Publisher: Harlequin
Date of publication: September 2017
From the #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling
author Susan Mallery, read the second irresistible installment in the Happily
Inc series!
Mathias Mitchell’s easy smile hides a world of hurt. After
the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California—the
wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for
his “no promises, no pain” lifestyle. Yet he can’t stop watching for his
beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.
Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she’s not special enough to
attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for
her lonely giraffe is surprising—and his determined seduction, even more so.
But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush
her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she’ll always come first
in his heart?
Second Chance Girl is the second book in the new series about the town of Happy Inc. This is Carol and Matthias's story. I really wanted to love this one, but in the end it just ended up being OK for me. The issue for me was the lack of chemistry between Matthias and Carol. I just didn't feel it. Carol was kind of annoying with her constant "I'm not special" thoughts. Matthias had his own issues with is brother and his father. I didn't understand why the brother's just didn't finally tell of their father and be done with it. In the end, I think there was just too much going on in the book.
The one thing I did like was the secondary romance between Ulrich and Violet. I almost wish the book had focused on that romance instead. It was sweet and much more believable. I loved their chemistry. Despite not loving this one, I'm not giving up on the series. I'm hoping Ronan's story is next because that boy needs some serious therapy!
The Sweet
Dreams Inn off of Eternal Drive was the
stuff of nightmares—at least for Ulrich. His plan had been to leave Happily Inc
after he concluded his business with Violet Lund—thief and swindler—return to
Los Angeles and catch a flight back to England. Only nothing had gone according
to plan.
His meeting with the
surprisingly attractive and very animated woman had left him feeling both
awkward and confused. She had been able to produce a bill of sale for the
buttons his grandmother had sent, and buttons were not what had been stolen
from the house. Was she not the thief and if not her, then who?
Ulrich had driven to LA
only to reschedule his flight and return to Happily Inc. The Sweet Dreams Inn
had been the first hotel he’d seen, so he’d pulled in. Too late he’d discovered
it was a themed
hotel with each of the rooms representing something ridiculous. For reasons not
completely clear to him, he’d agreed to a couple of nights in the Drive-In
room, which was how he found himself with a mattress fit into a red, 1959
Cadillac convertible, a television the size of a movie screen and a sitting
room decorated like a concession stand. Even he had to admit the car was
beautiful—with big fins and white-walled tires. Still, it wasn’t where one
expected to sleep. Regardless of the strange surroundings, the Wi-Fi was
excellent and the kitchen delivered meals to his room.
Ulrich had spent nearly
a day researching Violet Lund and antique buttons only to come to the
conclusion that it was more than possible that she had been telling the truth.
There was money to be made in the world of buttons. Even more troubling, it
seemed Miss Violet Lund was nothing more than a very honest shopkeeper.
She had no criminal
record, no trouble with the IRS, not even a ticket. He’d used several online
sites to investigate her and she’d come back annoyingly normal and law abiding.
How could he have been so wrong?
He was never wrong—he
made it a point to be sure of things. He’d only been seriously fooled once in
his life and that had been by his ex-wife Penelope. In that case, the deception
had been deliberate—at least on her part. Thinking about that didn’t help him
at all, and he mentally turned his back on his former wife. The bigger question
was what to do about Violet. He’d slept on the information, then had woken up
in the morning with no clear idea of what to do next.
After showering, he
ordered breakfast and knew he had to come up with a plan—only he had no idea
what it would be. He opened another file on his computer and reviewed the list
of missing items provided to him by his housekeeper and his own investigation.
The trouble had started
three months ago when Ulrich had ordered a complete inventory of the house,
including the attics. The project had taken over a month and they’d discovered
some truly wonderful pieces. But many things had also been missing.
The public rooms were closely
monitored and protected, and the guests who stayed in the hotel wing didn’t
have access to the private residence without an escort. The previous inventory
had been conducted by his father, nearly five years before. Ulrich had no way
of knowing what had been taken when. Or so he’d thought.
Get your copy of SECOND CHANCE
GIRL here!
About Susan Mallery:
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan
Mallery writes heartwarming and humorous novels about the relationships that
define women's lives—family, friendship, romance. She's best known for putting
nuanced characters into emotionally complex, real-life situations with twists
that surprise readers to laughter. Because Susan is passionate about animal
welfare, pets play a big role in her books. Beloved by millions of readers
worldwide, her books have been translated into 28 languages.
Susan lives in Washington state with her husband, two
ragdoll cats, and a small poodle with delusions of grandeur. Visit her online
at SusanMallery.com.
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