town of Fools Gold. Two of a Kind can't come soon enough!

Another fantastic Fool's Gold book! I loved that Justice finally gets his HEA. And the back story with Patience's mom was a wonderful addition to the story, showing that age and "disability" have nothing to do with romance! I can't wait to read the next 2 bodyguard books! LOVE LOVE LOVE this series!!

This story felt flat. Not that it didn't have potential but what was going on could have been half the pages because much of it was filled with the inner turmoil and angst of the characters. At times I wanted to scream just move on already. Then the whole story happens in a few pages at the end tied up with a bow. Come on.